Drew Barrymore Talks Childhood Oscars Look She Got 'Off The Rack' After Making Little Money on 'E.T.'
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Drew Barrymore is reminiscing on her early days in the industry.
In a recent episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the actress got candid with Ross Mathews and fashion designer Christian Siriano about a dress she wore to her very first Oscars.
Siriano shared a look back at one of his favorite Oscars looks of all time, Barrymore's 1982 pink tulle dress teamed with a pearl necklace and white faux fur stole which she wore to the Oscars shortly after starring in her first role as Gertie in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
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"Well, I'm gonna bring you back to 1982 when this beautiful, stunning – you might know her, she's really cute – um, Drew Barrymore," Siriano said introducing Barrymore's throwback moment. "Never gets old ever. Drew arriving to the Oscars, and she is arriving, and she's in her little faux fur but with the biggest pearls, and I'm like, 'Are those real, girl? Like wow.'"
Immediately once the fashion designer brought up the moment, Barrymore began reflecting on the story behind the dress, telling the audience just how big of a deal the outfit was.
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"My mom, you know, she was a single working mom. We didn't make a ton of money off E.T., barely any, it was 1982, and I was, you know, a kid," she said, adding, "We bought it off the rack, and that was the look."
RuPaul's Drag Race judge Ross Mathews chimed in right after the short story, "And now it's iconic."
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For the relaunch of People StyleWatch as a digital issue, Barrymore looked back at 20 years of her own show-stopping looks, and shared that her love for fashion dates back to her childhood on film sets, where she would learn from the costume pros about what it takes to make clothes look great.
"I grew up in tailoring houses, watching how people cut things and tailor them and change them according to what was appropriate for that decade, or what's better for that person's body type," Barrymore shared. "It's an education that I live by."
Her best advice is to find silhouettes and styles that feel authentic to you, regardless of trends.
"Don't get stuck, do what works for you and your body, and make your own rules," she told PEOPLE. "Because at the end of the day, if you're not comfortable, you're distracted. And you want to feel free and empowered."
