The British and super-cool star of Netflix’s flagship series — now back for a fifth and supposedly final season — is already 21, married to Jon Bon Jovi’s son, a mother to an adopted baby and facing a wave of media backlash over the vulgar question: “Why does she look like a 40-year-old divorcée from north Tel Aviv?”
Gallery
Millie Bobby Brown in a Rodarte dress at the premiere of the new season of 'Stranger Things', 2025
(Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Blonde and heavy makeup at the premiere of the film 'The Electric State' in London, 2025
(Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Corset and cleavage at the premiere of the fifth season of 'Stranger Things' in London, 2025
(Photo: Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
Vintage Giorgio Armani dress at the premiere of the film 'The Electric State' in Madrid, 2025
(Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images for Netflix)
Colorful at Louis Vuitton's Fall-Winter 2024-25 show
(Photo: Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
Adorned at the premiere of 'The Electric State' in Los Angeles, 2025
(Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Jenny Packham dress; with 'Stranger Things' stars Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard and Caleb McLaughlin on the red carpet, 2017
(Photo: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Millie Bobby Brown
(Illustration: Erez Amiran)
How did we get here?
Between the superpowered girl who saves the world in “Stranger Things” and the clever young sister of Sherlock Holmes in “Enola Holmes,” Brown came to embody the magic years of Netflix’s rise. Along the way she became Hollywood’s latest it-girl, a young woman who pairs striking looks with unapologetic confidence. Add a British accent and an uncanny ability to charm American talk show hosts and you get a poster child for Gen Z.
Kate Spade's dress on the red carpet, 2016
(Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Then she grew up, got married and transitioned to “adult attire,” a path familiar to many former child prodigies who choose to shake off the roles that defined them. The media, as noted, did not like what it saw. Brown, no pushover, pushed back, telling journalists and commenters alike to rethink their assumptions.
Louis Vuitton dress; with Jake Bongiovi at the premiere of 'Enola Holmes 2', 2022
(Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Maybe she does look older than her biological age and maybe she has lost some of the mischievous charm she had as a child star. Still, the finger should be pointed at us — the ones who tut-tut her new blond hair, daring dresses, quick marriage and shifting accent as if we were appointed global guardians of propriety.
At the Coach Spring-Summer 2017 show
(Photo: Christopher Smith/Invision/AP)
Brown has long been an example of someone who uses her platform to promote feminist messages and speak out against online bullying, an issue she has faced since early in her career. At 14, she was forced to deny fake homophobic quotes circulated online in her name and later dealt with an onslaught of pornographic images sent to her the moment she turned 18.
Louis Vuitton dress at the premiere of the fourth season of 'Stranger Things', 2022
(Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
How does she dress?
The teenage Brown, who grew up in the spotlight, dressed sweetly but not excessively so, developing a fashion sense that mixed youthful cool with early sophistication. She positioned herself somewhere between Peter Pan and a fairy-tale princess, between tomboy and the woman she would eventually become. And then she did become that woman.
Kelsey Randall corset and Aknvas jeans at the 'Damsel' event in New York, 2024
(Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Advertising her fashion and skincare brand, 2025
The woman she is now is not always easy for the public to digest. Yet if we look inward, we must admit that we are simply struggling to grow up alongside her and feel betrayed by a promise she never made — that she would forever look like she did in season one of “Stranger Things.”
Studio Ashi dress at the premiere of the fifth season of 'Stranger Things' in London, 2025
(Photo: Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
It is worth remembering that Brown is not a child, certainly not ours, and she has every right to wear whatever she wants. Still, as a highly visible celebrity who embraces public appearances, she is not immune to scrutiny over how she presents herself.
Louis Vuitton dress at the premiere of the film 'Damsel', 2024
(Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
At the premiere of Damsel, she wore a sculpted, form-fitting Louis Vuitton gown designed to resemble dragon armor. At the Brit Awards, she arrived in a silver art-deco dress by Annie’s Ibiza with a rather odd veil and a neckline hanging by sheer will. Shortly before that, in Los Angeles, she wore a gold corset dress by the same brand with a bolero serving as the obligatory “quirky element.”
Annie's Ibiza dress at the Brit Awards, 2025
(Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Annie's Ibiza dress and bolero at the Los Angeles premiere of 'The Electric State', 2025
(Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
At the London premiere of her film The Electric State, she chose a strapless burgundy lurex gown by Wiederhoeft, while at the Madrid premiere she wore a mostly sheer vintage Giorgio Armani dress paired with a blue scarf and her husband by her side.
Wiederhoeft dress at the premiere of the film 'The Electric State' in London, 2025
(Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
At a Netflix event launching the new season of “Stranger Things,” she appeared in a black mesh and sequin dress by Bronx and Banco with a plunging V-neckline.
Bronx & Banco dress at a 'Stranger Things' event in Los Angeles, 2025
(Photo: Andrew Park/Invision/AP)
But Brown is not all plunging necklines and sheer fabrics. Her first wedding gown, designed by Israeli couturier Galia Lahav, was a model of beauty and elegance. In sharp contrast, on the December cover of British Vogue, she wears a red wool dress by Alexander McQueen that plays into the rustic aesthetic of the accompanying photo shoot.
The wedding dress designed by Galia Lahav
Alexander McQueen dress on the cover of the December 2025 issue of British Vogue magazine
What lies ahead
Brown is a talented actor who has already leveraged her fame to build a business and production career. She owns a fashion and beauty brand, has a sharp sense of humor, personal charm and a distinctly feminist voice. It is safe to assume that once all the “strange things” finally come to an end, plenty of great things are waiting for her.
Dolce & Gabbana denim jacket at the 'The Electric State' event in Madrid, 2025
(Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images for Netflix)
Applause or rotten tomatoes?
Debating Brown’s fashion choices over the past year is fair game. It is even fair to say that some of her looks feel more suited to “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” than to 21-year-olds.
Still, for her courage, honesty and persistence — and for standing up to the critics wherever they are — she deserves applause.
Louis Vuitton dress on the red carpet, 2023
(Photo: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Louis Vuitton dress also at the British Film Awards, 2022
(Photo: Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)