閱讀識字 English Reading Made Easy

Sara Blakely knows how to balance mass with class.

As the founder and president of Spanx, the Atlanta-based body-shaping undergarment company, the 37-year-old businesswoman has created an Oprah-approved product line that appeals to CEOs, celebrities and cubicle dwellers. Her hosiery is sold in Neiman Marcus and Target alike.

Balance also plays a role in Ms. Blakely's personal sense of style. A tomboy as a child, the entrepreneur (and one-time "Rebel Billionaire" reality-show contestant) is partial to jeans. But with the television appearances and business meetings she has these days, she's learned to pair low-key separates with high-end couture.

"I'll mix a lot of things," says Ms. Blakely, who is also a judge on ABC's "American Inventor." "I'll wear a Temperley dress with flip flops, or I might be in head-to-toe Gucci and have on a ring that I got from a gumball machine for 50 cents."

Ms. Blakely spoke with the Wall Street Journal about what she wears over her Spanx, the evolution of the power suit, and why wigs are a must for any modern fashionista.

WSJ: What did you wear as a young career woman, first starting out in business?

Ms. Blakely: Besides [working at] Spanx, the only other job I had was selling copiers and fax machines door-to-door for seven years. I didn't have a lot of nice things, so I went and bought three suits at Casual Corner, and everyone in my office would laugh because for first several months, I would rotate my appointments by my suits and make sure I wore different suits to each follow-up with a specific company. And then I would paint my fingernails blue or green and wear edible jewelry, like those candy necklaces we used to wear as little girls -- any way I could express my own individuality in the company without violating the codes.

WSJ: What's a typical outfit for you now?

Ms. Blakely: For a power lunch I would probably wear some sort of feminine dress; I don't wear suits and I don't wear a lot of slacks. My typical outfit is jeans with a great top, flip flops or heels, depending on how much I have to stand. I like to remain as feminine and girly as I want to be, and don't feel power lunch equates needing to be in a power suit.

WSJ: What's your go-to piece of clothing?

Ms. Blakely: It's a toss-up. Either jeans or flip flops. I have these new flip flops called Switchflops which are really super cool. A young girl [Lindsay "Lulu" Phillips] invented them and the top part is Velcro so you can switch out the straps to match your outfit. I currently have 15 [straps].

WSJ: Do you have a favorite brand of jeans?

Ms. Blakely: It changes all the time, but what I've worn the most in the last six months is J brand. And I will say that I feel like I can get away with a lot more in dark jeans than light jeans. I would never consider doing a power lunch in light jeans.

WSJ: Tell me about your lucky red backpack, which you wore to your first Spanx sales meeting at Neiman Marcus.

Ms. Blakely: It's just an old-fashioned Eastpack from the early 1990s. When I first cold-called Neiman Marcus to sell Spanx, my friends all begged me not to bring it and to buy a Prada bag instead, even if I had to return it the next day. It's my lucky bag, although I think seeing my butt [in Spanx] actually worked more than the backpack. I had no shame -- I took the Neiman Marcus buyer into the bathroom, and as soon as I came out of the stall and she saw my pants [with the Spanx underneath], she said, I'll buy 3,000 pairs.

WSJ: How do you change up your style?

Ms. Blakely: When I'm bored or tired of being blonde, I'll throw on a wig. It's a lot less of a permanent way to change your look, and I have about 10 -- all different colors, shapes, bobs, long hair, short, feathered. My mom was actually the one who suggested it. Back when I was in college, I once told her I wanted to dye my hair black and she suggested I just buy a wig instead, and that's how my collection started.

WSJ: What's your tip for keeping your closet uncluttered?

Ms. Blakely: I have this system where if I buy three or four new things, I give away three or four things. Sometimes, it's a very painful system, but shopping is even better when you know that someone else who needs it will be getting [your old clothes]. Keep the clothing karma going, I say.

WSJ: Who would you consider to be your style icon?

Ms. Blakely: Growing up, I never thought about it because I was such a tomboy, but if I had to name someone now, I would say Gwyneth Paltrow. What I most identify with is effortless fashion, looking as if someone's not put a lot of effort into their look, and I think that Gwyneth does that very naturally.

WSJ: Ms. Paltrow is actually one of many actresses who has praised Spanx. Did you have a moment when you knew you had "arrived"?

Ms. Blakely: Actually, it would have to be when Gwyneth told the press she attributed her post-baby body [after the birth of daughter Apple] to Spanx, and said that all the celebrities wear them two pair at a time on the red carpet. At that time, it had already been on Oprah as one of her favorite things, which was amazing. But because I think of Gwyneth as so into fashion and possessing such great style, I was proud.

WSJ: Two pairs at a time, that's pretty hardcore.

Ms. Blakely: I've never actually braved that. I think that's total commitment, I give those women credit.