Elle Fanning Warps a Cardigan Into a Corset

In much of the country you need a lot more than just a sweater right now, but out in Los Angeles the weather is still temperate enough for Elle Fanning to hit the fashion labratory to experiment with a mutated take on a classic sweater.

Stepping out at Apple TV’s press day in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Fanning made the case for knitwear with a backbone. Styled by Samantha McMillen, the Margo’s Got Money Troubles star slipped into Vivienne Westwood’s “Bea” corset. But it wasn’t really a corset at all. Designed in an oatmeal-hued cotton fabric, the piece fell somewhere between a Mr. Rogers–approved cardigan and a classic bodice. Sure, it featured a nipped-in waist with boning that hugged the actor’s waist. But the top half of the design was full-on cardigan with a row of buttons down the front, ribbing along the bust, and layered sleeves that fell on her arms. Fanning highlighted her top’s structure by pairing it with linen trousers from the label’s spring 2026 collection. They were done with the perfectly oversize fit. She finished the look with metallic heels by Christian Louboutin and minimal Cartier jewelry.

Of all the hybrid garments out there, a cardigan and a corset might seem like an oxymoron. While they’re both considered layers (a cardigan offers warmth, a corset shapes the body), their functions couldn’t be more opposed. Usually, a cardigan is worn for ease, meant to be stacked under a top coat, while a corset is designed to discipline the silhouette. But Westwood’s blend of the two is characteristically subversive: The corset is a calling card of the house after all. It’s a language Fanning knows well, considering all the times she’s worn the English brand’s corsetry on the red carpet.