Reese Witherspoon Nails the Casual Cannes Dress Code in an Alexander McQueen Little White Dress

The 2025 Cannes Film Festival concluded on May 24, but the South of France is still flooded with A-listers. Soon after Cannes queens Bella Hadid and Naomi Campbell jetted back to Hollywood, the French Riviera became the backdrop for the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Starting on June 16, the week-long fête brings together the world's leading creative, marketing, and advertising innovators, including multi-hyphenate Reese Witherspoon. On the third day of programming, the Oscar winner took center stage to chat all things Hello Sunshine, her media company. She also announced the launch of Sunnie, a new Gen Z-focused label “designed to inspire the next generation of young women to reclaim their time, follow their curiosity, and step into their power," according to a press release.

For Hello Sunshine's session, Witherspoon's stylist, Petra Flannery, outfitted the founder in a little white dress—a Cannes staple previously embraced by Selena Gomez, Bella Hadid, and more. The Cruel Intentions star gave classic workwear a French Riviera-inspired flair in a $2,500 Alexander McQueen mini, complete with a square neck, gathered short-sleeves, and a knee-length skirt.

The white theme continued onto Witherspoon's footwear: suede pumps from Larroudé. Her sky-high heels had an Elle Woods-esque aura with center straps mimicking the shape of Mary Janes. To finish, Witherspoon frosted herself with textured earrings, bracelets, and mismatched rings, all in gold.

Usually, Witherspoon maintains a low profile—she hasn't walked a red carpet since the WSJ Innovator Awards in Oct. 2024. No matter how long her hiatus is, however, the Legally Blonde actor stays true to classic attire. Before Cannes, she was last spotted at the F1 Academy documentary premiere styling another LWD, which bared a striking resemblance to her McQueen moment.

The short-sleeve mini hailed from Oscar de la Renta, and spotlighted a high neck, a monochrome belt, and gold brooches on each pocket. The only major difference? It was made entirely of tweed. Witherspoon even wore similar pumps: patent leather Christian Louboutins—her signature footwear brand for decades.

While Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Hailey Bieber are making a strong case for a little black dress takeover this summer, Witherspoon proved luxe LWDs still deserve their time to shine.

Shop White Dresses Inspired by Reese Witherspoon