Elle Fanning Proves Why the Dress-Over-Pants Trend Is the Ultimate Winter Layer

Wearing a dress over pants isn’t as simple a layering trick as say, wearing a thermal underneath a fitted vest. But since the early-aughts staple is a rising Winter 2026 trend, the examples are endless. Elle Fanning showed fashion girls how it’s done on November 10, dressed in fresh-off-the-runway Michael Kors.

Fanning is embracing her inner Zendaya: promoting two projects at once, Predator: Badlands and Sentimental Value, both of which hit theaters on Nov. 7. Her press tour styles have started to merge, with layered matching sets leading the charge. Stylist Samantha McMillen—who works with both Fanning sisters—outfitted the youngest in Look 25 from Michael Kors’ Spring 2026 show for an event in New York City. The elongated turtleneck dress, made of ribbed cashmere linen, debuted just two months ago, during New York Fashion Week. The 30° forecast called for a stark white coat, hiding the midi’s sleeveless bodice.

Fanning could’ve winterized the sleeveless style with a simple pair of tights, but instead, she followed the runway model’s lead. Trendy wide-leg trousers—in pastel pink linen—peeked out from beneath the coat’s hem. They were a perfect shade match to Fanning’s turtleneck, which dangled a bit beyond her knees. The actor’s monochrome motif ended with ankle-strap pumps from Paris Texas.