Andy Cohen on the Evolution of Real Housewives Reunion Dresses: “PTA” to “Prom"

Andy Cohen is opening up about the evolution of Real Housewives fashion. While appearing as a judge on a recent episode of Project Runway, The Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen host got candid about how much the Housewives’ style has changed over the years.

Andy served as a guest judge in the January 6 installment of Project Runway, in which the seven finalists are assigned with designing and creating reunion dresses for different Real Housewives cast members, including The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Shannon Beador and Gina Kirschenheiter; The Real Housewives of Potomac’s Gizelle Bryant, Karen Huger, and Wendy Osefo; and The Real Housewives of New York City’s Luann de Lesseps and Leah McSweeney.

It’s an epic challenge, especially given how significant reunion looks have become in recent years, as Andy pointed out. “In the early days of Orange County, the fashion was just terrible,” he told Vanity Fair. “If you look at the first few years of reunions, Orange County, Atlanta, and New York, they were basically wearing—I don’t even think what they would wear to a cocktail party. I think it was more what they might wear to a PTA meeting. But as it’s gone on, the [reunion fashion] has really amped up, and I think people have loved seeing what they wear now. They were meant to be aspirational, and that’s what they are.”

These days, reunion fashion is all about the glamour — or as Andy put it, “For the Housewives, getting ready for a reunion—this is like their prom dress. So in that same way, I think it makes for a logical challenge.”

As for the results of the challenge, Andy stated, “Mainly, it was very successful and really exciting. [The Housewives] were all pretty excited afterward about the experience.” 

See the final winning look on Project Runway, which airs on Thursdays at 9/8c or catch up the next day on Peacock.