The talented and beautiful Dakota Johnson plays the role of Anne Elliot in Netflix’s latest adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

In a recent interview, Marianne Agertoft, the movie’s costume designer, revealed a secret about Johnson’s wardrobe that might surprise some viewers.

Netflix’s Persuasion is set in England’s Regency Era, but it does not stick to the traditional pale palette of the time.

Instead, the film features rich, vibrant jewel tones.

Similarly, Anne Elliot’s wardrobe consists of period-appropriate dresses with flared collars reminiscent of Patti Smith’s style.

She also wears combat boots popular in today’s fashion.

The unconventional choices do not stop there; even her undergarments are men’s underwear.

In an interview with Vogue, Agertoft said, “We decided that Anne would wear men’s underwear because women at that time didn’t really have underwear.” Anne Elliot’s underwear was inspired by the loose type of knee-length trousers suspended from the waist that men wore in the army during the early 19th century.

Johnson felt comfortable wearing them.

For those unfamiliar with men’s underwear from the early 19th century, The Conversation explains that bifurcated drawers were used, which had separate legs and were crotchless.

This design made relieving oneself more manageable.

Women did not have closed-crotched underwear until the middle of the century, and by the early 1900s, women’s attire included several types of undergarments.

Although Johnson is known for playing Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades franchise, she has worn even less in Persuasion.

Her portrayal of Austen’s heroine often involves stomping around in combat boots and, now, wearing men’s underwear.

However, Agertoft notes that Johnson still had to wear the era’s dreadfully uncomfortable corsets.

In her previous role, Johnson had to glue her underwear (in this case, a strapless thong) to her body for her intimate scenes with Jamie Dornan.

“I had these sort of strapless thongs that had glue on them,” Johnson said.

“It’s not glue, but it’s sticky…” She even had to have the underwear superglued to her body because the adhesive would wear out.

Despite all this, Johnson admitted that the scenes never got easier.

Following the Fifty Shades franchise, Johnson made a cameo in 2020’s The Nowhere Inn alongside Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent).

In the film, Johnson wears an elaborate piece of lingerie that is suspenders-themed.

Overall, Persuasion’s unconventional choices in costumes and undergarments are refreshing and add an interesting layer to Austen’s classic work.

Johnson’s portrayal of Anne Elliot is refreshing and empowering, and her fans can’t wait to see more of her unique choices in future roles.