Luann de Lesseps has lived several lives since The Real Housewives of New York premiered in 2008. To name a few: She was married to a real-life count, taught a nation—via song—that money can’t buy us class, became a full-fledged cabaret star, and maybe even fell into a bush or two along the way.
Through all those chapters, one thing has remained remarkably consistent: her commitment to glamour. As she so often sings, elegance is learned (“mah friends”), and her style has always reflected that ethos: Countess-era poise with a healthy dose of showgirl razzle-dazzle.
That commitment was put to the test earlier this year when de Lesseps filmed Bravo’s Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th. The cast had just a week and a half to prepare for a whirlwind itinerary spanning Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Miami, with every climate and theme party imaginable thrown into the mix. “That trip for me was one of the hardest ones I ever had to pack for,” she says. One highlight: zipping into Kyle Richards’s White Party in angel wings to perform “Chic C’est La Vie,” complete with a cape and boy shorts.
Despite the requisite ups and downs—it is Housewives, after all—the cast bonded. At de Lesseps’s New York pied-à-terre, she shows me an oxblood Saint Laurent clutch gifted to her by castmate Lisa Barlow. “Baby gorgeous! I love that girl. She’s such a joy.”
Now de Lesseps is gearing up to reunite with her original Real Housewives of New York crew in The Golden Life, which airs Tuesday nights on E!, while preparing for her next cabaret tour. Away from the cameras and stage lights, though, her approach to style has evolved. She’s just as happy in sneakers or walkable heels as she is in a showstopping Jovani dress (a label that’s become its own character in the Luann universe). She also swears by a $38 beauty staple every Upper East Side gal should own and has a go-to piece that makes her feel like the hottest woman in the room—no tiny hemline required.
To celebrate The Golden Life and her next cabaret tour, de Lesseps sat down with Glamour for the latest edition of our My Style, Lately series to talk signature hats, why she buys two of everything she loves, the wellness hill she’ll die on, and more.
Glamour: Luann de Lesseps! Describe your style lately in three words.
Luann de Lesseps: Casual, chic, effortless.
What’s been the biggest change in your style these days?
I dress for me, not for other people. I want to be comfortable. I don’t want heels to be too high that I can’t walk around. Comfort’s everything.
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