Zendaya and Dakota Johnson Revive Coastal Grandmother Spring Staples

The Manhattan-to-Hamptons dress code is back in its sharpest, most useful form: a trench coat over linen, a slip dress with a cardigan, flats that feel deliberate instead of dainty. Zendaya and Dakota Johnson have made coastal grandmother look less like a mood board and more like a wardrobe system, one that moves easily from a city morning to a seaside weekend without losing polish.

Why this spring formula keeps winning

Coastal grandmother started as a TikTok shorthand, coined and popularized by Lex Nicoleta in a video posted on March 29, 2022, but it spread because the clothes made immediate sense. The aesthetic is built on comfort with polish, which is why it felt like a direct rebuttal to the low-rise, cutout-heavy fashion that was still hovering in the background when the trend took off. Nancy Meyers films, especially *Something’s Gotta Give*, gave it the cinematic backdrop, and Martha Stewart became its most recognizable real-life reference point, even if she made clear she does not fully fit the fantasy: “I could never be in those [Nancy Meyers] movies. I work every day! I’m not retired yet.”

What keeps the look alive is that it reads as aspiration without looking costume-y. It suggests salt air, clean tailoring, and a calendar full of lunches, not a life built around trying to look young. That is exactly why the celebrity versions landing now feel so effective: they are not loud reinventions, just cleaner, more wearable versions of clothes people already understand.

The six outfit equations to copy

The easiest way to wear the trend is to think in formulas, not full outfits. Each one relies on pieces that can already live in a working wardrobe, with one or two strategic buys to sharpen the line.

• Trench coat + white linen skirt + black loafers. Zendaya’s airport look made this pairing feel immediately current, especially with The Row’s sold-out Lili Skirt in the mix. The trench gives structure, the skirt brings air, and the loafers keep the whole thing grounded enough for real life.

• Slip dress + cardigan + ballet flats. This is the Dakota Johnson formula at its most useful. A simple midi slip becomes daytime once you soften it with a cardigan and flatten the heel, which makes the look feel edited rather than dressed up.

• Slip dress + sweater + ballet flats. Johnson’s Rome outfit proved how little you need to make the formula work. The sweater adds warmth and a bit of textural contrast, while ballet flats preserve that unfussy, almost hotel-lobby elegance.

• Trench coat + slip dress + loafers. This version is for spring weather that cannot make up its mind. The trench acts like a frame around the softer dress beneath it, and the loafers keep the silhouette crisp enough for the city, the airport, or a dinner reservation by the water.

• Tomato-red cardigan + neutral base + simple shoes. Gigi Hadid’s bright knit moment, tied to her Guest in Residence label, proves that coastal grandmother does not have to stay in beige, oatmeal, and sand. One saturated red layer is enough if the rest of the outfit stays calm and clean.

• Relaxed tailoring + polished flats + quietly luxe accessories. This is the underlying architecture of the whole aesthetic. The clothes should skim, not cling; the accessories should look practical, not precious. Think of this as the difference between looking styled and looking settled.

The fabrics that make the look believable

The appeal of coastal grandmother has always been tactile. Linen matters because it moves and breathes, which is why Zendaya’s skirt feels so right next to a trench. Slip dresses bring that liquid drape that reads as easy in the daytime and expensive at night, while cardigans and sweaters add a softer hand so the outfit never slips into overt glamour.

This is also where the styling gets smarter than a trend tag. Ballet flats and loafers are not just cute alternatives to a heel; they are what make the look practical enough to wear on a plane, to lunch in Central Park, or from a New York City cab to a late table by the coast. The silhouette stays polished, but the body gets to move.

Why the color story now includes red

For all the affection for sea-glass neutrals and sun-faded whites, spring 2026 is not purely hushed. Gigi Hadid’s tomato-red cardigan gave the season a louder pulse, and it works precisely because it is the exception, not the rule. Coastal grandmother looks best when one piece speaks up and everything else keeps its voice low.

That split, between quiet neutrals and one vivid color-pop statement, is what makes the trend feel modern instead of nostalgic. It lets you wear a white skirt, a pale slip dress, or a soft cardigan without disappearing into beige sameness. The result is a spring wardrobe that feels composed, travels well, and looks expensive in motion, which is exactly why it keeps finding its way back into the frame.