She's Got 50+ Style: Gayle King

Gayle King is the coanchor of the TV news show CBS This Morning, Oprah Winfrey's best friend and the editor at large for O, The Oprah Magazine. But did you know that she's also a style icon for women like us? Model-tall at 5 foot 10, the 63-year-old favors fitted clothes that show her curves, bright colors and lots of accessories to accent every outfit. King's 24/7 life is a never-ending schedule of work, meetings, events, speaking engagements, parties and galas — but that's where having a style strategy takes over. Here's how she does it. 

1. She's a dress person

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King's "uniform" of shapely knee-hovering sheaths and fit-and-flare dresses makes it simple to pull together a polished daily look and shows off her long, amazing legs. Going sleeveless (above) is clearly not an issue, so short, elbow-length and three-quarter sleeves are all part of the dress code.

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2. She loves bright colors

King wears a lot of sunny yellow (her favorite color) and orange, but bright purple, blues, greens and pinks also keep the revolving rack of dresses lively. Bold colors work well for HDTV and send a warm, friendly vibe to all. But those brilliant hues also happen to play up her warm, glowing skin tone.

3. She knows the value of optical illusions

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King often chooses dresses that feature color blocking — with instant body-sculpting power — and has favored them for years. A color-blocked dress uses light or bright sections to emphasize certain body parts, as well as dark or black insets or panels to diminish others — which is an instant confidence booster.

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4. She breaks the rules

Gayle does it her way — and she has an edgy side, too! She'll wear a designer dress backward (above left, with dress zipper at the rear instead of in front, as designed), she'll mismatch shoe color and dress, she'll throw her black leather biker jacket over a ladylike dress, or she'll wear a dressy gown in leather, like a true fashionista.