In Defense of The Devil Wears Prada 2 Outfits—Fashion Tastemakers Weigh In

Elle

15 hours ago

The modern media landscape has undoubtedly changed since the original The Devil Wears Prada nearly 20 years ago. The film was set among the 'old guard' of fashion and media—one that feels faraway now with the change that the internet has wrought. And thanks to social media, paparazzi, and filming on the streets of New York City, online debate about a movie's style can start as soon as filming does, whether you like it or not.
The Devil Wears Prada 2, which sees the return of Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, began shooting earlier this month. Though the May 1, 2026 release is nearly a year away, our feeds have already been inundated with looks. Perhaps the flood of photos is meant to gauge public reactions to the fashion—Ryan Murphy recently defended early photos of Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette Kennedy released from the set of American Love Story, pointing out that they were test shots (Pidgeon's icy blonde hair has since been softened to include some CBK-esque brunette roots). Regardless of intent, each street scene brings on a whole new round of style discourse: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the 'do people in fashion actually dress like that?'
First things first: any blockbuster fashion-centric production is going to capitalize on a sense of fantasy. This is something that the film's reported costume designer Molly Rogers learned while working under the legendary Patricia Field. (Field costumed the original movie, for which she received an Oscar nomination, as well as Sex and the City; though she did not return to And Just Like That, which is now co-styled by Rogers).
Is it realistic that Andy Sachs spent close to $30,000 on a fresh-off-the-runway Gabriela Hearst dress, Fendi carry-all, and Jemma Wynne jewelry? No. But would her character (who has presumably achieved success in media since the last time we saw her) likely splurge on a designer bag and pair it with a colorful and relaxed maxidress to board the Hampton Jitney? Yes. The same goes for Emily Blunt's Dior and custom Wiederhoeft corseted look, though if the rumors about her character's billionaire boyfriend are true, then it's likely a little bit more on the nose.
The high-low nature of many of the looks also reflects the way many real insiders dress. Fashion might have changed a lot in the last two decades, but 2006 Andy wasn't running around as a second assistant freely pulling whatever she wanted from the sample closet, either. And in 2025, wardrobe stipends and borrowing clothing still exist, albeit on a less grand scale.
People loved that the first film glorified the corporate glamazons who ruled Runway, or as Andy once called them, 'clackers,' referring to their stiletto heels on the lobby's marble floors. The sequel seems to be taking a more contextually toned-down approach to style, even if it is to the dismay of die-hard fans. Interestingly enough, many of the movie's looks so far have resonated with media and media-adjacent young professionals.
Sophie Wood, director of strategy at the influencer marketing agency Fohr, finds it refreshing that many of the costumes don't seem like an algorithm-driven caricature of how people think an editor dresses like in 2025, even if Pauline Chalamet's Margiela Tabis are currently ultra-on-trend. Wood loves the Gabriela Hearst mosaic-print dress and compares it to the personal style she sees in her own New York City-based workplace on a daily basis: 'We're not beholden to business attire. So people are able to get really eclectic with what they wear to the office.'
Despite depictions in media, fashion editors and industry professionals are not a one-size-fits-all carbon copy of the runways. This is why when we see Andy mixing Chanel with AGOLDE or Valentino with Levi's, there's a sense of realism to these outfits—and hey, maybe she's even discovered the Ssense sale like the rest of us. The casual mixing of high and low feels appropriate to many who are familiar with the realities of the day-to-day of the fashion industry. Plus, the true marker of good style is being able to shop anywhere.
Fashion content creator and PhD student Vivian Li echoes Wood, finding that because of social media, modern-day style is heavily associated with aesthetic and polish and not function or fit. When volunteering backstage at shows during New York Fashion Week, getting street-style photographed in a 'full look' was the last thing on her mind. 'People in fashion aren't necessarily using all of their brain power to 'throw a fit' everyday when they probably have a million deadlines by 10 A.M.' she jokingly explains, adding that someone like Andy is 'working, not performing.'
For Li, a standout outfit was the all-white Phoebe Philo and Nili Lotan ensemble, paired with Prada heels, which felt appropriately offset by Andy's beat-up vintage Coach satchel and messy hair. The balance of designer labels and curated undone-ness is very 'The Row' but also feels like a natural compromise to the high-fashion Andy of the first film who, as Li notes, likely over-accessorized as a way to signal her head-first plunge into an industry she previously knew nothing about.
Though much of the plot is still under wraps, there are sure to be more photos from set, and with that, countless more looks to ID and dissect. But when it comes to what editors and industry professionals are actually wearing in-office? Says ELLE's deputy news and strategy editor Alyssa Bailey, 'I find it really exciting and refreshing that real-life fashion editors wear labels of all price points and still look amazing. I thought as a teenager I needed to be like Andy and wear head-to-toe designer to make it in this industry.' This Andy looks a little bit closer to the real thing.