August 05, 2012
She's lean, mean and we're keen to copy Zoe Saldana, working a mustard dress. Photo: Getty Images
While most of us struggle to consistently pull off a stylish, natural look, others seem to find it a breeze, writes Maggie Alderson.
One of the things I've learnt from trawling through photos of celebrities in search of a picture that inspires me enough to tell you about it, is how consistent people are with their dress sense.
I could write a snarky column every week about Eva Longoria. She's always slightly overdressed in something too short, too tight, or too matchy matchy.
Vanessa Hudgens is always slightly underdressed in something too baggy.
The Duchess of Cambridge always looks oddly frumpy, despite having glorious hair, a whippet-slim figure and the best legs since her late mother-in-law. Whereas Princess Mary of Denmark - and her husband - always manage to pitch it perfectly on the contemporary edge of royal dressing etiquette.
Then there are the women I could feature, with gushing praise, every week. Sarah Jessica Parker. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Alessandra Ambrosio. Fearne Cotton.
Well, I've added a new one to their stellar ranks. Zoe Saldana (Star Trek, Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar) is my new style crush. It started this year when I stumbled across a random picture of her working a casual look with a navy blue floral-print flippy skirt paired with a satsuma-orange sweater, a navy wrapped scarf and a brown cross-body satchel and buff-suede ankle boots.
It was all so spot on, while being a bit different - orange and navy is one of those great combinations we all forget about - then I forgot about her, until I came across another fabulous picture. Then I went hunting and now I have 14 amazing shots of Ms Saldana, all of them worthy of a column. So much so, I couldn't decide which picture to use, so I asked the editor to do it, which will make this morning an amusing bran-tub moment for me.
There's just too much to choose from. She's serious red carpet in a mint green Elie Saab beaded and self-belted column, with luxuriant hair down and zero accessories. The dress is enough. And she knows it.
On more casual outings she works a series of gorgeous short dresses. A knitted mini shift - looks like Chanel - has its '60s feel perfectly referenced in the hair with a relaxed French pleat.
A simple white silk T-shirt blouse, paired with a tweedy skirt, merits a sleek up-do - and she even makes white shoes work with it. In fact, the silly Betty Boop platforms stop the rest of the look being too straight.
In another pic, she even makes a mustard - the most difficult of colours - dress look fabulous. She wore it with mid-brown strappy sandals, a bag in the same shade, and very shiny red lipstick. The lipstick makes the look for me.
All her special-occasion outfits are exemplary, with perfect accessory, hair and lippy matchings, which led me to thinking that, apart from having skin the colour of caramel toffee and the long, lean limbs of her ballet training, Ms Saldana must have hired the best stylist in Los Angeles.
But then I found all the downtime shots - popping to the shops, nipping out in the car - and she looks just as good, and not just because endless slim legs do tend to look great in jeans. She works a look every time. And always one you'd want to copy.
There's a white broderie anglaise top with tight faded jeans, the cutie-ness hardened off with black bag, boots and shades.
She'll put a tank top over a tailored shirt, tuck a trouser into a knee boot, pop on a cap and sling over a satchel bag with the insouciance of a seasoned fashion stylist.
Nature dealt her the coathanger frame, and luck and talent gave her the means, but the style is all her own.
Total crush - whichever picture you're looking at today.