Don’t even think about raining on her parade. Barbra Streisand recently had a chat with the New York Times. She spilled the beans about her new memoir, “My Name Is Barbra.” It was a Monday like any other, but this conversation was anything but ordinary.
She shared why fashion took center stage in her book. At 81, she’s decided she doesn’t give a hoot about what people think of her wardrobe. In the interview, the “Funny Girl” herself expressed her belief that people should dress how they feel, regardless of their age.
Alec Baldwin, who not too long ago labeled Streisand as “the hottest woman ever,” got a mention. Streisand confessed that she was cautious about dressing sensually in the early days of her career. She was too scared to be perceived that way back then. Now? She’s too old to care.
Fun fact: it was Streisand’s idea to pose pantsless for the cover of W magazine in 2016. Just legs, nothing more.
While she might not have been donning overly provocative outfits in the 1960s and ’70s, the “Yentl” actress made a statement in other ways. She never just went with the flow or followed the style of the day. She had other images in her head, drawing inspiration from period films, museum paintings, and those fabulous Mucha posters of Sarah Bernhardt she first saw as a teenager.
When it came to her initial performances at NYC piano bars, she crafted her own looks. One example? A high-necked, long-sleeved Persian vest from the turn of the century. The conventional gowns most nightclub singers wore? Nah, she didn’t relate to that.
Over the years, her style has evolved, but the “Way We Were” singer has always stayed true to herself. She even used pieces from her personal wardrobe in films like “The Prince of Tides.”
Streisand believes that the way women dress shouldn’t influence what people think about them. As she wrote in her book, “Why can’t women be accomplished and attractive, strong and sensitive, intelligent and sensual?” Good question, Barbra. Good question.