Jennifer Lawrence Wore the Controversial Dress Trend That’s Staging a Comeback

There are a lot of trends that, no matter how outdated they become, will always come back—period. Others, however, are met with a bit more surprise when the rumor mill begins to hint at a possible return to fame. Think low-rise jeans—and subsequently, whale tails—open-toe boots, hot pants, and lace camisoles. When they went away, we all sighed with relief, so to see them rise up once again took some getting used to.

The same goes for dresses worn layered over pants, a trend that dominated in the 2000s, worn at A-list parties and red-carpet events. And though we spent the years following its fall from fashion’s top spot expressing our distain for the styling method, promising ourselves that we’d never again combine dresses and pants into one single look, it appears that a fate similar to low-rise jeans and camis is on the horizon for the once-dated pairing. After seeing Jennifer Lawrence debut the trend in London this week, I for one can’t think of a reason why it got so much hate. 

Following plenty of runway appearances throughout the fall/winter 2023 season at shows like Fendi, Balmain, and Giorgio Armani, Lawrence stepped out during her press tour for No Hard Feelings wearing an all-gray version of the dresses-over-pants look from The Row. With her drapey, knee-length frock and matching wide-leg trousers, the actress added strappy sandals and a clutch bag from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s quiet-luxury label, as well as an Elsa Peretti pendant necklace and sunglasses from Khaite’s collaboration with Oliver Peoples. See Lawrence’s dress-with-pants look below and decide for yourself how prepared you are for the trend’s impending comeback.