The Stunning Style Transformation Of Rebel Wilson

When someone mentions Australian actor Rebel Wilson, the first two things that come to our mind are incredible comedic timing and pink clothes. While we could write pages and pages about how important her work for women in comedy has been, today, we're focusing on her style.

Ever since her breakthrough in the industry, it has been clear Wilson wasn't going to be a Hollywood star who leans into safe choices and current trends. If we had to summarize her fashion choices in one word, it would definitely be "fun." From colors to shapes to patterns, the star has always been all about clothes that bring joy. While most people would consider a fashionista to be someone who is up-to-date with all the newest fashion fads, we'd like to announce that here at Glam, we consider a fashionista to be someone who uses fashion as an extension of themselves. And Wilson does exactly that!

Rebel Wilson started her acting career in Australia in the early aughts, but her international break hadn't come just yet. However, the star's signature style was already bold and bright, even though Wilson recalled that she hadn't been into fashion that much in her teens and 20s. "Back in the day, I never would have thought of myself as someone who was interested in fashion or had any kind of fashion sense even!" she admitted to Cosmopolitan in 2017.

Apart from not finding fashion too appealing yet, Wilson explained that the lack of trendy plus-size pieces was a big reason why she struggled to have fun with her look. "I remember I had to go shopping with my mom as a teenager and it was mentally disturbing," she told Cosmopolitan. "If you are plus-size, there's not a lot to choose from and, I don't know, I guess I didn't know what looked good [on me]," she added.

The star also confessed that not being able to find clothes she liked impacted her social life in major ways. "I remember I didn't even go to a friend's wedding in my 20s because I didn't know where to buy a dress in my size," she revealed to InStyle (via Page Six). Even though finding pieces she likes was a difficult task, looking back at images of Wilson from the time, it's clear that she always had a knack for looking put-together and stylish — even with limited resources.

The year 2011 was a major one in Rebel Wilson's career, as the hit comedy "Bridesmaids" premiered. This instantly changed the way she looked at fashion, as she now had eyes worldwide judging every fashion move she made. "Being an actress and becoming famous all around the world, people suddenly became interested in what I was wearing," Wilson admitted to Cosmopolitan in 2017. "I had to pay attention and work with top Hollywood stylists in order to dress appropriately and with style."

Talking about the project that helped her gain international fame, Wilson revealed that finding a dress for the "Bridesmaids" premiere took its toll on her bank account. "I basically made no money. I lost money, because I had to pay to go to the premiere, like to buy my dress and everything. So, I lost money doing 'Bridesmaids,'" Wilson said during an appearance on the "Diary of a CEO" podcast. Luckily, the pink bodycon dress she went with paid off, as it looked incredible on the matching pink carpet. In fact, pink was a color the star often opted for.

Regardless of the lack of size inclusivity and the prices of designer clothing, Wilson showed early on that she has a keen eye for fashion and that she isn't afraid of statement pieces. "I'm a little bit preppy, but with a gangster edge," she described her style to Refinery29 in 2012. "Like, for example, I'm wearing these custom-made rings from Brooklyn that say my name on them. I like to say 'comfortable' as well — but, I don't know if that's really a style."

With gaining even more fame thanks to roles in movies like "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and the first "Pitch Perfect" installment, Rebel Wilson was slowly becoming a staple in Hollywood comedy. With that, we got to see a lot more of her at red carpets and industry events, where she always dazzled in eye-catching, brightly colored bodycon dresses, which quickly became the actor's signature look.

In a 2013 interview with Cosmopolitan, Wilson shared some of the fashion essentials for a fun night out for her. "Sportswear — if there's a sudden need for a burst of cardio at least you'll be ready," the star joked, adding that a high ponytail is also crucial. "It looks banging, it keeps you from overheating, and it looks mad cool in head-swinging dance moves."

Even though her career was flourishing, Wilson admitted that her look played a major role in her getting hired. "One of the reasons my agents signed me is because I'm not like any other girl here," she said to In Touch (via E! News) in 2013. "I think most girls who are encouraged to come to LA and become actresses are usually the prettiest girls in their hometowns of Iowa or wherever. So not looking like anyone else has made things easier for me, because I'm distinctive."

As the mid-2010s approached, Rebel Wilson decided to branch out a bit and began rocking edgier and bolder outfits. Still loyal to her signature bodycon dresses, the star was often incorporating pieces with a low V neckline, mesh – a future 2024 trend – or glitter into her wardrobe. In 2014, she starred in "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb," and for the movie's New York City and London premieres, the star decided to go with slightly quirkier dresses. The London dress featured an explosion of rainbow glitter on her skirt, and the New York dress had a plunging V neckline filled in with bedazzled mesh.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Wilson admitted that no matter what her fashion choices are, they are always unapologetically her. "I just like being who I am," the star said in 2014. "No pressure could change that." And it is precisely this kind of attitude that makes her a fashion role model — as clothes are all about self-expression and authenticity.

By 2015, Rebel Wilson was not only a staple in the world of Hollywood comedy, but she also became a fashion connoisseur. From metallics to glitters, there wasn't a thing that Wilson couldn't pull off, and each time she attended a red carpet, her confidence was unwavering. In a candid conversation with Elle, Wilson admitted that Hollywood fashion was a learning game for her. "I am the type of girl with zero fashion sense but I am getting into it now," she told the magazine in 2105. "It's becoming important for me. I saw a lot of girls were beginning to notice what I wear and I feel a kind of responsibility, because there aren't any women in Hollywood my size and age."

However, even though fashion was becoming more inclusive when it came to sizing, Wilson pointed out that the industry still had a long way to go. "What I found with a lot of plus-size clothing was that it didn't seem cool or on-trend," she explained to People in 2015. "It was kind of like what your auntie would wear to a wedding." While it may have been difficult to find trendy pieces, whenever we saw the star in public, her choices didn't disappoint. 2015 marked a major year for the star's career, as she officially also ventured into the fashion industry by collaborating with the brand Torrid on her own plus-size collection.

Even though Rebel Wilson is known for her colorful and quirky style, the actor has proven over the years that she can pull off glamorous fashion when required. A great example of her more sophisticated fashion moments would be the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. For the annual event, Wilson decided to go with a chic, black David Meister gown with a hint of glitter as an accent.

In a candid interview with E! News in 2016, Wilson opened up about her work in the fashion industry. "I didn't think I'd be able to design clothes," she admitted. "I thought, 'That's not in my repertoire.'" Luckily, the star ventured outside of her comfort zone and decided to work with Torrid on her collection. "My clothes are for all the girls out there who are plus-size and just want something cute to wear for the weekend or for work," she added.

With new experience in the fashion industry, Rebel Wilson decided to take things into her own hands by launching the fashion line Rebel Wilson x Angels in 2017. "The plus-size market is really underserved and I know there are women out there [who] are looking for the types of clothes I wear all the time," she told Cosmopolitan in 2017.

The star also opened up about her thoughts on being plus-size and navigating your wardrobe as a bigger person. "I never want to promote unhealthiness, I always want people to be the healthiest version of themselves," Wilson said. "But if that's plus-size, then I want them to feel confident about how they look and be able to dress with style. Just because you're not a size 2 or 4 [doesn't mean] you can't have style."

The actor added that, while in-person shopping was a bit traumatic for her as a teen, she does enjoy online shopping. "You can just click and if you don't like it, you can send it back!" Wilson may have come a long way in Hollywood, but no matter how successful and rich she was, the actor remained true to herself — and her style was the best example of that. Just like in the aughts, she was still a big fan of bright colors, glitter, and fun patterns.

Even though Rebel Wilson stuck to similar silhouettes and bright colors, her style kept evolving. In 2018, the Aussie was all about funky accessories, like hats and sunglasses. In fact, she showed up for the InStyle Awards in a custom black Givenchy dress, which she accessorized with a pair of bedazzled glasses – because why not?

"I think the last big couture piece that [Givenchy artistic director] Clare Waight Keller did was Meghan Markle's wedding dress," Wilson told People at the time. "And now she's making me a dress so that's kind of amazing just in and of itself." The actor added that the French luxury brand's decision to work with her was a big move toward inclusivity for them. "I could be wrong but Givenchy normally makes sample sizes, and obviously, I'm not sample size," the star explained. "I don't know if they've ever made a plus-size couture dress before, they may have, but my stylist, Elizabeth Stewart, told me, 'This is a massive deal.'"

Unlike many, when it comes to clothing, Rebel Wilson seems to prefer going for fun colors instead of nude shades. Those who have followed her style throughout the years know that pink is a color she often goes for; In fact, it certainly seems as if it's one of her safe choices. However, in 2019, the star also embraced other fun colors, and we got to see her wear her signature V-neck, long-sleeved dresses in colors like royal blue and bright green.

After her initial collaboration with Givenchy, the French company became one of her go-to brands. "Now I have a wardrobe full of custom Givenchy," Wilson admitted to InStyle (via Page Six). "My family is going to hate me for saying this, but they raid my closet because we wear similar sizes and they know I have the best fashion taste. I know what I'm talking about now. So I find that I impart a lot of my knowledge, especially to plus-size girls."

Prior to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Rebel Wilson gave us a couple of stunning fashion moments during the year's early award season. Of course, once everything went into lockdown, celebrity fashion couldn't be admired as much — most of it could only be seen through video appearances and social media posts.

However, 2020 did mark a major year for the star's personal life, as Wilson embarked on a weight-loss journey. "I've really changed to eating a high-protein diet, which is challenging because I didn't used to eat a lot of meat," she relayed to People in November 2020. "I eat fish, salmon, and chicken breast." Even in this journey, the actor ensured she remained relatable, admitting that she still has bad days when it comes to eating. "It doesn't mean every week is a healthy week," she added. "Some weeks are just write-offs, and there's nothing you can do about that."

An insider for People revealed that the changes the Hollywood star implemented helped her have even more fun with her wardrobe. "Her health journey has made fashion even more fun for her, and she loves trying new things and new designers and being adventurous," they told the outlet.

Once the entertainment industry returned to normal after the pandemic, we got to see what effect Rebel Wilson's weight loss journey had on her style. To many's surprise, the actor stuck to silhouettes and colors she adored before. Of course, subtle changes were noticeable, but those would have most likely happened regardless of her weight. In fact, at the height of the Barbiecore trend, Wilson admitted that her love of pink has been a staple of her style for years. "The Barbiecore thing I have going on ... I've [just] always loved pink," she said to People in 2022.

Wilson confessed that now that she weighed less, she noticed the way people interacted with her changed. "Sometimes being bigger, people didn't necessarily look twice at you," the star admitted on the radio show "The Morning Crew with Hughesy, Ed and Erin" (via Yahoo!). "Now that I'm in good shape, people offer to carry my groceries to the car and hold doors open for you." While she was adapting to these changes, Wilson revealed that she always thought that judging someone's looks was ridiculous. "I'm not somebody that judges somebody superficially on how they look, but it's weird on a red carpet, because you are being judged," Wilson told People.

Regardless of her size, Rebel Wilson continued serving looks, and in 2023, she gained even more fans when she decided to set an example for sustainable fashion. The actor attended the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in a beautiful golden Jason Wu gown that she had already worn to the 2020 Academy Awards. The star accessorized the outfit with a rainbow clutch, a nod to the LGBTQ community, which the star is a part of. In 2022, Wilson came out after she discovered a journalist would run a story about her sexuality. In 2023, the star opened up about it to People by saying, "I never thought I was 100 percent straight. I don't quite know how to define my sexuality, but I do know there's a lot of people out there that don't want to totally define it either."

In an interview on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Wilson admitted that she had to stay the same size for years due to her "Pitch Perfect" contract — even though she wanted to change her lifestyle for years. "I couldn't lose a massive amount of weight because I was in the contracts for that movie," she said. "You can't lose, I think it's not more than 10 pounds or gain more than 10 pounds. You have to kind of stay at the weight that's in your contract." In fact, Wilson revealed that her size often resulted in her playing the same type of role. "I was stereotyped in playing that fat, funny friend. I love doing those roles, I love those characters, but then I did want to do more things," she explained.

As Rebel Wilson is learning what suits her body post-weight loss, the star has also begun rocking more and more pants, a clothing piece we'd rarely see her in before. Of course, just because she occasionally goes for a funky pantsuit or casual jeans doesn't mean the star isn't fond of bold and fun dresses.

"I'm very body positive in that I find beauty in all shapes and sizes, and I think that's very important to express especially to young people," Wilson said in an interview with BBC. "You can be body positive but also be on the side of, try to be the healthiest version of you." With her approach toward being healthy and not focusing on her weight, as well as her unapologetically authentic love for brightly colored clothes, Rebel Wilson has proved that she deserves the influence she has. And here at Glam, we can't wait to see what her future fashion choices include!