Just 32 Photos of Celebrities in Killer Pantsuits

When women first began wearing pantsuits, it was a symbol of power and freedom of expression—not to mention, a gesture of liberation from traditionally constrictive garments. The humble pantsuit has now become an ubiquitous go-to for female celebrities, whether they're attending an event, going on the red carpet, or traveling from glamorous place to glamorous place.

It wasn't always this way: award shows, particularly for the Oscars and Golden Globes, traditionally mandated that women wore formal dresses. But in recent years, celebrities have trading in their dresses for a sharp, well-fitting blazer and trousers—a chic and sometimes edgy expression of style.

Kate Middleton

From the very beginning of her time as a professional royal, Kate Middleton has made the pantsuit one of her signature looks. Like other royals, she favors bright colors that can make her easily visible (and can also correspond to a particular meaning, like red for Christmas or green for Ireland).

Claire Foy

Claire Foy's turn as the young Queen Elizabeth in The Crown meant a lot of vintage-inspired clothing. Which meant that her more streamlined style on the red carpet, including a deep red lipstick and dramatic v-neck, was all the more surprising and satisfying.

Blake Lively

Blake Lively very famously does not work with a stylist, and her professional style as an adult often leans into bold colors and silhouettes. This orange pantsuit with an orange cutout top underneath is exactly the kind of serotonin-laden clothing she loves.

Ashlyn Harris

Former soccer player Ashlyn Harris is also a huge fashion force. In particular, the way she plays with more "masculine" silhouettes, including this wide-shouldered, menswear-inspired suit, is especially impressive. Bonus point for fully committing with the tie!

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman can rock a red carpet dress like no one else, but when she trades them for a sharp suit (this is at the BFI London Film Festival in 2016), it's a refreshing change of pace. This feels eminently professional, but the all-white makes it red carpet-ready.

Kesha

Western-inspired clothes are everywhere, and the red carpet is no exception. Kesha, whose style has evolved impressively since she was a young singer, shows how small touches (the braiding on the side, some floral embroidery at the front) channels the trend in a subtle way.

Cardi B

Lest you wonder, "Is a suit too boring for Cardi B?" then you obviously never saw her in this cool two-toned leather outfit. The rapper has some impressively daring couture style, and her version of a pantsuit is exactly in keeping with her style. There's a suit for everyone, apparently!

Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart, Chanel ambassador, shows that tweed can be anything but fussy. When you wear the jacket open to your naval, pair the pants with chunky platforms, and give us an edgy hairdo (complete with visible roots), it can still feel like a statement.

Yara Shahidi

While this is missing the traditional jacket you'd normally find with a suit, this still takes inspiration from the traditional clothing. The peplum top is structured, and the trousers are wide. The piece de resistance, naturally, is the double flowing train—pushing this firmly into event-wear.

Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie has an exceptional eye for graphic designs (see also: all her pink outfits on the Barbie promotional tour) and the suit is no exception. See how she layers a simple white suit with a semi-sheer black lace top underneath, the bottom gently peeking out from her blazer.

Charlie XCX

Charlie XCX's "brat" style ranges from Y2K-inspired all the way to daring classics—as we see with this traditional black and white knit pantsuit. The colorfully striped shirt, with matching graphic makeup (including white eyeshadow), and red shoes help it feel more like her trademark style.

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston has pretty classic red carpet style—she likes a simple dress in a simple color. So when she switched it up and went a bit sexy with a jacket worn as a top (she was relatively newly wed to then-husband Brad Pitt), fans went wild for her style evolution.

Ashley Graham

Ashley Graham's style is always bold and a bit daring, which means she can pull off a red suit without batting an eye. The key is to lean in (note that she's in red from head to toe, including her shoes), but you can add a red shirt if you don't want to be quite as bare on top.

Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet has traditionally favored a classic style, much like her contemporary Nicole Kidman. Thus, even a suit is going to be adorned with some ornate details, like white flowers at the shoulder and hem. Finding the right suit for you often means drawing from the characteristics you already like and applying them.

The Hadids

The Hadids are giving off very different—but equally awesome—vibes here. Bella, who does a trend impressively well, combines an oversized gray suit with sneakers and a bodysuit. Gigi, whose style sometimes skews a bit more daring, is going all in with yellow leather.

Mary Tyler Moore

The first woman to be regularly portrayed on-screen in a pantsuit, Mary Tyler Moore was the paradigm of '70s working woman on her show. This styling is very much of its time, but that classic plaid and pattern-mixing in the scarf is still a classic combo.

Evan Rachel Wood

Evan Rachel Wood was embracing androgyny on the red carpet before a lot of other starlets were. It's a perfect balance of opposites, with the tops-and-tails vibes of the suit (complete with cummerbund and tie!) feeling more "masculine," in contrast with the slim fit and luxe velvet material.

Victoria Beckham

As Victoria Beckham was re-defining herself as a designer and a fashion forerunner, she broke out some exceptional suits. They were always a little rigidly structured but had cool touches, like the length of the pant draping over her shoes and the rosette at the neck.

Zoë Saldaña

Proof positive that you don't need your suit to be fitted, Zoë Saldaña shows up to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert with an artfully draped version. When you're going (literally) big, you'll still want to have it tailored so it hangs on your body in the right way, including with sleeves and pant hems.

Boygenius

The members of boygenius turned major heads when they appeared on the 2024 Grammys red carpet. The fact that the cut of the suits is slim and the pants are cuffed, revealing matching black patent boots, feels throwback-y to the '90s and '00s without looking like a costume.

Janelle Monae

Janelle Monae has major graphic style, primarily composed of black and white. When she brings in color, it's extra-special—just like at the 2018 Grammys, with this gorgeous suit with embroidered flowers up the side. The pant legs are extra, extra-long to add inches at the bottom.

Marlene Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich helped to popularize the suit as a form of women'swear. And she wore the heck out of it: this thick wool material, gently fitted blazer, lace-up flats and simple turtleneck underneath wouldn't look that out of place today. Bonus points for the beret!

Emma Stone

To play the titular Cruella, Emma Stone channeled the character's black-white-red color scheme. It doesn't look like the pants and jacket are part of a matching set, but that's actually a cool way to embody a more modern form of suiting—it doesn't have to match to look cool.

Karolina Kurkova

Here attending a Franca: Chaos And Creation screening in 2016, Karolina Kurkova got fashion pundits excited with her all-white suit: long, wide pant legs, double-breasted but still fitted blazer on top, it was a foretelling of our modern pantsuit.

Hailey Bieber

Gray pantsuits were really having a moment in the early 2020s, and fashionista Hailey Bieber styled them incredibly well. The contrasting, oversized top and white sneakers take this look out of the boardroom and into street style with ease (and is still a great way to style it).

Eve

Who says a suit can't have sparkles? Eve is at the 2018 Grammys showing exactly how to style it. In this context, you'd treat the suit like an ornate dress and approach it in almost the same way, with a fancy bag, heels, and some show-stopping jewelry.

Meghan Markle

A sleeveless vest can stand in place of a blazer when the weather's warm. Meghan Markle, whose classic-chic style includes some fashion flourishes, is here visiting Columbia in the warm weather pantsuit: cropped navy pants and a nice breathable top.

Taylor Swift

I didn't know houndstooth could be a head-to-toe thing, but now I'm obsessed. Taylor Swift is wearing Manolo Blahnik boots and Carmen March top, pants, and jacket, and the overall effect is dazzling. She looks extremely business-like but also like a fashion expert.

Beyoncé

When Queen Bey took the stage during TIDAL X: 1015 in 2016, she did so in a shiny and beautifully patterned pantsuit. It has a lot of her signature styling in it—the color gold, which is a favorite of hers, as well as the highlights of royal purple—but is a touch more casual than some of her red carpet dresses.

Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn, who was rumored to be queer and starred in roles where she dressed as a man (Sylvia Scarlett), also flouted convention when it came to her personal style. She favored an androgynous look, often citing comfort, including contrasting white socks and loafers.

Zendaya

This might have been the exact moment when Valentino's custom fuchsia pink hit the mainstream. Zendaya is attending the Valentino Womenswear Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show, and her whole look matches head to toe. She wisely keeps her jewelry more minimal—the suit is the sparkle, so to speak.

Julia Roberts

This suit was so shocking when Julia Roberts wore it to the 1990 Golden Globes. It's Armani, and she literally went to the men's department and had it tailored in store. By our modern standards, it's still a bit too oversized and needs a bit more tailoring, but the look opened up a whole new world for women wearing "men's" clothes. Roberts still has the suit!