Daisy Edgar-Jones Puts a Modern Twist on the Corset Dress

Corsetry doesn’t always have to be stuck in the past. Daisy Edgar-Jones put a decidedly modern spin on the corset dress at the premiere of Sense and Sensibility in Sydney on Thursday. Her floor-trailing Miu Miu gown melded old-world restriction with a sense of total freedom.

Her bodice featured a nude corset lined with vertical panels of multicolored sequins. Instead of a frothy ballgown, layered underneath the stays was a sheer bedroom slip embellished with clusters of diamond appliqués. Her whisper-thin straps nodded to ’90s minimalism, while her visible off-white bodysuit evoked boudoir dressing. The airy ensemble created an ethereal, floating effect that fit right into her specific taste for not-so-on-the-nose method dressing.

Throughout this press tour, Edgar-Jones—with the help of stylist Dani Michelle—has given classic period codes a modern remix. She’s adopted 18th-century romance with boho-chic details. She’s paired a baroquely embroidered military jacket with jeans. Most recently, at a promotional event in Sydney, she donned an era-blending Alaïa ensemble—featuring a sheer wool turtleneck on top and an ivory, asymmetrical Victorian ruffled skirt on the bottom.

In between red carpets this week, she gave Georgian-era undergarments a dishevelled twist, courtesy of Dries Van Noten. Her ruffled bra echoed the opulence of her embroidered knickers, which were just offbeat enough, thanks to the layered pieces of tattered fabric hanging from her hip. Think of it as the modern retelling of 18th-century intimates.

As the Sense and Sensibility release date approaches—the film hits U.S. theatres on October 16—Edgar-Jones has been using the traditional period prompt as a way to play. Her main mantra? Never underestimate the time-transcending versatility of lingerie.