Hilary Duff looks phenomenal in metallic chainmail dress for show-stopping AMAs return


Hilary Duff made her first appearance at the American Music Awards in 21 years, and she looked incredible in a silver metallic chainmail dress


photo of hilary duff smiling in silver dress amas© Getty Images
Jenni McKnight
Jenni McKnightUS Lifestyle Editor
5 hours ago
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Hilary Duff certainly knows how to make an entrance after her show-stopping return to the American Music Awards on May 25.

The singer and actress, 38, made her first appearance at the event in 21 years, and she arrived looking every inch the star that she is.

Hilary looked incredible in a silver metallic Rabanne gown that skimmed her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit-worthy physique.

The striking chainmail dress featured a plunging sweetheart neckline and a subtle slit that exposed her matching silver open-toe stilettos.

Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Hilary Duff is revealed as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover star

Hilary let her dress do all the talking and kept the rest of her look understated, opting for a bouncy blowout and minimal makeup, with fluttery eyelashes, a flush of color on her cheeks, and a glossy lip.

2026 has already been quite the year for Hilary, who made her musical comeback after a decade away with her acclaimed album luck…or something, followed by a sold-out headlining tour. 

hilary duff silver dress© Getty Images
Hilary looked incredible in her Rabanne chainmail dress

She also gave the commencement speech at Northeastern University and was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people of 2026.

If that wasn't enough, Hilary was also one of four cover stars on the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, for which she wore a plunging one-piece white swimsuit.

photo of hilary duff walking on red carpet silver dress amas© Getty Images
Hilary wore matching silver stilettos

"I can look at my body now and appreciate all the things it has done for me," she told the publication. "I no longer find that I am constantly comparing myself – and that is a better place to exist."

However, she did have some boundaries for the photoshoot, one of which was a ban on bikinis.

Hilary Duff in a bikini© Instagram
Hilary refused to wear a bikini for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

Speaking with Kylie Kelce on her Not Gonna Lie podcast on May 14, she detailed her early conversations with the magazine's team, noting: "It was great to have conversations with them and be like, 'Hey, I'm not going to wear a bikini.'

"Like, I have had four kids. I feel comfortable showing this. I don't feel comfortable showing this. And they're like, 'Got it. Got it. Got it,'" she added.

Hilary then gushed about the mostly female team that made the photoshoot and cover possible, including makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan and photographer Kat Irlin.

Hilary Duff looked fabulous in a sequin mini dress and knee high boots during her Las Vegas show © Instagram
Hilary is enjoying a musical comeback

"The editor-in-chief is incredible. The photographer was who I wanted. It got to be my whole styling team, my hair and makeup," she shared, adding: "They wanted me to feel my best."

Hilary also opened up about the photoshoot and process during an appearance on Wednesday, May 20, on The Jennifer Hudson Show, noting it was a "crazy" phone call to receive, especially as she was in the car doing school pick-up for her kids.

Hilary Duff appears on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" airing May 20, 2026 in Burbank, California© Getty Images
Hilary is having a great 2026

"When I think of that I think of a supermodel and a long-legged person, I'm 5'2" so that's just silly," she said of her reaction, adding that her first instinct was to hang up on the call.

"After I had the information and the official ask it took me a few days and it was like, I like things that scare me, I like a good challenge and I was like, okay, that means I have like six months to get in rip-roaring shape," she further shared.

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