Drew Barrymore is remembering her first years in the entertainment industry.

The actress spoke with Ross Mathews and fashion designer Christian Siriano about the dress she wore to her first Academy Awards on a recent edition of The Drew Barrymore Show.

Drew Barrymore’s 1982 pink tulle gown with a pearl necklace and white faux fur stole, which she wore to the Oscars shortly after starring in her first role as Gertie in E.T., is one of Siriano’s all-time favorite Oscars looks.

“Now, I’m going to transport you back to 1982, when this gorgeous, stunning – you might recognize her, she’s pretty charming – um, Drew Barrymore,” Siriano said, kicking off Barrymore’s flashback scene.

That is timeless. I ask Drew, “Are those real, girl? I mean, wow,” as she enters the Oscars in her tiny fake fur and the biggest pearls.

Barrymore started thinking about the history of the garment as soon as the fashion designer brought up the incident, emphasizing its significance to the audience.

“My mother was a working mother who was single. It was 1982, and I was a child, so we didn’t make much money off of E.T., barely any, she recalled, adding, “We bought it off the rack, and that was the look.”

Ross Mathews, a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, instantly added, “And now it’s iconic.”

For the reopening of People StyleWatch as a digital edition, Barrymore looked back at 20 years of her eye-catching outfits. She remarked that her passion of fashion dates back to her childhood on film sets, where she would learn from costume designers about what it takes to make clothes seem beautiful.

“I grew up in tailoring houses, watching how people cut things, tailor them, and change them based on what was appropriate for that decade or what was better for that person’s body type,” Barrymore said. It’s a way of life for me, says the speaker.

Her best piece of advice is to stick with silhouettes and patterns that are true to who you are, regardless of trends.

“Don’t get stuck; do what works best for you and your body, and set your own rules,” she said. “Because, ultimately, if you’re not comfortable, you’re distracted. You want to feel powerful and emancipated, after all.