Tracee Ellis Ross Believes Personal Style Is the Ultimate Way to Put "Joy in Action"
Tracee Ellis Ross's name is synonymous with style.
Even during a year when red-carpet appearances and star-studded runway shows were put on hold, Ross still managed to wow us with her Internet-breaking ensembles shared on social media. Her approach to fashion is whimsically glamorous but also timelessly luxe—which makes her latest appointment as a new global house ambassador for Tiffany & Co. a perfect fit.
For Ross, jewelry—especially Tiffany's—has long been part of her sartorial journey. "Tiffany's couldn't be a more iconic, extraordinary American brand that has been a part of the vernacular of my style life since I was a teenager," Ross exclusively tells BAZAAR.com. "When I was in my teens, I lived up the street from Tiffany's. We lived at 59th and Fifth, and I used to make little excursions and walk to the Tiffany's store, and visit with the jewelry—particularly the pieces that I was coveting. I remember I landed on the gold Elsa Peretti kidney bean necklace, and I messaged my mom [immediately about it]. It was a good two or three seasons of me begging my mom for it. Finally, I got it for my birthday, and I used to cherish it and let it dangle right outside of my turtleneck."
She continues, "The fact that life has come full circle and after visiting Tiffany's as a teenager and now I've become one of the faces of the Tiffany T1 collection is a dream come true. Particularly after the year that we've had, there's nothing like infusing a bit of glamour and joy back into life, and realizing that the timelessness of a beautiful piece of jewelry takes you to another place."
It wasn't until later in life that Ross embraced the versatility jewelry can offer and how building a timeless collection of luxury pieces can uplift her wardrobe. "I incorrectly for so long used to say that I'm not a jewelry person, and then I realized, thinking back to that teenage story, that if you look in my closet, that's a lie. Why have I been telling that lie?" Ross laughs. "Style is one of my forms of creative expression, and I think beautiful timeless wearable pieces that hold special stories can act as an expression of who you are, but can also function in your everyday life."
For Ross, signature Tiffany pieces that stand the test of time include the Bone Cuff and yellow gold heart necklace, both originally crafted by the legendary designer Elsa Peretti. The pieces serve as the perfect final touches for Ross's eclectic mix of everyday ensembles. Whether she's pairing a statement bracelet or chic earrings with bold printed tweed suits, flowing magenta maxi dresses, or textured tops, the actress is grateful that fashion and jewelry helped serve as a creative savior of sorts during a trying year—and her fans were thankful for it too. Ross's social media presence—more specifically, her Instagram account—is one of the ultimate celebrity fashion mood boards. When she posts—often with her cerulean-hued living room providing a luxe background—the Internet quickly takes notice and begs for more.
"[Sharing my outfits] is a way to put joy in action for me. When I get dressed, I think to myself, 'Ah, I like her, I remember her!' She got lost a little bit," Ross says. "During the pandemic, I continued working and there was no question that I continued putting on my lipstick, putting on a beautiful top and earrings and necklaces and things like that, but to be going back out into the world and getting dressed for that—I missed that part of my life."
Ross also jokes that at the very least, her personal style continuously becoming a trending topic justifies "the part of me that has great judgment about my shopping habits." She's even contemplating setting up a separate Instagram account for her Internet-famous living room.
"What is wonderful is I hope it allows other people to find a sense of creative expression and freedom in their own dressing and in their own choice of clothing," Ross continues. "The truth is clothing and style for me started as armor. It was a way that I protected myself from the world and was able to tell the world how I wanted to be seen. And now, it's more of a form of creativity. So I just lay on my couch in the blue room and meet with my little remote control. There's a way that you get to have agency in how you clothe and adorn yourself these days. I think that Tiffany's jewelry and its T1 collection has a real element of adding to that."
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