Ariana Grande’s Wicked Style Has Changed Me For Good

Method dressing has taken over Hollywood as a way for actors to promote their latest projects through subtle (or sometimes OTT) fashion choices. Zendaya has been the queen of styling ‘fits to match the aesthetic of her characters (think: lime green tennis-core for Challengers and metallic sci-fi looks for Dune 2). More recently, Ariana Grande has taken a page out of the Spider-Man star’s book while promoting Wicked.

With blond locks, ethereal makeup, and pink dresses, the Oscar nominee has been channeling Glinda long before the Wicked press tour really kicked into gear last fall. At the 96th Academy Awards in March 2024, Grande wore a perfectly pink, custom Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown alongside Cynthia Erivo in green Louis Vuitton. Since then, Grande has been defying gravity with her style that not only pays homage to Wicked, but to Old Hollywood and the original Wizard of Oz film as well.

The “We Can’t Be Friends” singer has definitely had some *popular* looks at the red carpet premieres and awards shows she’s attended, but these glam ‘fits aren’t necessarily something you can wear in your day-to-day life. Buying Versace and Thom Browne dresses to wear to brunch with your besties also isn’t the most budget-friendly choice. Luckily, there are cheap dupes of Grande’s Glinda-fied style that you can shop online at Anthropologie, Cider, Shein, and more.

Below are some outfits I put together, inspired by Ariana Grande’s Wicked-core aesthetic.

For Arriving In A Bubble (Of Tulle) At A Formal Event

When you need an elegant look for a wedding or special event at work, Grande has several dresses from her press run for inspo. After seeing Anthropologie’s Hutch corset and tulle midi dress, I decided to style a look for the Grammys that was a mix of her Australian premiere Vivienne Westwood gown — which paid homage to the OG Glinda, played Billie Burke — and yellow U.K. premiere Ralph Lauren Collection dress.

Instead of a statement butterfly piece, I went with a more subtle silver tennis necklace, like the one Grande wore to the National Board of Review Gala in January. I also bought extra tulle fabric from Michaels to drape over my shoulders (not pictured), but you can also style this with mesh gloves or keep it simple and make your dress the main character like Grande’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival look in February.

I wore my hair half-up, half-down, and added a bow since the coquette aesthetic goes perfectly with Grande’s current style. Though I wouldn’t typically go for a blush pink color, since I feel it washes me out a bit, I felt as elegant as Glinda floating down to Munchkinland in a bubble.

For A Brunch Date With The Elphie To Your Glinda

For a casual hang with some of my besties, I was inspired by Grande’s Los Angeles Wicked premiere look. The pink gingham Thom Browne dress was a nod to Dorothy with Glinda’s color palette, and I found a much more casual dupe in my price range to start off with.

Grande kept her styling very vintage with a bolero jacket, gloves, and silver heels. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the vibe for brunch and a movie at The Grove in LA, so I opted for a cardigan and comfy flats. No, it’s not as glam as Grande’s look, but it’s something you can wear most days, which was what I was going for.

For A Date Night With Your Fiyero

For a night out, I was inspired by Grande’s custom Thom Browne drop-waist dress at the 2024 Summer Olympics. The look was very 1950s Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. Grande even said she often uses Hepburn as a style reference, because she loves “Old Hollywood glamour.”

As someone who’s also fascinated by the Golden Age of Hollywood and whose top-five fave film is Sabrina, I wanted to channel a bit of Hepburn with my next look. After finding a perfect dupe of Grande’s dress on Cider, I decided to put together a ‘fit around it that was perfect for a more casual date night out.

The dress leans more cocktail attire, so I attempted to dress it down for everyday wear by pairing it with my favorite denim jacket and white sneakers. To keep it ~girly~ and coquette, make sure to wear frilly socks and a bow in your hair.

For A Busy Day Of Being Popular At Work

In November, Grande wore a pink minidress with puff sleeves while promoting Wicked in New York City. I love a good shift dress like the one Taylor Swift wore during the Midnights set of the Eras Tour, so I had to recreate this look. I found a few pink tunic dresses on Shein, and decided to pair them with some shiny flats for an OOTD worthy of wearing to the office.

To give my legs a bit of Glinda shine, I also wore Capezio’s Ultra Shimmery Footed Tights, which just so happen to be the same ones Swift wears on stage. Overall, this look is comfy and so easy to put together when you’re rushing to get ready for work in the morning.

For A Night Out At The Ozdust Ballroom

The Wicked press run is still going strong heading in the days leading up to the Oscars (where Ari is nominated for best supporting actress). On Feb. 19, the cast traveled to Japan for the Tokyo premiere. I was inspired by Grande’s pink cherry blossom hairpiece, which I wore to the SAG Awards days later, on Feb. 23.

I wanted to wear a vintage flower hair comb from my collection, which is white. Grande wore a white strapless Louis Vuitton gown to the Tokyo premiere, so instead of white on white, I chose a pink velvet dress that reminded me of her Olympics look. To finish it off, I wore pink sparkly pumps and some mesh gloves. After standing around for hours on the red carpet, I changed into my go-to comfy Mary Jane Crocs, which also work well with the ‘fit.

For Keeping It Classy While Running Errands

When I saw this all-white look Grande wore to a special screening of Wicked in October, I knew it was a bit of me. This style is so Hepburn-coded straight down to the high ponytail. Grande’s hair has been the most difficult for me to recreate, because I have temperamental bangs that need a trim and I’m not used to so many slicked-back buns and side-part ponies. The ‘fits, though, I can duplicate.

For example, I found this Cider dress that appears to be a two-piece with a vest on top and skirt on bottom, like Grande’s. The best part? *It has pockets.* I wore this while running errands in Ojai, California, and paired it with some glittery black tights and pearl earrings. To make it less formal, I wore my black Dr. Martens with black lace frill socks. When it got cold, I threw on my jean jacket, which also made my classy ‘fit more casual.

For When You’re Going From Classes At Shiz To An After-Party

I wanted to find a look that matched Grande’s 2025 Golden Globes yellow 1966 Givenchy archival dress, because it’s the epitome of Old Hollywood and Hepburn style that I’ve been striving for with this project. Thankfully, the Oscar-nominated star wore something similar that was easier to wear in my day-to-day life at the AFI Awards luncheon on Feb. 6.

At the honoree lunch, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Grande wore a custom silk Loewe dress that resembles this satin maxi number from Shein. Since the weather was rainy on the day of the luncheon, the Wicked star wore her dress with a black coat. Instead, I wore my dupe with a gray cardigan (Taylor Swift’s to be exact). It made me feel like a college student by day and party girl at night. Basically, I was Glinda going from classes at Shiz to the Ozdust in Wicked.

To complete the look, I wore black Sheertex tights, gray socks, and my Dr. Martens. I would have never thought to try a ‘fit like this, and it definitely took me out of my comfort zone — in a good way.

This entire experiment of dressing like Grande pushed me to try new things, and I’m so glad I did. It brought me closer to my inner child, who loved dressing up, wearing pink, and embracing my traditionally feminine side with bows and tulle. Just like Grande talked about healing her inner child with Wicked, Glinda also helped me find mine.