It shouldn’t be surprising that Elizabeth Olsen has a great sense of style, she is the little sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, former child stars and current creative directors of The Row. Of course, that means Olsen likely always has a simple and sleek dress at her disposal for red carpet events, and while she has definitely taken advantage of that in the past, these days it’s actually pretty rare that the actress relies on her sisters for a look.
Olsen’s style has been on the ascent since she made her big screen debut in the 2011 indie film Martha Marcy May Marlene. Throughout the 2010s, Olsen spent some time exploring different aesthetics, gravitating toward florals and embellishment, often looking to brands like Miu Miu and Erdem for events. But as the decade turned and she joined the Marvel Universe, she started focusing on sleeker looks, opting for power suits, dark hues, and her sisters’ minimalistic designs.
These days, it’s not rare to see Olsen adapting pants for the red carpet, and when she isn’t wearing The Row, there’s a good chance she’s in Alexandre Vauthier or Givenchy. Now, as the actress promotes her new true crime series Love & Death, she’s hitting events in sophisticated looks in bold colors, proving she has her own aesthetic that stands out from that of her sisters. To see how she got here, let’s take a look back at all of Olsen’s best red carpet moments, from 2009 to today.
2023: Love & Death Premiere
Olsen’s red silk organza Givenchy spring 2023 dress had quite a unique, u-shaped hemline.
2023: Academy Awards
This black, sequin Givenchy dress looks like it was poured right onto Olsen’s body.
2023: Vanity Fair Oscar Party
When it came time for the Vanity Fair Oscar party, Olsen stuck to the same designer and silhouette of her Oscar dress, but this Givenchy number was simpler, sans sequins, so she added a dramatic necklace.
2022: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Premiere
Olsen loves a good power suit, so it’s no surprise she pulled this black Alexandre Vauthier set for the premiere of her latest Marvel movie.
2022: Critics’ Choice Awards
Don’t be fooled, the custom, burgundy Armani Privé look Olsen wore to the 27th annual Critics Choice Awards is actually a jumpsuit, not a dress
2021: Emmy Awards
Olsen tapped her sisters, Mary-Kate and Ashley, to design this simple, ivory The Row gown for the 73rd annual Emmys.
2021: Sorry For Your Loss Season 2 Premiere
The premiere of season two of Sorry For Your Loss called for a metallic Vampire’s Wife mini dress with structured shoulders and a bow detail around the waist.
2019: Avengers: Endgame Premiere
Olsen brought some sparkle to the premiere of the final Avengers film, arriving in a teal, body-hugging Alexandre Vauthier pre-fall 2019 dress.
2019: Critics’ Choice Awards
Wearing a low-cut, black velvet Alexandre Vauthier mini dress, Olsen attended the Critics’ Choice Awards in 2019.
2018: Avengers: Infinity War Premiere
Olsen’s dramatic corset look from Oscar de la Renta proves pants can absolutely be red carpet appropriate.
2018: Kodachrome Premiere
Looking extremely chic in a white Christian Dior suit, Olsen attended the premiere of her film Kodachrome in 2018.
2018: Film Independent Spirit Awards
Olsen looked gorgeous in a sheer, lace Zuhair Murad pre-fall 2018 mini dress at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
2017: Ingrid Goes West Premiere
Life imitated art when Olsen showed up to the premiere of Ingrid Goes West to find Plaza wearing the same Marc Jacobs dress as her, considering Plaza plays Olsen’s stalker in the film.
2017: Cannes Film Festival
Olsen amped up the glamour for the Cannes Film Festival, arriving in a pink, sequin-covered Miu Miu dress.
2016: CFDA Fashion Awards
All three Olsen sisters united in The Row for the CFDA Fashion Awards in 2016.
2016: Captain America: Civil War Premiere
Olsen went sleek and simple for the Captain America: Civil War premiere, wearing an ivory Alexander McQueen pre-fall 2016 dress with a keyhole cutout and ruching at the waist.
2015: Avengers: Age of Ultron Premiere
The premiere of your first Marvel movie is a big moment in a modern actor’s career, so it makes sense that Olsen tapped Saint Laurent to dress her for the occasion.
2014: Godzilla Premiere
Olsen wore a dark blue, embellished Elie Saab dress for the Godzilla premiere in 2014.
2014: “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” Met Gala
Wearing an embellished blue Miu Miu mini dress, Olsen attended her first Met Gala in 2014.
2013: BAFTA Awards
Olsen wore a black and white Chanel couture dress with a peplum detail to the BAFTAs in 2013.
2012: Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Wearing a Dior dress with a tiered skirt, Olsen attended the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2012.
2012: Film Independent Spirit Awards
The simple white skirt of Olsen’s Antonio Berardi dress balanced out the embellished top half quite nicely.
2012: W Best Performances Party
Olsen wore a floral Proenza Schouler dress when she attended at party celebrating W’s Best Performances issue in 2012.
2012: Critics’ Choice Movie Awards
While she normally doesn’t wear very bright colors, Olsen stepped out of her comfort zone for the CCMAs and arrived in a yellow Pucci mini dress
2011: Martha Marcy May Marlene Premiere
Wearing a floral Erdem dress, Olsen attended the premiere of her film, Martha Marcy May Marlene, at the Toronto International Film Festival.
2011: Cannes Film Festival
Olsen went for a kind of flapper look in The Row for the premiere of Martha Marcy May Marlene at Cannes.
2009: Impressionism Opening Night
The actress wore a beige dress for the opening night of her Broadway show, Impressionism.