Sure there were plenty of viral snubs, notable Academy Awards wins, and more big moments at the 2023 Oscars earlier this year. However, while actresses like Halle Bailey went viral for their sheer dresses and other styles on the red carpet, one actress who was very much overlooked the night of the event in my opinion was Hilary Duff. She sought to rectify that a bit by showing off her Oscars afterparty dress on Instagram, and it is stunning.
While not as brazen as Florence Pugh’s viral sheer dress, Hilary Duff was certainly on trend with her semi-sheer look. Not only did she embrace the see-through (ish) trend in a tasteful way, but she also embraced the wet hair trend that’s been having a moment for a few months now. She shared photos of herself and partner Matthew Koma on her social media, captioning the post in a manner a lot of other parents can probably relate to, “Two late nights out and we’ve hit our yearly quota.”
Koma’s corresponding velvet-y red look is also a total moment, though it’s the fan comments that really have caught my eye. In fact, Canadian actress Sarah Desjardins – you may know her from Yellowjackets or Riverdale – had the perfect comment about the look. She wrote on Duff’s post: “Cinderella Story: Vanity Fair ✨.” Other fans chimed in with similar sentiments, with one writing, “It reminds me of A Cinderella's Story dress! Was that intentional? Great to see you out .” A third fan commented, “Omg It’s giving A Cinderella Story.”
I mean, not wrong. If you can recall the 2004 teen film starring the actress opposite then teen heartthrob Chad Michael Murray, you probably recall her character’s big Cinderella moment came in a dress with major details on the bodice and that featured light pink-ish overtones. That dress was designed by Monique Lhuillier and is still a coveted, memorable look – the type of look that holds up nearly 20 years later.
It's unclear if the dress was meant to emulate the past look, but Duff has spoken fondly about filming A Cinderella Story in the past, so I wouldn't put it past her to nod back.
Looking for a whole list of Cinderella movies to watch? We have you covered.
Of course the dress Hilary Duff wore to the after party on her big night out with husband Matthew Koma was not Monique Lhuillier, and it had some see-through details that marked it as distinctly 2023. This time around the peachy pink dress she wore was from Dolce & Gabbana, though in a lot of ways it does harken back to that fairytale dress she rocked on the big screen.
The wet hair look is easy to pull off this fashion season, and while that lingerie-inspired dress might be hard to come by, there are plenty of dupes out there. For Love and Lemons is featuring a similar lingerie-style gown for $348, which is still pricey, but which I might actually like more than the D&G version the actress rocked. Fame & Partners has a classic tiered gown that’s similarly structured and perfect for a wedding event. And I particularly love this corset-style Lulu’s dress, which coincidentally will not break the bank in the same way D&G would. It’s simple, it’s timeless, and it’s at a more reasonable price point.
Early aughts fashion is currently making a comeback, so if an actress is planning on busting out a look similar to one from 20 years ago, now is a great time. Even Gwyneth Paltrow has said she's saved some early 2000s looks for her daughter Apple. If the above is any indication, now might be a great time to bust those out.
