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Jessica Capshaw: 'The Practice'
By Donna Freydkin
InStyle
(InStyle) -- Helen Gamble, move over. There's a new legal eagle in town, and her name is Jamie Stringer, the fresh-faced, feisty attorney played by Jessica Capshaw on ABC's "The Practice."
Capshaw brings a spirited yet simple sophistication to the role, and her understated, sexy style reflects her youthful sensibilities. Her own style, says Capshaw, is vastly different from Stringer's professionally poised one: "I wear my Earl Jeans for so long that they could stand by themselves."
But for now, Capshaw is going courtside in suits and stilettos. "She is all high heels and slim lines," she says of Stringer's softly severe look. "The clothes are perfectly tailored. Then, we have fun with what she wears underneath. Just so there is a hint of femininity to a masculine look."
Hair
There's no trial and error when it comes to Capshaw's loose, low-maintenance locks. To get her "younger look," hairstylist David Danon applies Phytovolume Actif spray to her roots after washing her hair, adding Bumble and Bumble Styling Lotion to give it direction and finishing up with John Frieda Sheer Blonde Crystal Clear spray for a light all-day hold.
If it's going to be straight, Danon works her ends with a small flatiron.
For a retro Farrah Fawcett look, complete with loose wings, he uses a fat-barrel curling iron to add body and to build on her hair's natural waves. "Jessica's look is a combination of good volume at the roots and smooth hair with direction on the ends," says Danon. "The style happens around the edges."
Makeup
"We were shooting for a young, fresh-faced look, so we're going with sheer types of makeup," explains makeup artist Peggy Nichols. To achieve Capshaw's no-fuss, au natural appearance, Nichols starts out with Lancôme Photôgenic foundation in Bisque 0 to "cover what needs to be covered but leave a nice dewy look to her."
She adds Christian Dior Luminizer in Golden Light to the top of Capshaw's cheekbones, down the center of her nose, above her eyes and on her chin. Capshaw's cheeks get that natural glow with Delux Beauty Flush Stick in pink. Nichols then dabs Sue Devitt Studio Silky Sheen eye shadow in Burma on Capshaw's lids, and at times add kohl liner to help bring out Capshaw's blue eyes. As for the star's lips, Nichols either relies on Cargo Granite lip pencil or Trish McEvoy lip gloss in Beauty.
"We go really pale on the eyes and deeper on the lips, or use something very sheer and juicy," says Nichols. "With her coloring, you have to keep it very simple, so it's better to rely on sheer consistencies. We keep it light on the eyes, with just a little bit of color." Verdict: totally innocent.
Clothes
When it comes to Capshaw's clothes, practice makes perfect. "She's fresh out of Harvard Law, so we wanted to capture that professional yet youthful feeling," says costume supervisor Loree Parral. "She has to make the impression that she's a serious lawyer, even though she's very young and inexperienced. She had to come in and prove that she had the smarts to go with the looks."
That's why Capshaw's black and blue-gray three-piece suits, says Parral, are figure-forming and have more shape to them than the ultra-simple, even rigid, ensembles worn by co-star Lara Flynn Boyle's character. "We're doing a few more pantsuits than a more seasoned lawyer might do," she says. "We want to show that there's a woman under the dark suits."
Parral dresses Capshaw in Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino and Gaultier suits layered over Only Hearts and Theory shells and camisoles, capped off with classic high-heeled, pointy-toe Prada pumps in brown or black. As for handbags, Capshaw carries a purse/briefcase tote from Emporio Armani that "accommodates any kind of lifestyle," says Parral.
