Rachel Zoe's Style Secrets

By InStyle.com
Apr 06, 2015 @ 11:30 am
Harold Cunningham/FilmMagic
Rachel Zoe's Style Secrets
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Single-Shoulder Dresses

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From Cameron Diaz to Anne Hathaway to Liv Tyler, stylist Rachel Zoe has honed the wardrobes of some of Hollywood's most stylish A-listers. Now, her new book, Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty and Everything Glamour (written with Rose Apodaca), lets the rest of us in on her signature look.

Zoe is all about subtle sexuality. "Seduction is a big part of glamour," writes the stylist. "It's more of a suggestion in the eyes or mannerisms. A flash of leg or shoulder can do it, too." Just like Jennifer Garner in orange Valentino at the 2004 Oscars, and, of course, Keira Knightley in custom Vera Wang at the 2006 Academy Awards.
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Goddess Gowns

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Recent mother Salma Hayek flaunted her figure at the 2007 Golden Globes in a curve-hugging Grecian-inspired dress from Dior by John Galliano. "She's such a strong, prominent beauty that I don't like to put her into anything so fussy," says Zoe. "She was comfortable in it. And I'm a total sucker for white." Other clients, such as Keira Knightley and Anne Hathaway have also sported the style.

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Bold Colors

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Although Zoe loves white, she also adores bold, beautiful color. She put Cameron Diaz in a Dior by John Galliano gown for the 2007 Costume Institute ball. "That was a dress that I fell in love with on the runway," she says. "I immediately thought of a certain person to wear that dress." As for the eye-matching Fred Leighton turquoise? "Cameron decided she wanted to wear some color," says Zoe. "It sort of doesn't work, so it works-you know?"
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Healthy Glow

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No one has ever accused Rachel Zoe of being politically correct. "I love a tan," writes Zoe. "I don't fake bake. I soak the rays directly from the source. And I don't make any apologies for it." Still, Zoe does not recommend that her clients follow her lead. "I don't encourage a tan when we do red carpet," she told us. Jennifer Garner's golden glow at the 2007 Golden Globes was pure coincidence. "She looked so sexy and natural, kind of effortless and didn't look like she spent a lot of time getting ready," Zoe says of Garner's Gucci gown. "She felt so good in it. Just young and cool and comfortable."

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Oversized Sunglasses

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When Zoe put her former client Nicole Richie in giant sunnies, the look became a major craze. "Oversized specs have certainly become de rigueur in recent seasons, but they are never out in my book," writes Zoe. The stylist recommends using a pair of big specs as an eye shade during plane rides-or as an impromptu headband.

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Flowing Caftans

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Zoe recommends a light chiffon caftan, like Mischa Barton's Marc Jacobs top, for a laidback evening look. Of course, sometimes, she has to create her own occasion in which to wear them. "During the warmer months, I love a Moroccan-theme party. It's so summery, so goddessy," she writes. "It also gives me an excuse to let out my inner Talitha Getty and wear one of my treasured Gucci or YSL caftans."
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Major Hair

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Hair chameleon (and Zoe client) Lindsay Lohan adopted Zoe's signature long, full locks. Writes Zoe: "My idea of "natural beauty" is one best appreciated via the prism of 1970s style: a smoky eye, a mess of long, highlighted hair, an all-over deep tan, and lips glossy with a hint of gold."

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Statement Clutch

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"A bag can reveal volumes about a person," writes Rachel Zoe. "She can turn out in a sedate Chanel suit, but if her bag screams quirky vintage, then it's likely something else is going on in her style DNA." Zoe's own line of bags with Judith Leiber are undeniably eye-catching, decorated as they are with an ornate snake clasp. "For me, the bolder the bag, the better."

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Bangles

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Giant cocktail rings, dangling earrings, an armful of bangles: it's no wonder that Zoe calls her signature accents "excessories." And so much the better if they are gold. "In my world, yellow gold rules," she writes. Former client Nicole Richie played up her warm skin tone with an armful of bangles and both Lindsay Lohan and Keira Knightley have been spotted in the stylist's favorite snake bracelets. "To me there is something mysterious and spiritual about them," the stylist writes of the motif.
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Vintage

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Whether it's a flawless find from L.A.'s Decades or a thrift-store score, Zoe loves vintage. She bought both the long and short versions of a classic Ossie Clark dress for client Keira Knightley. "It's just easy and you can wear it for the rest of your life," says Zoe of the dress. Although an Ossie Clark original can run in the thousands, Zoe advises that lookalike dresses without labels can be found for a steal.

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Fur Coats

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Whether real or faux, Zoe loves a touch of mink. As a thirteen-year-old visiting New York City, Zoe "beelined it to a vintage store in the West Village to buy a $200 mink coat" with money saved from her allowance. These days, the stylist pairs a fur vest with leggings for a luxe travel ensemble.
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