Charla Krupp
Thinner and Younger by Tonight! Charla Krupp - Unlocking the Secrets to Looking Long, Lean and Better Than You Ever Thought You Could in Seconds
A Magazine Life
Growing up in Wilmette, Illinois, Charla Krupp lived and breathed magazines. Her biggest goal was to move to NYC and work in editorial. Her big break came following a dream-come-true assignment, interviewing Dustin Hoffman on the set of All the President’s Men, and her career path was set. The next 15 years she held the reigns as the first entertainment editor at Glamour magazine, “I interviewed more than 1000 celebrities, everyone from Madonna to Cher.” Her celebrity commentary shifted to encompass the worlds of fashion and beauty, and sparked the idea for the Women of the Year Awards in 1992 – an event that remains the magazines biggest and most lucrative franchise. For Charla, over the next 10 years as InStyle’s Senior Editor, Editor in Chief of Eve.com, Executive Editor of Shop Etc. and a regular face on The Today Show, one thing became clear. “Nobody wants to look fat, and nobody wants to look old.”
Bright Sparks
When Shop Etc. folded, Charla was ready for the next phase of her career. “I was always an ideas person. A book publisher approached me to do a book about jeans. I told her I didn’t care to write a book about jeans, but I did care about how a pair of jeans can make you look ten years younger.” In 2008, that idea sparked the New York Times bestsellers How Not To Look Old, and 2010’s How To Never Look Fat Again lifting millions of women out of the drab and dreary doldrums and into the ranks of classy and stylish.
The Good News! Size Really Doesn’t Matter
With national aspirations fixed on a size zero, and the average size of a US woman a 14 and bust a DD, it’s clear there is a glitch in the system. “There are so many outfits out there not appropriate for a career woman who has a body and a bust line – who wants to look good. I’ve done a lot of the homework. I’ve found the best bra, the best shapewear, the best bathing suit, the best shoe line. It doesn’t matter what your size is – you can make your body look better by what your wear.”
Looking and acting the part
Charla is not another style guru loosely claiming to know the difficulties facing many women in the work-place, she’s experienced them first-hand. “When I was at Shop Etc. – I felt like I was the mother. Everyone was 20, and I was in my 40s. I am big busted. I am short, and I’ve made mistakes. We all want to be fashionable, but its important to know what works, and have some discipline.” She also understands that many women don’t have the time to keep up with the latest beauty treatments and trends. “Many women no longer keep up to date with the current styles or products, or have the disposable income to do so - and they are in danger of letting themselves go. It’s so important to like the way you look, it gives you the boost of confidence to accomplish everything you want to do. It’s not a lot of work, but it’s about doing a little everyday, it’s what we call maintenance.”
Empowerment, Not Starvation
In a sea of self help books and fads, Charla’s point of difference is that her shape-shifting tomes are not advocating plastic surgery, crash diets, or embarking on a high-impact exercise regime. “Once you are in the healthy weight range, there’s no need to pick ourselves apart to be a size zero. Lots of women are focused on their career and families, but that’s no reason to put yourself last.” In Charla’s world, presentation is paramount, and she wants to make one thing clear: “I'd rather follow my rules for dressing thin and be a few pounds overweight than starve.”
The Eureka Moment
The media often tries to pigeon-hole women’s bodies into shapes, types and sizes. Charla, like most of the population, couldn’t relate. “I was so over the ‘are you an apple, pear or trumpet’, it never meant anything to me.” Needing a more logical analogy to help women dress for their size – she looked to calorie counting for inspiration. “My refrigerator is divided into high fat and low fat versions. Almost every woman I know is obsessed with calories, and knows broccoli is better than macaroni and cheese. Applying this knowledge to clothes didn’t seem like much of a leap.” This process of sorting the wardrobe into “high fat” and “no fat” formed the backbone of her manifestos. “Some clothes are just super fattening, and some make you look thin.” Simple.
Instant Results
The best part about Charla’s advice is that given the right tools, women can see and feel results instantly. “Women are always so much happier and confident when they look good because they feel good. I am not telling people to get surgery - I am sharing the sure fire tips that work for all women everywhere; pull on your shapewear, don’t you dare wear a turtleneck, and lose the page boy haircut with short bangs if you want to look thinner.”
Shapewear is Half the Battle
To look good you have to start with the foundations. Charla’s books stress the importance of getting a bra fitting, and she sings the praises of modern shapewear’s technological advancements. “It’s critical to get the support from the underside out. You can put on the most fabulous dress, but if you don’t have the right undergarment, it’s just not going to work.” What’s the secret from the two-time New York Bestselling author? “Wear shapewear all the time. What you wear underneath is 50% of the game.”
