Marilyn Monroe's 73-Year-Old Ceil Chapman Dress Fits Sydney Sweeney Like a Glove

Sydney Sweeney attended the Santa Barbara Film Festival in a vintage, off-the-shoulder white dress originally owned by Marilyn Monroe

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Sydney Sweeney has always loved a Marilyn Monroe homage, like her white gown for The Housemaid's premiere. But on February 8, she became Monroe's actual doppelgänger in a vintage little white dress, straight from the late actress's archives.

Stylist Molly Dickson did her big one at the 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival: She tracked down Monroe's exact Cecil Chapman midi from vintage seller Timeless Vixen, which Sweeney wore to accept the Virtuosos Award. The off-the-shoulder style Dickson revealed on her Instagram Stories seemed to be in mint condition, despite being over 70 years old.

Every element—mainly the off-the-shoulder neckline, cinched waist, and three-quarter-length sleeves—could've passed the ankle-grazing dress as custom-made just for Sweeney. However, the design actually hails from 1952.

In lieu of a statement necklace, Sweeney let Monroe's crescent brooch shine above the subtle slope of her neckline. Zoom in to fully appreciate the strand of diamonds lining the pin's curvature. The gemstones seemed to darken toward the end of the arch, but perhaps that was just the residue of time. Sweeney's $4,500 Octavia Elizabeth ring, however, came straight from the box.

This is a piece steeped in Hollywood history. Monroe originally wore the off-the-shoulder LWD on the April 7, 1952 cover of Life Magazine. Like Sweeney, her décolletage remained necklace-free, while the brooch added just enough sparkle. "This iconic dress is such a chic example of Old Hollywood glamour," Timeless Vixen owner Lauren Lepire wrote on Instagram.

Marilyn Monroe wore the Ceil Chapman dress on the cover of Life magazine — Marilyn Monroe's Ceil Chapman dress first debuted on the cover of *Life* Magazine.

Even if it wasn't Monroe's exact dress, wearing a Ceil Chapman design still would've paid tribute to the Some Like It Hot star's style. Alongside Grace Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Elizabeth Taylor, Monroe was synonymous with the American designer's 25-year run. Beyond the front-cover of Life, Monroe wore an eggplant midi from Chapman while performing in South Korea in 1954. Winding strands of purple rhinestones decorated the entire spaghetti-strap number.

Marilyn Monroe wearing another Ceil Chapman dress in 1954 — Two years later, Monroe performed in South Korea in another, more vibrant Ceil Chapman dress.

Since Chapman was in business for such a short span of time, her dresses are considered especially rare among vintage collectors. Last November, stylist Law Roach dressed Ariana Grande in a circa-1950s slip from Ceil Chapman during the Wicked: For Good press tour. Grande's Glinda-worthy dress hailed from Timeless Vixen's shelves, a celebrity-beloved vintage boutique in Beverly Hills. What do you know? The store housed Sweeney's Ceil Chapman dress, too.

TOPICS

Meguire Hennes is the fashion staff writer at Marie Claire, where she breaks down the celebrity looks living rent-free in her head (and yours). Whether a star is walking the red carpet or posing on Instagram, Meguire will tell you who they're wearing and why. When she's not gushing about A-listers from J.Law to Rihanna, Meguire also covers breaking industry news.

Previously, Meguire was the fashion news writer at The Zoe Report. She received a bachelor's degree in fashion studies at Montclair State University, and has freelanced at Bustle, Women's Health, Well+Good, and more. You can find her words across the fashion, beauty, health, and wellness verticals, because her Libra moon wouldn't let her settle on one beat. Follow her on Instagram for BTS moments from her Marie Claire era.