Comfort is key when it concerns Dakota Johnson’s theater style. Last night in London, Johnson sticked to the basics to attend a performance of Jeremy O. Harris’s Slave Play.
Cloaked in all-black, the actor stepped out to Noel Coward Theatre in the city’s West End district to soak in Harris’s buzzy production. Johnson wore an oversize double breasted jacket that she paired with a white t-shirt and matching dress pants. She slung a sleek black shoulder bag over her shoulder. Instead of a more formal shoe to match her monochrome tailoring, Johnson slipped into a pair of chunky Dad sneakers that featured a silver and white color way. The actor topped off her outfit with a natural makeup look, her signature brunette bangs, and dainty silver earrings.
There’s been a recent shift among the once high-glam genre of celebrity theater style—a change that perfectly meshes with Johnson’s usual pared-back wardrobe. Just ask Kaia Gerber who wore a cropped slogan tee during a Broadway date night with her boyfriend Austin Butler. The Elvis actor also dressed down in a baseball cap and a black shirt. Even Zendaya—who, like Johnson, also caught Harris’s Slave Play this month—veered on the more casual side of things.
In early July, the Challengers actor stepped out to the Noel Coward Theatre in a simple satin skirt, riding boots, and a green knit top. For someone the public is used to seeing in elaborate red carpet gowns, Zendaya’s theater style proved to be a stark departure from her usual style. Even if her top was, in fact, John Galliano-era Dior.
While the two actors clearly took different approaches to their respective outfits—Johnson, for her part, looked like an off-duty Oxford professor—there’s a through-line of comfort that’s evident in their fashion choices. And since they weren’t tasked with stepping onto a red carpet—and, truly, those theater seats are severely lacking in leg space—who wouldn’t want to wear an elasticized skirt or baggy trousers?
