Dakota Johnson can embody a multitude of style personas, from rich woman on holiday to laidback street style and nearly naked red carpet glam. But sometimes you just can’t fight where you came from. A Los Angeles local (that Architectural Digest house tour is seared into my brain), Dakota is embracing the Malibu approach to everyday wear—think Paris Hilton-esque oversized sunglasses and a bottle of sparkling water. (In other words, the true workout essentials.)
While her fall, wardrobe has leaned on classic jeans and loafers, it’s good to see her return to the L.A. athleisure uniform. There’s nothing like a Barbie-pink sports bra to remind us that the spirit of the noughties starlet lives on. Swapping out the “normal person” wardrobe and forgoing the Madame Web catsuits, this is a clean girl look that has me queuing up Stars Are Blind and revisiting 2005 Lindsay Lohan pap shots.
Despite her off-duty relatability, respect must be paid to Johnson’s press-facing wardrobe, which is brimming with Boucheron and fresh-off-the-runway Valentino, having recently reconnected to become the face of the label under designer Alessandro Michele, following their past Gucci partnership.
It can’t be denied that athleisure has had a bit of a moment, though; whether it’s Kendall, Hailey, et al in Alo or Amal Clooney’s more glamorous take, and Adanola breaking from IYKYK status to it-girl go-to.
And, of course, it would be remiss to write anything about Dakota Johnson without acknowledging that immaculate haircut, which seems to have remained perfectly intact for over a decade. Perhaps it’s the L.A. air, perhaps it’s the Pilates, or perhaps it’s just a prerequisite of being a Hollywood superstar. Hard to say and even harder to replicate—but, in the meantime, I’ll be digging out my giant shades and Pepto-Bismol-pink sports bra for my next stint at Orangetheory.