Jessica Alba has long mastered the art of “California cool,” balancing her roles as a Hollywood actress and global business mogul with a wardrobe that prioritizes comfort without sacrificing style.
During a family outing in Los Angeles in July 2023—shortly after returning from a high-profile trip to the French Open with daughter Honor Marie—Alba proved that the “ugly sandal” trend remains a reliable staple for women constantly on the move.
While Honor did not join this particular dinner outing, Alba stepped out with her husband, Cash Warren, and their two younger children, Hayes and Haven, showing once again how effortlessly her laid-back, coordinated family style comes together.
Jessica Alba steps out for dinner with husband Cash Warren and their children in Los Angeles on July 1, 2023, wearing a relaxed all-black outfit styled with casual two-strap sandals (Credit: Thecelebrityfinder / BauerGriffin / INSTARimages)
The actress and businesswoman showed a hint of cleavage in a fitted black tank top, which she paired with loose-fitting black pants fastened with a drawstring tie at the front.
She layered the relaxed look under an unbuttoned blue-and-white striped shirt and finished the summer ensemble with a pair of black Birkenstock Monterey leather sandals—an elevated take on the ever-popular “ugly sandal” trend.
To elevate the understated look, Alba accessorized with large silver hoop earrings and a chunky silver chain necklace. She went for natural-looking makeup and let her honey-colored tresses fall in natural waves around her shoulders.
Jessica Alba dons a stylishly casual look, pairing a black tank top with black drawstring pants, an unbuttoned striped shirt, and two-strapped ugly sandals (Credit: Thecelebrityfinder / BauerGriffin / INSTARimages)
The Idle Hands star carried her day’s essentials in an Altuzarra Watermill caged straw tote with rope handles slung over her right arm while holding her youngest child’s hand in the other.
Hayes sported a black Johnny Cash graphic tee, navy jeans, white sneakers, and a gray hoodie.
Haven, who was following closely behind her dad, contrasted her younger sibling’s outfit by opting for a white printed tee with baggy white patchwork-style jeans, white sneakers, and a coordinating hoodie wrapped around her waist.
Alba’s husband, Cash Warren, also kept things casual in a dark gray hooded jacket worn over a white tee and khaki pants.
Jessica Alba heads to dinner in Los Angeles with husband Cash Warren and their children on July 1, 2023, while the rest of the family keeps things casual in sneakers and hoodies (Credit: Thecelebrityfinder / BauerGriffin / INSTARimages)
A few days before their family day out, Alba shared photos on Instagram of herself with her two “favorite girls” at Baby2Baby, packing essentials for refugee families.
“Since inception, Baby2Baby has distributed over 300 million basic essentials to children living in poverty across the country. And just this week, they were recognized as one of TIME’s 100 most influential companies of 2023.”
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Ugly Sandals, Elevated: Why the “Dad Sandal” Trend Still Works
From Jessica Alba’s comfort-first two-strap pair to runway-backed flatforms and designer quilted dad sandals, “ugly” sandals keep proving they’re not a phase—they’re a styling shortcut.
If you want more outfit formulas, celebrity examples, and trend context, keep reading for our favorite ugly-sandal moments across Your Next Shoes.
👡 Explore “Ugly Sandals” & Dad-Sandal Style Moments on Your Next Shoes:
- 🖤 Blake Lively turns errands into a style moment in Chanel’s quilted dad sandals—a quiet-luxury take on the chunky, comfort-first silhouette that made “ugly sandals” mainstream.
- 🧥 How Irina Shayk styles Burberry flatforms—a high-fashion street-style lesson in pairing heavy textures with platform “ugly” sandals.
- 🥾 Kendall Jenner mixes ’90s archetypes with chunky slides—featuring an “ugly sandal” silhouette from Alias Mae that anchors her off-duty look.
- 🛒 Vanessa Hudgens embraces the ugly shoe trend with lug-sole sandals—a boho outfit made deliberately cooler (and more polarizing) with chunky, thick-strapped sandals.
- 🌼 Elle Fanning’s floral set + Birkenstocks “ugly sandals” moment—a throwback street-style look that proves the comfort-sandal formula has staying power.
- 📚 5 ugly shoe trends you need to embrace this summer—an evergreen roundup covering Birkenstocks, pool slides, gladiator sandals, and more clunky “ugly-chic” staples.
- 🩴 Birkenstock’s most popular sandal styles—a practical guide to the comfort-sandal icons that helped define the “ugly sandal” era.
- 💸 Tony Bianco’s affordable alternative to Chanel dad sandals—a shopping-angle piece for readers who want the look without the luxury price tag.