Jennifer Coolidge Puts a Modern Spin on the Bouffant Beehive
Jennifer Coolidge proved Paulette Bonafonté still adores a bouffant beehive at the “Elle World” prequel series premiere in New York on Sunday night. The actress paid homage to her “Legally Blonde” character alongside her original cast mates, Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair.
Jennifer Coolidge at the “Elle World” photo call held at Hall des Lumières on June 20 in New York.
Kristina Bumphrey/Variety
Clad in a chiffon cheetah print caftan, Coolidge pulled her muddy blond hair in the ’60s-inspired half-up, half-down hairdo, with a cheeky twist in the back. Modestly teased on top and softly blown on the bottom, the style was noticeably subdued compared to the overly accessorized updos her character once donned throughout the first and second films. Where Bonafonté once favored frizzy waterfalls and bedazzled clips, Coolidge now sported flat, face-framing layers and hidden bobby pins.
Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Coolidge
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Her makeup was also modernized. The icy blue hues that once undercut her skinny brows was replaced with a pool of neutral shadow that reached her now bushy brows. Dressed in the faded brown hue, her squinty eyes looked to also be embellished with black mascara. Meanwhile, her lips were coated in a rosy gloss.
Though Coolidge has been known to collaborate with the likes of Hung Vanngo and Jayden Ho Pham, she’s also famous for crafting her own red carpet beauty aesthetic. For hair, “The White Lotus” star has tapped celebrity stylists Sami Knight and Anthony Campbell; however, she has not yet credited either as the artists behind her Sunday night look.
Selma Blair and Reese Witherspoon at the “Elle World.”
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Next to her, Witherspoon brought her beloved character into the modern day, pairing her signature blond with a hot pink off-the-shoulder satin gown plucked straight from Prada’s fall 2026 ready-to-wear runway. For her part, Blair styled her blond “bixie” — a hybrid bob-pixie — with a two-toned black and babydoll pink Tom Ford gown with open-toe strappy sandals. Elsewhere on the carpet, “young Elle Woods,” played by Lexi Minetree, dug into the costume archive, pulling a pink version of the sparkly blue Dolce and Gabbana dress worn by Witherspoon at the beginning of the original movie.
See here for a closer look at the stars on the carpet.
