The Academy Awards have once again been and gone in a blur of sequins, snubs and acceptance speeches, providing plenty of fodder for social media to latch onto.
As expected, the Oscars spawned a handful of viral moments, from red carpet tumbles to baby bump debuts. Among the most talked about were Al Pacino's controversial Best Picture reveal, Ryan Gosling's 'I'm Just Ken' rendition, John Cena on stage in his birthday suit, and The Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer making a politically charged statement about Israel's "ongoing attack on Gaza".
With all that said, the internet becoming enraged by Sydney Sweeney appearing at the Vanity Fair after-party in Angelina Jolie's dress from 20 years ago was not on my Oscars' bingo card.
The Anyone But You star donned the very same cream-coloured Marc Bouwer gown - complete with a plunging neckline and trailing halter ties - in honour of Jolie's iconic look at the Academy Awards two decades earlier.
To make it clear the archival gown's return was a tribute to Jolie, Sweeney and her stylist, Molly Dickson, also commissioned a three-strand necklace from jeweller Messika to reference Jolie's own three-strand piece from 2004.
But breathing new life into a classic is difficult terrain to navigate, as evidenced by Kim Kardashian's contentious acquisition of the gown famously worn by Marilyn Monroe in 1962 for the 2022 Met Gala. The decision to bring the dress out of retirement 60 years later proved highly divisive, and the reaction only intensified when it was revealed the dress had been allegedly damaged after being worn by Kardashian.
Despite Dickson making it clear the gown hadn't been altered for its return to the spotlight ("It is a couple inches too long, so we sourced the highest platforms just to help with the hem," she told Vogue), the response has still been divided. Some have gone as far to call Sweeney's re-wearing of the dress "disrespectful", while others have been quick to draw comparisons between the two women.
"Sydney is very pretty, but... Angelina has class," one woman remarked on a carousel of images shared by the pop culture account @velvetcoke on Instagram.
"No. I mean why? Angelina is a different league," a second sniped, while a third added: "Angelina all the way - no one can ever beat her."
Another ranted: "Angelina Jolie is a goddess. Wearing Angie's dress gives the impression Sydney thinks she's as iconic as Angelina. Very delusional and immature."
Others refuted the comparisons and applauded Sweeney for her fresh take on the classic gown, with one simply asking: " Why so much hate for Syd?"
"I love the idea to re-wear outfits. There's already enough clothing on this earth, we don't need to make more. Why not reuse or restyle pieces?" another weighed in, with a third commenting: "Sydney is so damn pretty and Angelina Jolie looks like an ethereal, mesmerizing creature. Simply stunning. No need to compare two completely different women."
"Both are stunning women, and we can appreciate both their beauty without putting the other down," a fourth declared, while a fifth added: "I cannot believe the comments. Women against women. The hate towards someone you don't even know is unreal."
Several others claimed it was a "mistake" for Sweeney to recreate Jolie's look and "become a subject of comparison", pointing out that as a rising star, she should focus on creating her own sartorial moments.
For his part, Marc Bouwer was a fan of Sweeney's take on his creation, sharing snaps of the gown then and now to his Instagram with the caption: "From the archives. Worn to the Oscars in 2004 by Angelina Jolie, and now on the beautiful @sydney_sweeney. On its 20th anniversary I couldn’t ask for a better revival."
In a separate carousel of images from the Vanity Fair after-party red carpet, Bouwer added: "@sydney_sweeney owning the carpet at @vanityfair. Impeccable styling by @mollyddickson [Molly Dickson]."
In a series of photos shared to her own Instagram, Sweeney thanked Bouwer for "pulling this iconic dress out of the vault for me", adding: "It was an honour to wear a piece of history [sic]."
