Me and my wardrobe: Shilpa Shetty
01st October 2009
Bollywood actress and model Shilpa Shetty, 34, reveals what’s hanging in her wardrobe:
‘I believe style is inherent. You can learn a bit about it, but essentially you either have it within you or you don’t. When styling is too contrived, it can look over the top. I love a classic style; it’s what suits me best. With an outfit like blue jeans with a crisp white shirt and a tan belt, you can never go wrong. Whenever I leave the house, even if I’m dressed casually, I’ll make sure my bag is matching my shoes. I like things to be coordinated – I wouldn’t dare leave the house with a black belt and brown shoes.
As someone in the public eye, it’s hard to wear an outfit more than once. I love buying clothes but I don’t know what I do with them all. I actually have two wardrobes, as I live six months of the year in India and six months in the UK. So I keep a lot of my winter stuff here. Although, when I really like an item, I buy two so I can keep one in London and one in Bombay.
I like designer clothes, but I don’t just follow trends blindly. I’ll buy a designer dress because it looks good on me, not just because it’s ‘in’. I’m a huge Donna Karan fan; her style is so timeless and classic. I’ve still got clothes of hers that I bought five years ago. I also swear by the Hervé Léger bandage dress for nights out. It just makes your body look a million dollars.
I’m not a fan of patterned clothes. Instead, I prefer solid colours, especially bright ones such as fuchsia. I have a great fuchsia Donna Karan dress – I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve worn it. With solid colours it’s easier to mix and match accessories, but patterns look too crowded.
I buy from the High Street, as well as designers. I love Zara and get a lot of casual items from there. Whistles are great too; they do lovely white shirts. I like an eclectic mix of clothes; a combination of a designer handbag and shoes with a high street dress works well.
As for shoes, I never wear high heels during the day. I have a pair of Louis Vuitton pumps, which are great for day wear and also a pair of gold Marc Jacobs pumps, which I love. I adore dressing up and wearing heels for a night out though; my favourite designers are Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Prada and Gina, who do fantastic sparkly shoes.’
Wardrobe checklist
DRESSES: Between 40 and 50 dresses. I have a whole mix, from Donna Karan and Jasmine di Milo, to Chloe and Hervé Léger.
SHOES: Around 60 pairs of heels and flats, including Louboutin, Chanel, Gina, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs.
TOPS: I’ve lost count how many. But I have around 40 white shirts and blouses alone. I love them because you can wear them in so many different ways. I love Whistles’ white shirts, as well as Club Monaco, Dolce and Gabbana, and Anne Fontaine.
JEANS: 45 pairs, with a mix of all styles, including skinny, boyfriend fit and straight fit. I love J Brand and Elliott - I have four pairs of Elliott boyfriend jeans at the moment.
TROUSERS: Around 60 pairs of smart trousers, mostly in greys and blues.
CARDIGANS: 10; some are cotton and others are cashmere. I have cardigans from Armani, Donna Karan, Massimo Dutti and Zara.
COATS: Five or six. I have an Armani black coat which I love, and a unique metallic grey Christian Dior coat, which I bought in Germany a year-and-a-half ago.
HANDBAGS: Approximately 50. I have handbags from Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Prada, and Hermes. I have an amazing Louis Vuitton leopard print bag but it’s very big and heavy!
HERMES BIRKIN HANDBAG
Orange is one of my favourite colours and this brilliant bag was a present from my boyfriend, Raj, last Christmas. I couldn’t do without it now. It fits everything in you could possibly need for a day out – in fact, it’s a bit like a mobile house. Plus, it’s great to wear at night too, with a black jacket and shoes.
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN SHOES
I love Louboutin’s. One of my favourites is a black patent pair – they go with absolutely everything and are really comfortable. I hate shoes with too much of a high heel, as I’m 5ft 8inches tall, so I don’t really need them. At 1.5 inches, the heels on my black patent Louboutin’s are just right.
DONNA KARAN DRESSES
This is my favourite dress. I can throw it on any time and it always makes me feel good. The red colour is so striking and it is cut so beautifully. Donna Karan dresses always beautifully accentuate a woman’s curves. My boyfriend adores it.
DONNA KARAN CASHMERE KNIT CARDIGAN
These cardigans are great for travelling, which is something I do regularly, so I get a lot of use out of them. I own it in almost every colour but my favourites are blue, grey and white. Even in London, I never leave the house without one of these knits. They’re so versatile and easy to wear, and the most important thing is they look classy.
J BRAND JEANS
I’d probably say I’m most comfortable in these jeans. They’re great to wear out to party, paired with a sparkly top, jacket and black high heels, but you can also wear them during the day with just a pair of flats and they still look great.
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