Blake Lively stepped into a Manhattan courthouse on Wednesday for a high-stakes settlement conference tied to her ongoing legal battle with former It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni. But instead of focusing solely on the lawsuit, much of the conversation drifted toward what she wore.
Blake Lively’s outfit choice for courthouse might look like ‘Hollywood packaging,’ per expert
Lively wore an oversized olive-colored suit that reportedly cost more than $600. She layered it over a green cardigan and a pink striped collared shirt. The bright colors stood out against the usually plain setting of a courtroom.
The meeting marked a court-ordered effort to resolve the dispute before it heads to trial on May 18. Lively filed her complaint more than a year ago, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation on the film’s set. Baldoni has denied the allegations.
Communications experts suggest that Lively’s wardrobe may have served a strategic purpose. Megan Balyk, vice president of Jive PR + Digital, told the Daily Mail that pink often conveys warmth and accessibility, qualities that could benefit someone navigating a public legal fight.
“Pink tends to lead towards playful and approachable, which is exactly how Blake wants the public to feel that she is,” Balyk said. She added, however, that shifting public perception can prove difficult, particularly after what she described as two years of intense scrutiny. “Personally, I don’t think that is possible given what has been portrayed over the last two years, but I can’t blame her for trying.”
Green, Balyk noted, “symbolizes renewal, balance and harmony.” She continued, “It’s often used to lower the emotional temperature and convey safety, wellness and the sense that ‘we’re moving forward now,’” she explained. Lively’s look was clearly true to her style, polished, well-fitted, and carefully planned.
“Blake’s look is very on-brand for her: polished, intentional and clearly built to tell a story, not just fill a hanger,” Balyk said. “The risk is that the level of curation can read as ‘Hollywood packaging,’ which, in this context, makes the whole thing feel a bit like crisis comms in pastels.”
