WHIRLED Style /STYLE FILE

Something to Talk About

Brenda Waters’ style speaks for itself.

By Leslie Hoffman I Photography by Megan Wylie

Brenda Waters photographed
at Gateway Center.

Brenda Waters is a city girl who has been blessed with style since the day she was born. As a child growing up in Washington, D.C., her parents, Levi and Dellilah, embraced the philosophy of always being dressed up no matter what the situation. Waters’ mother always wore a hat and gloves out of the house, and her father always traveled with a suit, “because you never know what is going to happen.” Waters laughs and says that this probably explains why she only owns two pairs of jeans. Of course, the KDKA-TV anchor and reporter also has the pressure of a daily television audience to keep her style in line. Has she ever rebelled? “Oh no, I never did rebel; I like dressing up. It just makes you feel good.”

How would you describe your style?
A cornucopia of fashion! I like to mix and match a lot of things, a lot of colors that you wouldn’t normally think would match. I go by the philosophy of my mother — a fabulous person with great style — she would always tell me that colors and fabrics don’t have to match, they just have to ‘talk to each other.’

What other fashion wisdom did your mother impart to you?
She was very old-school; she felt that you should never leave the house without a hat, and she always had gloves in her hand or she was wearing them. She also said you should never go out hoping and thinking that no one would see you, but that you should always be dressed when you go out.

It sounds like your parents had serious style.
My father was a deacon in the church, and my mother was a deaconess; every Sunday they would drive to church together, but my mother would always manage to walk down the aisle late. So, my father would always accuse her of coming in late so that people could look at her hat. Of course she denied it, but deep down that’s what she was doing because every Sunday, she would call me here in Pittsburgh and say, “Girl, my hat was talking today.” And I would say, “Well what was it saying, Mom?” And she said, “Look at me!”

Did you ever rebel against your parents’ style edicts when you were growing up?
Oh no, I loved dressing up; I loved shopping with my mother. Like I said, I grew up in Washington, D.C., and on Monday and Thursday nights, my mother and I went downtown to go shopping at night.

When you were growing up, did you have any outfits that were particularly special to you?
My mother loved the ensemble, like the sheath and the coat that would match. I have a picture of me in junior high school going to see My Fair Lady, I still have the black and white photo, and it was in one of those outfits.

Working in television, would you say there’s a disparity between what you wear when you’re on air or off the air?
I know there are certain patterns and colors that I can’t wear on television. Checkered patterns, plaid, “dance” on the camera. And because of my dark skin, I can’t wear really pastel light colors or white because then all you see are my eyes and my teeth — the camera lens shuts down to compensate for the light color.

Where did you learn this?
You kind of learn it along the way: People tell you things. When I was an intern in Washington, D.C., and I would go on assignment with reporters, they would say such-and-such isn’t working today, so you can’t wear this ... you just pick it up as you go. I think I look better on the air in something that is more tailored or tapered because I’m a tall girl. I’m a big girl, I have big bones; if I wear something boxy on the air, I’m going to look bigger, my shoulders are going to look bigger.

What style advice could you share about what to wear on television?
Of course, beware of patterns that could “dance” on screen. And, you never know where they’re going to have you sitting when you go to a television station, so your skirt should not be too short — at least to the knees so it looks like it’s a decent length when you’re sitting and talking. And, nothing too tight or too low-cut; people would like to focus on what you’re saying not what you’re exhibiting.

Brenda Waters, One Gateway Center, Downtown. 412.575.2200. kdka.com.




Brenda’s Favorites

Brenda counts Shadyside’s Pamar and Aspinwall’s Patricia Boutique among her favorite places to shop. “I like the boutiques here; you don’t see a lot of the same things in these stores. You don’t see your outfit coming and going on someone else.” Pamar, 5541 Walnut St., Shadyside. 412.687.7354. Patricia Boutique, 115 Center Ave., Aspinwall. 412.799.0819.

 



“One of my favorite restaurants is the Tin Angel; my sister, who lives in Los Angeles, also loves it, and she always asks, ‘Is my restaurant still there?’” Tin Angel, 1200 Grandview Ave., Mt. Washington. 412.381.1919. tinangel.com.

 

 


A great hat. Brenda wears hats from her mom’s collection, but you can find a dramatic topper at Spoiled Chics the Boutique, in Sewickley. Ultra Braid hat with UPF 50, $38. Spoiled Chics the Boutique, 350 Beaver St., Sewickley. 412.741.0977. spoiledchics.com.


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