The Viral Angelina Jolie Dress That Cemented Her As A Red Carpet Icon

No stranger to making headlines, Angelina Jolie was the talk of the town following the Academy Awards back in 2012. The "Maleficent" actor, known for her statement-making and sometimes daring fashion, took to the red carpet in a dress that nearly overshadowed the event itself. By Atelier Versace, her black gown was strapless with an oversized, ballgown-style skirt that parted for what became the most iconic feature of this look: a seriously high thigh slit. 

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Finished in velvet, the dress might have looked like a lackluster '80s relic if not for the slit. But it wasn't just the silhouette of the frock that had people talking; it was also the way Jolie wore it. Standing on the red carpet with then-partner Brad Pitt, Jolie posed with her right leg slightly bent, ensuring that the dress fell the way it needed to for maximum impact. She held this pose even as she ventured on stage to present the award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Though she also complemented the 'fit with red lipstick, which is always a good idea, sultry smokey eyes, and a bombshell blowout, it was this strategic posing that made the look go viral. 

"For what really could have been just another black [dress], the leg has catapulted this dress to iconic level and let's be fair, it's a beautifully well done dress," one Redditor commented. The look earned Jolie the praise of outlets like Vogue and The New Yorker, cementing her as a fashionista. But others were less impressed, with critics at The Philadelphia Post slamming it. Then there was the fact that many online were mocking the dress, along with the memes it spawned. Whether you hated or loved this look, there's no denying that it served as a pivotal moment in Angelina Jolie's stunning style transformation.

If you're going to wear red-carpet dresses with the potential to go viral, then you have to have the right disposition for criticism. Luckily, Angelina Jolie let the noise fly right off her back. "I honestly didn't pay attention to it," she told the Huffington Post in March 2012. "I heard something, but I didn't pay any attention. It's as simple as being a woman picking a dress you like and having a night, and not really thinking about anything else." Rather than letting the relentless comments upset her, the "Salt" actor embraced the look as an important part of her sartorial evolution towards icon status. 

In the noughties and early 2010s, Jolie often wore dramatic looks that turned heads on the red carpet. Maybe it was the lingering influence of her non-conformist punk persona, as well as her vampy roots that we often saw back in the '90s. But by the 2020s, she'd smoothed out her style, opting for slightly more subdued versions of her earlier outfits. This was evident at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where she wore a brown slouchy coat dress with a thigh slit reminiscent of her 2012 look, this time with sheer tights, to the premiere of her film "Couture." 

"Her chocolate-brown gown at TIFF is a clear nod to her 2012 Oscars look, which became a cultural moment in itself, but it also shows how she's refined her aesthetic over the years," stylist Megan Watkins told Hello!. "Today, her style is less about shock factor and more about quiet confidence — we're talking clean lines, subtle sensuality, and a color palette that exudes sophistication." Perhaps this fashion ethos is the reason why Angelina Jolie is rarely on the worst-dressed list.