Princess Diana [1] in an off-shoulder minidress when Prince Charles went public with his affair. Mariah Carey in a hip-high slit after leaving a tumultuous marriage. Ariana Madix in a fiery-red cutout set in the wake of Scandoval [2], when she caught her longterm boyfriend Tom Sandoval cheating with her friend Raquel Leviss. And most recently, Ciara Miller in a revenge bra and maxi skirt look to film the "Summer House" ten reunion after Scamanda [3], when Miller's best friend Amanda Batula secretly started dating her on-again, off-again ex-boyfriend West Wilson.
The revenge look isn't a new phenomenon, but it remains at the forefront of everyone's minds. Inspired by the black mini worn by the Princess of Wales in the 1990s, the modern revenge look is fashion at its most communicative. It's bold, fitted in silhouette, and red or black or cream in color. It boasts plunging necklines and conspicuous cutouts, high splits and open backs. It's a comeback story, rendered sartorially.
Despite the revenge look's enduring legacy, I always felt uneasy about it. How vengeful is a sultry outfit anyway? A better act of revenge would be, well, cheating back, as Chloe Bailey sings [4]. What's more, the concept of "revenge dressing" frames a woman's wardrobe and appearance as her primary weapons of power. What about revenge accomplishments? Revenge art? Revenge careers? Why is it that — after a woman's been wronged — the statement that really makes an impact revolves around how she looks?
I'm also not sold on the idea of dressing with the offending party in mind. Fashion is such a personal, intimate act for me; I get dressed based on my mood, my desires, my social calendar for the week. I don't want that process to be hijacked by someone else, let alone someone who caused me harm.
[T]here's something empowering about the revenge dress. It speaks to the confidence of a woman who knows that her value goes far beyond how she was treated.
But I learned — through experience — that there's something empowering about the revenge dress. It speaks to the confidence of a woman who knows that her value goes far beyond how she was treated.
My revenge dress story is pretty typical. Several years ago, pre-pandemic, I found myself on the verge of a break up. We had been so in sync; we had amazing chemistry; we saw a future together with kids, pets, and even a few business ventures. But when I signed into his Netflix account, of all things, I saw a newly-created profile bearing another woman's name — someone he'd visited once to help her fix a broken water pipe, allegedly. I inquired about it, and our relationship quickly unraveled from there. He was belligerent and I was crushed. And the New Year's Eve party invite I had accepted a few days prior hung in the balance.
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I was not in the mood to dress up and be around people. But then I reconsidered; I usually enjoy a night of revelry and I refused to let him take that away from me. I landed on a dress that encapsulated that mood perfectly. A sequin micro mini with exaggerated sleeves and a plunging neckline. It was just the boost I needed to feel like myself again.
It's the same energy Tina Turner emanated when she stepped out in 1986 after leaving her abusive marriage. She donned a skin-tight leather Azzedine Alaïa gown with four cutouts down the side, her hair in a blonde spiky mullet. Megan Thee Stallion had a similar air of confidence as she posed in a red Outcast cutout dress at her Hot Girl Summer Swimwear fashion show — fresh off a breakup with NBA player Klay Thompson.
Dressing for revenge is less about retaliation, and more a bold declaration of self-love. It's putting on a brave face and a cutout dress or a bra and maxi skirt — and letting the world know that what happened to you didn't break you and will not define you.
Keep scrolling to glean your own confidence from the best celebrity revenge moments of all time, from Princess Diana to Ciara Miller.
Princess Diana's Revenge Dress
Princess Diana wore the original revenge dress to a Vanity Fair party at the Serpentine Gallery, at the same time her then-husband Prince Charles publicly admitted to cheating on her with Queen Consort Camilla Parker-Bowles.
Tina Turner's Revenge Dress
After divorcing her abusive husband Ike Turner, the late Tina Turner embraced a new era of revenge dressing, choosing bold and daring dresses like this leather cutout style from Azzedine Alaïa (pictured).
Mariah Carey's Revenge Dress
Mariah Carey [6] celebrated her emancipation from a toxic relationship with music executive Tommy Mottola with a whole new look. Free from her controlling ex-husband, she hit the red carpet circa 1998 in a hip-high-slit skirt and bra top.
Shakira's Revenge Dress
Shakira [7] appeared to pay homage to the original revenge dress in her look at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Following news that her long-term boyfriend, Gerard Pique, was having an affair, the "TQG" singer posed in a gown with the same plunging neckline and black color as Princess Diana's look. For a modern twist, Shakira added sheer gloves, strappy sandals, and a high leg slit.
Becky G's Revenge Dress
While her fiancé, soccer player Sebastian Lletget, was posting a cheating admission on Instagram, Becky G was living her best life at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. She twirled in a sheer lace gown with a plunging neckline and open shoulders.
Ariana Madix's Revenge Dress
The Bravo universe was shaken to its core when news dropped that "Vanderpump Rules" star Tom Sandoval cheated on fan-favorite Ariana Madix with her friend and castmate Raquel Welch. In the mid-season trailer, Madix famously told Sandoval, "[I want] for you to die," and she came to the reunion dressed to kill [8]. The "Something About Her" co-owner wore a red-hot top and skirt from Mônot, with chest, ab, and waist cutouts on full display.
Megan Thee Stallion's Revenge Dress
Outcast Celine Mini Dress [9] ($75)
Megan Thee Stallion had a head-turning fashion moment at Miami Swim Week, backstage at her own Hot Girl Summer swimwear show. Fresh from a breakup where she revealed she'd been cheated on by NBA player Klay Thompson, she wowed in a red cutout mini that's still available to shop. Hot girl summer, indeed.
Ciara Miller's Revenge Dress
Ciara Miller continues to handle the fallout from #Scamanda with elegance and grace, and her revenge look for the "Summer House" season 10 reunion is just the latest example. Wearing a bra top and low-rise maxi skirt with draping throughout, Miller's outfit made it clear that she's a force to be reckoned with and no one — least of all, a friend and ex who'd betray her for a casual hookup — will slow her down.
— Additional reporting by Naomi Parris [10]
Jessica C. Andrews [11] (she/her) is an award-winning editor and writer who currently works as the senior style director of PS, overseeing beauty, fashion, shopping, and identity content. With more than 15 years of experience, her areas of expertise include fashion, shopping, and travel. Prior to joining PS, Jessica held senior roles at Teen Vogue, Refinery29, and Bustle and contributed to The New York Times, Elle, Vanity Fair, and Essence. She's appeared on "Good Morning America," NBC, and Fox 5 New York and spoken on various panels about fashion, hair, and Black culture.
Naomi Parris [12] is the former assistant shopping editor at PS, based in New York. With over eight years of experience and previous roles held on the brand's Beauty and Operations teams, she enjoys telling stories that merge fashion, beauty, and Black culture. Naomi has also lent her skillful pen to Essence Girls United, Elle, Bustle, and Elite Daily. When she's not crafting shopping roundups, high-profile features, beauty op-eds, or trend guides, you can find Naomi behind her blog "Eli-Nay," where she inspires readers through style guides, cultural pieces, and innovative content on her Instagram.