There is no anger like a despised woman in hell.
One summer evening in 1994, Princess Diana appeared at the Serpentine Gallery Party in London in Christina Stambolian’s off-the-shoulder, long-legged LBD; That same night, Prince Charles admitted on national television that he had an affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles.
The iconic “revenge dress” of the deceased royal family not only made headlines, but also spawned an entire celebrity fashion category.
Since then, famous women ranging from “Vanderpump Rules” star Ariana Madix to supermodel Gisele Bündchen have consciously chosen styles of disclosure for post-breakup public outings, boldly telegraphing their composure and confidence in the face of romantic turmoil.
While these dresses can vary significantly in color, length, and silhouette, they all tend to showcase plenty of skin – better of course to show your ex what they’re missing.
Below, take a look at some of the stars who have made dressing for revenge an art form.
Princess Diana
While her estranged husband told millions of onlookers about their infidelity, the Princess of Wales let notorious mini Christina Stambolian do all the talking at the 1994 Serpentine Gallery Party.
“[Diana] According to Tina Brown’s book “The Diana Chronicles,” Stambolian had previously told the press she chose not to play the scene like the innocent Odette dressed in white.
“She was clearly pissed off. She played like Odile in Black. She wore bright red nail polish we’ve never seen before. ‘Let’s be bad tonight!’ he was saying.”
The princess’ former stylist, Anna Harvey, once told Vogue that the style had been sitting in her closet for several years, and until that night it had seemed too daring.
“He wanted to look like a million bucks,” Harvey said. “And he did.”
Ariana Madix
Following the news in March 2023 that the “Vanderpump Rules” star’s longtime boyfriend, Tom Sandoval, was having a months-long affair with their close friend Raquel Leviss, Madix is the 10th Eye Bleeding Bravo show.”
And she certainly kept her promise, opting for a hot Mônot outfit consisting of a cropped jacket and matching cut-out skirt that showed off her great abs, proving that she’s prettier and cooler than her co-stars.
Gisele Bundchen
Weeks after she and NFL great Tom Brady announced they were divorcing after 13 years of marriage in 2022, Bündchen looked like gold at jewelry brand Vivara’s anniversary party in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Dressed in a shimmering metallic dress by local designer Reinaldo Lourenço, the newly single supermodel looked as glamorous as ever.
olivia wilde
Don’t worry about him, honey. After breaking up with Harry Styles in 2022, the actress-turned-director dazzled at the People’s Choice Awards in a stylish sheer black lace Dior dress with peekaboo panties, a wide waistband and no bra.
Wilde later made fun of her obscene appearance and joked that she was just “kind of dressed” for the big night.
Mariah Carey
The Grammy-winning actress gave us another reason to be “so obsessed” with her at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.
At the time, Carey had just announced her separation from her husband (and former Sony CEO) Tommy Mottola. In her 2020 memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” the superstar wrote that Mottola exerted “crippling control” over her during their relationship, and that their marriage “almost strangled me” before she left.
Call it liberation through fashion.
Jennifer Lopez
When J.Lo and Ben Affleck first got engaged in 2002, they never really made it down the aisle. And just three days after the stars announced they were parting ways in 2004, Lopez looked gorgeous at the Golden Globes and shone in a Greek-style orange dress by Michael Kors.
Fortunately, Bennifer finally got his happy ending nearly two decades later.
Elizabeth Hurley
Who is Hugh? After breaking up with her longtime love Hugh Grant in 2000, the “Bedazzled” beauty stuck with her cheating ex by donning a stunning champagne-coloured Valentino dress with a plunging neckline at an event hosted by the famous designer.
We’ll toast that.
Emily Ratajkowski
A month after filing for divorce from Sebastian Bear-McClard in 2022, the “My Body” writer attended W magazine’s 50th anniversary party in a see-through, sparkly fishnet dress that left absolutely nothing to Tory Burch’s imagination.
Her nearly nude look, styled with little other than her visible underwear, sent a clear message to her ex. No “Blurred Lines” here!
Bella Hadid
After Hadid and The Weeknd broke up (for the first time on several occasions) in 2016, the “Blinding Lights” singer began dating Selena Gomez as the new couple made their red carpet debut at the 2017 Met Gala.
But Hadid may have caught all the attention on the same steps by appearing in a sheer, tight-fitting Alexander Wang catsuit with a dangerously low-cut back. Eat your heart, Abel!
Reese Witherspoon
In her first red carpet appearance since her split from Ryan Phillippe, the “Legally Blonde” beauty looked like a sunbeam walking at the 2007 Golden Globes with this haunting yellow Olivier Theyskens designed for Nina Ricci.
Coming back from a breakup – what, as if it were hard?
Julia Fox
Sure, Fox’s whirlwind romance with Kanye West didn’t last long—the duo dated for nearly six weeks in early 2022—but still, when the “Uncut Gems” muse took the runway just hours after leaving for LaQuan Smith, she denied that she was dressed for revenge. it was impossible to do.
The actress, gliding down the runway in a black dress with cutouts that accentuated her curves, showed the fashion world that she can be a style star whether she has a famous rapper on her sleeve or not.