Jenna Ortega may have been working in Hollywood since childhood, but her real breakthrough came when she was cast as everyone’s favorite goth teen, Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s Wednesday. From there, the actresses star power has risen exponentially — her recent leading lady turn in Scream 6 just cemented her position as one of the top emerging stars this decade.
Naturally, Ortega has had some, erm, interesting fashion choices over the years — which former Disney star hasn’t? But since 2022, Ortega and her style team have been toying with goth-chic and now, a blend of androgyny, Old Hollywood and retro. It feels as though Jenna Ortega is yet to find her footing in terms of personal red carpet style, but it feels as though that day is imminent.
Here, we take a look back at the Wednesday star’s best fashion looks over the years, and her style evolution.
2017
JENNA ORTEGA
This has to be the most Disney fashion moment of all time. Jenna Ortega literally looks like she’s embodied Minnie Mouse for the Radio Disney Music Awards, which fits the memo exactly.
For the same event, Ortega had a style change that, honestly we’re coveting. That Gucci shirt! The McGuire Denim flares! It’s giving ’70s western with a hint of Disney.
Attending the Star Wars: The Last Jedi premiere in Los Angeles, Ortega had a Hollywood red carpet moment in Gosia Baczyńska Fall 2016, a gown that felt appropriate given the galactic nature of the film.
2018
It’s abundantly clear that Ariana Grande was a style influence on Jenna Ortega in 2018 – the thigh-high boots, oversized hoodie, even the lollipop are all classic Grande circa the late 2010s.
2020
Attending he Emma premiere in Los Angeles, Ortega chose a Raisa Vanessa mini with Giuseppe Zanotti heels and Swarovski accessories.
2022
Ortega was absent from red carpets through 2021, but 2022 was her year — the launch of Wednesday saw her star power catapult and she became an event mainstay. Here, she attended the MTV VMAs in Santa Monica, wearing Valentino Fall 2022 with Tiffany & Co. jewels and sky-high platforms Wednesday would absolutely approve of.
Throughout 2022, Ortega embodied her character of Wednesday Addams – just make it grown up and chic. For an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the star wore Dion Lee and Christian Louboutin heels, looking every bit ‘Wednesday in the fashion world.’
One of Jenna Ortega’s most talked-about outfits of late has been this Dolce & Gabbana dress. Cinched at the waist with a metal and patent leather corset and finished with a black silk tie and oversized collar, it’s reflective of the star’s current penchant for androgynous, gothic style.
On a completely different note, Jenna Ortega has also been playing with retro silhouettes and styling, like this Valentino mini which she paired with a glossy, 1960s blowout and platform heels.
For the Valentino show, Ortega chose this lace slip and black leather trench, once again leaning in to gothic style.
More recently, the star has been blurring gothic with modern silhouettes, like this sheer black naked dress by Saint Laurent.
2023
Many would consider this appearance from Jenna Ortega wearing Gucci the pivotal moment where her style became her own. Moving away from goth toward Old Hollywood, the gown is reminiscent of major movie stars of the 1960s and 1970s.
That’s not to say that Jenna Ortega isn’t absolutely in love with goth style. This look for the Saint Laurent Menswear Fall/Winter show was a stand-out.
Wearing vintage 1994 Versace for the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Ortega oozed confidence and Hollywood royalty. “It has been an honor, and you are too good to me,” she captioned her Instagram post on the night, thanking both Versace and Tiffany & Co. for her accessories.
For the world premiere of Scream 6, Ortega wore a Jean Paul Gaultier Couture tuxedo mini dress, once again leaning into androgyny and a dash of gothic chic.
Out in New York, Ortega’s off-duty style feels more 1970s than gothic. We haven’t seen a lot of the star’s street style as yet, but if this look is anything to go by, she’s a retro fan. Here, she teamed denim flares with a button-up vest and Dior quilted down jacket.
