The best red carpet rewears of all time

Repeating a look on the red carpet is becoming increasingly popular on the red carpet – sending out a strong message when it comes to the importance of sustainability. While many of the gowns worn by A-listers are actually on loan from brands (meaning they naturally get worn more than once anyway), repeat wears at premieres and awards ceremonies still set an example of how we should all be approaching occasion wear.

The most famous red-carpet repeater out there is undoubtedly the Princess of Wales, who has long been rewearing her dazzling gowns. In her early days as a royal, she would wear the same dress twice at high-profile events that were within a few months of each other. Nowadays, she has a vast archive to dig into – meaning she’ll bring out dresses that she debuted up to a decade ago.

Related: Cannes red carpet 2023: The best dressed from the star-studded film festival

Other prolific red-carpet repeaters include Jane Fonda, who rewore a red Elie Saab gown from 2014 to the 2020 Oscars, and Cate Blanchett, who opted to recycle a series of looks this awards season, including at the BAFTAs. Meanwhile, the increasing popularity of vintage on the red carpet has seen the likes of Nicole Kidman rewearing an archival Chanel gown at the 2023 Met Gala, which she first wore in a Chanel No. 5 ad back in 2004.

Below, see 14 of the best red-carpet rewears of all time.

Often a fan of a vintage purchase, Moss debuted this black feathered cocktail dress at Cannes Film Festival in 1998, later rewearing it at Coty’s 100th anniversary gala in New York in 2004.

Proving that the ’90s truly are back in fashion, Dern brought back out a black cut-out dress by Armani Privé – which she first wore in 1995 – for the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscars Party. She also rewore the same dress at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in 2013.

Knightley first wore this frothy pale pink Chanel dress at a pre-Bafta party in 2008, before wearing it again at a charity gala in 2013. Later that year, the actor actually wore the same dress on her wedding day, when she married musician James Righton.

Taking the red-carpet rewear to the next level, Haddish has worn this white Alexander McQueen at least six times, including at the premiere of Girls Trip in 2017 and at the MTV Awards in 2018.

Fonda first wore this glitzy Elie Saab gown at Cannes Film Festival in 2014, before bringing it back out for the Oscars in 2020.

Banks rewore a red Badgley Mischka gown – first seen at the Oscars in 2004 – at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in 2020.

At the 2018 Oscars, Moreno wore the same gown she wore to collect her Best Supporting Actress award back in 1962.

Paltrow famously wore this Tom Ford-era Gucci suit to the VMAs in 1996, before sporting a re-issued version of the look at Gucci’s Love Parade show in LA in 2021.

Eilish’s outfit choices often reflect her concern for the environment, with the singer rewearing a custom Gucci look that she first wore at the Billboard Awards in 2020 to the Environmental Media Association Awards in 2022.

A famous repeat-wearer, Kate had this white one-shoulder Jenny Packham gown – which she first wore at the 2019 BAFTAs – reworked for the 2023 BAFTA ceremony.

After wearing this gold Prada set on the runway during the brand’s spring/summer 2009 show, Dunn rewore the look for British Vogue’s Fashion & Film party earlier this year.

For the 2023 BAFTAs, Blanchett had the Maison Margiela dress she wore to the 2015 Oscars reworked, this time adding a Louis Vuitton necklace made from repurposed pearls.

At the 2023 Met Gala, Kidman rewore an archival Chanel dress from 2004 in honour of Karl Lagerfeld. She first wore the couture gown in a Chanel No. 5 ad, directed by Baz Luhrmann.

Cotillard rewore a glittering caped minidress from Chanel’s autumn/winter 2007 couture collection – which she first stepped out in at the 2008 BAFTAs – at the 2023 Met Gala, this time with a shaggy pink haircut.