Elizabeth Hurley Thinks Women Should Do ‘Whatever The Hell They Want’ When It Comes to Fashion
Elizabeth Hurley wants everyone to know that she’s working on balance, just like the rest of us. There are days when fans are going to find her in a bikini in the Caribbean and then there are other days when she’s “in very scruffy gardening clothes” at her home in the U.K.
At 57 years old, Hurley has been shaking up the internet with her Instagram posts that generate quite a bit of positivity from her supporters for not following societal norms when it comes to fashion — and that’s where the balance also comes into play. “I look at myself with an eye,” she explains to SheKnows. “I know I’m not wearing things today that I wore when I was 25. And I could if I wanted to. And if I wanted to, I would. But I don’t want to, because I know someone aged 25, that’s their clothes. And I know that’s not my clothes. I feel absolutely fine with that.”
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Just because Hurley’s personal philosophy leans toward editing her fashion choices, she doesn’t believe anyone should feel “judged” for what they wear— let’s toss that ageism away for good. “It’s completely absurd if people think they can’t put a bikini on and enjoy being on the beach because people might think their body looks too old,” Hurley remarks. “I mean, that’s just obscene. It’s a terrible point of view.” That’s why the actress is telling everyone that “women should do whatever the hell they want to do” when it comes to style. If that wasn’t enough, she emphasizes, “And damn anybody criticizing them.”
That empowering point of view that Hurley is delivering is also seen onscreen in her latest holiday movie, Christmas in Paradise. It’s a follow-up to 2021’s successful Father Christmas is Back, co-starring Kelsey Grammer, but this time around, they get to do it in the tropical island of Nevis. Like any smart businesswoman, Hurley made sure her character, Joanna, had plenty of chic and colorful items from her Elizabeth Hurley Beach line. “The minute I heard Caribbean, I was like, ‘I’ll do my own costumes,'” she laughs. “I have a warehouse full of them.”
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Joanna is a new mom trying to figure out where she fits in between her high-powered career and motherhood. “She wants to be in the thick of it. But she also wants to stay at home and play babies,” explains Hurley. “Now, any woman out there who’s had a child knows that terrible pull you have. You want to be your old self, but you want to be your new self.” She admits that her character goes through “quite a journey” in Christmas in Paradise, which is juxtaposed with all the family hijinks and drama with their dad, played by Grammer, who is dealing with his own life-changing news. Will Joanna figure out how to check off all the boxes that are expected of her — a great marriage, cute baby, and a major career?
As women, we are supposed to try and have it all, but Hurley realized during the 2020 pandemic lockdown that she didn’t need to project a picture-perfect life. She wound up rather enjoying her time of “being forced to stay home.” She notes, “It was the first time in 30 years that I’d been allowed to stay at home in the country without stressing that I was missing work, that I should have been out there fighting for this and fighting for that. And just being told, ‘Well, you can’t, you have to stay home.’ It took away a huge level of pressure.”
The moment in time gave her a gift that removed “a huge load of guilt” from her life. “I now feel I’m a much happier person to enjoy myself away working and to have a more guilt-free rest when I’m not,” Hurley reveals. It’s why she related to her character in Christmas in Paradise because they both felt the freedom to make those “brave” decisions. She now happily revels in “being at home with [her] dogs and [her] family, doing the gardening, cooking, and reading [her] book.” It’s something that suits Hurley very well, thank you very much. “And I don’t care if you think I’m boring because, guess what? I like it,” she sums up.
Before you go, click here to see our favorite movies and TV shows about imperfect, complicated women.
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