Reese Witherspoon's style evolution in 51 photos: how America's sweetheart found her fashion formula

The actress always manages to walk the line between timeless and head-turning

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Legally Blonde's Elle Woods might have passed the bar, but when it comes to fashion, Reese Witherspoon raises it.

The American actress, 44, has been one of the red carpet's leading ladies for a number of decades, starting with her breakthrough role in 1999's Cruel Intentions.

The star, also known for her turns in Sweet Home Alabama, Big Little Lies and Wild, truly burst into the stratosphere in 2005, with her Oscar-winning performance in Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line.

And it was around that time that her fashion formula took it up a notch, too, moving away from the velvets of the early Noughties to bold, block-colour gowns with figure-skimming silhouettes.

Whether mini, midi or maxi, Witherspoon tends to stick to tailored dresses on the red carpet, sometimes shaking things up with a vibrant print or shimmering embellishment, with her go-to labels including Zac Posen, Versace and Stella McCartney.

Here, we take a look at how the star's style has evolved throughout her time in the spotlight.

Scroll through the gallery above to see more images of Reese Witherspoon through the years.