Zendaya Blends Bridal Lingerie and "Something Blue" Into One 'Tonight Show' Dress
She's channeling an after-hours bride.
"Something blue" is by far the boldest requisite in the "old, new, borrowed, and blue" wedding tradition. That said, it's common for brides to wear the shade in a subtle way, perhaps on earrings, a hair pin, or even beneath their gown as lingerie. Case in point: Zendaya's "something blue" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon traded a "groom's eyes only" garter for a lingerie-inspired dress fresh from her The Drama character's honeymoon luggage.
It's been almost a decade since Zendaya visited Fallon's couch, but you wouldn't know it. Stylist Law Roach nailed the late-night dress code with help from Zimmermann's Fall 2026 line. Co-star Robert Pattinson's low-key blazer and jeans ensured all eyes went to Z's semi-sheer, navy blue dress.
Zendaya and Robert Pattison posed together post-Tonight Show, but Z's nearly-naked "something blue" dress stood out.
The velvet-trimmed bralette and matching under-bust corset turned the gown more opaque. At her hips, an undone garter belt dangled on top of the pleated skirt. Short lace ruffles made to mimic a pannier skirt added volume to the otherwise sleek piece. Then, the skirt's asymmetrical hem matched the transparency of Zendaya's sleeves, revealing her black Christian Louboutin So Kate stilettos.
A model wore Zendaya's dress on the Zimmermann Fall 2026 runway.
The Dune actor would've pulled off Zimmermann's runway navy-and-canary color combination, no problem. But instead, she let her six-figure watch do all the talking. Rolex's newly-minted brand ambassador chose the Lady-Datejust, of which the catalog offers hundreds of models. Zendaya and Roach narrowed it down to the most bejeweled timepiece, featuring pavé diamonds atop the watch face, dial, bezel, and band. It'd set watch collectors back $177,400, but since Z's Jessica McCormack engagement ring was MIA, she needed to reach the sparkle quota somehow.
Don't miss Z's Rolex watch beneath her sheer lace sleeve.
Before her stop by The Tonight Show, Zendaya pulled on a fringe dress to discuss her press tour styling strategy on Good Morning America. "The last look is something blue," she confirmed. The actress also pointed out a reference fans might not have noticed from photos alone. As she's jetted from event to event, she's picked out increasingly dark pieces. "We’re leaning into the thematic changes to the movie," she explained. So, it starts quite light… but thematically, the looks are starting to get a bit darker, so following kind of the plot of the film."
Zendaya's press tour began with snowy white dresses, like this archival Vivienne Westwood piece.
By the end of her tour, Zendaya layered in more black and white pieces, like this Erdem dress, to reflect the film's tone.
Fans might have assumed she'd reserve her "something blue" for the final premiere of The Drama rather than a talk show. Zendaya wore her "old" Vivienne Westwood gown from the 2015 Oscars to the L.A. premiere; a "new" black-and-white dress from Louis Vuitton in Paris; and a "borrowed" Armani Privé gown from Cate Blanchett in Rome. There's still a chance she'll round out the ritual on a final red carpet, just maybe in a different shade of blue. My bet's on the celebrity-beloved cobalt trend.
