Catherine Zeta-Jones

Courtesy Instyle

It’s hard to picture someone as sophisticated and glamorous as Catherine Zeta-Jones hanging out in sweats and sneakers — and that’s because she never does.

“It’s true, I don’t like the whole cutoff-shorts-and-T-shirt look, but I think you can look fantastic in casual clothes,” Zeta-Jones reveals in the December issue of InStyle. “I even find a way to make golf clothes look good; I put my collar up, get a sport hat and throw on an Hermès scarf.”

The ageless actress loves clothes so much that she’s in the midst of building what sounds like a pretty epic closet. “It’s like a dream. Racks on each side, a whole boudoir,” she says. But as excited as she is, her husband Michael Douglas is concerned about the new addition to their home. “I sit in there and watch CNN. Michael says one day I’m going to go in and never come out!”

And while the Broken City star loves luxe labels like Chanel, Helmut Lang, Alexander McQueen, Emilio Pucci and Stella McCartney, she doesn’t let the latest runway looks dictate what she wears. “I love fashion, love it, but I know exactly what looks good on my body,” Zeta-Jones explains. “I’ve never been a victim of trends.”

For more of the star’s interview pick up the December issue of InStyle on newsstands Friday, Nov. 16. Tell us: Do you like Zeta-Jones’s personal style?

–Jennifer Cress

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Flying isn’t very fun … and it’s even less fun when you’re not dressed comfortably. Though it’s easy to take off in sweats and sneakers, sometimes you have to step up your look a little bit — especially if you’re a celebrity.

Catherine Zeta-Jones recently took a trip looking chic in all black and flats (left); Kim Kardashian, however, chose leather pants and very fancy shoes (second from left) for a flight. There’s the Gwyneth Paltrow route — white jeans, gladiator sandals, a tank and blazer (center) — and the Ginnifer Goodwin option: a trench, scarf and jeans (second from right). And gold medal-winning gymnast Gabby Douglas went extra-cute in her BCBG MaxAzria skirt and leather moto jacket (right).

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Sipa

Looking at Catherine Zeta-Jones now, you wouldn’t think the seriously elegant actress ever had a bad hair day … or a bad hair phase, for that matter. But in a recent chat with PEOPLE, she admitted that she gave her locks lots of volume in that oh-so-stylish era, the 1980s.

“I must say I had big hair,” the Rock of Ages star shared. “Oh for god’s sake, my hair was so big, if I sat in the front row of a Clash show, people behind me couldn’t see.”

The hair was only part of the look, though; Zeta-Jones said that because her mom was liberal with cosmetics — “She never was one of those moms who was like, ‘Don’t put on makeup,’” she recalled — she was into bright colors, too. “I was one of those with the under-striping blush,” she admitted.

If only we could see a photo! Hear more from the star in the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now.

–Reporting by Mary Green

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A far cry from her elegant red carpet persona, Catherine Zeta-Jones is turning heads with her on-screen look in the casino caper, Lay the Favorite.

In the flick, Zeta-Jones plays Tulip, a gambler’s wife with a penchant for too-tight gym clothes. With her face-framing cleavage and conspicuous accessories, her styling is more than a little reminiscent of Julia Roberts‘s Oscar-winning turn as a scantily clad legal clerk in 2000′s Erin Brockovich. The provocative look also marks an upswing for the actress, who recently supported hubby Michael Douglas through a battle with cancer — and tackled personal issues of her own.

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Catherine Zeta-Jones has not one, but two special Michaels in her life — her husband Michael Douglas and her go-to designer Michael Kors. So, of course, she would turn up at Kors’s 30th anniversary runway show with her recovering husband in tow to show their combined support from the front row. Both decked out in Michael Kors, Zeta-Jones gushed of the clothes, “I loved the collection. Sometimes it’s difficult to express.” But Douglas had no such trouble weighing in on his own state of being, telling PEOPLE he feels “pretty good” as he scooted backstage with his wife on his arm. Other fans at the show included Debra Messing, Angie Harmon and Rene Russo. “I loved it,” added Anjelica Houston, who also spoke about the presence of her longtime friend Douglas. “I know, isn’t that great. We’ve all been rooting for him so much. I’m so proud of him.” The show itself had the sparkle and flow of the disco era, recalling vintage Halston, with throbbing ’70s tunes such as “I Feel Love,” playing on the soundtrack. “The colors were smashing,” said Bette Midler, who was also in the front row. The disco era fashion also brought back memories for Midler, who admitted to having a less refined version of the look the first time around. “Whooooh, big time,” she said. “It was terrifying. No, back then, I wore clothes that were a bit more eccentric.” – Jeffrey Slonim

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Courtesy Elizabeth Arden

When it comes to beauty, Catherine Zeta-Jones doesn’t hesitate over what eras inspire her:  “In the ’40s, it was a wartime, and women had to make best of what they had, whether it be using super-red lipstick or throwing [an eyeliner] pencil up the back up the leg for the nylon,” she tells PEOPLE. “They had limited resources, and they made [the] best of themselves.” Not that the Welsh beauty has to skimp — eight-years-plus as the face of Elizabeth Arden has only fed her beauty obsession and filled her medicine cabinets. “I’m still a fiend. I can’t get enough,” she laughs at the mention of the product perks of her role. “Every time my husband sees anyone from Arden, he’s like, ‘How much more do we have to put in the bathroom?’ I’m like, ‘Excuse me, it’s my job. I need to test everything.’” And one item that she had a very personal hand in developing is a limited-edition charity lipstick in honor of the brand’s 100th anniversary, with proceeds benefiting Look Good…Feel Better, a program that helps improve the self-image and quality of life of people undergoing treatment for cancer. “It really is amazing what [the charity] does for these women,” says Zeta-Jones. “They lose their hair and eyebrows–what they had used, as woman, as a strength and [for] empowerment. So we thought that it would be a great idea to give back to strong, powerful women.” 100% of profits for each $20 Anniversary Lipstick in Red Door, available at elizabetharden.com, goes directly to the charity. –Katherine Kluznik Rentmeester

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