From Sharon Stone to Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood actresses have made white dresses unforgettable. Here, I made a list of the most iconic white dresses from the movies! You know what I’m talking about. The most iconic white dresses aren’t just sexy. They are what we can wear to a Halloween party as a costume! The most iconic white dresses are what we love to look at again and again, and never forget!
Spring-Summer is a time to celebrate the white dresses – mini-dresses, cocktail, lace, crochet – we feel like wearing them all time – while holding a glass of martini and donning a sexy pair of sunglasses, pairing them with our hottest accessories.
And to celebrate this eternally fashionable color, I made a list of the 15 most iconic white dresses from Hollywood movies. Be prepared to feast your eyes on these beautiful, unforgettable outfits…
1. Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch
If we have to make a list of iconic white dresses from Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe’s halter dress from the 1955 film deserves to be at the top. Not only did it go on to become way more famous than the movie, it became the most iconic look of the actress herself.
Copied and redone by celebrities, Halloween costumes, and Circa Brides for a vintage 1950s bridal dress, this dress also the inspiration for collections like Moschino Spring/Summer 2017. It also made it to a 26-feet tall statue called Forever Marilyn that was recently displayed in Chicago, and has its own Wikipedia page. Plus it was gorgeously sexy, and was recently auctioned in 2011 for $5.6 million.
2. Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct
Who can ever forget the plain mini white dress Sharon Stone wore in the movie Basic Instinct? It created controversies and the most famous leg-cross scene, and it made Sharon Stone an internationally recognized icon. This outfit has inspired countless memes and gags. Of course Sharon’s minimalist effortlessly sexy look, paired with her confident character in the film is very hot.
3. Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s
I love this Greek-inspired one-shoulder gown that Audrey’s character, Holly Golightly, wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, draped almost like a saree, and accessorized with just black earrings. It’s very glamorous and unforgettable, especially when you pair it with her updo and long cigarette holder.
4. Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City (1)
Carrie Bradshaw’s fashion sense in the TV series and films Sex and the City has always been undeniable. While I can point out countless outfits worn by Carrie that can be called iconic, her white dresses in each of the two movies are absolutely famous. Sex and the City (1) has her iconic flower dress, very Carrie, taking inspiration by the series that has Carrie wearing flower pins on tops and tanks. This dress that was worn with black peep-toes, a yellow clutch and Barney’s New York shopping bags, inspired many replicas. Very chic.
5. Kate Winslet in Titanic
Rose’s heaven dress, as they call it, in Titanic was a white version of her iconic red and black dinner/dance dress. She wore the gorgeous crystal gown in the sad tear-jerking climax scene. And I didn’t think it was as popular as that red/black dress, until I googled it, and saw that it has inspired numerous replicas, cakes and a doll.
6. Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman
The designer white buttoned dress Julia Roberts’s character, Vivan wore in Pretty Woman may not be as iconic as her red dress or hooker dress from that movie, but is elegant enough. Plus it features in a shopping scene, that is every girl’s dream – who wouldn’t want unlimited money solely to shop expensive designer-wear? And I love the way Vivian pairs it with a black hat and white gloves for a newly polished look. Not to mention she looks utterly and innocently happy with all those shopping bags!
7. Alicia Silverstone in Clueless
Of course, who can forget Cher’s style in the classic 90s chick-flick Clueless. She donned many iconic looks, including a red number with a scarlet-black coat, a yellow plaid outfit and more, all of which have inspired Halloween costumes, celeb outfits and even runway designs. But her most iconic dress in the movie was a figure-hugging white mini-dress by Calvin Klein. Cher wore it to a date with her classmate/crush, and we’d still wear it to any date even today. The scene in which Cher tries to reason with her dad about it actually being “a dress” is hilarious and unforgettable in itself! So whether you prefer the dress as it is or with the chic sheer overshirt she throws on it later is your choice, but you can’t deny it’s very remarkable!
8. Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina
Audrey Hepburn wore a white high-low organza gown in the 1954 film Sabrina, which later became so famous it’s known as the “Sabrina dress”. The dress was designed by Hubert de Givenchy, who also designed the iconic black dress she wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. He was even nominated for Oscars for the Paris wardrobe in the film. In fact, the Sabrina dress is what is said to have started the designer-muse relationship between him and the actress.
At the above-mentioned auction, this dress was also sold along with Audrey’s below gown for $3.7 million. Joe Maddalena, the president of the auction-house said, “It really is one of the four or five most famous dresses in cinema history, and we almost missed it.” The gown with black floral embroidery also seems to have inspired Anne Hathaway’s gown in the climax of Princes Diaries.
9. Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady
Eliza Doolittle in the musical film My Fair Lady, played by Audrey, wore lots of white in the film (plus the biggest hats). Her period look featuring a white beaded ballroom gown described by Audrey as an ‘absolutely divine dress’, was worn with long white gloves, diamond big necklace and a tiara. And this dress seems like what would later inspire the costumes of The Great Gatsby.
10. Cameron Diaz in The Mask
The dress Cameron Diaz’s character Tina wore at her nightclub singing ‘Love makes me treat you…’ is sexy yet playful. Her crystal sparkly mini-dress is white with gold tassles at the bottom. It popped out the eyes of not just Stanley ‘The Mask’ Ipkiss (played by Jim Carrey), but who knows how many other drooling guys out there!
The list of the most iconic white dresses in the history of Hollywood ever continues… Dresses that are so gorgeous, so hot, that we can’t forget them! We covered many of the most iconic white dresses already – from Sharon Stone to Marilyn Monroe. So, let’s just dive into more white, shall we!?
11. Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Natalie Portman’s white ballet dress from the movie’s climax scene was not only beautiful and gasp-worthy, but also inspired many replicas, both evening and wedding dresses, such as this one… Combined with the intensity of the scene, her expressions and the choreography, this one really makes for an unforgettable experience.
12. Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief
The classic evening dress worn by Grace Kelly in the 1954 film To Catch a Thief can double as a wedding gown, and is timeless and classy. She paired it with a beautiful diamond bib necklace, and has since inspired many a prom dress.
13. Marilyn Monroe in The Prince and the Showgirl
The 1950’s had Marilyn Monroe and iconic white dresses. This one, worn by the famous actress, is in silk with bead work, and embroidered flowers. The dress was particularly difficult to scene, because of many mishaps during the filming of the movie, but looked awesome nonetheless.
14. Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Elizabeth Taylor looked classy in this timeless white sensation in the Hollywood movie Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and was immediately copied by many women in the country. The dress is very minimalist, with a matching belt, a Greek-style V-neck and shoulder detail. I guess this simple wear-ability of the dress was the reason for its sensation, making Elizabeth order one copy for herself.
15. Leslie Caron in Gigi
The white silk floor-length gown Leslie Caron wore in 1958’s Gigi was beautiful with black off-shoulder details and gloves. It’s not as popular as some of the other dresses, but Jesus Piero’s 2014 bridal collection shows inspirations of this dress. And it may as well inspire any modern-day white dress. That’s why we are adding it to the list of the most iconic white dresses.
So, did you like my list of the Most Iconic White Dresses in Hollywood History?
Which one is your favorite out of all? Do you have a replica of any of these? Did I forget any iconic white dress? Comment below, lemme know! 🙂 Until next time, Adiós!
Note added on April 27, 2022: This article was initially posted as a 2 part piece ranking 20 dresses. However, over time, we analyzed some dresses to have lost the popularity we had expected from them for remaining in this list. So this article was reposted as an edited ranking of 15 dresses.
Shilpa Ahuja the editor-in-chief of ShilpaAhuja.com, which she founded with the goal of inspiring confidence in the modern working woman through fashion. Other than defining the direction of the magazine, she also writes about fashion & beauty trend forecasts, industry analysis, and opinions.
Shilpa’s work has been published in the University of Fashion blog and Jet Airways magazine. She is also an artist, illustrator and cartoonist. She is also the creator of Audrey O., a comic series that represents the lifestyle of millennial women. She enjoys creative writing and world travel. Her art has been exhibited at Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Aroma Hotel, Chandigarh and been published in Chandigarh Times.
Originally from Chandigarh, Shilpa also has a degree in architecture and has worked in interior project management. She is also the author of the book “Designing a Chinese Cultural Center in India”. Shilpa has a Masters in Design Studies degree from Harvard University.
For feedback and questions, please email [email protected]
Yoᥙr article is as amazing. The list is just nice and і could assume you’re a professional οn fashion. Тhank yⲟu a million and please keep uⲣ the great work.
So beautiful!
This is one of the only sites where I’ve seen Hollywood’s fashion history presented so relatable yet in a well-researched way!
Appreciation tо my sis who directed me to this blog, thiѕ article is really awesome.