Whether she’s on the red carpet or walking the streets of New York, Blake Lively always manages to capture our full attention with her outfits. She’s pulled off a variety of tricky trends, like wearing orange head-to-toe or pairing boots with shorts. And even more impressive? The actress doesn’t have a stylist helping her to dream up these statement-making ensembles, either. Unlike most celebrities, Lively chooses her own looks — and has done so for years.
“I don’t work with a stylist, I never have,” she stated in a recent Vogue video. Back in 2018, Lively elaborated on the reason, partly blaming her “control issues,” but also said fashion was a creative outlet for her. “I love design and I love fashion, and it’s a way to be creative,” she told WWD. “In my job, I get to be creative, but it’s over a period of time and so many other people are involved, whereas this is a beginning, middle, and end, and I get to be creative and there’s an end date in the near future.”
And, if you don’t think it’s impressive that Lively chooses her own outfits (especially since most people do dress themselves every day), consider this: the woman is booked and busy with a bunch of other things, and with all eyes on her every move, she’s opening herself up to a ton of fashion criticism. Yet, she has developed her own spectacular, signature style and we continue to look to her as a source of inspiration.
Ahead, we’re rounding up a handful of looks that Lively styled herself, proving she’s the ultimate fashion pro.
We had already sensed that orange was the new pink, especially among the celebrity crowd, but Lively confirmed this was the case when she wore the color head-to-toe. The actress spiced up her structured Sergio Hudson suit with a cutout bodysuit and striped purse.
02 of 09Her Gilded Glamour Gown
One of the most exciting moments from the 2022 Met Gala was Lively’s quick costume change, which was a tribute to NYC.
“Instead of looking at Gilded Age fashion, I wanted to look at architecture,” she told Vogue, revealing what inspired her Versace gown. “So I thought, I would love to arrive in a copper dress and have it patina as I ascend the red carpet. Instead of me performing, I wanted the dress to perform.”
03of 09Her Cozy-Cute Blue Pairing
04of 09Her Eye-Catching Combo
When most people think shorts, they may picture them styled with sneakers or sandals. But Lively knows boots are a solid option, too, especially if you want to make those bottoms work for winter (in which case a big, long coat is recommended).
05of 09Her Cool, Colorful Red Carpet Dress
Lively had a sweet princess moment in this pastel Versace gown to at premiere of The Adam Project, but added her usual flair with large, disc-shaped drop earrings from Lorraine Schwarz.
06of 09Her Gucci Gown at Cannes
Lively walked the 2014 Cannes red carpet in a cranberry-colored Gucci gown, which featured a high slit on one side. As you might have noticed, the actress does have a few favorites when it comes to brands, which is all part of her styling process.
“A lot of it is I have relationships with the designers,” she told WWD in 2018, adding that she’ll contact people directly, especially when looking for something custom. “It’s sort of a group effort with that. I rely on people who do that for a living rather than outsourcing it to someone else.”
08of 09Her Low-Cut, Dark Purple Pick
Lively has worn designer Sergio Hudson’s cool creations for a handful of events, and she’s in good company: Michelle Obama and Rachel Brosnahan are also fans of the designer, who is well known for his sleek pencil skirts.
09of 09Her Mixed-Media Mini
Earlier in her career, Lively’s self-styling approach was to keep things simple. For example, at the 2013 premiere of The Croods, she went with a minimalistic, wine-colored Gucci dress, pairing it with Lorraine Schwartz jewelry and solid white Christian Louboutin pumps.
