Julia Roberts thought she "was very extra" in her men's Armani suit at the 1990 Golden Globes. Little did she know that gray suits in similar sleek veins would become her signature on and off the red carpet. 35 years later, Summer 2026's Bermuda shorts trend gave Robert's "statement outfit" a modern, It girl twist.
On June 14, Roberts joined Jane Fonda, Lily Gladstone, and more at New York City's Town Hall for Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment. She took center stage in a slate gray matching set, beginning with knee-length shorts. Her pinstriped, straight-leg pair nailed today's Bermuda-short styling to a T. (Zendaya pulled off a similar Moschino look last March, except in a lighter shade of gray.) The brand behind Roberts's tailored Bermudas remains a mystery, but stylist Elizabeth Stewart scored the matching jacket, too.
At the 1990 Golden Globes, Roberts committed to the menswear bit with a white button-down and necktie. This time around, she dressed down her suiting with a graphic tee. Zoom in, and you'll see her pop-art T-shirt with Jane Fonda's face on it.
Roberts stacked Fonda's profile beneath a fitted gray blazer in the same monochrome, pinstripe print as her Bermuda shorts. Rolling up each sleeve kept its slim lapels and padded shoulders casual. The jacket's red, white, and blue lining implied it could be a patriotic pull from Thom Browne.
To finish, the Oscar winner accessorized with oversize hoop earrings, a couple of cocktail rings, and pointy black pumps.
Since her first Golden Globe win in 1990, Roberts has stocked up on gray suits of all shades and silhouettes: "Obviously, the suit is a theme in my life," she told Vogue in 2024. Every piece of her most recognizable set—including the baggy blazer, floral tie, and wide-leg trousers—remains in her archives. Still, her taste in tailoring has evolved over the years.
Another chic tailored look joined Roberts at Gucci's Spring 2024 show. Bermuda shorts made the rounds among Hailey Bieber and Gigi Hadid that year. But on Roberts, the circa-1920s silhouette took an elevated, wide-leg turn alongside her single-breasted blazer.
Two years later, Roberts maximized her hero item's masculine energy with help from New York City-based brand Salon 1884. She went full monochrome mode in a light gray Oxford, a razor-sharp blazer, and ultra-high-rise trousers. The Steel Magnolias star added texture to the singular color story with mismatched brooches pinned all over her navy blue tie.
Not only did Roberts help make suits a red carpet staple, but she was also ahead of the Bermuda shorts curve, too. Now, this year, fellow fashion muses like Salma Hayek Pinault, Demi Moore, Lindsay Lohan, and Zendaya finally followed her lead. Roberts didn't need runway shows from Balenciaga, McQueen, or Hermès to inspire her either. That's the mark of a true style trailblazer.
Shop the Bermuda Shorts Trend Inspired by Julia Roberts
