Style Expert (and mom) Jené Luciani on Bras and “Barbie” Shoes
Jené Luciani is my kinda girl – she’s a fellow mom (we must stick together!), an author (The Bra Book) and a style expert (she’s been on The Today Show and is regularly in Life & Style Weekly). What else? She outgrew her shoe closet. Hello, instant friends. This summer, Jené will appear in a new show on Bravo called Mad Fashion.
I Heart Heels: I want to hear more about Bravo’s Mad Fashion! Sounds like fun!
Jené Luciani: The show is a spin-off of Project Runway, starring fan favorite Chris March, best known for his outlandish but amazing designs and his team of “fashion misfits.” It’s airing this summer. An entire episode will be about me and my book, The Bra Book, but that’s really all I can tell you right now. You’ll just have to watch what happens!
IHH: Since you wrote The Bra Book and are a bra guru, can you tell us all how to find a bra to wear under garments that doesn’t show? I always have a problem with lines!
JL: It really depends on the type of top and that’s why you should have a basic rotation of bras so you have the best one to fit every item in your closet. If we’re speaking in general terms, a molded cup “t-shirt bra” in nude (or a color as close to your skin tone as possible) will likely be the most inconspicuous under almost everything. You can skip the white bras; they show under almost everything!
IHH: Did you really wear a couture bra dress last month to a bra party? (Sorry, I read too much Glamour.com!)
JL: Oh yes, I was in Star Magazine right next to Chloe Sevigny and “featured” in Cosmo in this dress! I got to be on the “other side” of things for once. The party was for the launch of the “digital” version of The Bra Book, and the dress was created especially for me.
IHH: You’re an “Oops What Were They Thinking” commentator for Life & Style, so what’s a big shoe faux pas you’ve seen lately?
JL: It’s hard to have a faux pas with shoes because I really appreciate almost any style out there! When I became pregnant with my daughter, nothing else fit, so I became obsessed with buying shoes. But I digress, the biggest shoe pas lately had to have been a pair of white vinyl thigh-high boots I believe Nicki Minaj recently wore. They were “UGG,” but not UGGs.
IHH: Last, but certainly not least! Tell me about being a new mom…do you love it? Are there days when you just throw on sweatpants and go? (Please say you do this, too!)
JL: Of course! I only have a babysitter two days per week and try to schedule all my shoots, appointments and meetings on those days. So the rest of the time I am a work-from-home mom in my Juicy Couture tracksuits like everyone else.
Last September, when I did a bus stop “Mommy Makeover” for The Today Show, Hoda Kotb asked me if it’s possible moms can still be comfortable and look chic. I started by saying I am just like every other mom out there, spending 90 percent of my time covered in spit-up. The point is that you can be the most fashionable person out there, but when you’re a mom, you have to be practical, too. I just try to balance out that comfort with wearing what makes me feel good because I think it’s easy for women to get stuck in a “sweats rut.” So I invest in a lot of leggings, flowy tops and cute flats – that’s an easy go-to outfit that’s just as comfy as sweats! And, of course, the ubiquitous Juicy tracksuits – I don’t care how much people hate these, I own one in every color.
IHH: Ok, ok. One more question! What’s in your shoe closet?? :)
JL: Well, my shoes had overgrown my closet and taken over two other closets (including the one in my daughter’s nursery), so my husband recently built me a shoe rack that goes onto the back of our bedroom door. At least I can now see what I have – that was the hardest thing!
I have a few pairs of trusty go-to Louboutins that are my “basics” and go with everything. I also have Tory Burch Reva flats in almost every color and Delman ballet flats in several colors, too (see a pattern here?). I just got a new pair of suede fringed Jimmy Choos (at the outlet) that I’ve been loving for spring and wearing to death. I also have several pairs of pink – what I call my “Barbie” shoes – because they are just very me (if you look at my Web site and book cover, you’ll see I like pink) One is a sparkly peep-toe pair from Betsey Johnson, another pair are YSL Tributes and the third are pointy Kate Spades. Oh, and a pair of sparkly gold Giuseppe Zanotti’s that I have yet to find a place to wear, but they are darn pretty to look at.
Heavens, Jené. All of your shoe talk made us head out to find a new pair of our own (your closet sounds ahhhh-mazing!). From one new mom to another, Happy Mother’s Day!
[Photo Courtesy Jené Luciani]
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May 6, 2011 @ 10:20 pm
Great interview. It was nice to “meet” you Jene. I'll be picking up a copy of your book. It's amazing how many women still wear the wrong bra. I'm constantly on the lookout for t-shirt bras, never have enough of them. Have a great weekend.
Debra