Julia Roberts’ Tailoring Masterclass: How Footwear Redefines Her Signature Suits

Julia Roberts has never relied on gowns alone to command a red carpet. Instead, she’s built a signature around sharply tailored suits—reworking them across years, cities, and dress codes with subtle but deliberate shifts in footwear.

From the crisp monochrome minimalism of her 2016 Mother’s Day premiere look in Los Angeles to the playful, menswear-inflected tailoring she embraced during her 2022 Gaslit press tour in New York, Roberts proves that the real styling power lies in how you finish the suit.

Sometimes that means grounding bold color with masculine oxfords; other times, it’s about sharpening a relaxed silhouette with classic stilettos. Together, these moments trace a through line in her wardrobe: tailoring as the constant, shoes as the mood-setter.

In April 2022, while in New York City for the premiere of the political thriller Gaslit, the actress leaned into menswear-inspired silhouettes, alternating between classic oxfords and sharp stilettos to anchor her suits.

Julia Roberts portrays Martha Mitchell, the wife of John N. Mitchell, who was the United States Attorney General under President Richard Nixon (Credit: Starz)

During a guest appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the tall American actress discussed her portrayal of Martha Mitchell, the flamboyant socialite who became a whistleblower during the Watergate scandal.

“What is fascinating about her was that she was so outrageous given her position,” Roberts told Colbert. “She was supposed to be glamorous and quiet, but she was glamorous and loud. She was a pioneer for women speaking their mind.”

Sunshine Tailoring Meets Masculine Edge: Lafayette 148 Suit with Oxford Shoes (2022)

For her arrival at the Ed Sullivan Theater, Roberts wore a custom-tailored, sunshine-yellow three-piece suit by Lafayette 148 New York.

Julia Roberts is seen arriving in a custom Lafayette 148 New York suit and black lace-up Oxford shoes at “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” at the Ed Sullivan Theater on April 18, 2022, in New York (Credit: Janet Mayer/ Startraksphoto)

The bold pastel hue was grounded by her choice of footwear: black lace-up oxford loafers with a sturdy block heel.

Julia Roberts celebrated Easter in a yellow suit by American fashion house Lafayette 148 New York (Credit: Janet Mayer/ Startraksphoto)

The choice of a masculine shoe helped balance the suit’s vibrant, feminine color, creating a look that felt both functional and editorial.

It was hard to miss the actress in her sunshine-yellow three-piece suit, which complemented her auburn hair.

Relaxed Gucci Tailoring with Classic Stilettos: A Playful Take on the Shorts Suit (2022)

Fast forward to that evening, and Roberts walked the red carpet at the New York premiere for her new limited series, Gaslit.

Roberts takes the lead role in the show, playing Martha Mitchell, the first person to speak out about Richard Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate scandal.

Sean Penn, Julia Roberts, Dan Stevens, and Betty Gilpin attend the premiere of “Gaslit” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on April 18, 2022, in New York City (Credit: Roger Wong / Instarimages)

The limited television series is based on the first season of the podcast Slow Burn by American journalist Leon Neyfakh. She appeared on the red carpet beside her Gaslit co-star, Sean Penn.

Julia Roberts plays celebrity Arkansan socialite Martha Mitchell, wife to Nixon’s loyal Attorney General, John N. Mitchell, played by Sean Penn (Credit: Starz)

Julia Roberts stepped out for the series premiere wearing a three-piece suit from Gucci’s Pre-Fall 2022 collection. It was a more understated look than her earlier custom yellow suit and put a quirky twist on a menswear staple.

Julia Roberts sharpens her menswear-inspired Gucci Pre-Fall 2022 shorts suit with sleek black pointed-toe pumps, adding polish to the relaxed tailoring as she poses with Gaslit co-star Sean Penn at the New York premiere (Credit: Roger Wong / Instarimages)

The loose open collar on the crisp white shirt, mid-length shorts, and classic black stilettoes add a fun New York feel to the look.

While she kept her footwear minimalistic, the statement piece for Roberts’ outfit was an oversized diamond brooch and 18k white gold earrings from Chopard’s Precious Lace and Rd Carpet collections.

Julia Roberts flashes her signature smile at the premiere of her American political thriller limited television series Gaslit (Credit: John Nacion / Startraksphoto)

Her outfit complemented the classic black suit of her Gaslit co-star, Sean Penn. Their matching white shirts and tailored suits set the tone of their new political drama. Her black heels tied their two looks together for the red carpet event.

Crisp Monochrome Precision: Rag & Bone Shorts Suit with Zanotti Pumps (2016)

This penchant for the “shorts suit” is a recurring theme in Roberts’ wardrobe history. In April 2016, she used a similar silhouette for the world premiere of the romantic comedy Mother’s Day at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Julia Roberts wears her hair back at the world premiere of “Mother’s Day” held on April 13, 2016, at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles (Credit: FayesVision / Brian To / WENN)

While her 2022 New York look leaned toward Gucci’s eclectic styling, her Los Angeles appearance was a study in crisp, monochrome minimalism.

She arrived in a tailored white shorts suit by Rag & Bone, trading the heavy oxfords of her New York press tour for a more traditional red-carpet heel.

Julia Roberts sharpens a minimalist white shorts suit with a crisp black button-down and sleek pointed-toe pumps, creating a clean, high-contrast take on modern tailoring at the Mother’s Day premiere (Credit: WENN)

The actress decided to embrace her inner “Pretty Woman,” showing off her slim legs in white shorts. Julia teamed the shorts with a matching blazer and a button-up black shirt underneath.

A closer look at Julia Roberts’ polished styling reveals softly tousled hair, natural makeup, and a sharply tailored blazer layered over a structured black shirt for subtle contrast (Credit: WENN)

Emma Roberts’ aunt painted her nails black and wore a pair of Jack Vartanian earrings and black Giuseppe Zanotti heels. She styled her hair in a chic updo with face-framing strands and kept her makeup simple with pink lipstick.

From every angle, the streamlined silhouette of Roberts’ tailored set is elevated by classic black stilettos, adding height and refinement to the relaxed, leg-baring proportions (Credit: WENN)

Julia’s Giuseppe Zanotti “Lucrezia” pumps feature ostrich-embossed leather, pointed toes, and about four-inch heels.

Her black pointed-toe pumps feature a slim stiletto heel and low-cut vamp, elongating the foot and delivering a sharp, leg-lengthening finish against the bold red carpet (Credit: WENN)

How Julia Roberts Uses Shoes to Reframe Tailoring—Then and Now

If these looks prove anything, it’s that Julia Roberts doesn’t just wear suits—she redefines them through her footwear. From grounding bold color with masculine oxfords to sharpening relaxed silhouettes with sleek pointed pumps, her choices consistently shift the mood of tailoring without ever losing its structure. It’s this subtle interplay—between softness and sharpness, ease and precision—that makes her approach feel both timeless and quietly subversive.

For a deeper look at how she continues to evolve this formula across red carpets and press tours, explore more of her standout shoe and fashion moments below.