Eva Mendes Style Interview: Her New York & Company Collection and Fashion Post-Baby

Glamour: What's your current can't-live-without-it piece?

Eva Mendes: I'm waiting for off-the-shoulder. I haven't tried an off-the-shoulder dress in quite some time, and I'm excited to re-visit it. We have a dress called the Merida—an off-the-shoulder navy dress—and I actually had a version I bought in Mexico probably 13 years ago. I was working on this film called Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and I found this dress that I loved. I've kept it this whole time, and we finally just used it as inspiration. It's a little past its point, but I usually wear it around the house. It's a real market dress, an errand-day dress. If I want to feel super romantic cleaning the house I can do it in that one. It feels so great, like I'm wearing a huge scarf almost.

Glamour: Was there anything you wore in your 20s that makes you really cringe to think about now?

EM: Remember the jeans under a dress look? I wouldn't try that again for a host of reasons. I've totally given up on fluorescents. I tried for a minute, but it just doesn't work for me anymore. It was a fun idea, but it needs to be left where it was buried for me.

Glamour: Conversely, anything you're wanting to come back?

EM: I'm so excited about the choker comeback! I've always loved them, that typical '90s strap. I tried to bring it back [with a New York & Co. collection] about a year ago, and nobody was into it! Hopefully I'm going to try again soon with the ladies, because it didn't really stick. The one we created was inspired by a pearl choker that I actually wore to my prom [Editor's note: Check out a picture of Eva at prom here].

Glamour: Does your closet have anything you're never, ever getting rid of?

EM: Some really great, holey sweaters—I have a lot from a long time ago. I still have a pair of jean shorts I refuse to give up too. They're from 1991, and I might not wear them out, but I'm not certainly not getting rid of them. I refuse.

Glamour: Is there a piece of style advice you'd want to give to the young Eva?

EM: I would have told myself that if I'm wearing something short I need to balance it out with a baggier top. I definitely went through a phase with crop tops and short shorts which are cute when you're 16, but I would have advised myself to have more balance. What I did like about myself in my teens is that I didn't really wear makeup or do my hair, so it was all very natural beside the outrageous outfit. I never wore heels back then either. It probably wasn't until my early 20s when I wanted to feel more feminine. I remember going to a Via Spiga store and finding a pair of heels there and was like, "Oh, this is fun."