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Since having a personal stylist is something many of us covet, but almost nobody can afford, we got the woman responsible for dressing many red carpet regulars to spill her secrets to always looking good.
Celebrity stylist Jeannann Williams gives PEOPLE the scoop on how she keeps clients like Naomi Watts on the fashion straight and narrow.
1. Do a Yelp search for a great tailor — right now! We don’t all have Gisele’s body (sigh). And since most clothes are made to fit a tall frame, Williams says you should find a good tailor — and actually use him! “You have to customize each look to make it work for your measurements and height,” she explains. “When dressing clients for the red carpet I always look at the runway image. If my client is 5’5″ (like Naomi), I know I’ll need to take the hem up 4 inches.” Skipping the tailor will leave clothes looking schlumpy, no matter how much you spent on them.
2. Always avoid this pairing. “If a skirt hits below the knee, do not wear a heel with an ankle strap,” Williams says definitively. “It chops off the leg. Instead elongate with a pump.” Watts heeds her stylist’s advice: She sticks to a classic pump with the Burberry Prorsum leather skirt and embellished top she wore to the Up2Us Gala this week.
3. Invest in petals. “Undergarments, like Spanx, smooth everything out,” says the stylist, but we got her to spill her true secret weapon: “Silicone petals for the breasts. We use these all the time.”
RELATED PHOTOS: Get more star style inspiration here!
4. Do the iPhone test. Williams advises whipping out your camera before stepping out the front door to make sure the flash won’t reveal anything you don’t want to show. You know, like those aforementioned silicone petals. “Take a test shot in the light,” she says, adding, “think about flashbulbs.”
5. Repeat after her: Less is more. “If the dress is dazzling with jewels then go barely-there on the accessories and let the dress be the focus. Don’t overdo it, over-the-top is no good.”
Tell us: Which of these rules do you already follow?
–Michelle Ward
