Charlize Theron has found a way to make classic suiting feel anything but predictable. The Oscar-winning actress stepped out in Malibu on September 18 wearing a crisp white suit with nothing underneath the blazer, turning a familiar power-dressing formula into one of her sleekest fashion moments of the year.
The occasion was significant, too. Theron hosted the opening night of Malibu Food & Wine at Saddlerock Ranch, with the evening held in support of the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project.
© Variety via Getty ImagesInstead of reaching for a gown or cocktail dress, Theron leaned into the tailoring that has increasingly become part of her style vocabulary.
Charlize Theron's White Suit Put a Sultry Twist on Tailoring
Theron's look centered on a relaxed white double-breasted blazer and coordinating trousers. She wore the jacket open and skipped a shirt, camisole, and visible bra underneath, allowing the sharp tailoring to do most of the work.
© Getty Images for Malibu Food & WThe white fabric and traditional suiting details gave the outfit a polished, almost minimalist quality, while the bare styling underneath added an unexpected edge. Rather than piling on accessories, Theron kept the rest of the look restrained.
She carried a forest-green leather clutch, adding a rich shot of color against the bright white suit, and finished the outfit with mixed-metal paperclip-style earrings in gold and silver. Her short blonde bob was tousled and swept into a side part.
© Getty Images for Malibu Food & WThe Look Came During a Meaningful Night for Charlize Theron
Theron's outfit may have delivered a major fashion moment, but the evening itself had a philanthropic focus.
The actress hosted Malibu Food & Wine's opening event at Saddlerock Ranch. The festival describes itself as a three-day destination event bringing together chefs, vintners and culinary creatives, with Theron's Friday-night event benefiting the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project.
© Getty Images for Malibu Food & WCTAOP was founded by Theron in 2007. The organization works with community-based partners to support the health and safety of young people in Southern Africa, while also running programs designed to support young leaders. South Africa remains the organization's primary geographic focus.
Theron was joined for the Malibu dinner by a lineup of culinary names including Andrew Zimmern, Bryan Voltaggio, Michael Voltaggio and festival co-founder Marcel Vigneron. Marine Layer Wines founder Baron Ziegler was also part of the evening.
Shirtless Suits Are Becoming a Charlize Theron Signature
This isn't Theron's first time experimenting with what goes underneath a blazer, or more accurately, what doesn't.
© Getty Images for Malibu Food & WAt the New York premiere of Apex in April 2026, she wore a black Dior suit without a conventional shirt. Instead, the actress paired the open blazer with a dramatic pleated white collar featuring long ties that fell over her bare torso. The suit came from Dior's Fall 2026 menswear collection.
That appearance took the no-shirt suit in a more theatrical direction.
© GC ImagesTheron has experimented with white suiting before, too. In October 2025, she attended a Givenchy show during Paris Fashion Week in a white suit styled with strands of jewelry over a black bra.
Go even further back, and white tailoring has been part of her red-carpet history for decades.
© Getty Images for Universal PictuDuring her Apex promotional appearances, she repeatedly played with jackets and menswear-inspired pieces, including her memorable black Dior premiere suit. Vogue has also documented her adventurous 2026 fashion run, which has included runway looks from designers such as Tom Ford during The Odyssey press tour.
