The inimitable Jane Fonda wears a flannel nightgown to bed these days, “because I’m single,” she says. That’s the same reason why I don’t wear underwear — or any other bottoms — to bed. Well, because I’m single, but honestly more so because I’m always so darn hot at night! Which is also why I never wear flannel of any variety. It’s not a sartorial comment, it’s a climate issue. Anyway, Jane shares this tidbit along with several other incisive gems in a new little interview in the The Times’ style section. She covers everything from her favorite perfume, must-have beauty product, and what she thinks men should never wear. A couple legendary Hollywood ladies get name dropped along the way:
How would you describe your style?
“Simple!” Since my hair has gone grey, I wear more colour, including yellow and green. Even I can look good in those colours, and not a lot of people can say that.Can you remember the best fashion advice you’ve ever been given?
When we were filming On Golden Pond, Katharine Hepburn came up and grabbed my cheeks and said: “What does this mean to you? This is your body!” She was angry with me because she thought I didn’t pay enough attention to how I presented myself. And she was right: I really didn’t care. Now I pay more attention.What do you wear to bed?
A flannel nightgown — because I’m single. I never wore them when I was with a man.If you could turn back the fashion clock, what outfit would have to go?
I won my second Academy Award [for Coming Home in 1979] wearing the most awful dress. I was married to a politician and one of his big supporters was a fashion designer [James Reva]. My husband said: “Let him design you a dress.” I did and it was awful and I won the Oscar in it. Anything for politics! It was just poor taste.Do you have a desert island beauty product?
A sunscreen like L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Pro-Retinol Day Cream. It’s SPF 30 — anything 30-plus strength hurts my eyes.What’s your favourite fragrance?
Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady. I think it’s because it smells like sex. It’s musky.Complete this sentence: ‘… never goes out of style’
Kindness and gratitude never go out of style.
Did you remember to read the Katharine Hepburn quotes in her signature voice pattern?! I swear I can see (and hear!) it perfectly, “What does this mean to you? This is your body!” And what exactly was Kathy upset about with Jane’s appearance? Did she think Jane wasn’t moisturizing enough, or was she pushing for Jane to incorporate more menswear into her wardrobe? Jane always leaves so many crumbs that I feel like interviewers never fully follow up on, sigh. What else… Of course Jane loves a certain scent because it’s musky like sex. And I equally love and am perplexed by her attack on the colors yellow and green. At first I wanted more investigative journalism into why she believes those colors are hard to pull off, especially with non-gray hair, according to Jane? But I think now I prefer leaving it random and unanswered.
As for her touting sunscreen as her fave beauty product, yes, she’s being a dutiful L’Oréal spokeswoman, but it honestly should be the most important thing we put on. I’ve shared before how I’m a maniac about sun protection when on vacation, but not enough in “real” life. Well folks, I had my very first skin cancer screening, and the doctor basically said that unless I’m in a cave, I need to be wearing sunscreen. And that was before we even got to my family history of melanoma. She was very communicative throughout, and thorough, checking places where, as she put it, “the sun doesn’t shine.” But yeah, after waiting for the results of a biopsy — which thankfully came back benign — I’m finally scared straight into sunscreen before leaving the house, and always donning a wide-brimmed hat when I do. So let’s say kindness and gratitude AND sunscreen never go out of style!
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- 31st SAG Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on February 23, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA,Image: 968239036, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jane Fonda, Credit line: Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon
photos credit: Nadja Sayej/Backgrid, Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon and Getty
I wear flannel pyjamas because I find them comfortable. At least then I don’t need sun protection and big straw hats in bed 😂
The Oscar dress doesn’t look that bad.
Ages ago I heard green could be difficult to get ‘right’ on screen. I don’t know what was meant maybe the lighting.
Thank you for putting the oscar dress up, and saving me from googling it.
I appreciate it.
And it is not at all terrible.
She is amazing. We are lucky to have her.
Jane went through a period where she was anorexically thin, working out to excess (she’s had knee and hip replacements as a result), maybe that’s what KH was on about, or excessive suntanning. Jane was very tanned in that movie.
I prefer oversize t-shirts to sleep in — my night sweats are baaaad, especially with chemo, so I need something I can fling off easily.
I’m also a nightshirt gal. Soma makes a cooling nightshirt that fits like an oversized t-shirt, but stays much cooler. My partner got me a couple. I was skeptical at first, but I glove them.
Nice hair do but I wonder if she gets a blow out every morning to keep it poufy.
The dress looks good in the photos, maybe the fabric pattern looked odd in person? About 15 years ago I started really liking Jane Fonda, and the feeling has just increased.
I found a video of the Oscars ceremony for that category, and hers was the best dress in the group, although she was also the youngest and fittest nominee. I do recommend the video for the (actually) funny banter between Shirley MacLaine and Richard Dreyfuss as she congratulates her brother, Warren Beatty, on his win earlier in the evening.