Nicole Kidman Channels Her 'Stepford Wives' Character at the Venice Film Festival in a 1950s-Inspired LBD

Twenty years later, she nailed the look.

Nicole Kidman attends a photocall for "Babygirl" during the 81st Venice International Film Festival at on August 30, 2024 in Venice, Italy.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Before "tradwife" had a hashtag and dedicated aesthetic, Stepford Wives was the blueprint of homemaker style.

The 2004 comedy-thriller starred Nicole Kidman as Joanna Eberhart, a high-powered executive who moves to the suburbs and finds herself in a nightmarish utopia populated by brain-washed housewives. Stepford Wives was an embodiment of 1950s style; The hair was big, the skirts were long, the heels were unnaturally high—and it's this very look that Kidman tapped for her latest red carpet appearance.

While at the Venice International Film Festival on Aug. 30, Kidman attended a photocall for her newest project, Babygirl. The actor walked the red carpet in style—'50s style, to be exact—wearing a fitted A-line dress with puff sleeves and tea-length skirt.

Nicole Kidman attends a photocall for "Babygirl" during the 81st Venice International Film Festival at on August 30, 2024 in Venice, Italy.

Nicole Kidman attends a photocall for "Babygirl" in a '50s-inspired black dress.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kidman's Bottega Veneta gown acted as a perfect tribute to her former character, with a prim and proper design and an all-black colorway (the metropolitan girlboss' hue of choice). She styled it with white heeled mules, also from Bottega Veneta, and a pair of $5,640 diamond earrings from Roberto Coin.

Nicole Kidman shows a 50s-inspired hairstyle at a photocall for "Babygirl" during the 81st Venice International Film Festival

Nicole Kidman wears $5,640 diamond earrings on the red carpet.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Her hairdo, meanwhile, was the spitting image of her character's. In the film, Joanna typically wore her long blonde hair pinned half-up, with soft curls (a major contrast to her pre-brainwash brunette bob).

Nicole kidman in the stepford wives movie

Kidman's character undergoes a tradwife transformation in "The Stepford Wives."

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Kidman's red carpet version, featured a similar style, with the addition of a bouncy, 1950s-era ponytail.

Nicole Kidman shows a 50s-inspired hairstyle at a photocall for "Babygirl" during the 81st Venice International Film Festival

Nicole Kidman shows a '50s-inspired hairstyle reminiscent of her "Stepford Wives" character.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Twenty years later, Kidman is still nailing the look.

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Kelsey Stiegman
Contributor

Kelsey (she/her) is a freelance fashion editor and writer, specializing in e-commerce and celebrity style content. With more than nine years of experience in digital media, Kelsey has a knack for turning top-performing content into top-selling content. Before taking her talents to Marie Claire, Kelsey was the Senior Fashion Editor at Bustle, where she oversaw the site’s fashion coverage and launched a successful luxury handbag series called Secure The Bag. Prior to Bustle, she came from a six-year stint at Seventeen, during which she managed the team’s fashion and beauty verticals and led e-commerce strategy. In addition to writing and editing, Kelsey also offers freelance creative consulting services, as well as content creation. Follow @klstieg on Instagram for 'fit pics and travel recommendations.