Nina Dobrev is one of those stars who always makes us do a double take when we see her on the red carpet (remember this, this and this?). So when we caught up with her at the premiere of her film The Final Girls at the South by Southwest Festival, we were ready to chat style. She breaks down how she came up with her SXSW boho goddess look and spills on the one item that’s been in her closet for 10 years.
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“I fell in love with this Elie Saab dress, but it was a little fancy for SXSW, so my stylist decided to pair it with flat flip-flops and do a bohemian sort of messy, laid-back hairstyle with braids, and lots of bangles and jewels,” the actress, 26, told PEOPLE. “I wanted to do really minimal makeup and let all the pops of color be the focus of the look, with the orange in the dress and the green from my [Air Optix colors] contact lenses.”
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Dobrev follows the golden style rule: when showing off one thing, cover up another. “I wasn’t going to show my legs and my boobs at the same time, and I also wore flats because I didn’t want it to be too va-va-voom,” she explains. “I like to always be as classy and timeless as possible.”
That doesn’t mean she doesn’t like to mix things up. “I’m kind of a chameleon depending on my mood and depending on my environment,” she says. Case in point? Those colored contacts (she and stylist Ilaria Urbinati help represent the line). “I wear them all the time as another accessory. Instead of statement earrings or a statement necklace, I’d go for a statement eye.”
And when she wants to keep things simple? She reverts to a pair of jean shorts she’s loved forever. “I have this pair of American Eagle short-shorts that I wear in Atlanta [while filming] or to music festivals or just day-to-day life,” says Dobrev. “They’re short, they’re comfy, they’re cute, they make my butt look cute, and I feel comfortable in them. I swear I’ve had them for maybe 10 years and they’re so torn up, but I can’t get rid of them! They’re my favorite.”
Are you a fan of Dobrev’s style? What do you think of her boho dress at SXSW? Share your thoughts below!
–Gabrielle Olya
