Dana Schwartz, James Mercadante
·5-min read
Rom-coms aren't just here for love, they're also here to serve looks! Here are the genre's most notable getups that slayed the silver screen.
Meet-cutes, earworm-filled soundtracks, charming leads... Myriad elements constitute the perfect rom-com, but nothing scratches the brain quite like a gasp-inducing fashion moment. Thanks to the attentive work of costume designers, every rom-com lover can instantly recall the moment Julia Roberts stepped out in that red gown in Pretty Woman (1990) or when Kate Hudson slipped into that yellow silk dress in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003). Since their onscreen debuts, these looks — whether chic or disastrous — have been referenced by celebs, used as costumes, and even showcased in museums.
Read below for EW's picks for the best rom-com dresses.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
How-to girl Andie (Kate Hudson) might know how to lose a guy, but she also knows how to keep one: a drop-dead-gorgeous slinky yellow dress.
Anyone but You (2023)
We can't blame Ben (Glen Powell) for falling head over heels! Beatrice's (Sydney Sweeney) pale blue silk gown — reminiscent of Andie's yellow slip in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days — goes through a lot: a boat wedding, a plunge overboard, and a helicopter rescue. The rest is still unwritten.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
It's more than worth missing your boyfriend's birthday party if you get an excuse to wear that perfect black gown.
27 Dresses (2008)
The most memorable of the 27? This Gone With the Wind (1938) nightmare.
Last Holiday
Queen Latifah lives up to her name and looks every bit a royal in the custom gown her character has made when she thinks she only has weeks left to live.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) earned the respect — or at least head turns — from her boyfriend's (Henry Golding) family when she wore this fabulous blue tulle dress at a boujee Singapore wedding. And as if it couldn't get any more iconic, the dress is now exhibited at the Smithsonian's National Museum of History.
What a Girl Wants (2003)
Peak 2000s teen girl feels: seeing Amanda Bynes at the top of the stairs in the dress she designed by altering the hideous one she was given.
She's All That (1999)
How could we possibly leave out Laney's (Rachael Leigh Cook) little red dress in one of the most classic makeover reveals in rom-com history?
The Decoy Bride (2011)
The Decoy Bride is a cheesy Netflix hidden gem, with gorgeous Scottish countryside and dresses to swoon over.
Ever After (1998)
How could you not get chills when Danielle (Drew Barrymore) shows up to the ball? Da Vinci (Patrick Godfrey) was her fairy godmother — er, father!
A Cinderella Story (2004)
Another Cinderella story, another perfect entrance.
Sixteen Candles (1984)
In one of the most instantly recognizable shots in cinema, Sam (Molly Ringwald) wears her iconic lilac bridesmaid dress and floral headpiece as she sits across from her crush (Michael Schoeffling) and the birthday cake he brought for her. (No surprise Ariana Grande recreated this moment in her music video for "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).")
Enchanted (2007)
Giselle's fluffy white gown may have been memorable, but Amy Adams owns the color purple during the movie's climax.
Clueless (1995)
Cher (Alicia Silverstone): "It's a dress!"
Mel Horowitz (Dan Hedaya): "Says who?"
Cher: "Calvin Klein!"
Thank goodness that, unlike her Alaia, this white dress doesn't end up against the street.
Pretty Woman (1990)
Just missing a diamond necklace worth more than most annual incomes.
Legally Blonde (2001)
Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) won a homicide trial and taught everyone the "first cardinal rule of perm maintenance" — all while slaying a pink belted pencil dress.
Bridesmaids (2011)
This isn't the dress that Lillian (Maya Rudolph) ended up wearing to her wedding. Probably for the best.
Never Been Kissed (1999)
Poor Josie Grossy — not even Drew Barrymore can pull off shiny pink.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Imagine having the guts to wear separates to your prom! Separates! Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) is iconic.
13 Going on 30 (2004)
Admit it: You wanted to learn the dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" after this scene.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You (2018)
Lara Jean (Lana Condor) gets her fairy-tale moment, exchanging "I love yous" with Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) while twirling in a turquoise '50s-style tulle gown...in the snow!
Girls Trip (2017)
Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith): "This dress is a mosquito net."
Ryan (Regina Hall): "Then maybe you'll catch something in it."
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