Inappropriate Outfits We Can't Believe Nicole Kidman Wore
Nicole Kidman possesses the figure of a runway model, which makes looking elegant in clothing seem unfairly effortless for the actor. However, the "Nine Perfect Strangers" star has sported some outfits that are so strange that it boggles the mind. Perhaps she's on an impossible mission to prove Jean Paul Gaultier wrong. "Everything looks good on Nicole," the designer told InStyle in 2017.
Of course, evaluating the style of the stars is a subjective spectator sport, which is something Kidman seems to be aware of — everyone isn't going to think your tenue du jour is to die for, so why not simply wear whatever you please? "I have no problem being divisive," she told Net-a-Porter in 2017. Kidman revealed that her daughters Sunday and Faith have even given her the "You're wearing that?" treatment.
An example of one of the actor's divisive outfits is the chartreuse John Galliano gown she wore to the 1997 Oscars. The late "Fashion Police" host Joan Rivers harassed Kidman on the red carpet that year by screaming at her about how much she hated the color. But for many fashion fans, that dress is among the best ever worn at the Oscars — and Kidman's enormous wardrobe of designer pieces includes some duds that are far more deserving of a Rivers roasting.
When Nicole Kidman channeled Paris Hilton
In 2022, Nicole Kidman appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair wearing a Miu Miu crop top and matching pleated micro mini skirt. The barely-there bottom half of her outfit was a callback to the fun-size, low-slung skirts that Paris Hilton wore while filming "The Simple Life." Kidman was photographed gripping the bars of a gate, and there was a resplendent garden behind her. It was as if she was inviting viewers to watch her attempt to prune an aristocrat's hedges with cuticle nippers for laughs. Some critics of Kidman's naughty schoolgirl look were pretty harsh when they started slicing and dicing it on social media. "She is a beautiful woman but whoever designed that nightmare outfit should be flogged," wrote one Instagrammer.
Sometimes, celebs just go along with a magazine's vision when they agree to pose for it. But in an interview with Australian Vogue, Kidman revealed that she requested to wear the controversial look. "I showed up and they had another outfit for me and I was like, 'No, no, I like this one! Am I allowed to wear that?'" she recalled. Kidman's Miu Miu mini had become so ubiquitous that it had an Instagram page dedicated to documenting its many appearances in print, which made Kidman's insistence on wearing it very off-brand. Her stylist, Julia von Boehm, told The New York Times that Kidman embraces an "eclectic" aesthetic, so it's odd that she was so enthusiastic about a tired, cookie-cutter trend.
Nicole Kidman's bad bridesmaid look
One of the outfits Nicole Kidman wore for the 2019 Taormina Film Fest was an Olivier Theyskens midi dress in a vivid shade of pink that did not suit her at all. The satin garment featured an off-the-shoulder neckline, long sleeves, and a dainty bow on the bodice. The overall design was a bit dated, and it brought to mind a bad bridesmaid dress that a bridezilla might force upon a pretty "friend" to ensure that she is not outshone on her big day. The dress was also terribly wrinkled as if said bridesmaid had angrily shoved it in her suitcase when packing for her pal's destination wedding.
Kidman completed her outfit with a pair of Jimmy Choo sandals that were much easier on the eye. However, their matte crimson straps clashed with her shiny, garish fuschia gown. At least her outfit had one cool element: pockets to keep a package of matches in so she could burn it later.
Keep in mind that Kidman's stylist once bragged that her client has more options available to her than most celebrities. "She even fits into the couture — which means I don't have to limit myself to just the celebrity pieces a designer offers," Julia von Boehm told The New York Times. She also said that Kidman "could wear a rope for a dress and make it look fantastic." So, maybe she should have tried that instead?
Her chaotic support for Keith Urban
Nicole Kidman doesn't talk about Tom Cruise much these days, but not long after their divorce, she hit him with a savage sartorial burn. "Well, I can wear heels now," she said on "The Late Show with David Letterman." She continued to exercise her footwear freedom when she married Aussie country singer Keith Urban, but perhaps she shouldn't have sported the strappy, cornflower blue high heels that she showed off in front of the 2011 CMT Music Awards step and repeat.
There was nothing to unify the shoes with Kidman's chaotic Proenza Schouler dress. It looked like "The Undoing" star had raided her gift-wrapping supplies and challenged a rejected "Project Runway" contestant to create a dress out of black tissue paper and striped foil wrapping paper. An asymmetrical, calf-length hemline and a nude slip that ended high on the thigh made her outlandish outfit even more of an eyesore. To top it off, the frock's odd design caused puckering on the skirt and made Kidman's torso look boxy.
One could argue that she deserved some credit for choosing to go with something bold and experimental rather than something boring, but she chose the wrong time to do so. Kidman's tuned-up husband was up for an award in the male video of the year category, so the night was supposed to be about him. Unfortunately, the internet was too distracted by his wife's clothing calamity to focus on his artistry.
Nicole Kidman's feathered fashion fiasco
Nicole Kidman plucked the wrong feathered garment off the rack for the Los Angeles premiere of "The Northman" in 2022. She plays a Viking queen in the movie, but there wasn't anything regal about her Prada dress. It looked like a peasant's frock that was yellowed with age, making it inharmonious with her hair's more vibrant golden hue. And if she was cosplaying as a lower member of the Vikings' caste system, then perhaps the tufts of pink feathers jutting from her long sleeves were meant to represent the bloodied carcasses of her family's dinner tucked under her arms.
A high collar added a harsh slash of black across the actor's neck, and the beadwork on her skirt felt like a desperate afterthought. Instead of elevating the piece, the embellishments weighed the skirt down, making it look cumbersome. The layered construction also wasn't working in Kidman's favor, as it made the entire garment appear extremely wrinkled. Julia von Boehm told The New York Times that she dresses Kidman to make it "feel as if she owns the pieces, as opposed to looking like she rented them." Well, her gown certainly had the appearance of a well-worn — and poorly stored — possession.
Kidman's face looked flawless, so at least there was that. She just wasn't oozing sophistication from her invisible pores like she usually does.
Wait, did Nicole Kidman join the fashion police?
Nicole Kidman told Net-a-Porter that she's not a fan of those who force fashion offenders to do time on worst-dressed lists. "I don't believe in crucifying people for their individual [taste]," she explained. But when she sat in the front row at the Calvin Klein show during New York Fashion Week in 2018, she looked like she was ready to cuff any models who committed crimes of fashion.
Kidman was wearing an all-silk ensemble that included a fitted skirt in blue. While it could have been color-coordinated with a cop's navy top, it admittedly would not be practical for chasing down criminals. However, Kidman's shirt was majorly law enforcement official-coded. It had black epaulets on the shoulders and scalloped pocket flaps in silver, which somewhat resembled shiny badges. Her ensemble felt more like a costume; if "Reno 911!" is ever revived again with a bigger budget, the wardrobe department might want to see if it can track down some of those shirts. Kidman completed her outfit with blood-red booties.
Hilariously, Christina Ricci was in attendance at the same Calvin Klein show and was wearing the classic prison uniform pattern of black and white stripes. Unfortunately, Kidman didn't pose for a photo pretending to put the "Wednesday" star in handcuffs. So, who wants to now see a prestige TV series starring Kidman as a glamorous cop and Ricci as the criminal mastermind who keeps eluding her?