Britney Spears is paying homage to one of her most iconic looks — just days after Blake Lively brought it back into the spotlight!
Lively, 36, made headlines on Tuesday, Aug. 6, after she attended the New York City premiere of her latest film, It Ends with Us, in a vintage Versace gown that the “Circus” singer, 42, wore in 2002.
And the glittering, asymmetrical gown was no duplicate. “It is Britney’s actual dress,” Lively exclusively told PEOPLE at the event.
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Days later, the pop star appeared to acknowledge Lively’s stylish tribute. In an Instagram post shared on Saturday, Aug. 10, the singer donned a similarly sparkly — though far shorter — dress, which she declared to be an “UPDATED VERSION OF MY 2002 VERSACE DRESS 👗 !!!”
The “Gimme More” singer paired the “updated” dress with nude pumps and dainty jewelry as — in true Spears fashion — she danced around to “Your Love” by The Outfield.
“I LIKE IT WAY BETTER,” she added of the minidress in the caption. “SHOWS MY LEGS !!! 💅🏻👗🌷🌷.”
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Speaking with PEOPLE about the vintage piece on Tuesday, Lively also declared that “it should be in the Smithsonian or the Met.” Instead, she said, “it’s on me. I feel so lucky!”
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With its colorful, embellished flowers around the waist, the gown was the perfect choice for the floral-themed dressing Lively has been doing for the It Ends with Us press tour — a nod to her character, Lily Bloom, who owns a floral shop.
It was also, as she stated, a direct nod to Spears — who is also featured in the book-to-film adaptation. A cover of the pop star’s track “Everytime,” performed by Ethel Cain, is included in the star-studded soundtrack — and Spears received a special shout-out in the end credits.
Lively elaborated on Spears’ influence on her filmmaking — and her decision to wear the Versace gown — with a sweet message for the “Oops!…I Did It Again” singer in an Instagram Stories post on Tuesday.
Alongside a picture of Spears rocking the Versace gown in 2002, the actress wrote, “Todays mood. The ultimate queen who made us all want to sparkle and write and share our stories.”
“Britney, us millennials all have a story of a moment, or of years that you made us want to shine and inspire awe, with strength, and joy and immensely hard work,” Lively continued. “Thank you for your example and your contribution to women telling their stories.”
