Millie Bobby Brown's Stunning Style Transformation

Millie Bobby Brown has been a notable fashion figure ever since she rose to fame as Eleven in Netflix's "Stranger Things," with the then-12-year-old quickly catching the attention of designer brands and mainstream outlets after the show's smash success. The English actor landed on her first magazine covers in late 2016, wearing a grunge-inspired ensemble on the front of So It Goes and rocking out in punk looks for Interview Magazine. At the same time, Brown was making her first New York Fashion Week appearance alongside Winona Ryder at Coach's SS17 show and taking on a Louis Vuitton collaboration with her "Stranger Things" co-stars. 

While her rapid rise to fame cemented her relationship with luxury fashion brands early on in her career, Brown's style has continued to transform as she's expanded her acting credits, launched her own skincare and fashion lines, and grown into a young adult. The "Enola Holmes" actor has maintained that her personal style is much more laid back then the chic ensembles she rocks at star-studded events, a distinction that provided inspiration for her Florence by Mills clothing line. "I'm into a boho vibe. Anything loose-fitting and very comfortable," she told Elle in 2024. "I like lighter colors. I'm not especially femme; sometimes I feel [femme] and then sometimes I don't." Though we're predicting a future full of success for Brown, with the Pisces-embodying celebrity turning just 21 in February 2025, she's already managed to wow us with her fashion journey so far.

While the 2016 premiere of "Stranger Things" marks a major moment in Millie Bobby Brown's career, it also serves as a great snapshot of her early fashion. The tween wore a champagne-colored, high-low dress to the event, with the garment featuring a floral-inspired, light gold applique along the bodice and a color-matched bow around the waist. Brown styled her pixie cut, originally cut short for the series, with a gold hair band, rounding out the look with a delicate necklace and bedazzled converse equipped with ribbon laces. 

The youthful and girly aesthetic of the outfit characterized quite a few of Brown's early looks, though the young actor did mix things up as she was on the way to establishing her personal style. While we love a sneakers and dress combo, especially for the summer months, Brown reacted to her 2016 premiere outfit in an 2019 interview with Access Hollywood, lightheartedly expressing that she wasn't a fan of the ensemble anymore. "I loved that dress at the time," she told the outlet. "By the way I felt like an absolute princess, but...now looking back, not a great choice."

As mentioned, Millie Bobby Brown started collaborating with designer brands soon after the success of "Stranger Things," with the young star experimenting with a range of fun and vibrant aesthetics in the following years. The outfit that Brown wore to the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards is an example of high-end look that mixed playfulness with a stylish edge. The black Rodarte piece featured lots of sheer layers decorated with reflective polka-dots and consisted of a sheer mock-turtleneck and knee-length hemline. The "Damsel" star leaned into a sleek vibe with her styling, opting for a deep side part, combat boots, and a touch of dark eyeshadow. 

While Brown wore outfits like this with confidence, balancing chic designer styles with the whimsy and playfulness of her young age, the actor opened up about how she struggled to identify a sense of personal style in the early years of her career. "For me, fashion has always been ever-evolving," she told Elle in 2024. "I was going to these events and ceremonies, and all these big fashion brands wanted to style me. I didn't know what my personal style was, and the only time I got dressed, other than for ceremonies, was to go to work." 

As her teen years continued to unfold, Millie Bobby Brown's fashion similarly evolved to reflect her progressing maturity and growing interests, with the actor's wardrobe balancing the youthful whimsy of some of her earlier looks with a penchant for more polished aesthetics. While several of her outfits for the "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" press tour had a playful and feminine vibe, Brown's ensemble for the Pandora Me launch party was more sleek and vibrant. The "Stranger Things" star partnered with the brand to promote their customizable line of jewelry, naming their hoops as a personal favorite of hers. 

Brown donned a patterned, long-sleeved blouse from L'Agence and a pair of matching, high-waisted pants for the event, wearing the set under a long Alice + Olivia coat in the same vibrant shade of red. She accessorized with a pair of strappy opened-toed heels, a chunky chain necklace, and heart-shaped hoops. The patterned set definitely seemed to hint at Brown's affinity for boho influences and comfortable pieces while still managing to look stylish and put together. On top of the high-profile Pandora collaboration, 2019 also marked the launch of her Florence by Mills and makeup and skincare line, making her fashionable and professional look all the more noteworthy.

Millie Bobby Brown had found her footing with mature and sleek designer fashion by the time Season 4 of "Stranger Things" rolled around, with the Hollywood figure looking all grown up at the show's premiere event. The British actor had talked about how her fashion preferences were evolving in a 2020 interview with Access Hollywood, explaining that she was opting for different styles as her teenage years progressed. "I'm going into the more body style dresses now, because I would always do the poofy dresses, because I was 12 and 13 and 14," she said. "I'm 16 now...I'm definitely growing up and my fashion sense is becoming more, you know, fitted to my body."

Brown wore a black and white Louis Vuitton dress to the "Stranger Things" premiere, with the actor becoming a LV brand ambassador earlier in the year. The garment featured a bustier-style bodice with a sheer piece of fabric stretching across one shoulder, a silver-buckled belt cinching the waist, and a thigh-high slit in its floor-length skirt. She styled the look with black, platform heels, a nude lip color, and wispy bangs. Though the then-18-year-old received criticism for being styled well beyond her age, Brown still managed to rock the look with confidence.

Millie Bobby Brown started taking inspiration from '90s fashion amidst the press tour for the sci-fi comedy-adventure film "The Electric State." The 2025 Netflix movie also stars Chris Pratt and is set in 1997. In addition to tagging Pamela Anderson in a '90s-inspired lookbook on Instagram, Brown also brought her decades-specific vision to the red carpet. In line with the timely resurgence of the slip dress, the actor wore a silky peach-colored piece from Louis Vuitton to the Screen Actors Guild Awards before styling her hair in a Pamela-inspired updo for the LA premiere of her movie. Brown wore an intricate, cathedral-inspired gown from Annie's Ibiza to the "Electric State" event, with the sparkly garment featuring a structured, square-necked bodice and figure-exaggerating gatherings at either hip.

The dress itself didn't seem to be directly referencing the '90s, but fans quickly drew comparisons between Brown's blonde updo and Anderson's signature look, with a red carpet interview confirming the celeb's inspiration. "The '90s nails, hair, makeup, style, accessories, it's all such a big part of it, so bringing that into the '90s press tour was huge for me," Brown told Extra, shouting out her nail artist Kim Cao. When asked about any fellow celebs she was happy to meet at the SAG Awards, she mentioned Pamela Anderson in particular. "She's an icon," the actor said. "A lot of these references that I'm pulling are her...huge inspiration." While we loved seeing Millie Bobby Brown's fashion journey so far, we also can't wait to see what the future holds for the style icon.