Comfortable and chic! When Carole Radziwill is running around New York City, her goal is to feel and look good, so when the former Real Housewives of New York star got the opportunity to create her own loungewear pieces with Smash + Tess, a brand loved by Jenna Dewan, Hilary Duff, Jessica Alba, Viola Davis, Alessandra Ambrosio and more, it was a natural fit.
“I think a lot of the like things that we used to think of as loungewear and sleepwear, you can absolutely wear during the day and even at night if you just put on a heel. … I remember years ago buying all these silk sets or slip dresses and everything that we used to wear at home in bed or under our clothes is now what we wear outside,” she tells Stylish.
Although Radziwill admits being cozy is at the top of her priority list when getting dressed, you won’t find her stepping out in regular sweatpants anytime soon. “I just started going to the gym, so the loungewear athleisure trend is new to me because I never, ever dressed in athletic wear. Now I do and I’m trying to make a distinction between what I would wear at the gym, like sweats and Adidas pants, from what I would come home and change into,” she explains.
Her solution: “I just sort of naturally gravitated towards little rompers. … The ones that I designed with Smash + Tess have a dropped waist, which I think makes it a little less cutesy, onesie-ish and more something that you could wear running around during the day or with a high heel at night,” Radziwilll dishes.
While rompers have become a staple item in the former reality star’s closet, she recognizes that some men may not share her same love for them. “I don’t know if guys really understand the romper. They’re like, ‘How does this come off?’ “I don’t know if it’d be something I’d wear specifically on a date, but it depends what date it is. If it’s only the first, second or third date, I would wear the romper to make it more difficult,” she jokes.
When the What Remains author does decide to dress her loungewear up for a night out, she says it’s all about what you pair it with. “I live in New York, so you can really dress any way you want pretty much anywhere. You could show up at a restaurant in a dress or a pair of jeans and it’s all good, but I think what really sort of makes an outfit is a really great coat. … There’s just nothing like a motorcycle jacket or an interesting fabric on a fitted or trench coat,” she explains.
To ensure her outwear always makes a statement, Radziwill doesn’t focus on the price tag as much as she does on her arrival time to her destination. “I try to time it out so I’m the last one at the restaurant so I can walk in with a great coat on,” she spills. “I just bought this amazing coat from Zara, which I love and I just feel like a million bucks in it. It’s this little $60 little moto jacket with faux fur and it’s great because it fits me perfectly. I don’t care that it’s not a $2,000 Balenciaga motorcycle jacket, which I do have in burgundy. I’d rather wear this Zara one because for me, if things fit well and hang well on my body, I feel good,” she reveals.
The 56-year-old recommends sporting what you feel most confident in and adding your own flare to it over blindly following trends. “People should wear what they feel good in and always add a good mix of high and low,” she reveals. “I think the key to style is not wearing the same designer. You can’t dress like head to toe even in the best designers because it’s not really ultimately going to look stylish.”
Other easy ways to amp up a snug look: “I like cross body bags. I think that they make outfits more stylish because you can sort of keep them on even when you’re at a restaurant, so I have a lot of those,” The Widow’s Guide to Sex & Dating author says.
As for her footwear advice? “You should always buy the most expensive shoes you can afford because I have shoes from 15 years ago and they last and I still love them,” she suggests. “I know girls are wearing combat boots now, but I had them when they were first in style 10 years ago, so I wear those and I recently got a new pair too. … I also like getting good sneakers. I have Rick Owens sneakers, I have Saint Laurent sneakers and I have Gucci sneakers, so my sneaker game has now turned designer.”
