In real life, Reese Witherspoon is a legend when it comes to style. Many wannabe fashionistas cite the actress as their inspiration when putting together their own outfits, due to her impeccable taste. And on the screen, Witherspoon sometimes wears outfits that rival her own choices in her life.
During her career, Witherspoon has worn some memorable and stunning costumes, from all-pink numbers to magic-inspired dresses to period gowns that make us feel like we’ve landed in a different time. It’s definitely a difficult task to decide what our favorite outfit is! Keep reading to see our ranking of Reese Witherspoon’s best on-screen outfits.
Extravagant Period Gowns - Vanity Fair (2004)
Reese Witherspoon is one of those lucky people who seems to look amazing in just about anything she wears. Most of the time she rocks high fashion and stylish pieces that are on-trend, but every now and then she appears in a film where she has to wear something a little more traditional. In Vanity Fair, she rocks a bunch of extravagant period gowns and they all look gorgeous on her.
Witherspoon plays Becky Sharp in the film, a woman born to poor parents who dreams about becoming part of high society. The best part about the movie is watching her change in and out of frocks reminiscent of the Napoleonic era.
Celestial Costumes - A Wrinkle In Time (2018)
When she first graces the screen in 2018’s A Wrinkle in Time, Reese Witherspoon is nearly unrecognizable. Having abandoned her signature blonde locks, she wears a ginger wig and an extravagant fantasy-inspired costume. She doesn’t really look like the Reese we know, but we still love this look!
The film follows Meg and her brother Charles as they are sent into space to look for their father who disappeared. Witherspoon plays Mrs. Whatsit, who is an astral being worthy of the celestial costumes that she wears in the film.
Simple Travel Gear - Wild (2014)
The outfits that Witherspoon wears in Wild are significantly less exciting than some of the pieces she wears in other projects. But this simple get-up is still one of our favorite things that she’s ever worn on-screen. The reason? The simplicity of the outfit shows off Witherspoon’s natural beauty. She doesn’t need to be dolled up in high-end dresses to look beautiful.
This outfit is simple but we love the small detail of the red shoelaces. It just gives the look a pop of color that is otherwise missing from the plain outfit.
The Denim Jacket - Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
Playing fashion designer Melanie Charmichael, Reese Witherspoon gets to wear a bunch of cool clothes in the 2002 flick Sweet Home Alabama. We love the black dress she gets engaged in, the floral dress she pairs with cowboy boots, and of course, her wedding dress that ends up getting drenched on the beach. But our favorite outfit in the film would have to be this one thanks to the simple denim jacket.
The denim symbolizes Melanie finally getting back to her roots and embracing who she is. By swapping the designer for the denim, she is well on her way to accepting her background.
The Chic Maroon Coat - Big Little Lies
In the drama series Big Little Lies, Witherspoon portrays Monterey mom Madeleine Mackenzie, one of the show’s four protagonists. Madeline is a devoted mother to Abigail and Chloe and deals with marriage issues with her new husband Ed as she tries to help her friends get through their own hardships.
Every now and then, Madeline wears something that truly stands out on the show. This chic maroon coat is definitely one of those stand-out pieces! It looks amazing on Witherspoon, especially with her blonde hair splayed over it.
Winter Getup - Friends
Reese Witherspoon’s role on the hit sitcom Friends and Rachel Green’s annoying little sister Jill was only brief. But it was one of the most memorable cameos in the history of the show, and that’s saying a lot! As irritating as Jill is as a person, she does know her way around a closet. The fashion that she wears could rival her big sister’s and she knows it.
We love everything Jill wears but are especially in love with this wintery combo. The leather skirt together with the scarf and coat just makes her seem like she really has her life together (even though she doesn’t).
A Christmas Sweater - Four Christmases (2008)
Who doesn’t love a good Christmas sweater? When we first heard that Reese Witherspoon was starring in a Christmas flick, we prepared ourselves for some stunning festive fashion and we weren’t disappointed. Our favorite thing that Witherspoon wears in the film would be, without a doubt, this blue and white Christmas sweater. And unlike most people, Witherspoon actually looks good in it!
Four Christmases tells the story of Brad and Kate who must spend their Christmas seeing all four of their divorced parents rather than escaping to Fiji like they want to.
Various Circus Outfits - Water For Elephants (2011)
As much as we love to see Reese Witherspoon in something plain like a Christmas sweater, we also love seeing her dressed up in a truly fantastic outfit. Luckily, we get to see plenty of that in Water for Elephants, which she stars in alongside Robert Pattinson.
Playing the dazzling circus performer Marlena, Witherspoon gets to wear costumes that are every bit as spectacular as the story itself. Marlena is married to the ringmaster, played by Christoph Waltz, but she falls in love with Pattinson’s Jacob Jankowski.
Pink Dress - Walk The Line (2005)
One of our favorite Reese Witherspoon performances ever has to be that of June Carter in the musical biopic Walk the Line, the story of the life of country music legend Johnny Cash. Witherspoon plays June, the love of Cash’s life and the woman who ultimately helps him through his addiction. Aside from singing with Johnny, June also gets to wear some gorgeous outfits.
There’s not a single costume that Witherspoon wears in this movie that we don’t love. But our favorite would have to be this pink dress that she wears when John first sets eyes on her.
The Legendary Pink Ensemble - Legally Blonde (2001)
There is a long list of on-screen Reese Witherspoon outfits that we love. But our absolute favorite would have to be the iconic pink outfit she wears to play Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. The costume is more legendary than the film itself, which is pretty darn legendary!
The best thing about Elle’s pink get-ups is that they’re probably totally inappropriate for court, but she wears them with confidence anyway. They accurately depict her bubbly personality while still allowing her to get the job done. No wonder they’re so iconic!
