Eva Mendes© Getty Images

Eva Mendes reminisces on wearing her abuela's jewelry and a $15 vintage dress

The Cuban-American star glammed up for the Toronto International Film Festival


UPDATED NOVEMBER 27, 2019 10:24 AM EST

Eva Mendes has proven that style has no price. The 45-year-old star took to social media to share a throwback picture of her first time at the Toronto International Film Festival rocking a vintage dress that only set her back $15. That’s right! Next to the pic of Eva looking gorgeous and glam in a fitted, coral and white floral number, the Cuban-American beauty wrote a caption revealing she dressed herself and stunned sans a stylist for the star-studded event.

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Eva looked gorgeous as ever wearing a $15 vintage dress at TIFF in 2005

“My first time at TIFF. No stylist. Dressed myself. This vintage dress cost me like $15,” she wrote. “My own bag and jewelry. I wasn’t doing a 'red carpet pose.' No I don’t long for that time, I just liked the simplicity of it all,” she added. In the throwback, Ryan Gosling’s lady flaunts a tiny waist, and she wears her hair up in her signature updo with long, side-swept bangs.

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The mother-of-two opted for shiny gold earrings which further elevated her chic look. And speaking of earrings, the actress turned fashion designer further reminisced about her past days at TIFF and her vintage style. The Hitch star highlighted her grandmother’s jewelry proving that some pieces never go out of style.

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The Cuban-American beauty accessorized with her grandmother's jewelry

“Years later at TIFF again. Wearing abuela’s earrings and ring that I’ll treasure forever,” she wrote next to a close up image of herself about to blow a kiss. The gold baubles pair perfectly with her lacy ensemble and add a touch of vintage style to her modern-day look. Eva’s love for timeless style and ladylike pieces is showcased in her designs. Taking a break from acting, the mother-of-two has been dividing her time between motherhood and designing for her clothing and accessories line for New York & Company.

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In an interview back in March, Eva explained to People how family memories and clothing have always played a part in her life. “Whatever special occasion holds a dear place in my heart, I usually remember what I was wearing or what my mother was wearing or my sisters,” she shared.

She added, “When I was really little, my mom worked at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. We would ride the bus to go to work, [and] I’d go to work with her. She would wear this red geisha gown that you had to wear at that time, and it was so beautiful. There’s so many memories tied to that.”