Keeping up with Old Hollywood! Why the Kardashians can’t resist gowns belonging to icons like Elizabeth Taylor – so, who wore it better?

She was once associated with the more outlandish and risqué fashion looks, but in recent years Kim Kardashian has slowly built an archival wardrobe filled with historic pieces owned by Hollywood stars and even royalty. 

Over the weekend, the 46-year-old fashion mogul displayed her love for vintage pieces in all of its finery as she stepped out for the All’s Fair season two premiere at Rome Film Festival. 

Kim opted for a ‘Golden Tigress’ corset gown from Yves Saint Laurent’s Haute Couture Fall 1986 collection, which she paired with a matching chiffon scarf and black heels to the screening in Italy on October 24. 

Her mother Kris Jenner, also opted for a pre-loved look – stepping out in the historic 1969 Tiziani cape that British-American actress Elizabeth Taylor famously wore to Princess Grace of Monaco’s 40th birthday in Monte Carlo.

Yet this is not the first time the Kardashian stars have showcased their love for archival fashion and vintage couture.

In 2022, Kim sparked controversy as she debuted Marilyn Monroe’s historic 1962 ‘Happy Birthday Mr President ‘gown to the Met Gala, and has also re-styled Princess Diana’s diamond cross necklace and Jacqueline Kennedy’s Cartier Watch. 

According to celebrity stylist and fashion expert Lisa Talbot, Kim’s tendency to select archival pieces is a deliberate move to ‘create a moment’ and ‘get people talking’.

She told the Daily Mail: ‘However, I think there is a difference between wearing a famous piece and truly capturing the spirit of the person who originally wore it. Clothes are never just about the garment itself; they are also about the woman wearing them.’

Read on to discover some of Kim’s most famous and controversial vintage re-wears, and if the modern version proved better than the original…

Kim’s YSL ‘Golden Tigress’ gown

On October 24, Kim stepped out in a vintage Yves Saint Laurent gown at the premiere of All’s Fair at Rome Film Festival.

Featuring a leopard print, corseted silhouette with a matching scarf to tie the look together, Kim opted to tie her lengthy locks into a ponytail and for a pair of black statement heels. 

Kim, who was styled by Law Roach, was joined on the red carpet by co-stars Naomi Watts, 58, and Sarah Paulson, 51, ahead of the series arriving on Disney+ on November 4.

A closer analysis of Kim’s dress appears to suggest that the television star may have altered the original dress slightly, with the lace-up detailing on the bodice appearing slightly different. 

Others, however, have suggested that Kim may be wearing the gown sold at auction in December, rather than the original runway piece.

According to Lisa, Kim’s decision to step out for this event in a piece of archival dressing offers ‘the opportunity to wear something that has already made its mark on fashion’. 

She added: ‘There is also an exclusivity to archival dressing that you simply cannot achieve by wearing something straight off the runway. 

‘These are often rare, historically significant pieces that have a story attached to them, and that makes them incredibly powerful.’

Tiziani Roma cape once owned by Elizabeth Taylor 

Kris Jenner showed off her age-defying looks as she supported her daughter, Kim, at the All’s Fair series two premiere in Rome over the weekend. 

Kris, 70, paid homage to one of Kim’s looks from the upcoming series as she wore Elizabeth Taylor’s Tiziani Roma cape, which she bought at auction and leant to Kim for the show.

Featuring an ivory silk lining, dramatic hood and two scorpions embroidered on the chest, the garment, designed by Tiziani Roma, was originally worn by the late Hollywood star to Grace Kelly’s 40th birthday party in 1969.

Then, the actress accessorised it with her Taylor-Burton necklace, featuring a pear-shaped 69.42-carat diamond.

So valuable was it that in 1979, after divorcing Richard Burton for a second time, Elizabeth sold it to jeweller Mouawad for £3.8million – £17.4million now.

Unlike her daughter, Kris has typically shown less of a tendency to wear vintage items on the red carpet,  with the striking look offering a marked departure from her usual custom designer pieces.

Kim was also seen wearing the famous evening cape in October while on set for All’s Fair, which she paired with a necklace that strongly resembled the Taylor-Burton 69.42-arat diamond previously worn by Elizabeth Taylor.

Kim’s take on Marilyn Monroe’s ‘Mr President’ gown 

Few can forget the controversy and discussion that Kim’s Met Gala look in 2022 sparked – as the television star hit the red carpet in the $4.8million historic Jean Louis gown, previously worn by Marilyn Monroe just months before her death in 1962. 

Marilyn’s glittering gown, designed by Jean Louis, has been on display at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum in Orlando since they purchased it at Julien’s Auction for $4.81 million.

Monroe originally paid just $1,440 for the custom piece, which remains one of the most expensive dresses ever sold at auction.

It was loaned to Ms Kardashian by Ripley’s museum, with Ms Kardashian dieting to squeeze into it. While she changed into a replica later in the evening, historians argued that the original’s delicate fabric had been damaged. 

Legend has it Marilyn had to be sewn into the gown prior to her iconic Happy Birthday performance — and Kim faced her own wardrobe woes.

Despite losing 16Ibs in just three weeks prior to the event, Kim never fit into the $5M historical piece and carefully covered her back with a white shawl as she ascended the Met Gala staircase. 

At the time, author Michelle Morgan, who has written several books about the life of Marilyn Monroe, criticised the decision to let the glamorous frock be worn again in a red carpet environment, saying it could have damaged the gown with ‘sweat’ and ‘make-up’.

Fellow Monroe historian and collector, Scott Fortner, said he was concerned by the dress’ outing because it had been a bespoke design and ‘not an off-the-rack garment’.

Princess Diana’s diamond cross necklace

In January 2023, Kim purchased the late Princess of Wales’ vintage diamond cross for nearly $200,000. The following year, Kim donned the symbolic piece at the 2024 LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles.

She paired the antique amethyst necklace, worn by the late royal princess at a charity event in 1987, with a plunging white gown and other large jewelry pieces.

However, several fashion critics suggested that the fashion move was ‘tone deaf’ and an inappropriate choice for the event.

The mother-of-four purchased the Attallah Cross at a Sotheby’s auction for $197,453, which is double of the pre-auction estimate.

Named for its previous owner, Naim Attallah, the Palestinian-British businessman lent the amethyst and diamond piece to Diana throughout the 1980s. 

The Attallah Cross was originally made by Garrand in the 1920s, and features square-cut amethysts surrounded by 5.25 carats of circular-cut diamonds.

Diana, Princess Of Wales, is pictured wearing the pendant on a string of pearls when she attended the 1987 Birthright charity gala, where she donned a purple velvet Catherine Walker gown. 

According to Lia, Kim ‘understands’ that ‘wearing something unexpected or historically significant will command attention’.

However, she noted: ‘Sometimes, when a piece is so closely associated with another woman, that original story can be difficult to escape. You can end up looking at the reference rather than the woman wearing it.’

Janet Jackson’s ‘If’ outfit and Michael Jackson’s jacket

In 2019, Kim and her then-husband Kanye West gifted their daughter North West with a rather unique item of clothing: a historic jacket previously worn by the late Michael Jackson.

The jacket was worn by the late pop-star for Elizabeth Taylor’s 65th birthday party in 1997 – and sold for $65,625 in October 2019. Kim and Kanye were believed to have the vintage jacket altered so that it would fit their young daughter.

‘Kanye and I gave North this jacket, and, this was Michael Jackson’s jacket that he wore with Elizabeth Taylor,’ Kim shared with her millions of fans on social media. 

‘North is a really big Michael Jackson fan and we knew she would love this.’

Yet this is not the first time Kim has purchased a historic piece from the Jackson family. In 2024, she sparked outrage by many for re-wearing the outfit Janet Jackson wore in her 1993 ‘If’ music video. 

Kim, who stepped out in the custom crop top and matching choker for Janet Jackson’s Together Again tour,  bought the ensemble for $25,000 back in 2021.

However, many fans of Jackson were enraged that Kim was wearing the look, which some argued ‘should be in a museum’. 

Despite angry reactions from Janet Jackson fans, Janet gave Kim her blessing at the time she scored the one-of-a-kind outfit via auction.

In 2021, Kim uploaded a photo of Janet in the If video and gushed, ‘For @janetjackson’s bday bc I’m such a fan I can’t believe I won this outfit on @jules_auctions.’

The songstress reposted it and added, ‘Thank u so much @kimkardashian I hope ‘IF’ gives u as much pleasure as it did me,’ along with three kiss emoji.

Elizabeth Taylor’s Diamond Earrings 

Last year, Kim turned heads as she stepped out for Balenciaga’s Fall 2025 couture show in Paris dressed in Mike Todd diamond pendant chandelier earrings, which were once owned by Elizabeth Taylor. 

Featuring three circular-cut diamond drop-shaped pendants, floral motifs and bows, the vintage earrings were almost instantly recognisable.  

The striking jewellery pieces were purchased by Kim at auction for $374,500, and she paired them with a cream satin slip dress, similar to the slip Taylor wore in the 1958 drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

She tied the look together with approximately 250 carats of Lorraine Schwartz diamond necklaces.  

The earrings were given to the Oscar winner by her husband Mike Todd in 1957 shortly before his death in March 1958. 

‘DEMNA,’ Kim wrote next to the carousel of snaps, in honor of the designer Demna Gvasalia’s final show from Balenciaga.’gol

Jacqueline Kennedy’s Cartier Watch

Aside from glistening gowns, Kim has also opted to re-wear several historic jewellery pieces and accessories, including Jacqueline Kennedy’s vintage Cartier Tank watch which she purchased for $379,500 in 2017.

The gold watch owned by the former First Lady was auctioned off at Christie’s in New York City and was gifted to Jackie by her brother-in-law Prince Stanislaw Radziwill on February 23, 1963.

The timeless piece of jewellery was given to commemorate a 50-mile hike he took part in on behalf of President John F. Kennedy, just months before the president’s assassination.

There are no diamonds or jewels on the watch. Instead, the effortless piece is rimmed in 18-karat gold with an old-fashioned watch face and black band. 

In 2019, Kim revealed that she had channelled Jacqueline Kennedy by wearing her pricey watch when the television star paid a visit to the White House to speak with President Donald Trump.

During the important meeting, Kim decided to wear Jackie’s watch after purchasing it at a New York City auction because it gave her ‘some power’.

‘I bought Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s watch at auction,’ Kim told Vogue for its May issue. ‘I wore it when I went to the White House. It gave me some power: Let’s get in there and get this done!’

Vintage 1951 Balenciaga couture strapless gown 

In a strong show of her love for vintage pieces, Kim stepped out at the Academy Museum Gala last month in a Cristobal Balenciaga strapless gown from the 1951 Balenciaga archives. 

Featuring a baby pink satin ribbon across the neckline, the piece was purchased by retailer Lily et Cie and styled by Law Roach in honour of the old Hollywood glamour championed by Elizabeth Taylor.

To accessorise, Kim selected a 55.8-carat diamond Carmen choker from Leviev and a pair of 10.2-carat diamond earrings from Zydo Italy. 

Lisa noted that Kim’s love for archival fashion ‘brings attention to the craftsmanship and creativity of designers from previous decades’.

She added: ‘Fashion should be celebrated, revisited and enjoyed. But wearing a piece of fashion history comes with a certain responsibility: you need to bring your own personality to it. 

‘Otherwise, you risk being overshadowed by the history of the clothes themselves.’