White Marc Bouwer dress of Angelina Jolie

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White Marc Bouwer dress of Angelina Jolie
Designer Marc Bouwer
Year2004
TypeWhite satin dress
Material Silk

American actress Angelina Jolie wore a white satin dress with a plunging neckline designed by Marc Bouwer on February 29, 2004, to the 76th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre, where she presented the award for Best Art Direction. The dress garnered praise from fashion magazines and media publications, and has been placed on numerous lists for best Oscars or red carpet fashion.

Contents

Background and design

The dress was created as an homage to the white dress of Marilyn Monroe from the film The Seven Year Itch (1955) Marilyn Monroe photo pose Seven Year Itch.jpg
The dress was created as an homage to the white dress of Marilyn Monroe from the film The Seven Year Itch (1955)

The dress was created as an homage to the white dress of Marilyn Monroe worn in The Seven Year Itch , [1] and was designed by Marc Bouwer. [2] [3] The piece is made of silk and features a low-cut neckline with a draped waist, flowing maxi skirt, an open back and fabric draped around the wrists. [4] [5] Jolie paired the look with a diamond ring on her right hand [6] and layers of silver necklaces, including a waterfall piece by H. Stern dubbed as the "Athena Necklace" valued at over $1 million, [5] [7] [6] and a "half-up half-down" hairstyle. [8] She wore a neutral makeup look, emphasizing her eyes with black eyeliner. [6] Jolie wore the dress on February 29, 2004, when presenting the award for Best Art Direction at the 76th Academy Awards hosted at the Kodak Theatre. [9] [10]

Reception

Critical reception to the dress focused on the material and color, describing both as difficult to wear stylishly. Most critics agreed that the look was a success for Jolie, and comparisons were drawn to several classic Hollywood stars, including Rita Hayworth, Jean Harlow, and especially Marilyn Monroe. [11] [12] [9] [13] The dress's minimalism and classic aesthetic has consistently been referred to as a defining moment for Jolie's style. [14] [12] [15] It has been described in subsequent years by fashion and celebrity publications as a memorable and stylish selection that was reminiscent of classical Hollywood style. [16]

Since its debut, the dress has been placed on several lists of best Oscars or red carpet fashion. Cosmopolitan magazine picked the dress in 2011 as one of the best Oscar dresses of all time, saying, "Angie's one of very few people who can rock this material and this color — both being mercilessly unforgiving. But the dress drapes on her curves and shows off her assets in all the right ways." [17] Fashion journalist André Leon Talley put it on his list of the 25 best Oscars dresses, published 2012. [18] In 2019, Harper's Bazaar named it one of the 100 best red-carpet dresses. [19] That same year, the dress was one of 25 famous red carpet dresses used in a photo shoot celebrating the 25th anniversary of InStyle magazine. [20] In 2023, Christian Allaire of Vogue selected it as one of the 55 best Oscars dresses; Vogue contributor Christina Liao was quoted calling the dress Jolie's "best look of all time". [21] Vogue further described the dress as "proof that the best looks are the ones that make a subtle and timeless statement". [22] Vogue Australia listed the dress in their list for the "100 best Oscar dresses of all time". [23] L'Officiel described the look as one of Jolie's best, praising it for echoing classic Hollywood glamor and its "sultry air". [6]

In 2024, Sydney Sweeney wore the dress for the Vanity Fair Oscar party following the 96th Academy Awards, over 20 years after Jolie wore it. [24] [25]

See also

References

  1. Wickman, Kase (March 11, 2024). "Angelina Jolie's 2004 Oscars dress stuns again on Sydney Sweeney at Oscars 2024" . Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  2. Wilson, Eric (February 24, 2008). "I have just the client for you" . The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  3. Park, Min-A; Ko, Hyun-Zin (February 28, 2013). "Red carpet fashion style - concentrating on from 2000 to 2012's Academy Awards and Grammy Awards the comparison". The Korean Society of Costume. 63 (2): 25. doi: 10.7233/jksc.2013.63.2.014 . ISSN   1229-6880 . Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  4. Bernabe, Angeline (March 11, 2024). "Sydney Sweeney steps out in Angelina Jolie's 2004 Oscars dress at Vanity Fair party". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Velasco, Matthew (March 11, 2024). "Sydney Sweeney channels Angelina Jolie and Marilyn Monroe with one dress". W Magazine. Archived from the original on September 30, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Soto, Valerie (April 22, 2025). "L'HISTOIRE: Angelina Jolie's Marc Bouwer gown at the 2004 Oscars". L'Officiel. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  7. Cary, Alice (February 9, 2021). "10 times Angelina Jolie's spectacular jewellery lit up the red carpet". British Vogue. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  8. Gowtham, Swarna (March 11, 2024). "Sydney Sweeney dons Angelina Jolie's 2004 Academy Awards gown to the Oscars after-party". L'Officiel. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Frankel, Susannah (February 16, 2009). "Oscar's best-dressed friends: The most memorable fashion winners and losers". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  10. Gilchrist, Ava (March 11, 2024). "Sydney Sweeney wore Angelina Jolie's 2004 Oscars dress to the Oscars after party, 20 years later". Grazia Magazine. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  11. Ginsberg, Merle (March 11, 2024). "Sydney Sweeney twins with Angelina Jolie across two decades". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Revisiting Angelina Jolie's best Oscars fashion — including that surprising suit". Vogue. February 22, 2017. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  13. "Angelina Jolie's best red carpet moments". The Telegraph. September 20, 2016. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  14. Lenker, Maureen Lee (March 11, 2024). "Sydney Sweeney dons Angelina Jolie's Oscars dress 20 years later: 'An honor to wear a piece of history'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  15. Cusumano, Katherine (June 3, 2024). "Angelina Jolie is the true master of the sleek and chic red carpet look". W Magazine. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  16. "Oscars: Dresses that changed the red carpet". The Hamilton Spectator. February 21, 2013. ISSN   1189-9417 . Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  17. "Oscars best and worst dressed". Cosmopolitan . Archived from the original on June 2, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
  18. Talley, André Leon (February 24, 2012). "André Leon Talley on the best Oscar dresses of all time". Vogue. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  19. King, Joyann; Rutherford, Chrissy (January 22, 2019). "The best red carpet gowns of all time". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  20. Foley, Bridget (August 7, 2018). "Bridget Foley's diary: InStyle marks a milestone". WWD. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  21. Allaire, Christian (March 6, 2023). "The 55 best Oscars red carpet dresses of all time". Vogue. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  22. Allaire, Christian (October 27, 2024). "Angelina Jolie makes the case for a signature red carpet dress". Vogue. Archived from the original on October 31, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  23. "The 100 best Oscar dresses of all time". Vogue Australia. March 8, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  24. Jackson, Hannah (March 11, 2024). "Sydney Sweeney raided Angelina Jolie's closet for the Oscars after party". Vogue. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  25. Moore, Julia (March 11, 2024). "Sydney Sweeney wears Angelina Jolie's 2004 Oscar dress to 2024 Vanity Fair Oscars party". People. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2025.