As a rule, morning news anchors used to be stodgy, stuffy and downright frumpy. When our parents and grandparents were young, they used to watch the Today Show with Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters in their bland, structured newsroom suits and hair and makeup better suited for flashy Broadway stars than sophisticated on-air talent. This garish, mannequin-esque look permeated every network morning show and dominated the airwaves for many years – until recently. If you’ve tuned in to the Today Show lately, you know that the iconic news magazine’s wardrobe and makeup team have really upped the ante when it comes to fashion and beauty in the morning.
The 2008 addition of a fourth hour and feisty, fiery Kathy Lee Gifford alongside serious newswomen Hoda Kotb required stylists to dress the ladies of the news bolder than ever, to match their outrageous personalities. And viewers have been stealing bits of style influence from the show ever since. These days, shopaholics look to the news rather than the runways for practical fashion, as Kathy Lee and Hoda often wear stylish business and professional looks that can work for the office and beyond. Better than the imaginative – but not quite wearable – looks from fashion shows and editorials, our favorite anchorwomen have real bodies and choose pieces that can work in real life.
The trend of bolder jewelry and higher heels has trickled up to the more conservative earlier hours of the Today Show as well. Typically buttoned up Meredith Vieira and Ann Curry now relay the day’s top stories while simultaneously serving as walking, talking advertisements for the season’s biggest fashion statements. Natalie Morales, who stands in most days as a Today correspondent is often dressed better than the show’s style contributors Bobbie Thomas and Stacy London. To steal their best looks, choose high heels with a platform for stability, in business-neutral colors like gray or nude. To take your business suit or button down shirt up a few notches, steal Today style by accenting with a giant statement necklace or cuff bracelet, and you’ll be chic and appropriate long after your morning coffee break. No broadcast journalism degree required.
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