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With the 2024 Grammys finally here, we’re being treated to many more gender-bending looks from our favorite women in suits.
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For the longest time, it seemed as though suits were reserved for men on the red carpet. But over the years, more and more female celebrities, from Rihanna to Lady Gaga, have been stepping out in suits and tuxedos. However, this isn’t a super recent occurrence. Back in the 1940s, stars like Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn wowed audiences when they rocked pantsuits in their films. Then sitcom star Mary Tyler Moore made history by being the first woman to continually wear pants on a sitcom. Pantsuits just look amazing, and these celebrities knew how to make these suits their own.
Clothes don’t have a gender norm, and these stars are here to remind us of that. There’s no one dictating what one should or shouldn’t wear because of someone’s gender, so why should it happen on the red carpet?
From sitcom legends like Mary Tyler Moore to modern-day bosses like Blake Lively and Emmy-winning star Zendaya, there have been some amazing suits worn by famous women in the past century.
While many stars have been rocking daring suits for decades, it’s becoming more of a common occurrence within the past few years. With this, celebrities have gone even further outside the box with which suits they wear.
Check out the stars who rocked suits on the red carpet over the years.
A version of this article was originally posted in Jan. 2019.
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Kate McKinnon
Image Credit: Photo by John Shearer/WireImage. Kate McKinnon rocked this simple and chic black suit at the 96th Annual Academy Awards.
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Brandi Carlile
Image Credit: Billboard via Getty Images Brandi Carlile put her spin on the suit trend at the 2024 Grammys in an eye-catching orange suit with a baby pink silk shirt!
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Boygenius
Image Credit: Billboard via Getty Images Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker of boygenius kept their suit tradition alive at the Grammys in crisp white suits. The group received many nods at the year’s show.
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Lainey Wilson
Image Credit: Billboard via Getty Images Lainey Wilson mixed a traditional suit on top with a stunning skirt on the bottom and we love the mix of styles.
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Kourtney Kardashian
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Kourtney Kardashian matched Travis Barker in a power suit at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.
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Gina Torres
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Gina Torres stayed true to her Suits roots at Disney’s Emmys After Party.
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Jodie Foster
Image Credit: Photo by Alberto Rodriguez/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images. At the 2024 Critics Choice Awards, Jodie Foster rocked this polka-dotted, custom suit from Louis Vuitton.
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Kristen Stewart
Image Credit: Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images. Kristen Stewart rocked this monochromatic Chanel suit at the 2023 Met Gala.
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Gwen Stefani
Image Credit: Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images. At the 2023 CMT Music Awards, Gwen Stefani wore a daring look that seriously divided the internet. She stepped out in this suit top, a glittering gold mini-skirt, and fuzzy legwarmers.
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Aubrey Plaza
Image Credit: Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images. For the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards, Aubrey Plaza turned heads in this plunging black suit and red lip combo.
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Hannah Einbinder
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images. Hacks star Hannah Einbinder turned heads at the 2023 PGA Awards in this black Dries Van Noten suit.
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Kate Middleton
Image Credit: Eddie Mulholland – WPA Pool/Getty Images. At a BAFTA event, Kate Middleton attended a pre-campaign launch hosted by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, turning heads in a fire-red power suit ensemble from Alexander McQueen. Along with the asymmetric tailored crepe suit jacket and Narrow Bootcut Trousers, she paired it with a Miu Miu clutch, Florence Earrings in the style Regency, and Gianvito Rossi ‘Gianvito 105’ Pumps in Red Suede.
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Ana de Armas
Image Credit: Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images for Netflix. Ana de Armas arrived to the Berlin premiere of her movie The Gray Man in a stunning, custom navy blue suit from Louis Vuitton that no one would keep their eyes off of.
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Kristen Stewart
Image Credit: John Rasimus/STAR MAX/IPx. Kristen Stewart made headlines when she arrived in this red ad white Chanel suit for the Crimes Of The Future photocall at the 75th Cannes Film Festival.
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Kate Moss
Image Credit: Jacopo Raule/Getty Images. Kate Moss never misses the opportunity to stun in a classic suit on the red carpet, with the most memorable one being the suit she rocked at the 2015 Milan Fashion Week.
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Julia Roberts
Image Credit: AP. At the 1990 Golden Globes, Julia Roberts wowed in this oversized Giorgio Armani pantsuit. She wore her natural curls and this history-making suit when she accepted an award for her role in Pretty Woman.
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Kim Kardashian
Image Credit: JC Olivera/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images. Kim Kardashian‘s fashion might not be for everyone, but there’s no doubt it makes a statement. At the 2017 LACMA Art+Film Gala in November 2017, the reality star matched her mom, Kris Jenner, with a loose black suit. She wore the look with black heels, silver hair, and no bra underneath.
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Rihanna
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media. Back in 2009, for the Met Gala theme “The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion,” Rihanna wore a unique suit from Dolce & Gabbana.
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Janelle Monáe
Image Credit: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection. From the music video for her 2010 single “Tightrope,” Janelle Monáe established herself as a suit-wearing boss. She almost exclusively wore the look for red carpets and performances, and well-tailored, beautiful suits soon became synonymous with her brand. One of the first times was back at the 2011 Grammy Awards when she rocked a sparkling suit.
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Emma Stone
Image Credit: Michael Buckner for PMC. Emma Stone truly embodied her lead role at the Cruella premiere. She arrived in a black Louis Vuitton pantsuit with red accessories, wowing everyone. This was her first premiere since giving birth to her daughter.
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Madonna
Image Credit: Charlie Williams/Everett Collection. Madonna is no stranger to wearing suits, but one of her most badass looks was in 2014 when she singer attended the Grammys in a witch-reminiscent tuxedo with a full-on cane. Madonna paired the look with a bedazzled glove, a black fedora, and a bejeweled cross pin on her tie for some extra pizzazz.
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Rihanna
Image Credit: Jun Sato/WireImage. Rihanna not only understands the assignment, she makes the assignment. We’re still not over the silky blue pajama suit she wore for the Battleship World premiere at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo.
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Anna Kendrick
Image Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Variety. Anna Kendrick wowed in a sexy and unique suit from Balmain & La Perla at the 2018 Grammys.
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Charli XCX
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic. Charli XCX combined sophistication and pazazz into one silky suit ensemble from Moschino.
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Olivia Wilde
Image Credit: �2019 Kathy Hutchins / Hutchins Photo/Newscom/The Mega Agency. For the premiere of Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut for Booksmart, Wilde wanted all eyes on her in this show-stopping, crimson Dundas suit.
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Miley Cyrus
Image Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic. Miley Cyrus started to experiment with her daring fashion at the 2013 American Music Awards in this sleek white suit.
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Angelina Jolie
Image Credit: Hubert Boesl/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images. Angelina Jolie matched her then-husband Brad Pitt at the 2014 British Academy Film Awards with a sleek and sexy tuxedo from Saint Laurent.
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Winona Ryder
Image Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP. Heathers star Winona Ryder is no stranger to going a little more daring with her dark looks. Most recently, she rocked a simple but gorgeous black suit at the Stranger Things season four premiere.
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Diane Keaton
Image Credit: WWD. Diane Keaton channeled her iconic ’70s character Annie Hall with her look at the February 2004 Oscars, where she was nominated for her role in Something’s Gotta Give. For the event, she rocked a dark Ralph Lauren suit.
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Jennifer Aniston
Image Credit: WWD. Not too long after hiring Lupita Nyong’o’s stylist, Micaela Erlanger, in 2015, Jennifer Aniston made some noticeable changes to her usually safe outfits. One such look was at the 2015 Critics’ Choice Awards, where the actor showed up in a crimson Gucci suit with body chains and matching red shoes.
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Mary Tyler Moore
Image Credit: Sean Roberts. Mary Tyler Moore broke the sitcom wives mold that perpetuated the notion that all women on sitcoms in the 1950s and 1960s needed to wear dresses. But while she played Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, she proudly wore capri pants — making a hude statement. Moore told NPR, “The way she was written, Laura actually had opinions of her own. And while she was asserting herself, she also didn’t make Dick Van Dyke look like a dummy. It was a matter of two people. I mean, society’s expectations at that point still said, ‘Hey, wait a minute, lady, you only go so far here.’ But I think we broke new ground.” She added, “And that was helped, by my insistence on wearing pants.”
While we’ve loved all of her iconic looks, we especially love this sophisticated mauve number from 1999.
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Ellen DeGeneres
Image Credit: Craig Sjodin / © ABC/ Courtesy: Everett Collection. Who is Ellen DeGeneres without her suits? Whether on her talk show or on the red carpet, the comedian is almost always seen in pants with a well-tailored jacket. So in 2007, when she hosted the Oscars, she wore a velvet burgundy suit.
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Tilda Swinton
Image Credit: Isabel Infantes/PA Wire URN:28999738 (Press Association via AP Images). Since she came onto the scene 30-plus years ago, Tilda Swinton has been known for her androgynous style, so it comes as no surprise she’s worn some memorable suits over the years. One that’s especially loved is her structured dark suit from the 2016 premiere of the Marvel film Doctor Strange in London. The suit featured blink-and-you’ll-miss-it details on Swinton’s jacket pockets and dramatic ruched shoulder pads.
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Blake Lively
Image Credit: KGC-03/STAR MAX/IPx 2018 9/17/18. When promoting her 2018 film, A Simple Favor, Blake Lively made it her mission to only wear suits to promotional events. The decision was a nod to her character, a mysterious mom who goes missing and who almost exclusively wears pantsuits in the film. There are a lot of memorable looks from Lively’s press tour to fawn over, but one of our personal favorites was this pink one from Ralph Lauren.
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Lady Gaga
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/WWD. Lady Gaga’s oversize gray suit from Marc Jacobs at Elle’s Women in Hollywood dinner in October 2018 made headlines for the emotional reason behind the look. During her speech at the event, Gaga revealed she chose the suit as a way to take back her body from men who objectify her and other women. Per Elle, she said, “As a sexual assault survivor by someone in the entertainment industry, as a woman who is still not brave enough to say his name, as a woman who lives with chronic pain, as a woman who was conditioned at a very young age to listen to what men told me to do, I decided today I wanted to take the power back. Today I wear the pants,” she said.
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Tracee Ellis Ross
Image Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP. Tracee Ellis Ross arrived at the Grammy Awards in 2019 in this stunning, vibrant pantsuit from Ralph & Russo Couture. While Ross looks amazing in every look she arrives in, this snake-themed suit has a special place in our hearts (and our Pinterest boards!)
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Zendaya
Image Credit: zz/John Nacion/STAR MAX/IPx 2019. We’re still not over the time Zendaya rocked the world by wearing this sleek Berluti suit back in 2019.
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Evan Rachel Wood
Image Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP. Not only did we love Evan Rachel Wood’s sleek black Altuzarra suit, but we loved her powerful speech she delivered at the 22nd annual Critics’ Choice Awards. She dedicated her speech for winning Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Dolores Abernathy in Westworld to her son. Per International Business Times, she said, “And to my son, who I love. I do all of this for you.”
