Power Dressing in 2025: Reese Witherspoon, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sydney Sweeney, Naomi Watts and more
February 3, 2025
By Fashion Editorial Staff
As awards season crescendos and winter premieres command the calendar, Hollywood's luminaries are rewriting the rules of power dressing for 2025. From Reese Witherspoon's structured Dior moments to Anya Taylor-Joy's avant-garde McQueen statements, this week's standout fashion merged boardroom polish with high-impact winter style. Through calculated layers, architectural precision, and a fresh interpretation of cold-weather luxury, a cross-generational cadre of celebrities demonstrated power dressing's evolution beyond the conventional suit.
Witherspoon's personal style evolved with her appearance at the London photocall for "You're Cordially Invited" on January 23rd, where she embraced Dior by Maria Grazia Chiuri. The actress wore a Fall-Winter 2024 black cashmere knit paired with a geometric-printed wool skirt, its diagonal pattern lending movement to the classic daytime silhouette.
In New York, legendary street style moments continued as Witherspoon closed the week with her tour de force – a powder blue CELINE suit by Hedi Slimane on January 29th, worn beneath a camel coat. The unexpected color story, paired with the Triomphe 04 sunglasses in dark aubergine and the Small Camille 16 bag in tan calfskin, exemplified how modern power dressing balances authority with creativity. The ensemble's mix of saturated color and classic silhouettes perfectly captured the current moment in luxury fashion, where personality and polish are in renewed conversation.
Rising star Sydney Sweeney commanded attention in New York earlier in the year striking a pose for the paparazzi in a white Burberry coat on January 20th. Its dramatic silhouette was enhanced by feathered trim and a strong belted waist for the ultimate power dressing moment. The look commanded headlines with its bold take on winter whites – a narrative she later inverted at Madison Square Garden on February 2nd, appearing alongside Euphoria co-star Maude Apatow in an all-black McQueen ensemble for a Rangers game.
Sydney Sweeney is seen wearing McQueen in SoHo on February 2, 2025 in New York City. (Photo: TheStewartofNY/GC Images)
The streets of SoHo transformed into Anya Taylor-Joy's runway as she showcased a range of modern power dressing in a series of statement looks. Taylor-Joy gave the classic Prince of Wales check a youthful spin in CELINE by Hedi Slimane, pairing a structured jacket with a playful trapeze mini skirt and sleek patent boots.
CELINE's showcase continued through a grey-and-white wool composition, where Park Avenue polish met downtown edge.
Her exploration of CELINE's codes culminated in a study of architectural evening wear – a cape in wool cloth that commanded attention with its dramatic sweep, balanced by precisely cut culotte shorts beneath. The embroidered cabochon collar added a subtle gleam to the monochromatic palette, while classic pointed pumps and sheer hosiery anchored the theatrical silhouette. Here was power dressing at its most cinematic, where every element spoke to both authority and artistry.
Anya Taylor-Joy seen in SoHo wearing CELINE on February 04, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Aeon/GC Images)
But it was her tour de force in McQueen's Fall-Winter 2024 that truly brought home the point of power dressing. A sculptural white shearling statement piece reinterpreted conventional outerwear codes at the same time portraying the house's luxurious irreverence.
Continuing the week's parade of sartorial excellence, Naomi Watts delivered two awe-inspiring power dressing moments: first in a precisely cut formal navy military coat with gold buttons by Prada on January 21st. The following day, Watts pivoted to CELINE by Hedi Slimane, where the Small Camille 16 bag in glossy black leather contrasted her navy double-breasted coat, ultimately illustrating how accessories can amplify architectural outerwear.
Naomi Watts wears CELINE by Hedi Slimane in New York, January 22, 2025 (Photo: Courtesy of CELINE)
Across the pond, at BBC Studios, Rose Leslie brought fresh energy to power suiting in a white Versace double-breasted blazer. The hourglass silhouette and peaked lapels showcased the house's signature tailoring, while the winter white palette offered a bold counterpoint to the season's typically somber tones.
These early 2025 appearances herald a seismic shift in celebrity dressing, dissolving the boundaries between street style, formal wear, and professional attire to forge a new vocabulary for power dressing.
