Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Devil Wears Prada 2. So read at your own risk!
One of the best movies of the 2000s, in my humble opinion, has to be The Devil Wears Prada. That's not only because of the comedy flick’s stellar cast but also because of its high emphasis on fashion, which would make anyone rethink their wardrobe. There's so much to take in when it comes to the film's outfits. Interestingly enough, when its lead, Anne Hathaway, first saw the book-to-film adaptation in theaters, spotted one fashion moment that initially didn’t catch her eye amid filming.
Anne Hathaway recently spoke to Elle for a wide-ranging interview about her career. During the chat, the Oscar winner couldn’t help but reflect on the “beetle-green” dress her DWP character, Andy, wore when she went to Paris Fashion Week with her boss, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). Hathaway recalled how beautiful the outfit looked when the light hit it. Yet what apparently alluded Hathaway was a more subtle detail involving both her and Streep's characters. Here’s what she discovered:
When you look at that scene where Andy wears [the dress] in, when she’s with Miranda Priestly in the town car at the end, they’re both wearing the same neckline. I didn’t notice that the entire time we were filming. It wasn’t till I saw the movie and I just thought, ‘Oh, that Patricia Field. She’s so brilliant to suggest that someone was morphing into someone else and unconsciously mimicking their style.’
That’s absolutely true! What made The Devil Wears Prada one of the funniest fish-out-of-water movies is that Andy initially has no true affection for the fashion world or being fashionable herself. However, when she wants to impress Miranda, she gets a total makeover by trading in her loafers for Chanel boots. In time, Andy seems like she’s ready to walk the runway herself.
So it makes a lot of sense that by the time Andy gets to go to Paris Fashion Week with Miranda, she’s subconsciously morphing into her icy Runway editor as evidenced by her sporting a similar look to hers. The film’s costume designer truly showed that fashion truly can speak volumes about a character’s identity and how a person's wardrobe can subtly reflect their personality change.
In The Devil Wears Prada’s long-awaited sequel, which set 20 years later, Andy and Miranda are on better terms. Following the characters' initial boss-assistant tension, the sequel provided one wish fans had — for the two to look at each other as equals.
Andy returns to Runway as its Features Editor in order to help save the publication. Ultimately, Miranda places trust in her former assistant like never before and even grants her permission for her tell-all book about the Runway editor. Not to mention, Andy’s fashionista wardrobe change prevents Miranda prevents Miranda from once again telling her ex-assistant she has “no sense of style.” After watching the dramedy follow-up, it's easy to see why Miranda and Andy are a great movie duo, in that they care about the power of journalism and shaping stories that matter.
It’s amazing when actresses like Anne Hathaway pick up on meaningful details in their own films after watching them back. By noticing Andy and Miranda wore a similar fashion look towards the conclusion of The Devil Wears Prada, she was able to see how much her character was starting to morph into Miranda, compared to being her own person. And, for the viewing public, I'd argue that a subtle, yet cool, detail like this is a testament to the importance of movie rewatches.
On that note, check Andy and Miranda’s initial interactions by streaming The Devil Wears Prada with a Disney+ subscription. Also, check out the characters' newly forged dynamic in The Devil Wears Prada 2, which is now playing in theaters alongside other 2026 movie schedule entries.
