Remember that scene in Cinderella Story when Hilary Duff showed up to her fancy dress-themed ball in one of the most iconic dresses of the '00s? sure. Every teenager I know wants Sam's white tulle dress with fitted sparkly bustier, and Holly Willoughby's dress at the Pride of Britain Awards, proving that the fantasy is still very much alive. She stepped out in a dress that was basically a more fashionable, grown-up version of this style, and I was completely obsessed.
As expected, the gorgeous gown was crafted by British designer Jenny Packham, who specializes in wedding dresses and couture. Hilary Duff's beauty wore a huge tulle skirt, while Willoughby's was more form-fitting and trailed to the floor, adding extra drama. Another subtle difference is that her bodice has spaghetti straps, which I honestly love just as much as the original.
Holly Willoughby seemed as delighted with her outfit as I was, praising it on Instagram as a "dream dress." She also proudly displayed a bright red poppy pin in support of the Royal British Legion, the only pop of color on her light dress.
The dress she wore is called the Adara dress, and according to Selfridges, it's an embellished beige tulle gown — beige being a fancy word for a very light beige. Priced at a whopping £4,480, it's basically a once-in-a-lifetime dress.
If you're madly in love and want to pin this to your wedding board, I've popped the product below.
Adara embellished tulle gown by Jenny Packham
Fresh makeup and wavy hair also brought her into Disney princess territory, completing the look perfectly. (Note to self: Try to recreate this look. She thanked Hamlet, the professionals who helped create the look, mentioning her stylist Angie Smith, makeup artist Patsy O'Neill and hairstylist Ciler Peksah in the caption.
Speaking of Disney princesses, Holly Willoughby also posted a video on Instagram of herself wearing this dress, which looks like it's straight out of Sleeping Beauty . The final scene of the animated film shows Aurora and Prince Philip dancing with each other, and the ballroom disappears, leaving them dancing in the sky. Even though Willoughby is channeling her inner Robin and dancing on her own, she still nailed the dreamy quality of the scene, which I've basically repeated.
Don't try to tell me this isn't the same scene as this.
Jenny Packham doesn't just dress princesses, the British designer has also designed dresses for royals. In fact, the brand is so beloved by Kate Middleton that Packham has designed some of her best (and most important) gowns.
Earlier this year, for example, all eyes were on Kate Middleton ahead of the BAFTA awards, as the ceremony followed the style of the early Golden Globes in order to speak for itself. The all-black dress code supports #MeToo. Since members of the royal family are technically not allowed to take part in political matters, she got over that hurdle by wearing a dark green Jenny Packham dress with black sash — possibly a little nod to the movement , but not explicitly stated.
After the birth of each child, she also chose to take an iconic photo on the steps of the Lindo Wing wearing a Jenny Packham outfit to announce her new baby to the world. She wore a baby blue polka dot dress for Prince George's birth, a buttercup dress for Princess Charlotte and a red Peter Pan collared dress for Prince Louis' birth earlier this year.
And there’s this rose sequin dress that she wore to a few charity galas and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
Hopefully we’ll see more princess-inspired dresses soon – I always have a huge sense of nostalgia. It wouldn't hurt if anyone could recommend Chad Michael Murray to me.
