Women's Lifestyle September 25, 2026 0 Comments

Lili Reinhart Channels Brittany Murphy’s Iconic “Unsung Hero” Look—But What’s the Secret Sauce Behind This Jaw-Dropping Throwback?

Ever wonder what it takes to resurrect a piece of rom-com magic that’s been quietly tucked away in film history? Well, Lili Reinhart’s recent press tour for The Love Hypothesis has thrown us into a nostalgic whirlwind, paying homage to iconic movie outfits like Kate Hudson’s yellow gown or Sandra Bullock’s lavender mini — but wait, there’s a twist. Her latest look is an exact, painstakingly crafted replica of a delicate pink lace dress worn by Brittany Murphy in Uptown Girls. Yup, that unsung hero of rom-com wardrobes finally gets its moment in the spotlight. And believe me, the journey to find this elusive beauty was anything but straightforward — involving weeks of digital treasure hunting, TikTok detective work, and some serious fashion wizardry by stylist Ib Abdel Nasser. It’s a story that’s as captivating as the dress itself, reminding us that sometimes the quietest classics make the loudest statements. Ready to dive into the behind-the-scenes tale of how this blush-pink dream came back to life? LEARN MORE

2 min read

Kate Hudson’s yellow gown from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Sandra Bullock’s skintight lavender mini from Miss Congeniality, Jennifer Garner’s coat from 13 Going on 30: Lili Reinhart’s press tour for The Love Hypothesis has been packed full of references from the golden age of romantic comedies. And for her latest look, she and stylist Ib Abdel Nasser turned to the one and only Uptown Girls.

“We started a Pinterest board called ‘Rom-Com Baddies,’” Nasser tells Harper’s Bazaar as we connect to discuss the latest look in the duo’s collection, an exact recreation of the lacy light-pink Rebecca Taylor number worn by Brittany Murphy in her final scene as the free-spirited heiress-turned-nanny Molly Gunn.

A young woman in a pink dress stands by a window, holding curtains open with a cityscape in the background.

Sam Hellmann

“To be honest, I was looking for all of the looks in Uptown Girls, and they’re just so rare,” he notes, touching on the shimmering Blumarine Spring 2002 number that he also managed to get his hands on for Reinhart. “But then I came across the finale scene, which is a really big scene, and she was wearing this Rebecca Taylor dress. I was like, ‘Wait, I think I might be able to find this.’”

Woman in a pink lace garment reclining on a white bed, with soft lighting highlighting her features.

Sam Hellmann

“The Blumarine one is the one that everybody always talks about. There’s also another Moschino one with dolls on it that people always talk about from Uptown Girls. But the Rebecca Taylor one was this quiet, unsung hero, even though it is the finale dress of the movie,” he adds. “It was kind of like a Sleeping Beauty.”

“So I took it as an opportunity to think, ‘Nobody’s done this before. Let’s do it. I’m sure I can find this.’”

f6jeb3 release date august 15, 2003 movie titleuptown girls studio silvercup studios plot molly gunn, the freewheeling daughter of a deceased rock legend, is forced to get a job when her manager steals her money as nanny for precocious ray, the oft ignored daughter of a music executive she learns what it means to be an adult while teaching ray how to be a child pictured brittany murphy as molly gunn

Alamy

Brittany Murphy in Uptown Girls

Woman in a pink lace dress standing in front of white curtains, with soft lighting highlighting her features.

Sam Hellmann

But the journey was not as simple as he anticipated. After scouring the internet for “weeks and weeks,” sending messages via TikTok to creators he saw in the dress, and inquiring directly with the team at Rebecca Taylor, he finally found it on Depop. Well, sort of. “I found it in black,” he explains. “So I ordered it, and the team at Rebecca Taylor was so lovely. They were like, ‘Just order it. We’ll completely take the pattern apart and remake it in the same color that Brittany Murphy wore in Uptown Girls.’ And that’s what they did.”

The team sourced lace nearly-identical to the original and custom-dyed the fabric in the recognizable blush-pink shade, piecing together an exact replica for Reinhart’s appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show.

A woman in a pink lace dress poses playfully by a window with a city skyline in the background.

Sam Hellmann

“They sent pictures, but it didn’t really register to me how beautiful the dress was until I had it in my hands when they shipped it. Everything came together so quickly, and when I got it, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is beautiful,’” he recalls. “I’m just so excited that she was able to have this moment with this dress. It’s such a special part of movie history, and I’m glad that we were able to include it in the press tour.” So are we.