Being Brooke Shields

It's hard to believe, but Brooke Shields is 43! In Style talked with the model, mom, recent author, and star of NBC's hit "Lipstick Jungle," about style, body image, and those amazing eyebrows.

How do you define your style?
More sophisticated than trendy. If it's classic, I'll buy it. Like this bag [she points to her Hermes Birkin bag]. I was on the wait list! My parents divorced when I was a kid, and when I went to my dad's house, I would come home with new Lacoste shirts. But my mother would remove the crocodile logos -- she thought they were a status symbol and didn't approve. All of my Lacoste shirts had tiny holes in them! At school I wore cropped plaid culottes and loafers with socks -- all the other kids were confused since I was supposed to be a fashion model. Trust me, I was never as cool as the regular kids.

[ Check out Photos From Brooke's In Style Photo Shoot ]

Have you ever ended up in the "Worst Dressed" pages?
A magazine recently put me in one of those lineups where the fashion police comment on the clothes -- I was wearing the most beautiful vintage J. Mendel dress. It was tight-fitting with a little pouf on the bottom and somebody said, "Why did she wear a garbage bag?" I was like, "Oh my god!" The designer took it out of his archives for me, and I was proud to wear it! Since I felt so good about the way I looked in it, the comment didn't bother me.

You're famous for your naturally thick eyebrows. How do you work with them?
I pluck them. But first I have one of the makeup artists I really trust tweeze them, and then I follow their line. When I try it on my own, one winds up much higher than the other! I had them done once by a famous eyebrow groomer, and he arched them up so high I looked like Spock. As it is, they're thinner than they were in the eighties.

[ See Brooke Go From Comely Calvin Klein Model to Comedienne ]

Yes or no to the knife?
I'm more scared of the idea than excited by it. I'm not against cosmetic surgery -- if I start looking like a shar-pei, I may change my mind. I just want to look the best I can at my current age instead of trying to look like I did when I was 20. Right now, I'm OK with myself as I am.

Makeup and fashion are all about the pursuit of perfection. But you've said you're about being imperfect.
It's much more realistic -- aiming for perfection is exhausting. You don't celebrate the things you do like about yourself. I may be small-chested, but my shoulders are broad. Though when I'm obsessing over my chest, I don't go, "Yeah, but look how great your shoulders make your waist look." If you asked even the most put-together person, she'd say, "Well, there is this one thing I don't like ..."

[ Which Stars Share Your Style? ]

So what's your imperfection?
Not being petite -- for so long I wanted to be waify. And finally I became proud of my athletic figure.

If you could have a makeover for one day, what would you do?
For one day? I would want to know what it feels like to have really big boobs [laughs]. But I might get arrested for indecent exposure!

For more of Brooke's interview, pick up the Fall 2008 issue of In Style Makeover on newsstands now.