From Child Stars to Fashion Icons In-The-Making

By Kendra Gilbert on December 8th, 2009

• Share
• Link to StumbleUpon
• 1 Comment

It seems like just yesterday these young actresses were starring in movies as the snooping little sister, the know-it-all kid wizard, or the precocious wise-beyond-her-years sidekick to Hollywood’s hottest leading men. My, how time flies. Now, these former child stars are taking on a new role: mini fashion icons (in the making). Here are five young ladies who have turned a corner (and crossed the street all on their own) and gone from adorable to fashionable :

5. Mae Whitman:

She went beyond precocious to just plain obnoxious as Sandra Bullock’s daughter in “Hope Floats,” and was lucky to have George Clooney as a dad in “One Fine Day.” Now, at 21, Whitman has a full schedule of projects in the works and an almost unrecognizable new look. While she’s not quite a fashionista, just yet, she definitely has potential.

4. Kristen Stewart:

Love it or hate it, the girl’s definitely got a look all her own, and her tomboy style may just have deeper roots than we think. Just check out her look from “Panic Room,” in which she played Jodie Foster’s daughter. Thankfully, she’s honed that look over the years and now, at 19, her edgy style has become a welcome exception to the sometimes cookie-cutter glamor of the red carpet.

3. Saoirse Ronan:

Starting out as the nosy little sister who screwed everything up for Keira Knightley and James McAvoy in “Atonement,” Ronan has since stepped up her style game, in a big way. In the two short years since that movie was released, the 15-year-old’s sense of style has matured almost as much as she as. At the recent premiere for her new movie, “The Lovely Bones,” Ronan showed up in a glam metallic mini and black tights.

4. Emma Watson:

The world’s favorite girl wizard has grown up before our very own eyes. She went from frizzy hair and sweaters and jeans to a much sleeker look, with dresses galore and even a little Chanel. Further, all this glamorous change came about despite the 19-year-old spending the majority of the past eight years filming the “Harry Potter” movies with a bunch of boys. Impressive.

5. Dakota Fanning:

Teen Vogue’s covergirl was once upon a time the precocious child actress who got to star alongside some of the biggest movie stars of this generation, including Sean Penn, Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington. Lucky girl. Now, at 15, she’s taking on more sophisticated roles. And hipper fashion. But, then again, she’s always been wise beyond her years. What’s great is that you can still see the adorable little girl you couldn’t help but love — only now she’s wearing Valentino.