When The Devil Wears Prada opened in 2006, it did something most films could not. It made fashion feel urgent, even to people who had never thought much about it. Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs, a self-described person who is not interested in fashion, spent two hours becoming someone who was, and audiences went along for every single look. Now, nearly two decades later, the sequel arrives Friday, and the conversation around clothes has started all over again.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 was announced in 2024, and in the months since, the fashion world has been paying attention. Premiere appearances, early press images and the general excitement of a returning cast have already pushed several looks into trend territory. That is the power of the original film. It does not just reflect fashion. It moves it.
What Andy Sachs taught us about getting dressed
The arc of Andy’s wardrobe in the first film was never really about designer labels. It was about intention. She went from wearing whatever was comfortable and available to making deliberate choices about how she wanted to present herself. That shift, more than any specific garment, is what stuck with audiences.
The pieces that became iconic did so because they felt aspirational without feeling unreachable. A black pleated shirtdress with a white collar. A pageboy hat over a trench coat. Long layered necklaces worn with something simple underneath. These were not runway looks dropped on a screen. They were outfits that felt like something a real person could build toward.
The looks the sequel has already revived
Fringe skirts have returned. Barbara Palvin’s appearance at the Devil Wears Prada 2 premiere in a statement fringe piece sent searches climbing, and the trend has since filtered into accessible price points, including pieces from Walmart’s Scoop collection. High fashion influence landing at mass-market retailers is not a new phenomenon, but the speed at which it happened here reflects how closely people are watching this film.
The cerulean sweater, one of the original film’s most quoted moments, has maintained a kind of permanent cult status. Old Navy released a replica years ago that sold out quickly. Similar styles remain available through resale platforms like Vestiaire Collective for those who want to participate in the reference without hunting for the original.
Over-the-knee boots, another staple from Andy’s transformation arc, have found their contemporary equivalent in options from labels like Staud. Bold footwear, particularly red Valentino Garavani Rockstud pumps, speak to Miranda Priestly’s long-established preference for a shoe that commands a room. More accessible versions, including suede kitten-heel pumps from Marion Parke, offer a version of the same energy at a lower price point.
Reese style direction for the sequel
Emily’s character in the sequel has generated its own aesthetic conversation. Early looks suggest a corporate precision that leans into structure, black bustier dresses layered over crisp white button-downs, tailoring worn as armor. Vest interpretations of the same silhouette, available through retailers like Revolve, offer a casual translation of the same idea.
Jewelry has shifted since 2006. The chunky layered charm necklaces Andy wore in the original film have given way to a more restrained sensibility. A delicate pearl strand from a label like Quince achieves a version of that elegance without the visual noise. Oversized sunglasses, particularly the Oliver Peoples collaboration with Khaite, complete the picture for anyone building toward a full look.
The pageboy hat remains as relevant as it was in the original, particularly when worn with something structured underneath.
Why this film keeps influencing how people dress
The Devil Wears Prada has been referenced in fashion conversations continuously since 2006. That is not an accident. The film took clothes seriously and expected audiences to do the same. The sequel arrives at a moment when people are thinking carefully again about what dressing with intention actually looks like, and that timing could not be better for either the film or anyone paying attention to it.
