From Full House to The Row, This Is What 20 Years of the Olsen Twins' Style Looks Like

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's style has evolved since their days as little Michelle Tanner on Full House, when their fashion choices consisted mostly of jean overalls and large hair bows. Whether you first met the fraternal twins then (when they were just 6 months old), you got hooked on their Dualstar Entertainment straight-to-video movies (it's a three-way tie among Billboard Dad, Our Lips Are Sealed, and Passport to Paris for me), or you tuned in as they built their Elizabeth and James and The Row fashion empire, chances are you've been privy to the twins' red carpet style for quite some time now.

As a '90s child, I grew up with the Olsen twins — everything they wore, I wanted to wear, too. Two decades later, the twins have totally transformed, but I still want to imitate their style. In their younger years, Mary-Kate and Ashley showed themselves to be masters of color and print, but today, they've matured into masters of sharp tailoring, high-impact details, and clean, contrasting palettes. The latest proof? The twins took home the Accessory Designer of the Year award at the 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards. Take a walk down memory lane and see just how dramatic their style evolution has been.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in April 1997
Getty | Jim Spellman

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in April 1997

At the height of the '90s, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen played to their twin strength: matching floral looks.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in September 1998
Getty | Steve Granitz

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in September 1998

At the ABC Fall Kickoff Party, the duo wore matching spaghetti-strap tops and knee-length skirts in contrasting shades of red and blue.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in July 2001
Getty | SGranitz

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in July 2001

The sisters chose the same silhouette (halter tops and wide-leg trousers) but different color palettes for the Rush Hour 2 premiere in Los Angeles.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in March 2002
Getty | Gregg DeGuire

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in March 2002

We had to do a double take here. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen leaned into the twin thing at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, wearing matching black lace cocktail dresses and strappy heels.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in June 2003
Getty | Albert L. Ortega

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in June 2003

Their cool take on colorful, easy, breezy maxis was on full display at the Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle premiere in Los Angeles.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in April 2004
Getty | SGranitz

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in April 2004

Mary-Kate opted for a deep-V, flutter-sleeve navy minidress with beachy accessories while Ashley paired a striped halter top with silky trousers at Nickelodeon's 17th annual Kids' Choice Awards.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in April 2004
Getty | Vince Bucci

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in April 2004

When they received their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the twins chose two equally flirty, feminine looks for the occasion. Mary-Kate wore a summery lilac-hued dress with navy peep-toe pumps and Ashley went with a white flutter-sleeve cocktail dress with textured metallic heels.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2005
Getty | M. Von Holden

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2005

For their first-ever appearance at the Met Gala, Mary-Kate evoked a bohemian vibe, wearing a sheer white vintage dress with heavily layered red necklaces, while Ashley channeled her ladylike side in a gold, strapless Oscar de la Renta dress with metallic shoes and jewelry.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2006
Getty | Robin Platzer

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2006

Not all red carpets lead to ultraglamorous looks, but we love that Mary-Kate and Ashley can show off their casual side just as well.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in January 2007
Getty | Chad Buchanan

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in January 2007

The Old Hollywood glamour was in full effect at InStyle's Golden Globes afterparty in Los Angeles — just look to the luxe fur coat, lace bodice, dramatic makeup, and enviable accessories for proof.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2008
Getty | Andrew H. Walker

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2008

While both wore Diane von Furstenberg on the Met Gala red carpet, they went two different styling routes. Ashley rocked a sexy black formfitting gown, complete with side cutouts, while Mary-Kate shined bright in a gold, floor-skimming, Grecian-inspired gown.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in November 2009
Getty | Jamie McCarthy

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in November 2009

It's all in the details here. The saffron Manolo Blahnik pumps, boxy bags, bold leopard-print trapeze coat, and porkpie hat hit all the right notes at the Tribute to Tim Burton at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in February 2010
Getty | Mike Marsland

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in February 2010

At the Elle Style Awards in London, Ashley stunned in a vintage ivory Christian Lacroix gown, vintage clutch, and Fendi shoes. Mary-Kate went for dark and sultry in a black Lanvin gown, Proenza Schouler clutch, and Bulgari jewels.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in June 2011
Getty | Charles Eshelman

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in June 2011

For the 2011 CFDA Fashion Awards, the twins stepped out in much more color than we're used to from them. Mary-Kate wore a Chanel jacket with a The Row dress and Louis Vuitton shoes, while Ashley paired her pastel blue The Row dress with gold Manolo Blahnik heels. To top it off, they both accessorized with The Row bags.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2012
Getty | Jason Kempin

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2012

While they're no strangers to a yin and yang outfit pairing, the twins clearly coordinated on the orange rust-colored accessories front at the Fresh Air Funds Salute to American Heroes in NYC.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in September 2013
Getty | Rob Kim

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in September 2013

Spotted at the Lexus Design Disrupted Event in NYC, the twins focused on their shoes. We love the laser cutout detailing and sweet bow-tie accents on their respective Manolo Blahnik pumps.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2014
Getty | George Pimentel

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2014

These polished looks (the impeccable tailoring! the pinstripes!) felt like a slight sartorial deviation from Mary-Kate and Ashley's norm, and we're all about it. Both chose voluminous, floor-skimming silhouettes for the 2014 Met Gala, but mostly, can we talk about Ashley's Chanel jacket-turned-gown?

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2015
Getty | Taylor Hill

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2015

If it hasn't already become abundantly clear, no Met Gala is complete without an appearance from the Olsen twins. In 2015, the designers matched in dramatic black gowns — both vintage Dior by John Galliano.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2016
Getty | Taylor Hill

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2016

At the 2016 Met Gala, Ashley Olsen was a vision in gold while Mary-Kate stuck to her M.O. of wearing chic black pieces.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in June 2017
Getty | Jamie McCarthy

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in June 2017

Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen opted for classic button-down The Row silhouettes and complementary clutches for their turn at the 2017 CFDA Fashion Awards.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in June 2018
Getty | Dimitrios Kambouris

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in June 2018

It's fitting that the Olsen twins took home the Accessories Designer of the Year award at the 2018 CFDA Fashion Awards given their consistent accessory A-game. While they're both in black head-to-toe The Row here, Mary-Kate punched her look up with a bold wide belt, circle back, and cool black boots and Ashley chose an oversize clutch and bow-tie pointy-toe pumps.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in November 2018
Getty | Bennett Raglin

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in November 2018

We love when Mary-Kate and Ashley play color opposites. At the WSJ Magazine 2018 Innovator Awards, Ashley opted for oversized, boxy white separates and black accents, while Mary-Kate wore a long black tuxedo-inspired coat with red snakeskin boots.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in April 2019
Getty | Dimitrios Kambouris

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in April 2019

Once again, Mary-Kate and Ashley posed in complementary black ensembles at the Youth America Grand Prix's 20th Anniversary Gala in NYC. This time, the twins styled their outfits with a mix of classic accessories: a croc-textured top-handle bag, slim pocket clutch, red mules, and minimalist jewelry.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2019
Getty | Neilson Barnard

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2019

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in June 2019
Getty | Kevin Mazur

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in June 2019

At the 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards, Mary-Kate punctuated her all-black The Row uniform with an aqua envelope clutch while Ashley chose a skin-revealing black pump to make her monochromatic The Row look pop.