Carey Mulligan's Best Dresses
In ascending order of fabulousness, see hot Brit thesp (and Mumford wife) Carey Mulligan's best dresses to date. Don't be fooled: her penchant for Prada may be legendary, but this girl's no one trick pony...
Rex FeaturesNew Mum Carey attended the Suffragette movie premiere in LA wearing white and lilac dress with lace and frill detailing. She finished her look with nude pointed shoes.
Getty ImagesCarey looked absolutely stunning in a black Alexander McQueen SS16 dress while at the premiere for Suffragette. Can you believe the star gave birth just THREE weeks ago?!
Getty ImagesCarey Mulligan wears a delicate Chanel couture gown in romantic lilac to the London premiere of Suffragette.
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Carey Mulligan rocked this divine burgundy Balenciaga dress at the 2015 Tony Awards, choosing to accessorise it simply with a gold twisted bangle.
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At the Drama Desk Awards in Manhattan, Carey Mulligan looked nothing short of sophisticated dressed in a loose fitting, A-line charcoal dress.
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Carey Mulligan was no fuss in New York whilst promoting Far From The Madding Crowd. Dressed in navy, she paired the look with statement jewellery and a box snakeskin clutch.
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The Dress: An embellished Christian Dior couture gown
Worn To: The premiere of Far From The Madding Crowd
Why We Loved It: This dress isn't an easy one to pull off but Carey works this textured look with aplomb.
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The Dress: A peplum-waisted LBD by Prada
Worn To: The Academy Awards Nominees lunch in February 2010
Why We Loved It: Carey’s penchant for Prada cocktail dresses is positively legendary. We heart the structured simplicity of this one.
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The Dress: A gauzy, black-and-silver cocktail dress by Valentino
Worn To: The ASMALLWORLD Gala Dinner for the Alzheimer Society in Switzerland, December 2012
Why We Loved It: On lesser stars, this dress could look middle-of-the-road, but not on our [/b]
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The Dress: A pink, one-shouldered silk Lanvin cocktail dress with black waist belt
Worn To: The Director’s Guild Awards in February 2010
Why We Loved It: The balancing of the cuff with the asymmetric sleeve, that clash of pink silk and red hair, those statement shoes pulling it all together... This one had our style-o-meter raging. Who are we to resist that gorgeous grin?
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The Dress: Lace ‘n’ leather Christopher Kane
Worn To: The Independent Spirit Awards 2010
Why We Loved It: We’ll never tire of seeing home-grown acting talent championing home-grown fashion talent. Especially when the combo looks this fierce. Rock chick isn’t a style Carey usually toys with, but we’re pleased she took it for a test drive here.
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The Dress: A classic Chanel shift in navy bouclé
Worn To: The LA premiere of The Greatest in March 2010
Why We Loved It: It was far too grown-up for a 24-year-old to wear, but it’s quintessential Chanel, so Carey went ahead and wore it anyway. Atta girl.
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The Dress: A structured, slim-cut Peter Pilotto sheath with white shoulder panels
Worn To: The Los Angeles Times Young Hollywood Round Table event in November 2010
Why We Loved It: It perfectly towed the line between timeless and futuristic. Carey’s savvy minimalist take on it convinced Samantha Cameron to try it out herself just a few months later.
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The Dress: A strapless, embellished Prada gown
Worn To: The 2010 Oscars
Why We Loved It: How does a girl stand out on the fiercest red carpet of the year? By wearing a dress studded with teeny-tiny scissors and spools, of course. Fashion victim? Pah. Not with attitude like this, dah-ling.
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The Dress: A 50s-style sun dress by Bottega Veneta
Worn To: A lunch thrown by the label in her honour
Why We Loved It: Carey was a veritable ray of sunshine in this zingy dress, which showcased her petite frame to perfection. Note the too-cool-for-school orthopaedic shoes.
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The Dress: Cherry red Prabal Gurung silk
Worn to: The British Independent Film Awards in 2010
Why We Loved It: Carey opts for bright, block colours only rarely, but when she does, she makes sure it’s with clout. Her Roger Vivier accessories and that loosely pulled-back up-do add the requisite gravitas to this cheery ensemble.
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The Dress: A long, waisted, printed number by Erdem
Worn To: The opening night of the 2010 Dubai Film Fesitval
Why We Loved It: It’s also rare to see Carey go full-length – and how we heart that she opted for Erdem when she did on this occasion. She was modern, understated elegance personified.
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The Dress: Grecian drapes by Vionnet
Worn To: The London premiere of An Education
Why We Loved It: The rich hue and sumptuous draping are utterly divine, while the brooch is an assured touch in place of a predictable necklace. Plus, Vionnet is a trés chic name for a young starlet to be dropping.
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The Dress: A sequinned Bottega Veneta sheath with utility detailing
Worn To: The 2011 Hollywood Awards Gala
Why We Loved It: Carey had gone quiet for a while – busy with filming commitments and nesting with new beau (and alleged fiancé) Marcus Mumford – when she stormed back onto our fashdar after six months absence in this slinky LBD. Its classic-yet-quirky design just reminded us how much we’d missed her instantly.
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The Dress: A silver embellished Prada cocktail dress
Worn To: The MOCA 30th Anniversary Gala in November 2009
Why We Loved It: As Carey’s star has risen, she’s tended to shy away from blingy style statements such as this one (although her devotion to Prada remains unshaken, natch). This early look was young, fun and, frankly, perfect on her.
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The Dress: A pleated, cream Vionnet maxi dress with graphic print detail
Worn To: A screening of Never Let Me Go in October 2010
Why We Loved It: This ethereal maxi plus dippy-hippy braiding was quite the departure for our ever-edgy starlet – yet she still made it work. We do so love a girl who’s not afraid to experiment in the wardrobe department.
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The Dress: A textured, strapless cocktail dress by Prabal Gurung
Worn To: The 2009 Hollywood Awards Gala
Why We Loved It: Although it was a somewhat ‘safe’ choice for our usually-daring girl, it was still blooming gorgeous – as were those Giuseppe Zanotti sandals, and that very unique take on an up-do. Who knew an elfin crop could be so versatile?
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The Dress: Space-print Christopher Kane
Worn To: The premiere of Never Let Me Go at the 2010 Toronto Film Festival
Why We Loved It: Carey zipped on the bottom panel, turning this trophy piece from its mini, catwalk incarnation into a midi fit for, well, her. Bravo!
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The Dress: A yellow fan-pleated tea dress by Proenza Schouler
Worn To: An appearance promoting Never Let Me Go in London in October 2010
Why We Loved It: A classic Carey cut with added mustard. Delicious.
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The Dress: A cutaway, full-skirted midi by Roksanda Ilincic
Worn To: A Film District party during Comic Con in San Diego in July 2011
Why We Loved It: Cheeky! Carey unleashed her playful side in this block-coloured, cutaway Roksanda dress – which nevertheless carried her signature midi hemline – paired with clashing red shoes. And we vowed to hit the gym. Stat.
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The Dress: A three-part cocktail dress by Nina Ricci
Worn To: The Wall Street 2 premiere in NYC in September 2010
Why We Loved It: It was a softer and more romantic style than Carey usually goes for, but it still had bite. That feathered crop did the look no end of favours, too...
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The Dress: A full-skirted, Mad Men-inspired style by Preen
Worn To: The 2010 BAFTA Britannia Awards in LA
Why We Loved It: As well as being bang on trend, this deliciously demure prom-style dress made a big impact with little fuss – much like Carey herself, who was flying the flag for British talent in LA at the time. Plus, those cobalt blue suede YSL heels gave the overall look a real kick (if you’ll pardon the pun).
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The Dress: A floral, monochrome Vionnet dress with train and bow sash
Worn To: The 2010 BAFTAs
Why We Loved It: This baby really helped to push Carey into the mainstream consciousness. Pretty without being twee, sexy without being in-your-face, it is still an absolute triumph.
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The Dress A printed pink silk day dress by Prada
Worn To: The Virtuoso Awards in February 2010
Why We Loved It: On the catwalk, this dress was super-short and featured a slit right down the chest; Carey didn’t only wear a modified, much more subtle version, but it looks like Miuccia knocked her up a matching clutch from the leftover fabric, too.
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The Dress: A crystal-encrusted navy maxi by Azzaro
Worn To: A screening of Never Let Me Go at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010
Why We Loved It: Simply put, it was androgynous perfection in dress form – and all the more admirable for the occasion. Frou frou reigns on the Cannes red carpets; we adore Carey for going the other way.
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The Dress: Gladiator-inspired Prada leather
Worn To: The New York premiere of An Education in October 2009
Why We Loved It: Carey really sent critics into a tailspin with this one. At a crucial moment in her career, she shunned the safe option and instead, went for this challenging, utterly non-premiere-friendly look – and pulled it off with aplomb. From her dark crop to her simple sandals, everything about it is strong.
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The Dress: Sequinned, medallioned Chanel Couture
Worn To: The Vogue Fashion Fund Awards in November 2010
Why We Loved It: Put simply, it was stunning – particularly teamed with that slicked-down, growing-out crop and suede booties to knock it just the right degree off-kilter. Still is. A clear winner.
