Bobbie Thomas

In a time when women are so often dictated to dress one way and not another, style guide Bobbie Thomas is refreshing. By focusing on
the way smart beauty and fashion choices relate to a woman’s
self-expression and self-esteem, Thomas provides a sensible logic to the phrase, “Look good and feel good.” We picked Thomas’s brain for her thoughts on the best fall fashion and beauty products, and how a great razor can change a girl’s life.

FACTIO MAGAZINE: Tell me a little about your summer with the Venus Embrace campaign.
BOBBIE THOMAS: It’s been one of the best summers of my life. I get out of my city kitty environment, talk to women and get a chance to share beauty advice. We’re saying, “Go ahead, update your razor, but for real, practical reasons. Consider it a beauty tool.” And I really feel that women should not give up on what comes from the inside. The campaign spans 20 cities, and it’s really cool to think about what they’re trying to do. The slogan is “Embrace the goddess within.” For a company to want to validate, to reinforce a message like that, is very rare. They want me to share that positive message.

FM: You wear a lot of hats! Style Editor for NBC's “Today” show, co-host of the Style Network's “Fashion Police,” style correspondent for E! Entertainment's red carpet specials, columnist for inTouch Weekly magazine. What’s been the most rewarding thing about all of your job?
BT: You know how they say women can never have too many shoes? Well, women can never have too many shows. I feel so fortunate that I have the opportunity through all those outlets to put my message out there. I just want to empower an encourage women to express themselves. And so here I am, wearing different hats but very happy to do so. And any way I can do it, through a column or through a segment on a morning show, or through “Fashion Police,” at the core I hope the impression I leave is that I always approach it in a way that’s inclusive.

FM: You work a lot with celebrities, but also with everyday women you meet on the street. Are there a few main ways women can get the look of their celebrity muses without the help of stylists?
BT: What women admire most is that celebrities have strength and confidence and they shine. Instead of getting inspiration from the magazine, we should get it from the mirror. Remember, celebrities are women just like us. They had to start somewhere someday. Stylists can put the perfect image together, but someone who stands out on the red carpet really stands out because the outside matches the inside. A celeb who’s really comfortable in her skin – Anne Hathaway, Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz – they’re remarkable because they feel confident in their skin and with who they are.

FM: What are some of the biggest summer trends in fashion you’ve seen in Hollywood?
BT: Maxi dresses, a lot of prints, gladiators; a lot of people dipped artwork and sketch work – putting drawings on t-shirts and sweats, like Lauren Moshi; I saw summer jeans lighten up – baby blues come back, even some of them torn; Katie Holmes’s cuffed up boyfriend jean, credit originally to Alexander Wang’s runway, of course; neon nails and color eyeliner also popped back.

FM: You’re a big advocate of season-less style. With all the fall trends coming out in magazines and bombarding women, any advice for the upcoming season?
BT: My biggest piece of advice is general: enjoy the fact that being frugal is very stylish. Even if you have money to buy a resort collection, you’re not going to. We’re focused on reusing, rethinking and reinventing. A great example is Rebecca Taylor, one of my favorite contemporary designers. By using beautiful fall florals, she inspired me to share with women to not put their summer wardrobes away. Take three favorite summer dresses, regardless of print, and layer the longest dress, then a shorter summer dress, then a shirtdress unbuttoned, and belt it all together. Add boots and a chunky cardigan, and here you have three summer dresses for a really cool look. Or take sheer camis or sheer slips, layer them over a fall turtleneck to get a Vera Wang look. It’s almost like layering your favorites from spring and summer for a fall look. This is also one of the biggest seasons for costume jewelry. Accessories and accents are really taking shape. It’s exciting – there’s something for everyone, bohemian or minimalist. You can change the shape of everything with accessories.

FM: What’s the biggest beauty secret to keeping your skin fresh for fall?
BT: One thing that will never go out of style is healthy skin, and the skin is your largest organ. I exfoliate every day through fall and winter. Moisturizing is a must, but exfoliation is something we’ve only thought about to prep for a self-tanner. Bathaccessories.com sells Spa Sister Twin-Skin Polishing Towels. They’re just nylon sheets, and you use them before you get wet on your feet, knees, ankles, hips, butt. You should also upgrade your razor. Consider it a beauty tool. You’re getting all those blades- without nicks and
cuts- and now you have hair removal and an exfoliated surface! You’re going to better extract active ingredients form your creams.
Exfoliation is for women of all ages. For younger, it prevents breakouts, and for older, you turn the skin cells over more frequently, and the elasticity and texture will improve. Love your skin and work it out. When you don’t have great skin, your closet is going to shrink. With great skin, you don’t limit yourself in what you wear. It brings confidence. One trend I never hope to come back is leathery tan skin. I want people to embrace natural skin tone. Literally love the skin you’re in, ladies! I want to scream that from the rooftops!

FM: Describe your daily beauty routine.
BT: I cleanse with Clarisonic, which is my favorite solution. It uses less product, and the brush helps break up debris without stripping your skin. I moisturize with at least SPF30, with hyaluronic acid serum to boost hydration: it holds 1000 times its weight in water, and draws moisture from the air into the skin. Throughout the day I reapply SPF with a mineral powder by Peter Thomas Roth. It’s a white translucent powder that comes out of a brush. It’s a great way to blot makeup.

FM: Beauty line/product you can’t live without?
BT: Glominerals is the best for concealer and powder. It’s the first line to really manufacture powders in really finely granulated way. It’s developed like a higher-end makeup, and it’s blendable. The only issue I would say is to always be careful to choose colors and textures that work for you.

FM: Favorite Designer?
BT: I love the whole process. I feel like designers are like snakes – they shed one layer after another each season. I love seeing new evolutions come through. I loved Vera Wang’s Simply Vera collection for Kohl’s. I also love Black Halo and Christopher Dean. I’m such a big fan of Calvin Klein and Narciso Rodriguez. I love BCBG Max Azria, that they have a West Coast influence in their collections. They have a sort of ease and casual feel to their pieces. I’ll always be a fan of Chanel, although I’m not sure I can always afford it. I love Balenciaga for pushing the shape of things, for changing the shape of silhouettes. I’m definitely not a trendy girl. I’ll try trends in small doses, and my big thing is balance. If I want to try shopping a new color, I’ll try it in a classic silhouette. Or if I want to try a new shape, I’ll try it in a classic color. I think when you combine trends together – like a bubble sleeve and a shocking floral – that’s when it’s trying too hard.

FM: How does fashion translate into your sense of self?
BT: I really tune into my emotions. That phrase, “I wear my heart on my sleeve,” is an understatement for me. I wear my heart all over! I talk through my wardrobe. Style is the way you speak to the world without words. If you understand power and the language of what you wear, you can send the message louder than you could ever scream it. Fashion is a beauty tool, but style is self-expression. You can do that in so many ways. I’m here to share my perspective, translate what I see; that’s my job and I honor that. We’re all busy, we’re all smart, and we all just want information to use to our best ability. I just love sharing information with women.
-Grace Bahk