Celebrity Fashion

As Mary-Kate and Ashley turn 36, we take a trip down fashion memory lane with the coolest style sisters

Two iconic wardrobes.

13 June 2022

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From child stars through teen queens to bona fide fashion royalty, the style ascent of the Olsen twins has been a mighty one.

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen will be forever etched into our hearts as Michelle the youngest member of the Tanner household in Full House - a role they shared between the two of them. But, unlike many child stars, after successfully navigating their way through an undeniably unconventional start in life the twins have somehow managed to subsequently strike the perfect balance between success and relative anonymity.

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You won't find Mary-Kate posting swipe-ups to oversized coats on Instagram, and you won't see Ashley vlogging tutorials on how to get the perfect beachy wave (although you just know we'd watch it on repeat if she did). Having somehow stepped away from the limelight whilst simultaneously becoming more successful than ever, the pair are now at the helm of their own major fashion labels; The Row and Elizabeth & James.

But, of course, they didn't go straight from toddler Tanners to multi-millionaire fashion designers.

The girls starred in a number of film and television series in their teens, with hits such as Two Of A Kind, Passport to Paris, Winning London and New York Minute earning them as many fans as they did dollars.

WandaVision’s Elizabeth Olsen on feminism, famous sisters and playing a witch called Wanda

By Emily Maddick

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Growing up in front of our very eyes, the girls underwent several major style transformations.

From the adorable matching looks of their early years to today's mid-thirties sartorial peak - via, of course, teenage halter necks and the clashing colours of their twenties - you only need to take the briefest glimpse at their own fashion brands and who's wearing them to know that these are two supremely stylish women.

With Mary-Kate and Ashley turning 36 today, we thought it'd only be appropriate to take a look back at the style progression of two of the chicest women in fashion...

For more from Glamour UK's Fashion Editor Charlie Teather, follow her on Instagram @charlieteather

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1991
The twins at only five-years-old and already household names thanks to their shared role as Michelle Tanner in sitcom Full House - a role that they landed at the tender age of nine months.
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1993
The adorable twosome saw the show through its eight-year-run, which eventually wrapped in 1995. This '93 photo shoot was in aid of Mother's Day. Why they needed faux tattoos, we've no idea but those matchy-matchy vests and bandannas are cute, cute, cute!
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1993
That was until we saw the Olsen cuties dressed in top hat and tails for this old school Broadway inspired photo. So random, so adorable.
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1998
But the matchy-matchy clothes thing would stick around for much of their pre-teen years as the two launched themselves as a twin team to be reckoned with. TV series and a number of straight-to-video May-Kate & Ashley TV movies saw their success in the children's market go global after Full House finished.

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2001
Come the early 00s though and The Olsens were big business, regularly landing themselves on Rich Lists - at only the tender age of 15. Meanwhile, their accessible teen style saw them garner a new young, female audience though who watched their every wardrobe choice with an eagle eye.
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2002
At the 2002 Oscars party, the sisters didn't let a little matching twin style throw them off their fashion foothold and were snapped in the exact same outfit on the night.
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2002
At a 'Power 100 Breakfast' event in L.A. the same year, the two went back to their beloved blonde and kept their look similar but it looked like the matching looks were on the way out.
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2003
At the premiere of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle in Los Angeles, MK and Ashley hit the red carpet in these loose-fit printed dress - which would foreshadow their later love for chic and floaty separates on the red carpet.

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2003
Looking beautiful in monochrome, the fashion-forward actresses looked chic beyond their years at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York.
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2003
By the end of the year though and the girls were going through a very ladylike phase with their wardrobe, opting for midi-length hem lines and sensibly sized heels.
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2004
Come 2004, the twins were letting their different personalities shine through with differing styles and even hairdos.
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2004
Indeed, 2004 would prove to be a big year for the sisters: On turning eighteen in June that year, the pair became co-Presidents of their Olsen twin brand company Dualstar and their combined wealth was estimated at $137 million.

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2004
But success came a price when it was announced that Mary-Kate Olsen was being treated for anorexia nervosa after battling the disease for some time.
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2004
But by the autumn that same year, the twins were on the up again and the two enrolled at New York University. The permanent move to New York also saw the two get more involved in their fashion, whilst the two also made the last of their hit teen flicks that year, too.
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2005
The two girls' differing style was also becoming apparent as time rolled on, with Mary-Kate known for the more bohemian aesthetic whilst sister Ashley's look was altogether sharper and more tailored.
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2005
After a long-running - and hugely successful fashion line at Wal-Mart - the two worked their inimitable red carpet style at the Cannes Film Festival that year. But Ashley and Mary-Kate were sewing the seeds for greater things to come...

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2006
...And in 2006, the twins were snapped up as the faces of Badgley Mischka.
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2006
...And their style was seriously gathering great pace.
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2006
The world of fashion was calling the impossibly chic twins though and the two landed a Teen Vogue cover.
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2007
But fast-forward just a year and the two would prove that they could successfully transition away from child actors and into high fashion. Their couture label The Row was founded and the two became regulars on the fashion circuit, with this appearance at the annual CFDA awards marking a new era for the pair.

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2007
The Row brought the twins huge praise from the outset and monochrome quickly became their sartorial go-to.
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2008
Pictured at the Chanel show during Paris Fashion Week, we're still trying to hunt down Mary-Kate's half-tinted specs which became an instant sell-out. However, the year had gotten off to a tragic start when Mary-Kate's close friend, Heath Ledger, unexpectedly passed away.
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2008
At the Met Ball Gala, the fashion darlings worked sleek and chic looks for the occasion.
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2008
The girls' fashion takeover continued apace in 2008, with the twins launching their hotly-anticipated book Influence later that same year. Much as the title may suggest, the fashion tome charts their influences that had an impact on The Row.

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2008
A book signing a couple of months later proved to be another fashionably exquisite turnout. Thought the kimono trend was 2014's sartorial jam? Yeah, well Ashley Olsen was doing it six years ago!
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2009
At a MOMA event in New York, honouring Tim Burton, the girls did whimsical fantasy fashion in frills, leopard print and baker boys hats to perfection.
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2010
Come 2010, the girls launched a line at high street giant JCPenney and in the process, proved the power of a good coat.
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2010
And their sartorial prowess continued relentlessly from then on in with their signature style becoming a benchmark for the fash-pack and their fans.

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2010
Big sunglasses? Check. Statement black dresses? Check. Fierce red carpet pose? Chec, check, check!
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2010
Proving their boundless - and seemingly effortless - affinity to fashion; even though these outfits are four years old, we'd still rip 'em off if we could.
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2010
Another couple of killer outfits and note how Ashley was an early purveyor of the "flatform" shoe, way back when.
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2011
The following year and the two set a new sunglasses trend with their gorgeous retro specs for Linda Farrow that launched a thousand copycats.

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2011
Later that year and the two proved they can do still do relaxed off-duty dressing with these chic jeans combos.
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2011
Kohl-lined eyes and structured accessories make for another head-turning Olsen red carpet appearance.
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2012
Back to black and white for a dinner at the White House.
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2013
Whilst the Met Ball outfits did garner some criticism - not least Ashley's oversized orange number - you can't fault her for giving something a little different a try on the red carpet.

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2013
But don't worry, they were soon back to black and white.
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2013
At last month's Met Ball though, the two were making waves in matching gowns. Whilst Mary-Kate's chalk stripe number and Ashley's heritage knit stepped away from the bolder number on the night, the two, as always managed to stand out.
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2013
Pool sliders and a great coat; props to Mary-Kate for this look.
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2013
After picking up a prestigious CFDA award, the Olsen twins went back to their favourite hue for the event. Looking sleek and chic, the two have had one heck of a style evolution since their early days in Hollywood and with their fashion feet firmly on the ladder, these two are set for a long run in the world of couture.

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2013
With their younger sister, Lizzie, at the CFDAs where they came funeral-dressed in black.
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2014
The Olsens attend the 2014 World Of Children Awards, wearing oversized and printed pieces.
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2015
Another gothic look from the twins at the 2015 Met Gala.
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2015
Mary-Kate and Ashley confirming they were going through all-black style phase in 2015, stepping out once again in sombre looks for the CFDA Fashion Awards.

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2016
The sisters celebrate the opening of their Elizabeth and James flagship store in L.A. looking absolutely stunning. The brand was created by the Olsens in 2007.
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2016
The Olsen twins kept things simple and vintage for the Met Gala, in 2016.
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2017
For the 2017 Met Gala, the sisters chose to sport their own brand, The Row. Interpreting the theme of the night 'Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons' through their collection's intricate designs.
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2017
The sisters attended the Studio in a School 40th Anniversary Gala in New York, with Mary-Kate unexpectedly opting for for pigtail braids.

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2017
Attending the CFDA Fashion Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, the sisters stuck to their favourite monochrome colour palette and proved that simplicity is sometimes the most powerful tool.
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2018
Dressing far more twin-like than usual, Mary-Kate and Ashley epitomised chic, tonal dressing in these knits and maxi skirts at a Gala in New York.
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2018
Sticking to their preferred loose silhouette but going big on either colour or embellishment, the twins opted for vintage Paco Rabanne flowing gowns as they interpreted the Met Gala's 'Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination' theme.
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2018
Arriving at the CFDA Fashion Awards, we love the unexpected rigidity of Mary-Kate's belt and boots combined with the relaxed feel of Ashley's boho bag and layered necklaces.

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2019
Forever championing vintage, the duo opted for vintage Chanel at the 2019 Met Gala themed: 'Camp: Notes on Fashion'.
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2019
A muted, classic look, the pair both opted for black at the CFDA awards with nothing but Mary-Kate's turquoise cutch to steal attention from the luxurious simplicity of it all.