Celebrity Style
Olivia Wilde Embraced TikTok’s "Wrong Shoe Theory” At Sundance
A “naked dress” with cowboycore shoes? It works.
Olivia Wilde carefully curates the events she attends, but you can always count on her to show up to the ones that celebrate films and filmmakers. For starters, she’s a fixture at Chanel’s initiatives geared toward women directors, pulling up in style while helping uplift her community.
She leans into the same MO at film festivals, wearing the chicest looks while enjoying Hollywood’s display of talent. The Booksmart director did just that over the weekend at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Olivia’s Lace LBD
On Saturday, Jan. 24, Wilde flew to Utah to premiere The Invite, the dramedy she directed and starred in alongside Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton. It debuted to roaring success, including a standing ovation and a bidding war. And her dress to the premiere? Equally ovation-worthy.
To walk the carpet, Wilde turned heads in a slinky black “naked dress,” aka Hollywood’s most controversial go-to. The upper half of the garment was practically lingerie. The bustier top — with its sweetheart neckline, visible bra cups, and slinky straps — was crafted in a decadent see-through lace. Meanwhile, the floor-length skirt featured a semi-A-line flare. Like her top, this also had a skin-baring detail courtesy of her thigh-high slit with a similar lace trim.
She Cosigned The “Wrong Shoe Theory”
Instead of pairing her LBD with sleek or strappy footwear (style stars love a classic pointed-toe pump or heeled sandals on carpets), Wilde wore something totally unexpected: black knee-high cowboy boots. The choice was the perfect example of TikTok’s viral “wrong shoe theory” in action, which posits that an outfit is made infinitely more interesting by footwear that doesn’t necessarily match.
She Loves A Controversial Trend
The following day, Wilde pulled up to another event with her cast in a more low-key ensemble. Going for laid-back prep, she wore a gray sweatshirt over a white striped button-down. This is where her look got cheugy. The Don’t Worry Darling director topped off her layers with a blue jean jacket and paired it with denim pants, albeit in white. It was a fresh, two-toned take on the Canadian tuxedo. Oh, and her bottom’s silhouette? The divisive barrel.
She paired the ensemble with wide-rimmed glasses and a leather scarf, tied like a Boy Scout’s neckerchief. Her accoutrements gave the polarizing trends a cool-girl update.
No one else can make a Canadian tux look this good.
