Saoirse Ronan is taking more risks with her red carpet looks, and fans are all here for it. The Irish actress attended Elle’s 2024 Women in Hollywood event on Tuesday (November 19) in a bold outfit that many compared to a potato sack.
The annual event honors “the women who are influencing Hollywood today from the best red carpet appearances, the women behind the camera, to Elle’s very own cover stars,” according to the magazine.
Highlights
- Saoirse Ronan took a new red carpet risk by wearing a dress that was later compared to a "potato sack" online.
- The Irish actress was honored at Elle’s 2024 Women in Hollywood event.
- Saoirse's new stylist, Danielle Goldberg, helps her embrace bold fashion choices.
Saoirse was one of the nine honorees of the night, alongside Karla Sofía Gascón, Demi Moore, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, Mikey Madison, Danielle Deadwyler, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña, and Cynthia Erivo, who couldn’t attend the ceremony because she was promoting her new musical film Wicked.
Image credits: John Salangsang/Shutterstock/VidaPress
The Little Women actress was photographed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles in a beige strapless dress that hugged her waist from The Row’s Resort 2025 collection.
She styled her hair in a chic updo and accessorized her look with black strappy sandals and Ana Khouri jewelry.
Saoirse has shifted direction in her fashion choices, recently hiring celebrity stylist Danielle Goldberg, known for working with stars like Kaia Gerber, Ayo Edebiri, Greta Lee, and Mia Goth.
On November 17, the Oscar winner wore a similarly eye-catching gown by Louis Vuitton at the 2024 Governor Awards. The custom light blue dress featured a feathery top and a strapless design.
The Blitz star recently wore a strapless beige dress by The Row that many said looked exactly like a potato sack
Image credits: jennychohair
Image credits: Matt Baron/Shutterstock/VidaPress
Her latest look sparked mixed reactions: some praised her for pulling it off, while others argued it was a major miss. However, there was a general consensus that the dress strongly resembled a potato sack.
“Not an easy dress to pull off, but she did it very gracefully,” one fan wrote.
“If anyone ever said Saoirse would still look great wearing a potato sack, they would be right,” said another.
“Getting a new stylist was the best thing that she did! LOVING IT,” a third user agreed.
Saoirse was one of the honorees at Elle’s 2024 Women in Hollywood event on Tuesday (November 19)
Image credits: Matt Baron/Shutterstock/VidaPress
“Looks like a potato sack, unfortunately,” somebody else commented.
“The phrase ‘she could wear a paper bag & make it look great’ comes to mind but sadly that’s not happening here!” a separate critic added.
“I ordered extra large bags of Halloween candy from Walmart delivery. They were packed in very long, crumpled strips of brown kraft paper that looked exactly like this dress,” an additional user joked.
“A few of you might recognize the names I mentioned, but most of you won’t,” Saoirse said.
“And yet, without them, we wouldn’t be here. And this is not my attempt to appear faux gracious or inclusive; this is just the truth. The world of filmmaking stretches far beyond the boundaries of Hollywood. And these are the women who have built it. So thank you to them.”
She also took a moment to celebrate her fellow honorees. “Thank you so much for your brilliant work and for your brilliant brains.”
The event also honored Karla Sofía Gascón, Demi Moore, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, Mikey Madison, Danielle Deadwyler, Selena Gomez, and Zoe Saldaña
Image credits: saoirsefiles
Image credits: elleusa
The 30-year-old actress is promoting her new film, Blitz. In the Steve McQueen-directed drama, released on Apple TV+ on November 22, Saoirse plays Rita, a distraught single mother searching for her missing son during the German air raids on London amidst the Second World War.
Saoirse is next set to star in Jonathan Etzler’s Bad Apples, a comedy thriller about a primary school teacher struggling with an unruly student.
In her speech, Saoirse highlighted the role of women in the film industry whose work often goes unnoticed
Image credits: elleusa
The Golden Globe winner recently made headlines for giving her male colleagues a reminder about gender-based violence during an interview on The Graham Norton Show.
Paul Mescal and Eddie Redmayne, two of the guests on the show, began joking about using a phone as a self-defense weapon while discussing Eddie’s role as a professional assassin in the series The Day of the Jackal.
Saoirse interrupted the actors, saying, “That’s what girls have to think about all the time.”
The 30-year-old was praised last month for giving her male colleagues a stark reminder about women's daily safety concerns
Image credits: The Graham Norton Show
Paul Mescal has since addressed Saoirse’s comment in an interview with The Late Late Show’s host, Patrick Kielty.
When asked whether he was surprised by how viral that clip of the interview had gone, the Gladiator II star responded, “I’m not surprised that the message received as much attention as it got because it’s massively important.
“I’m sure you’ve had Saoirse on the show. She’s quite often, more often than not, the most intelligent person in the room. And I think she was spot on — hit the nail on the head.”
"The fit, shape, and color are terrible," said a Facebook user who wasn't a fan of the actress's dress
