Sydney Sweeney Stuns Fans Wearing Historic Gown Marilyn Monroe Once Wore
Sydney Sweeney is continuing her streak of fashion moments inspired by the legends of Old Hollywood. The 28-year-old actress has been a constant fixture on the red carpet lately, moving from high-profile press tours to major awards ceremonies while consistently leaning into a vintage aesthetic.
It came as no surprise when she channeled retro glamour once again during the Santa Barbara Film Festival. On February 8, the Euphoria star attended the festival as one of the honorees for the Virtuosos Award.
For the occasion, she chose an elegant Ceil Chapman gown that was almost a perfect match for the dress Marilyn Monroe wore on her very first LIFE magazine cover back in April 1952.
Sweeney’s dress, which was found at the vintage boutique Timeless Vixen, featured the same off-the-shoulder look and a round brooch at the center that became iconic over seven decades ago.
The ivory-hued gown used heavy ruching to create a cinched-waist effect, a signature style of designer Ceil Chapman. During the 1940s and 50s, Chapman was a go-to designer for the biggest sirens of the era, including Elizabeth Taylor and Jayne Mansfield.
By wearing the gown, Sweeney wasn’t just wearing a beautiful dress; she was paying a direct tribute to the history of the film industry she now leads. This wasn’t the first time Sweeney took a page out of Monroe’s style book.
Just recently, at the Los Angeles premiere of The Housemaid on December 15, she wore a white Galia Lahav gown with a feathered skirt that many saw as a nod to the famous subway grate scene from The Seven Year Itch.
She even channeled that same bombshell energy for a W Magazine cover earlier this year, appearing in nothing but a Chopard diamond necklace and blonde curls that mirrored Monroe’s most famous look.
Fun Fact: Sydney Sweeney is wearing a VINTAGE ✨️Cecil Chapman✨️ dress at Santa Barbara Film Festival, the one Marilyn Monroe wore on the cover of Life Magazine in 1952.🪡 pic.twitter.com/o2t1zIq9Jq
— La Mode Unknown (@LaModeUnknown) February 9, 2026
As of this year, Sydney Sweeney is one of the most productive stars in the business. She is currently celebrating the massive success of her psychological thriller The Housemaid, which hit theaters in late 2025 and has already earned over $350 million globally.
The film, directed by Paul Feig, stars Sweeney as a live-in maid who discovers dangerous secrets about the wealthy couple she works for, played by Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar. Due to the film’s huge reception, a sequel titled The Housemaid’s Secret is already in the works, with Sweeney set to return.
Fans can also look forward to seeing her in the boxing ring later this year. She recently finished filming a gritty biopic about 1990s champion Christy Martin, a role that required her to undergo a significant physical transformation.
Additionally, she is set to return to HBO for the long-awaited third season of Euphoria, which is scheduled to premiere on April 12. Beyond her acting roles, Sweeney has recently expanded into the business world with the launch of her own lingerie brand, Syrn, in late January.
Do you think Sydney Sweeney’s frequent fashion tributes to Marilyn Monroe are a clever way to brand herself as a modern-day icon, or would you like to see her move away from the retro comparisons? Share your thoughts in the comments.