It’s 6:30 AM and I’m standing in front of our mirror in full-on panic mode. I’d been invited to interview Katherine Schwarzenegger at the Georgetown TJMAXX for her “Road to Real” tour. What on earth does one wear to meet the daughter of a movie star/politician and a wildly successful journalist? But that wasn’t what intimidated me.
Aside from writing two books (one on the struggles of post-grad life and one about body image), I’d spotted her in a fashion week documentary “Baring It All: Inside New York Fashion Week" and swooned as I saw her explore backstage, chatting casually with designers and sitting front row with everyone I follow on Instagram.
So you see my dilemma.
I finally landed on my trusty Elizabeth and James skirt (that I scored on major sale last season), my silk Cuyana tank, my lightweight Achro blazer and a denim jacket to give the look a more casual vibe. I threw on my new go-to Tuckernuck necklace to finish off the look - I love how well it works with the neckline of this top.
Upon meeting Katherine, I was thrilled that she was as down-to-earth as I’d hoped. First we chatted about her favorite spots in DC (she’d already been to Baked & Wired, smart girl) since her sister (a Georgetown alum) had insisted she not miss it. As a self-proclaimed coffee addict, I had to know what kind of drink she ordered (a latte - a girl after my own heart!) I was surprised to learn that Katherine is a very recent coffee drinker! (As opposed to me, who has been drinking coffee since i came out of the womb practically.)
One thing I noticed immediately about Katherine was her radiating confidence. What was her secret?
“Knowing who are you are as a person is the most important thing for feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin,” Katherine explained. She talked about how her partnership with TJMAXX was a perfect match, given their great price point and wide selection of pieces for every body type.
She added, “TJMAXX makes it easy to dress for your body type - and when we do this, we feel our most comfortable and confident.”
And let’s be real, friends. There is a very specific body type that’s considered “beautiful” in our society. But REAL girls have hips, cellulite, arm jiggle - I know I do! So I asked Katherine what she thought could be done to make every women feel beautiful…
“I think being able to open up the conversation and talk openly and honestly about body image - that’s why I wrote my first book. I felt it was a taboo topic that we couldn’t talk about openly and honestly without someone saying, ‘why are you talking about that?'"
She’s so right. On the blog, I don’t often talk about my insecurities, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. The more we open up that conversation and the more media shares images of REAL women and what real women look like, the more it’ll become clear that every body type is beautiful.
As for her must-have staples for what should be in the real girl’s closet?
“Anything you can buy at TJMXX! Whether you’re looking for something for a job interview to your workout clothes to finding the perfect piece for your home, there’s everything in one place. TJMAXX understands what a real, modern-day women needs and that’s everything in one place.”
Duly noted! After our interview, I tried on ALL THE THINGS in TJMAXX - my favorites being the chicest pair of Vince mules (a tad to small unfortunately) and the silkiest culottes from Rebecca Taylor…which, by the way, are on -trend with THIS SEASON’S styles.
Be sure to keep up with Katherine on her Road to Real tour, where she’ll be interviewing women at TJMAXX stores throughout the country through July 17. If you can’t make it to one of her appearances, be sure to keep up on social media by searching #RoadtoReal. And if you have a friend, niece, nephew or cousin who has recently graduated, Katherine wrote a great book to give them!
