Jenna Lyons is a style icon; it's as simple as that. Before the trendsetter joined the latest season of "Real Housewives of New York" (becoming a fan-favorite!), she was known as a fashion mogul; she was the former executive creative director and president of J.Crew, later adding founder and CEO of LoveSeen and interior designer to her impressive resume.
Most recently, Lyons paired up with Klarna and launched Jenna's Shoppable Holiday Gift Guide, which features products she plans on buying for her loved ones. So given her impeccable taste and eye for design, we asked her to walk us through her holiday gift list, and of course, her thoughts on a few trends.
When it comes to gift-giving, Lyons tells Shop TODAY over Zoom that she tends to over-purchase and is a “challenging shopper."
“I’m oftentimes not sure what I’m going to gift somebody, and I can go crazy at Christmas,” Lyons says. She does share a gifting strategy that she likes to keep in mind when she shops.
"My general rule is always: 'What do I love [or] want?'" she says. "Most of the time they’re things that I don’t wanna spend money on myself — like I won't necessarily spend money on really beautiful socks, or you know, an expensive candle set ... it's nice to be able to give somebody something that you actually want to get yourself and to me, that’s always the marker of a good gift."
Making this gift guide has helped gather ideas for everyone in her life, including her RHONY co-stars. While she says she's still working on solidifying lists and plans, she does reveal which co-star is the hardest to shop for: "Sai. I can't make that girl happy," she says with a hint of defeat.
Her recent TV ventures aren't the only thing she's known for. Given her notability in the industry and timeless sense of style, we asked her to weigh in on the latest trends — and we took notes.
"I’m so happy that high-waisted pants are back in, I think they go and come … I needed high-waisted to be back in," she says.
A trend she's not on board with? Leggings: "I want people to not just wear leggings all day long, if you’re going to wear leggings all day long can you actually put a blazer on? I don’t mind you wearing them just give me a little more."
As part of our Shopping Diaries series, we asked Lyons to further spill on her favorite items, including her signature iconic glasses. And if you'd like to take a peek at her holiday gift guide for some more holiday inspiration, you can find it on her Creator Shop with Klarna.
Shopping Diaries: Jenna Lyons
Sephora Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick
Lyons is rarely seen without a bright red lip, and she says this $15 liquid lipstick is her favorite. We asked her who it would be a great gift for and she simply said: "There's people who wear red lipstick and people who don't."
In fact, her inbox is often flooded with people asking her what she's wearing. "I get asked about my red lipstick all the time. Now you don’t have to DM me and ask me what it is. This stuff does not come off, not at all," she told attendees at Klarna's Holiday Celebration in New York City, which Shop TODAY joined.
Orbit Gum
She always keeps gum or mints on hand, preferably Orbit gum since she likes that it comes in cardboard and paper packaging: “I’m kind of obsessed with having mints or gum because I can’t stand bad breath. It’s honestly mostly not for me it’s usually for other people, some people are really close talkers.”
Charlotte Tilbury Super Nudes Easy Eye Palette
Another beauty product she's always asked about and wears all the time is this classic nude palette, which she says she will probably gift to a few of the housewives.
"I love the Charlotte Tilbury palette," she says. "It’s my go-to and a couple of the girls have asked me about it when I’ve been wearing it."
HommeGirls White Cropped Shirt
She says she is “obsessed with" this boxy shirt and even wore it on the season premiere of RHONY. "I've gotten so many questions about it. So many people have sent me videos of them going into a vintage store and cutting off a shirt and I'm like, just buy the actual one from HommeGirls," she says.
Dita Glasses
We could not not ask Lyons about her iconic glasses and also her signature staple. She tells us her go-to brand is Dita and that she has "so many" — about 35 if she had to put a number on it.
Editor's note: Lyons didn't mention her exact frames but we picked out this option that's available on the brand's website.
Ami Paris Flare Fit Jeans
Since Lyons is often seen in chic denim jeans, even wearing them to the RHONY reunion, we asked her about her favorite brands, one of which she says is Ami.
“They’re wide-leg, high-waisted, I actually own them [and wore] when I went to Jessel’s house and met her mother!” she says.
