Blonde woman in a pink and black tulle spaghetti-strap dress sits in a guest chair on a late-night talk show set, leaning toward the host's wooden desk.
NBC / BACKGRID
TV + Movies

The Actress Playing Young Elle Woods in the “Legally Blonde” Prequel Went on Fallon in the Exact Dress Reese Witherspoon Wore to the 2001 Premiere

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Lexi Minetree is the newcomer stepping into Elle Woods. She plays a young Elle in “Elle,” the “Legally Blonde” prequel series arriving July 1 on Prime Video.

Reese Witherspoon is an executive producer, so the dress wasn’t a coincidence or a vintage find. It was a handoff. The actress who built the character watched the actress who’s inheriting it wear the dress that started the whole thing.

Blonde woman in a pink spaghetti-strap taffeta dress with black tulle overlay sits in the guest chair on a late-night talk show set, smiling at the host behind his desk.
Lexi Minetree, cast as young Elle Woods in the upcoming ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel, wears the iconic Marc Jacobs pink dress on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.’ Photo by NBC.

The original was a Marc Jacobs piece Witherspoon wore to the 2001 “Legally Blonde” premiere, and it became one of the most recognizable looks of early-2000s pop culture. Minetree wore it to promote the new show on The Tonight Show this week.

Prime Video has already renewed “Elle” for a second season before the first one has even aired.

Blonde woman in a pink spaghetti-strap dress with black net overlay smiles on a street at a film premiere, circa 2001.
The same Marc Jacobs dress — bright pink taffeta with a sheer black tulle overlay — on the red carpet at the ‘Legally Blonde’ Los Angeles premiere on June 26, 2001. Photo by Backgrid.

25 years between the two red carpets, and the same dress on both.

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Blonde woman in a pink and black tulle spaghetti-strap dress sits in a guest chair on a late-night talk show set, leaning toward the host's wooden desk.
NBC BACKGRID
Blonde woman in a pink spaghetti-strap taffeta dress with black tulle overlay sits in the guest chair on a late-night talk show set, smiling at the host behind his desk.
Lexi Minetree, cast as young Elle Woods in the upcoming 'Legally Blonde' prequel, wears the iconic Marc Jacobs pink dress on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.' Photo by NBC.
Blonde woman in a pink spaghetti-strap dress with black net overlay smiles on a street at a film premiere, circa 2001.
The same Marc Jacobs dress — bright pink taffeta with a sheer black tulle overlay — on the red carpet at the 'Legally Blonde' Los Angeles premiere on June 26, 2001. Photo by Backgrid.

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About the author

Nadia Santiago

Nadia Santiago is a writer who lives between the clouds and the coastline, and writes about all the things your heart knows but your mouth can never quite say.