By and large, the biggest trend on the 2025 Oscars red carpet was if you know, you know style. However, not in the quiet luxury, wealth-whispers sense; instead, subtle method dressing was the takeaway trend of the evening’s fashion at the 97th Academy Awards. From thoughtful color choices to blink-and-you-miss-it details, Hollywood’s finest actors snuck several nudge-nudge, wink-wink references into their best Oscars red carpet fashion moments.
For the uninitiated, the method dressing trend is when an actor strategically represents the film they star in through their clothing. Think Margot Robbie in Barbie pink on the 2023 press tour or Zendaya, styled by Law Roach, in her court-ready Challengers-inspired tennis set. Sometimes, the homage is subtle—like a secret, hidden Easter egg in the form of an embellishment or necklace sourced from a certain era that resonates with a character. Or, the fashion-to-culture connection can be so obvious that even if you haven’t seen the film and reside under a rock, you can grasp what the actor and stylist were thinking.
