5 Times Angelina Jolie Nailed Trends While Staying True To Her Edgy Style

Lest we forget, Angelina Jolie started out as a punk. While we might see her in 2024 sporting cream gowns with dramatic jewelry, the movie star kicked things off with much edgier taste. The tattoos still remain, and they are so numerous that you may need a comprehensive guide to Jolie's ink. However, over the decades, much of the actor's wardrobe has undergone a transformation of sorts, and she's moved into the realm of the bona fide movie star. Her red carpet looks prove it. Jolie seems to favor satin, shawls, and full skirts. She loves — and has always loved — neutrals and blacks. But while we have seen her style shift into more feminine attire, Jolie still holds true to her grungier tastes. Summarizing this fabulous juxtaposition, a fan on Reddit described Jolie as a "Grown up Grecian goth goddess." That captures her look perfectly. So let's take a peek at all the times Jolie stayed trendy while also showing echoes of this goth heritage. 

In a very eclectic take on a black tux, Angelina Jolie stepped out in black and white at a screening of the "Eternals" in London in October 2021. Jolie arrived with five of her children and took center stage in her unique red carpet style. Wearing an entire look by Valentino, Jolie rocked a white tuxedo top, casually unbuttoned around the neckline, with a black tuxedo jacket and rolled up sleeves. On the bottom, she wore a sweeping black maxi skirt to take the ensemble to a whole new level. The top half edged into formal menswear, while the skirt was feminine and dramatic, making it the perfect melding of two worlds. In 2014, Jolie arrived at the BAFTAs in a black tux with an undone bow tie, but for that occasion, she wore dress pants. Her skirt at the "Eternals" viewing was a unique play on that fantastical style.

In August 2009, Angelina Jolie walked the red carpet at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California for the premiere of "Inglorious Bastards." At the time, Jolie was dating Brad Pitt and there to support him. For the occasion, she wore a leather, strapless Michael Kors dress that featured pockets; she styled the ensemble with strappy, black sandals and kept everything else simple. What was so great about the outfit was that it harked back to Jolie's earlier days as a punk. There was still leather and the look was all black, but the dress made things feel more feminine. It was a great combination of those two energies. 

In keeping with her love for the color black, Jolie arrived to the premiere of "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood on September 30, 2019 in a sparkling onyx full-length Atelier Versace gown. The one-shoulder piece featured a gathered fold along the front of the dress held together by a bejeweled scorpion brooch at her hip. The venomous creature was the perfect addition to the dramatic ensemble because it spoke to Jolie's character in the film as well as her edgy history. 

Jolie opened up about her punk past. "I was quite dark when I was young," she began, explaining this to Vogue in September 2023. "I was a punk, not the popular kid—going to thrift stores, cutting things up, burning little teeny cigarette holes into things: That was me as a teenager, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Maybe that part of me wants to push back." It certainly seems that a part of her is still there, judging by her unique red carpet choices. 

In January 2018, Angelina Jolie attended the 23rd Annual Critics' Choice Awards and opted for a white, strapless gown that featured feather detailing around the bust. The dress itself was very pretty, and Jolie's makeup was also very glamorous and feminine. To keep things from getting too precious, Jolie made sure that the dress showcased her many tattoos. The ink on her arm was visible, as well as the numerous images she has on her back.

While tattoos have historically been associated with social outcasts, Jolie is one case among many proving that tattoos can have deeply sentimental and familial meanings. Most of her tattoos have to do with her children, and as they've grown, she's even gotten more ink along with her kids. When daughter Vivienne Jolie, who's undergone her own transformation, worked on the musical "The Outsiders" with her mom, they got matching tattoos. "I got 'Stay Gold' with my daughter Viv during our time with 'The Outsiders.' It means so much to us separately and together," Jolie said to CR Fashion Book (via HOLA). So her tattoos can keep things edgy, but they're very meaningful. 

While walking in New York City in August 2023 with her son Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, Angelina Jolie wears her signature color palette: all black. She wore wide leg trousers with a black blazer and a lacy camisole, pairing the outfit with oversized black sunglasses and a tonal clutch. Jolie wears black all the time. It's rare to see her in anything colorful, and once in a while, she'll spice things up with a neutral, beige piece. But it's likely because she still sees herself as a punk deep down. "I am still, at heart — and always will be — just a punk kid with tattoos," she told Harper's Bazaar UK, (via Today).  

Since Jolie can't shake her primordial identity, she works with it. While she glams things up a bit, the movie star still leans into blacks, still showcases her ink whenever she can, and keeps things understated.