Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 23, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM ● C3 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2025 Pamela Anderson leads way to a makeup-free lifestyle AU NATUREL, NATURALLY N EW YORK — Pamela An- derson has nothing against makeup. It’s just that she’s been there, done that in her younger years. That’s why now, at 58, she’s attending fashion shows and film premieres with a blissfully bare face. It’s a look, especially for older wom- en, that serves to plague and perplex. Do we chase youth (and relevancy) with a full face, or do we foster radi- ant skin and march on makeup free? “I’m not trying to be the prettiest girl in the room,” Canadian-born Anderson told Vogue ahead of a recent show she attended during Paris Fashion Week. “I feel like it’s just freedom. It’s like a relief.” Down here in the non-celebrity world, is it just as easy and comfort- able to go makeup free? Some pro- ponents of the look, along with style and beauty experts, weigh in. Going makeup free on the job Women, particularly older women, are not universally giving up makeup, but Anderson, Alicia Keys and other celebrities who have publicly shown off bare faces have certainly inspired some to cast it off. Working women, however, acknowl- edge difficulties doing that on the job — especially in traditional, less creative work spaces. “I do still think that there are some politics associated with it. More around feeling and looking polished,” said Deborah Borg, the chief of human re- sources for a creative-leaning compa- ny that has roughly 25,000 employees. She said she’s seen more women come into work makeup-free since COVID, and thinks the pandemic significantly altered the workplace dynamic. Borg, 49, gave up makeup four years ago, save an occasional swipe of her bold, signature red lipstick. At Dalya, a cozy clothing shop in New York’s trendy Soho neighbourhood, she lent herself as a model to demonstrate how to help one’s bare skin glow, and how to use attire and accessories to accentu- ate the look. Skin prep for a no-makeup lifestyle Makeup artist Rebecca Robles coun- seled Borg and others with mature skin to think hydration when choosing products to make the most of their bare faces. Robles recommends a five-step workday routine: A gentle cleanser that doesn’t strip the skin; a vitamin C serum to brighten and mitigate fine lines; a moisturizer with sun protec- tion; a separate broad-spectrum sun- screen for an extra boost (don’t forget to apply that to the ears); and a glossy lip balm for a bit of added polish. No mascara? No problem. Use a lash curler to offer a bit of pop to the eye, Robles said. And gently brush brows into place to complete the look. Find products with hyaluronic acid and ceramides, Robles suggests, and always swipe up with skincare prod- ucts. Minimize tugging and pulling on the skin. “When your skin is glowing, one thing that’s really fun to keep in mind is that light reflects off that moisture in the skin and can help blur out any fine lines or enlarged pores. So it’s a win-win,” Robles said. She advised that each product should sit for a minute or two before the next step is applied. Borg emphasized the ease of her morning routine since going make- up free. She used to spend about 30 minutes just on makeup. Now, she does hair and face in half that time. Make colour in clothes sing Natalie Tincher, a personal styl- ist and founder of Bu Style, praised Anderson, Keys and other celebrities who have gone without makeup both publicly and on social media. “They look beautiful, and they’re so confident in their natural persona and who they are that I feel like it’s really giving an example for all of us women to say, ‘Hey, what am I hiding? I don’t have to do that. I can make the choice if I want to go no makeup, minimal makeup, full glam. I can have those choices,’” she said. For her clients going makeup free, she uses a three-prong approach. First, with clothes, “use a lot of co- lour. I call it our filter,” Tincher said. Secondly, play with texture; it deter- mines how light will be reflected. “So if you have something more matte, that is going to create a more soft lighting on you. If you have more silk satin, like say something like a blouse, it’s going to be more like a laser beam,” she said. Finally, accessorize. Tincher said added touches like lapel pins, earrings and necklaces can provide a finished polish — especially if that polish is still expected at work. A considered style can offset judgments about going makeup free, she said. “Think of your outfit as the big picture. When you walk in, what is the statement that it’s making? It’s not just about one part of you, it’s your whole presence in a room,” she said. Others who dumped makeup and why Colleen Gehoski Steinman, who lives near Lansing, Mich., recently pivoted from a career in public relations and fundraising to professional sewing. During the pandemic, she stopped co- louring her hair, then gave up wearing makeup much of the time. But at 59, she’s not a stickler about it if she’s going to be in lighting that will wash her out. “This is who we really are, and you can be beautiful just as you are,” Stein- man said. In South Carolina, Cate Chapman manages a bagel shop and sells her homemade custards at farmers mar- kets in the Greenville area. As a teen, she was all-in on makeup but has been happily free of it since the early 1990s. “I just thought, for one, makeup is expensive,” said Chapman, 57. “Put- ting it on is time-consuming. As a female, I’m making less, and my male counterparts don’t have to put out this expense. It isn’t fair. It feels expected, and it’s not right.” Makeup, she said, “felt like prison.” She stopped gradually, giving up foun- dation first. But still, she’s not above applying a bit of mascara on special occasions. “If you enjoy it, do it,” Chapman said. “But if you feel like a slave to it, let it go.” — The Associated Press LEANNE ITALIE KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Pamela Anderson isn’t anti-makeup, but she has decided it’s no longer part of her lifestyle. ANDY KROPA / INVISION Stylist Natalie Tincher, left, and Deborah Borg discuss how to pull off the no-makeup makeup look at the women’s clothing store Dalya in New York City. ARTS ● LIFE I LIFESTYLE Double-breasted suits are back (with a cool twist) MATT Remick, Seth Rogen’s character on the Emmy juggernaut The Studio, may be the harried, in-over-his-head new overlord of the fictional Continental Studios, but his wardrobe epitomizes LA back-lot cool. Forever trying his very best to appear as though he knows what he’s doing, Remick wears a steady stream of well-cut suits in groovy near-neutrals (mustard, burnt umber, cream). Remick may not be able to bring back artful cinema to Hollywood, but he nails the “powerful creative” look in no small part thanks to a fleet of double-breasted jackets, worn casually open. Rogan himself even wore a double breasted vel- vet tux (in rust, not black) last Sunday to accept his first Emmy award for lead actor in a comedy series. It’s back, baby: the double-breasted suit jacket is making inroads into fashion circles of late, shaking off its dusty country club reputation in favour of a vibe that’s younger, fresher and, dare we say it, cool. It’s also surprisingly easy to wear. “I always find double-breasted is the most flattering on most men’s figures,” said Chaise Dennis, a stylist whose client, the actor Tramell Tillman, glided down the red carpet at Cannes this spring to promote the latest Mission: Impos- sible film wearing a creamy double-breasted suit from Dolce & Gabbana — jacket insouciantly open. Also at Cannes was A$AP Rocky in a louche double-breasted suit from Saint Laurent. Ditto Josh O’Connor, who wore his 3x3 brown Prada DB buttoned up with a pink flower on the lapel. Designers picked up the thread at the men’s spring-summer 2026 shows. Double-breasted jackets-sometimes worn languidly undone-were featured in the collections of labels such as Gi- orgio Armani, the Row, Ralph Lauren, Dries Van Noten, Prada, Dior, Brunello Cucinelli and more, part of a sea change in men’s suiting. “I’m all about making tailoring less stuffy,” says Dennis, who notes that for inspiration he looks to classically stylish men such as Bryan Ferry, David Byrne, Serge Gainsbourg and even the Blaxploitation stars of the 1970s and ’80s. “These are men who have made a double-breast- ed jacket work for a variety of situations, it’s a real day-to-night look,” he says. In his home of Los Angeles, Dennis says dou- ble-breasted jackets with throwback flair are now sought after at vintage shops around town. He sees young men wearing them open and pairing them with boots, sometimes even of the cowboy variety and worn-in jeans. His advice, if you do try this look, is to let the jacket “do most of the talking.” Jake Mueser, proprietor of the New York-based custom tailoring operation J. Mueser, sees this as a natural progression of the loosening silhouette that’s happening more broadly for men. Long gone are the slim-even skinny-suits of the 2010s. They’ve been replaced by a roomier, less edgy fit. And as fuller, pleated pants gain momentum, Mueser notes that the jacket needs to adjust to balance the proportions. Mueser believes this is the way a new genera- tion of men are embracing tailoring — not for an office uniform or inherently formal garments, but for wearable clothes with ease and panache baked in. Moreover, the less-constricting fit of today’s double-breasted jacket marries a once cere- monial style with the comforts people became accustomed to during the pandemic. People want to get dressed up again, but it would be nice if they didn’t feel trussed or constrained. “It’s part of this post-Covid everyday world,” Mueser says, adding that men are coming to him to ask for suits not just for formal work environments but to wear to parties or on date nights. Marco Stratemann, who works in IT at a multinational information and communications company, has been a double-breasted enthusiast for awhile now, and is happy to welcome all the new fans to a style he discovered 15 years ago. He was first wooed by a navy Burberry blazer, which he wears with light-coloured trousers or jeans. A frequent suit wearer, he says he opts for a double-breasted jacket to get himself into a certain mindset. “I like to dress up when I need to be disciplined.” His message must be rubbing off, his 19-year- old son also wears them now. This trend is so pervasive it’s even jumped the gender divide. Womenswear brands such as Stella McCartney, Bottega Veneta, Loro Piana and Gucci all featured the style this season. “A double-breasted jacket feels timeless and confident, with an appealing ‘borrowed from the boys’ vibe,” says Emilie Hawtin, a writer and content creator who founded a women’s tailoring brand called Clementina. “It’s both elevated and forgiving.” Hawtin always wears her double-breasted jackets open and has been opting for a polo shirt underneath, though a relaxed dress shirt or even a men’s linen shirt works as well. She notes that a collared shirt helps complete the look. “More women are turning to tailoring, not just because the options are getting better, but because it’s freeing in a way,” she says. “Tailored clothing makes life simpler — it’s powerful, efficient and polished. And far more interesting.” — Bloomberg MAX BERLINGER DAN STEINBERG / INVISION Seth Rogan regularly sports double-breasted suits on The Studio and here, a double-breasted tuxedo at the Emmy Awards. ;