Olivia Wilde Navigates Gendered Expectations of Director Style

Olivia Wilde, promoting her film The Invite, deliberately chose to dress as a director rather than an actor, challenging sexist double standards. She worked with stylist Karla Welch to create a press tour wardrobe of relaxed, neutral pieces, including an Officine Générale three-piece suit for Late Night With Seth Meyers and flat shoes from Reformation. Wilde told Chloe Malle on The Run-Through With Vogue that she feels relieved not to have to dress up as she did as an actress. However, she also wore a custom Saint Laurent gown with a cutout to the Los Angeles premiere, rejecting the idea that women directors must forsake femininity. The article notes that only nine women have been nominated for Best Director in Academy Awards history, and highlights other women directors like Chloé Zhao, Coralie Fargeat, and Greta Gerwig who are making headway in personal style.