THE STYLE OF ANASTASIA STEELE, AS PLAYED BY DAKOTA JOHNSON, IN 50 SHADES OF GREY

Fifty shades of Grey hit cinema screens earlier this year, released just before Valentines Day. For a book that holds so much acclaim as a sexy, raunchy tale exploring BDSM fantasies, you may have expected sultry and provocative costume choices throughout the movie. However, the character of Anastasia Steele, played by Dakota Johnson, is not one for revealing or stimulating outfits. Rather, when she first meets Christian Grey she is dressed in a subdued way.

Here we see her wearing a loose fitting floral blouse with a boyish cardigan over the top. She looks more like a dowdy librarian than a sex goddess. Here, Anastasia is more of a young girl than a woman. However, we do see her wearing some more sexy outfits throughout the movie. Although she does not transform completely and become a bold seductress, there are ways in which she keeps Christian Grey interested and hot under the collar, without changing completely. Her subtle changes make her become a feminine, self-aware woman.

THE GREEN DRESS

Christian Grey surprises Anastasia in the Savannah. Here, although she still looks quite young and innocent, this outfit is a lot racier than what we have seen in their first meeting. The dress is floaty and feminine, enhancing her shape, not covering it up. The green color is very striking, drawing attention to her dark hair and milky skin tone. What is most seductive about this dress is the triangle top half. Here, we can see that she is not wearing a bra as her breasts sit freely underneath the clothing. What could tempt Christian more than the idea that Anastasia is not wearing anything underneath the dress?

THE PEACH DRESS

This dress is worn when Anastasia has dinner with Christian’s parents. She is wearing something girlish, elegant and appropriate, whilst at the same time still being suggestive and enticing. The light, soft material drapes over her body, drawing attention to her beautiful figure. The dress ties at the neck, highlighting the area of the body that could be held tightly during BDSM fantasies, or kissed erotically. The dress then brushes over her breasts, making them a focal point, emphasizing her sexuality whilst still maintaining a look of innocence. The dress is not too short, but not long- is reaches her mid-thighs, allowing Christian to squeeze and caress her upper thighs secretly under the dinner table. Due to the light, flowing nature of the dress, when Anastasia spins around to give Christian a better look, he is treated to his own private viewing of what lays beneath her dress as the skirt lifts up around her waist.

THE GRADUATION DRESS

Finally, there is the graduation dress. This outfit was true to the book, as E.L. James believed that the fans would really appreciate seeing this costume choice. The dress is grey and quiet, however, the style of the dress still allows it to be seductive and inviting. The shape of the dress is reminiscent of the famous Marilyn Monroe white halter dress. The top half has two thick straps, joining in a halter at the neck, perfectly cupping and shaping the breasts. Further attention is drawn to the chest area by the use of materials, as the translucent halter straps sit over a strapless top half, offering a glimpse of a bare chest area. The dress then comes in with a thick band at the waist, emphasizing Dakota’s petite frame, before lightly flaring out with an A-line skirt finishing above the knee. The outfit is subtly sexy, and we see that Dakota has become a shade of grey.