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Ginnifer Goodwin Wears $299 H&M Dress to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

04/30/2012 at 12:00 PM ET

Ginnifer Goodwin H&M Dress
Paul Morigi/WireImage

Ginnifer Goodwin looked like a million bucks at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., Saturday night — but her dress was only $299.

The Once Upon a Time star — a guest of NPR — wore a voluminous light gray creation from the new H&M Exclusive Glamour Conscious Collection, a line of eco-friendly dresses and separates already seen on the red carpet on stars like Michelle Williams, Viola Davis, Kristin Davis and Amanda Seyfried.

“I wanted something that was very earth-friendly,” the actress told PEOPLE on her way into the event. “That was critical.”

Goodwin’s gown is a limited edition piece; only 1,000 were made, and each is individually numbered. The dress features white organic cotton and silk bouclé at the top, with an organza plissé meringue skirt. There’s a concealed zipper in back, and Goodwin customized the gown by adding a black belt and a statement clutch from Stark, too.

Her dress fit in beautifully with all of the Monique Lhuilliers and Marchesas — but has a price we can actually afford! Tell us: Would you have guessed Goodwin’s gown was more expensive?

–With reporting by Helin Jung

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Showing 70 comments

DJ on

I love the dress and would have never guessed it was from H&M. Wish they would bring H&M to Hawaii already!

Mimi on

OMG, will someone please tell her that her ears are enormous and she needs to grow her hair out to cover them!!!

Benita Lee on

WOW… she looks great and it looked just as good as many of the other designer gowns that cost thousands more!

jessieg on

I just looked at the H&M site, and that gown sells for $549, not $299.

Ginnifer Goodwin Wears $299 H&M Dress to the White House Correspondents' Dinner | Hot Hollywood Celebrity Gossip on

[...] full post on Source: People Magazine Tags: $299, Correspondents', Dinner, dress, Ginnifer, Goodwin, House, Wears, White. Responses are [...]

amy on

Sorry,that dress is ridiculous.

Ginnifer Goodwin Wears $299 H&M Dress to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner | Hot Hollywood Celebrity Gossip on

[...] full post on Source: People Magazine Tags: $299, Correspondents', Dinner, dress, Ginnifer, Goodwin, House, Wears, White. You can leave [...]

Cathy on

$299 is an amazing price for that; and I just went on there, and that’s the price showing for it. However, how earth friendly is it when you have to dry clean it?

marsha on

I really cannot like the dress..$300.00 take it back and spend it on fashion sense.

Nadia on

@Mimi

Her ears are beautiful just the way they are. I bet you do not have a feature that is perfect, no one does. Her ears make her special.

Purpleone on

@jessieg Don’t know where you looked but the site shows the dress for $299!!!

charlene on

her ears remind me of sesame street . Head handles. I am not impressed with the dress. could use something I just can’t put my finger on it.

VERBER on

I hate the dress. I don’t know if it is just me but her head looks smaller and smaller with each passing day…her ears on the other hand look HUGE (LIKE DUMBO HUGE)

Amanda on

To us regular Joes…$299 is a lot to spend on a single dress. She looks beautiful as always.

nacho on

I would still like to know WHO exactly paid for this extravagent dinner???

rlrose328 on

$299 is affordable these days? Must be nice to see that as “affordable.” I adore Ginnifer but that dress is a no. Sorry.

doa on

An eco friendly dress, LOL. How ridiculous! Some companies will say anything to market a dress. That dress is not really doing anything for her color wise or style wise.

MNNOTNICE on

that looks like one of those prom dresses they make out of toilet paper.

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[...] • Ginnifer Goodwin wore an eco-friendly $299 H&M dress to the White House Correspondents dinner. Frugal! And kinda cute! [People] [...]

deanna on

She’s so cute she would look good in a paper sack. Serously, it is nice to see a celebrity looking good in an “every person” dress.

Allie on

the dress doesn’t work with her figure

Audrey on

I admire her for wearing an inexpensive dress, but I wish people would stop promoting the silly myth that is “organic”!

Kat on

“Only $300″! That’s a lot of money for a dress. Come on “People”! We’re in a recession.

Ginnifer Goodwin Wears $299 H&M Dress to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner | Celebrity Mess on

[...] Exclusive Glamour Conscious Collection, which works to prove how chic eco-friendly fashion can be People.com Latest News Tags $299, Correspondents', Dinner, Dress, Ginnifer, Goodwin, House, Wears, White [...]

Linda on

So happy she was able to find a cheap dress to wear for the special occasion. I guess that is her attempt to connect with the common folk. “A price we can actually afford”? Funny, $299 is expensive in my book. But at least it was an earth-friendly gown. Give me a break!

Money Savy on

Does anyone think that $299 for a dress is really a good deal. Maybe for Hollywood stars, not for a middle class working woman. Who cares if she’s not wearing a designer dress to the correspondence dinner.

esymmons on

Mimi’s right….ears are too big for her current hair cut. Either pin the ears or grow the hair.

Sue on

I think it’s quite ridiculous that the story says, “but, her dress was only $299.” How many non-celebrities can afford a dress for ONLY $299 that will probably only be worn once. Just shows how out of touch all you hollywood-types are with the average American. $299 is a month worth of groceries for most American families; and, I’m quite confident that they are many American mothers and fathers who would be overjoyed to have a budget of $299 a month to feed their children.

whereislindsay on

First yes $299 is a lot for a dress for most people myself included however, when most designer dresses (worn at this type of event) cost thousands by comparison this is VERY reasonable. I love the trend of celebrities wearing “affordable” clothing on the red carpet. Whether you think its neat or not many people think it is cool to wear the same thing actress or the first lady is wearing. Secondly enough with bashing her ears. Not one person on this planet was born perfect, embracing and celebrating what makes you different is something to be admired. Picking on peoples ears or is so second grade GROW UP.

Kat on

Beautiful AND smart. A great combination. She looks fabulous!

Carol on

Just goes to show that you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to look like a million bucks! Maybe others should follow in her footsteps and forgo the overly expensive and quite often dreadful designer dresses that are seen at other major events in Hollywood.

Leslee on

I agree that the dress really doesn’t “do” anything for her, it wears her more than she wears it. I don’t hate the dress though and I love the fact she went H&M, given that people can spend thousands upon thousands and still not hit the mark. I am glad some like the style though :)

Talie on

I love the fact that she is confident enough not to buy into expensive dresses just because of the price. Good for her and real intelligent women out there, who know how to look good on less. She also looks very good. Well done!

Trazey on

It reminds me of that toilet paper ad, where they make haute couture dresses from cottonelle or something lol

AdB on

The fit and impact of a dress are more important than its actual price.

Ginnifer looks great, more power to her for dressing well on less $$s

Leslee on

@Nacho

Instead simmering in your daily outrage, NO, “you” didn’t pay for this. White House Correspondent’s Dinner, repeat it slowly until you get the point it’s not a dinner hosted by the White House nor the government. It’s a fund raising event for their organization.

amy on

Is it me or does something about this picture make her look like she’s standing on stilts?

Cathy on

In regards to who pays for the dinner: Only WHCA members and their organizations are eligible to purchase tickets for the annual dinner. Proceeds from the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner go toward scholarships and awards that recognize aspiring and accomplished journalists.

Charlie on

Maybe is affordable for her, but reality is I (and I’m sure many other women too) can’t afford a dress with that price! I just went to a “fancy” wedding and managed to find a very nice dress (that was choosen as one of the best of the evening) for $21.50, now, that’s what I call affordable!

guest144 on

What a snooty comment, PEOPLE. I am offended enouth to cancel my subcription.

lisa on

She needs to grow some hair. Women who want to have men haircuts are not attractive.

How Awesome Is It That Ginnifer Goodwin Wore a $299 H&M Dress to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner? | The Blush on

[...] wanted something that was very earth-friendly,” Goodwin told People magazine on her way into the event. “That was [...]

Yvonne on

I’m not a fan of the dress but I admire that she “could” spend more like everyone else there and didn’t. That shows self control and common sense. I don’t get the people saying that it’s too much money for common people for an event like this. Really? You wouldn’t save up for a decent dress for a White House function? I suppose you’d go in something from Wal-mart then? Right…sure you would! Stop bashing her for that and her ears, my gosh. Let’s act like you all were taught some manners ladies.

DONNA on

I too would like to know who footed this luxurious fete..if it was the taxpayer I am pissed because we can not even afford the ” Economy Gown ” let alone the food that was wasted at that dinner..the little people are lucky to get bologna let alone prime rib….

Sher on

The hem is fraying, look a the strings hanging down, for $299 you should still get a dress that doesn’t fall apart!

Alexa on

I want that dress!!! Sooooo cute and I LOVE H&M!!

gma on

She looks adorable in that dress and how awesome to see someone in entertainment use some common sense. She looks one hundred percent better then many who spend a couple thousand for a purse. Congratulations, Ginnifer.

Observer in Canada on

So sad!

I love the gown and find that H & M has really nice clothes for a very reasonable price, and still look like designer clothing.

I agree that it is unfortunate that there have been comments on Ginnifer’s ears, but heavens, when I first saw the picture, I thought the same thing, that her ears are enormous! At this stage of celebrity, stars have stylists to tell them what looks good and what not, and it is unfortunate that Ginnifer’s stylist, or someone, did not tell her about her ears before the dinner.

It may well be that Ginnifer’s ears are not that big, but the pixie cut and her coloration, along with the color of the dress, have really highlighted the size of her ears.

Poor thing! Pictures last forever.

look on

Um, since when is a $300 dress NOT expensive. Seriously?

TC on

Why not, I say BRAVO TO HER, she looks great, no one would know and I don’t care, I think you don’t have to spend a million to get a million. Go Gennifer.

LadyLisa on

Ginnifer looks fabulous! The dress fits her personal style perfectly. Her pixie haircut looks great, with HER ears just as they are! I admire her for embracing what she was born with and not following the plastic surgery based, Hollywood “clones.” Shame on those of you that have decided that she should have an unnecessary surgical procedure to please you. It’s refreshing to see Ginnifer not cave in to such imperfect fools. The entertainment industry is filled with women who no longer look like themselves. There are so many with faces pulled tight, overblown fish lips, monstrous “boobs” and more bad fixes. Of course it’s their choice, but most of the time it’s done to impress someone else. By the way, she could have worn a dress that cost 4 or 5 figures, like most actresses, but she chose a more reasonably priced dress. It’s true that a lot of us are on super tight budgets, but “People” is always focused on stars and their extravagances. If an actress in a $299 dress offends some of you, on a web site that usually features gowns priced $10,000 and higher, perhaps you should find something else to read.

Dash on

Ginnifer was such a cute stylish girl in Big Love, she should go back to that look.

Samantha on

She looks like a wedding cake in that dress. Plus, it’s dry clean only. How eco-friendly is that?

Dottie C on

When did $299 become “affordable”?

JDoe on

“Earth friendly” dress ! That’s got to be about the goofiest thing I’ve heard in week !

You green zombies have just gone around the bend !

Bella on

Beautiful dress..
Beautiful Actress…

A full moon in Hollywood. on

[...] so divine. And I love that one of my new faves Ginnifer Goodwin wore a fabulous dress that was only $299 and from my favorite store, H&M:  In some favoritenesss… Chris Hemsworth. Makes getting into a cab look [...]

Stephenie on

you know i could get married in this dress. its sooo FIERCE

SM on

She looks great, but the dress is still too expensive for my budget! :)

nicole on

i love her. i think she is a great actress and she is so beautiful. Her short hair looks great. i think the dress suits her and koodos for not wasting a pile of money on a dress. and all the negative comments are people who are just jealous.

Sharon on

Why is it a sin to dry clean? I would never put a dress like that, or any other formal dress, in the washing machine anyway!

Jenny on

I wouldn’t pay over $2.99 for that monstrosity!

Shan on

Mimi is a meanie. :(

CARA on

She only looked like $2.99…let’s not get carried away.

TJ on

To Jessig – wrong! the site definately says $299 – not $549.

Nice choice Gennifer!

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