Gillian Anderson is constantly reinventing herself, whether it’s as Agent Scully in The X-Files or more recently as Dr. Jean Milburn in Sex Education.
Her fashion choices have evolved to match the characters she plays, and the stage of life she’s in.
The 51-year-old’s latest role is brand ambassador for Dune London. She’s been photographed by Rankin in various iconic London locations like Columbia Road Flower market, wearing powder blue suits and silk shirts. The style is very much in her wheelhouse: classic and androgynous.
Over the years, Anderson has given us some serious style moments. Here are some of her most memorable…
In masculine suiting…
Anderson was propelled to fame as Agent Scully in The X-Files, and cultivated a strong look for her character. This was the Nineties, when many female characters on TV were wearing spaghetti straps and miniskirts, but Anderson became known for masculine suits.
These weren’t particularly Instagrammable outfits – Scully was largely seen in grey, black and navy tones – but arguably foreshadowed current trends for androgynous dressing.
In that dress…
Anderson might have had to wear suits as Agent Scully, but she was free to experiment on the red carpet. Her most iconic look undoubtedly came in 2001 at the Vanity Fair post-Oscars party. Not afraid of taking a risk, Anderson wore a navy Eduardo Lucero dress with a scooped back that showed off her matching G-string.
Hailey Bieber seemingly took inspiration from it for the 2019 Met Gala, wearing a pink Alexander Wang outfit in the same style. Anderson was well aware of the similarities, and posted pictures of them on Instagram with the caption: "Another example of necessity being the mother of invention."
In silk shirts…
British-Irish crime show The Fall debuted in 2013, and saw Anderson play police superintendent Stella Gibson, who’s involved in investigating a serial killer. Anderson’s character became inextricably linked with silk shirts, giving a professional and modern update to a classic wardrobe item.
In sunshine yellow…
With the climate crisis front and centre, celebrities have increasingly been wearing vintage pieces on the red carpet. Anderson was evidently ahead of her time, wearing a 1965 Sarmi dress to the 2012 Elle Style Awards, sourced from the boutique William Vintage. This outfit brought a welcome splash of colour to the red carpet, and was only improved by the addition of pockets.
In Sex Education…
Anderson is now beloved by a whole new generation thanks to her role as sex therapist Dr. Jean Milburn in Netflix show Sex Education. In it, her character wears delightfully Seventies-inspired outfits, with plenty of floaty jumpsuits in rust colours.
She also looked incredible on the red carpet at the premiere of series two, wearing a stand-out gold gown from cult label The Vampire’s Wife.
At the Baftas this year…
Sometimes classic really is best, and Anderson gave a masterclass in elegant dressing at this year’s Bafta Awards. She wore a black velvet strapless dress by brand Camilla and Marc, modernising the look with the addition of a red clutch and matching shoes.
