And Emily? That’s All: Costumes in The Devil Wears Prada 2 have divided the internet

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Jul 26

Perhaps the most iconic fashion film of all, The Devil Wears Prada has an upcoming sequel. We’ve already seen some of the costumes, and our opinions are divided.

The Devil Wears Prada has remained one of the most iconic and well-known films amongst fashion enthusiasts since its release in 2006. Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci changed the public perception of fashion media and style in this drama based on Lauren Weisberger’s book and inspired by Anna Wintour, who was until very recently the editor-in-chief of Vogue. Located in New York, the film also featured fashion stars like Giselle Bündchen, Heidi Klum, Valentino, and Donatella Versace, and designer brands such as Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Chanel, and Tom Ford. The film follows aspiring journalist Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) as she starts her job at high-fashion magazine ‘Runway’ as assistant to the editor — or rather, the devil — Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). At first seen as unfashionable and frumpy, and even described as overweight — a reflection of the early 2000s toxic beauty standards — as the film progressed, we saw Andy rise in the ranks at Runway, drop a dress size, and develop a sense of style worthy of Miranda’s respect. Some of Andy’s outfits have become extremely recognisable in the last two decades since the film’s release, and the film continues to resurface online in viral content and fashion memes. The clothing brand Peachy Den recently gained attention with a marketing campaign featuring influencer Olivia Neill, who recreated the iconic montage of Andy’s new outfits on the streets of NY — proof that the film continues to leave its mark on fashion. The first scene, another montage showing the Runway staff getting ready in the morning, backed by KT Tunstall’s ‘Suddenly I See’, is now very famous, and plenty of Miranda Priestly’s harsh, judgemental quotes are now popular internet jokes. So, when The Devil Wears Prada 2 was announced, everybody with an overflowing closet lost their minds. Will the original actors return? Will they wear the same early Y2K ‘office siren’ style that we’re all stuck on 20 years later? Will the fashion be even better with modern twists? These were the questions on everyone’s lips until 21 July, when Anne Hathaway shared some of her DWP2 outfits online, and fans reacted the way we all did to Marmite. You either love it or loathe it.

The internet has split, each side with much to say about these outfit previews. Some of the more negative comments online include, “That [Gabriela Hearst Niki Patchwork] dress is positively horrid”, “Why are the costumes not costuming 😭”, and, “The devil wears H&M”. One commenter joked, “Did Blake Lively design the costumes?” referencing recent public criticism of the actor’s style. Hathaway’s costumes were described by The Daily Mail as “quirky” and “funky”, and many fans feel that the new wardrobe is unbefitting of DWP’s high-fashion, cool aesthetic. The other half have praised the new style, saying it makes sense for the modern era, and leaving comments such as, “Simply perfect, beautiful 👠😍”, “We are going to get some of the best outfit inspo”, and “I need that dress!!!”

As well as these Instagram posts, on 23 and 25 July, footage of Hathaway and Streep filming in Manhattan was released. Streep embraced her old character so completely that Priestley’s cold demeanor could be felt through our screens. She was seen wearing the Manuela skirt by Gabriela Hearst, Briony Raymond’s jewellery (including the slim Sloan diamond ring), long peach trench coats, and red Jacquemus slingbacks. Hathaway was spotted in garments like the Valentino Garavani Nellcôte bag by Alessandro Michele, a brown suede double-breasted jacket with cuffed jeans, snakeskin boots and a silk scarf. Another look featured a plain white Toteme tank top with an Agolde denim maxi skirt, and Hathaway was also seen in a denim jumpsuit by Re/Done with Chanel velcro sandals and CELINE sunglasses. On Instagram, Hathaway showed off her archival Jean Paul Gaultier Femme pinstripe waistcoat and matching trousers, paired with Coach’s black leather Saddle Pouch and Jemma Wynne’s diamond toggle pendant necklace. In another post, she wore a colourful mosaic-like piece, the Gabriela Hearst Niki Patchwork Embroidered Maxidress.

The original DWP costume designer was Patricia Field, who also worked on Sex and the City, Emily in Paris, Confessions of a Shopaholic, and Ugly Betty. Field is known for some iconic design choices in the original film including Andy’s Chanel tweed jacket with layered gold necklaces, and Miranda’s black fur coat. The costume designer for the sequel hasn’t yet been announced, but there is some online discourse speculating about who it is. There’s a theory on Tiktok that the new costume designer is Molly Rogers, who also happens to be the costume designer for And Just Like That —Sex and the City’s spin-off series — which has received heavy criticism for its wardrobe. Despite the lack of confirmation of her involvement in the DWP sequel, and the fact that she also worked on the original, Rogers has found herself under fire online as a result of this style debate, with trolls arguing that Rogers has ‘ruined’ both the DWP and SATC cinematic universes after taking over from Field.

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I’m still excited to watch DWP2, and like Marmite, I haven’t landed firmly on either side of the fashion debate. I liked Hathaway’s pinstripe JPG set and chocolate suede jacket with the silk scarf detail, I felt neutral about the mosaic maxi, and I wasn’t such a fan of the plain tank, jeans and sandals combination, even though it’s not far off what I wear every day. In my opinion, how good the outfits are depends enormously on the context of the scenes, which we won’t know until May 2026. Andy’s tank top may seem out of place for someone at Runway, but the character could still be working for The New York Mirror, simply running an errand, or even out of laundry, which happens to us all! At this point, I only feel strongly about one element of these outfit previews, which is that I don’t want any more of them. Come May, I’ll be going to the cinema to watch the iconic fashion sequel, and I don’t want to already know all of the outfits I’m about to see. We all felt enthusiastic by the prospect of new DWP fashion inspiration when the sequel was announced, and now our anticipation is dwindling underneath bias and misinformation on social media. Paparazzi, we’re happy with the sneak peeks we’ve got — well, some of us are — and we don’t need any more. Save the rest for the big screen.