Jennifer Coolidge puts a modern twist on fluffy beehives

Jennifer Coolidge proved Paulette Bonafonte still loves fluffy beehives at the Elle World prequel series premiere in New York on Sunday night. The actress paid homage to her “Legally Blonde” character alongside original castmates Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair.

Wearing a chiffon cheetah-print kaftan, Coolidge wore her muddy blonde hair in a ’60s-inspired half-up, half-down hairstyle with a cheeky twist at the back. Subtly teased on top and softly blown out on the bottom, this style was noticeably more subdued compared to the overly embellished updos her character wore in the first and second films. Where Bonafonte once favored curly cascades and dazzling clips, Coolidge now embraces flat face-framing layers and hidden bobby pins.

Her makeup has also become modern. The icy blue hue that once covered her thin brows has now been replaced with a pool of neutral shadow that reaches over her bushy brows. Wearing a faded brown shade, her narrow eyes also appeared to be adorned with black mascara. Meanwhile, her lips were covered with a rosy gloss.

Coolidge is known for collaborating with the likes of Hung Vango and Jaden Ho Pham, but he’s also known for creating his own unique aesthetic on the red carpet. The White Lotus star hired celebrity stylists Sami Knight and Anthony Campbell for her hair. However, she is not credited as the artist behind Sunday night’s look either.

Next door, Witherspoon brought her beloved character into the modern era by pairing her signature blonde hair with a hot pink off-the-shoulder satin dress taken straight from Prada’s Fall 2026 ready-to-wear runway. Blair styled her blonde “vixie,” or hybrid bob pixie, with a two-tone black and babydoll pink Tom Ford dress and open-toed strappy sandals. Elsewhere on the carpet, “Young Elle Woods,” played by Lexi Maintree, dug into her costume archives and pulled out a pink version of the sparkly blue Dolce & Gabbana dress that Witherspoon wore at the beginning of the original film.

For a closer look at the stars on the carpet, go here.