Elizabeth Olsen Admits to ‘Mortifying’ Hygiene Habit from Her Younger Years
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Elizabeth Olsen, best known for bringing Wanda Maximoff — the Scarlet Witch — to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has opened up about a personal habit from her youth that she now finds “mortifying.”
In a candid 2021 interview with SiriusXM, the Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actress revealed that as a teenager, she often wore secondhand clothes without washing them first. Olsen said the practice stemmed from wanting to emulate the effortlessly cool style of her older sisters, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, whose vintage-inspired fashion was iconic during their days as teen stars.
“I used to just buy these amazing secondhand pieces and wear them straight away,” Olsen admitted. “Now, I’m mortified thinking about it.”
The revelation was first reported by Cheat Sheet on January 29, 2021, which also linked to the original SiriusXM interview. While Olsen laughs about the habit now, she made it clear it’s something firmly in her past.
The actress, who began performing alongside her sisters at age four, has long been influenced by their fashion sensibilities. Even today, Olsen gravitates toward vintage clothing. In a September 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), fan account @ECOlsenUpdates quoted her as saying much of her wardrobe consists of “vintage pieces I’ve collected over the years,” often blazers and button-ups from the ’80s and ’90s. Unlike her earlier years, there’s an unspoken assumption that these garments now get a proper wash before making their way into her closet.
For fans, the anecdote offers a glimpse into Olsen’s down-to-earth and self-aware personality — a reminder that even Hollywood stars have habits they’d rather leave behind. It also underscores a broader narrative about personal growth, especially for celebrities who have spent much of their lives in the public eye.
From her humble beginnings in Sherman Oaks, California, to headlining billion-dollar Marvel films and acclaimed projects like WandaVision, Olsen’s journey has been marked by both professional triumphs and personal reflection. And if that means laughing off an old laundry oversight, she seems more than happy to share the story.
If you’d like, I can also create a short, punchy entertainment-news version of this for social media, tailored for maximum shareability. That could lean into the humor of “Elizabeth Olsen wore thrift clothes without washing them” while linking back to her continued love of vintage style.
