Lili Reinhart is promoting The Love Hypothesis, but her wardrobe appears to be delivering a history class across the vast rom-com multiverse.
Ahead of the 23 September release of The Love Hypothesis on Prime Video, the actress has turned her press tour into a fashionable trip down rom-com's memory lane. So far, she has pulled inspiration from Jawbreaker, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Ever After: A Cinderella Story.
It is method dressing with a multiverse problem, and Reinhart appears perfectly happy jumping timelines.
The references are not carbon copies either. Styled by Ib Abdel Nasser, Reinhart has been borrowing recognisable ingredients from some seriously beloved leading ladies, then remixing them for her own Olive Smith era.
Consider the hypothesis tested. Rom-com nostalgia looks very good on Lili Reinhart.
'Jawbreaker' Gets a Betty Cooper Cameo
Reinhart started the sartorial experiment with a look that could easily have wandered out of a '90s teen film. She wore Leo Lin's pink Claire embellished knit cardigan from the Resort 2027 collection over a simple white crop top, pairing it with the label's floral Nori mini skirt.
Abdel Nasser reportedly dubbed the look 'Olive's soft launch', but its inspiration went further back than Reinhart's upcoming character. The cardigan-and-mini combination nodded to the pastel preppy wardrobe of 1999's Jawbreaker.
Then came the black bow securing Reinhart's sleek blonde ponytail. Suddenly, Betty Cooper of Riverdale appeared to have received an invitation to the rom-com multiverse too.
Pink open-toe heels and a cream Valentino bag finished the classy, preppy ensemble. One reaction circulating online declared, 'Lili Reinhart looks SO good.'
Peer review complete.
Lili Reinhart Loses a Guy in One Very Familiar Yellow Dress
Next stop: 2003. Reinhart reached into another rom-com wardrobe with a vintage Caché gown reminiscent of the famous butter-yellow dress Kate Hudson wore as Andie Anderson in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
The backless design is the focal point. With its low, open back and slinky pale-yellow fabric, Reinhart's dress immediately recalls one of the genre's most recognisable outfits without turning the reference into a costume.
More importantly, unlike Andie Anderson, Reinhart apparently does not need ten days to make anyone fall for the look. If her Instagram comment section were to be used as a basis, then call it love at first sight.
One particular supporter opted for the most playful way to express admiration: 'i would open a nail salon just to hold your hand btw'.
For a press tour built around The Love Hypothesis, recreating one of cinema's most memorable experiments in making somebody fall in, or technically out of, love feels suspiciously scientifically sound.
Olive Smith would surely approve the methodology.
Then She Went Full 'Ever After' Princess
For her third act, Reinhart abandoned the city, found some mountains, and apparently wandered directly into a fairytale.
She wore a custom Rodarte gown inspired by Drew Barrymore's Ever After: A Cinderella Story finale look, trading rom-com minimalism for layers of ornate beading, sheer sleeves, an off-the-shoulder neckline, and dreamy detailing fit for a princess. Yes, even the iridescent 'just breathe' wings were having a moment.
Even the photography commits to the fantasy. Reinhart poses in a grassy landscape beneath a pastel sky with mountains behind her, looking more prepared for a royal ball than a standard promotional appearance.
That may be the cleverest part of this entire wardrobe experiment. Rather than simply dressing like Olive Smith, Reinhart is utilising The Love Hypothesis press tour to celebrate her fellow romantic heroines. One outfit belongs in a wickedly stylish high-school hallway, another could lose a guy in ten days, and the latest looks ready to find a prince before midnight.
With The Love Hypothesis arriving on Prime Video on 23 September, Reinhart still has time to open a few more portals in the rom-com multiverse.
At this rate, the only hypothesis left to test is which leading lady's wardrobe she raids next.
