Fledgling tastemakers since their introduction to the big screen at the mere age of one when they began their joint role as Michelle Tanner in the hit sitcom Full House Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are the OG fashion girls.
Long before the days of Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram influencers, it was the Olsen twins whom the public looked to for style inspiration. For years, the fierce twosome consistently set the bar for fashionable dress not only with their formidable street style, but also with their Y2K on-screen attire in movies such as It Takes Two, Our Lips are Sealed, and Getting There.
The duo’s impressive trajectory from Hollywood’s sweethearts to fashion industry trailblazers was topped off by the establishment of their CFDA-award-winning clothing brand, The Row, in 2006, which emulates their own formal yet insouciant style of dress. Before they became businesswomen, however, ruling our screens and serving endless looks while doing so was a full-time job for the Olsen twins.
On the pair’s birthday, we’re taking a look back at the Olsen twins’ most iconic on-screen looks and roles—of which there are several, so buckle up and enjoy the sartorial savvy soon to be unraveled before you.
Michelle Tanner (Full House, 1987-1995)
Michelle’s signature spunk and badass attitude were complete with her ceaselessly daring attire, which involved heavy incorporations of polka dots, bold colors, floral prints, and brightly-patterned blouses. Not only was Michelle always on par with the trends of the ‘90s even at her ripe young age (by the show’s end, she was only eight years old), but she often even went the extra mile to make them her own, methodically mixing and matching prints like it was nobody’s business.
Amanda Lemmon and Alyssa Callaway (It Takes Two, 1995)
In this family comedy with a Prince and the Pauper-esque storyline, Alyssa Callaway (Ashley Olsen) and Amanda Lemmon (Mary-Kate Olsen), use their identical looks to their benefit and attempt to swap lives, each longing to experience the others’ lifestyle. Amidst their shenanigans, the two girls don strikingly opposite styles of ensembles, with one wearing slouchy, oversized tees and snapbacks reminiscent of ‘90s street style, while the other is often wearing princess dresses with puffy sleeves paired with elegant, wrist-length gloves.
Emily and Tess Tyler (Billboard Dad, 1998)
It’s only fitting that the outfits presented in a movie set in Los Angeles in 1998 are now the pinnacle of LA-girl dressing. Throughout this antic-filled film, Mary-Kate and Ashley don retro, color-tinted shades, spaghetti-strap tanks, and an array of fun and funky hairclips, similar to ones sweeping our social media feeds today.
Maddie and Abby Parker (Our Lips are Sealed, 2000)
Mary-Kate and Ashley were serving Y2Krealness in this action and romance-packed teen flick released at the open of the century. With chokers, graphic tees, vibrant headbands, and colorblocked dresses for days, Our Lips are Sealed contained some of the pair’s most memorable movie looks.
Chloe and Riley Lawrence (Winning London, 2001)
Taking a trip to London to represent the United Kingdom for their high school at the London International Model United Nations, Chloe and Riley Lawrence find themselves embroiled in the sight-seeing, shopping, and even romance that the city has to offer. The twins don’t hold back when it comes to their outfits, either, sporting floor-grazing red leather trench coats, tie-dyed, flared pants, yellow-tinted sunnies, and midriff-bearing tanks.
Jane and Roxy Ryan (New York Minute, 2004)
In the Olsen twins’ final film together to date, the pair play sisters with vastly different personalities who embark on an adventure in the Big Apple. Adding to the film’s eccentric charm were the outfits worn by the twins’ characters, which included ruby red velvet blazers with leopard-print lining, studded, teal leather jackets, and grunge band tees.
