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Few women in Hollywood have changed themselves like Jessica Alba has. She started out with minor and rather forgettable roles before the break of a lifetime in 2000. Her turn as a genetically engineered soldier in Fox’s Dark Angel made her a star with her gorgeous looks and body. Soon, men’s magazines were featuring her in a variety of hot outfits to boost the show more. It ended after two seasons with Alba pushed into movies. She had some success with certain films, such as Sin City and playing the Invisible Woman in Fantastic Four. But she was soon ignored more due to her bad choices of movies and roles that relied on her being there just to look pretty. Also, the fact that she married director Cash Warren and raising a trio of children that cut into her time.
But Alba has remade herself big time by founding the Honest Company, a clothing/beauty line that has made her a bona fide billionaire. It’s gotten her more respect and still a good name around Hollywood. She’s made further acting credits like The Mechanic and trying for TV in a sadly not picked up cop pilot. She still looks stunningly gorgeous and the potential remains for a comeback. Of course, Alba is busier with her business that’s popular in Hollywood and of course, can rock a red carpet with ease. As much as her star seems to have fallen, something about Alba makes her a name after all these years. Here are 20 pictures that show why that popularity remains and why so many in and out of Hollywood still love the Dark Angel.
the white beach look
Like any Hollywood starlet, travel is a major thing for Alba. She’s learned to handle going about to Canada for shoots like Dark Angel and handling international filming as well. Today, it’s more about family vacations with her husband and kids, everywhere from Disneyland to Hawaii to the tropics. Often, this is a great excuse for Alba to show off in a swimsuit, where she shows just lounging back by the pool can still be fashionable. This magazine shoot seems to capture that amazing look well. Settled by a pool, we see Alba rocking a gorgeous white top that leaves her toned mid-riff exposed, while remaining classy. Her skirt shows off her legs in that same classy fashion, and the large shell-styled necklace fits the motif as does the huge hat. It’s the kind of outfit she could easily wear for sure at the beach or a cruise.
Alba did an interview with Travel & Leisure on her travel style, whether vacation, filming or business. This included tips on the right carry-ons, always keeping hydrated and a bit of plugging for her Honest Company’s style of skin care. As for fashion, Alba said “I’m really into coziness and comfort. I like any version of pajamas—whether it’s a cashmere sweat suit or just a regular cozy, soft sweat suit—or actual pajamas that you can wear out, like silk ones. If you throw a chic trench coat or long coat over it, you can get away with it.” Of course, her real style is amazing.
Business Chic
When Alba announced she was starting her own company, there was naturally a bit of dubiousness. After all, most saw her as just a hot actress and it sounded like the typical “celebrity glamour” front. But Alba was serious with the Honest Company, wanting to put out an eco-friendly line of products for infants and mothers. But despite a rough start, the company took off and is now worth over a billion dollars. It’s led to Alba getting more respect, although she was frank in interviews with Forbes and MSNBC that she had to fight for respect in the boardroom and make it clear this wasn’t some glamour project. It’s also led to her taking a new attitude a lot of the time.
That means Alba showing up in business outfits for board meetings and admitting she has to shift her style to be taken more seriously. “A midi skirt is my jam. Floor-length is a bit too dressy for daytime, and I am not running around in a mini. It doesn’t feel very professional. Midi skirts are youthful and fun, and they make me feel comfortable.” This is a great example. She is wearing a lovely flannel top and then a dark skirt, attractive but also shows a business sense and thus how brilliantly Alba has shifted to this new career.
Homemaker
A reason Alba has been quieter in terms of movies is that family life is occupying a lot of her time. She’s a great mom to her three children and is often photographed with them on family outings. In many ways, Alba can be like any other mother from trips to the park to dressing up as her daughter’s favorite cartoon character for Halloween. She’s admitted to magazines it can be tricky but she does her best, telling Parents magazine that,
"Some days I feel like I balance more than others. But if I can get in a workout, put in a productive amount of hours at the office, pick my kids up from school, make them dinner, give them a bath, put them to bed, and then have a glass of wine? That's a really productive day."
This pic shows how even just at home, Alba can shine wonderfully. The light slacks show off her legs in heels, and she pairs it with a gorgeous jacket on top. Her smile is bright and lovely, and it was a good decision to leave her hair flowing back like that. Alba told the magazine that becoming a mom had changed her in so many ways, and made her “far more comfortable than when I was starting out." This photo shows how much that statement is actually true.
Golden Glow
While Alba had been in Hollywood for some time, the 2006 Oscars was the first time she was invited to the biggest night for the industry. Thus, she wanted to go all out for attention. She sure succeeded with this stunningly gorgeous golden gown that accentuates her curves and her great look. The straps are nicely designed and lead to a long trail with a floral pattern that mixes well with the material. Alba’s dark hair is done up nicely and thus it’s no wonder you can see some folks in the background turning heads. Alba was coming off of Sin City, Fantastic Four and Honey, roles known for her looks and thus knew she had to show that off a bit.
However, today, Alba has a different attitude. She told Cosmopolitan that she’s learned to “dress for your silhouette and know what's flattering for your shape, forget about trends and instead invest in classic pieces."
She continued with, "I'd say to my 20-year-old self: 'You're never going to be perfect to everyone, so you have to just be happy with yourself. If other people aren't into it, who cares, move on!'" However, this look was definitely one of the best looks of the night, so although she may not have cared, other people definitely did.
Met Gala
On the first Monday of May, the biggest names in entertainment and fashion converge at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. There, they show off in a variety of stunning outfits for a huge fundraiser event. It’s a major deal (the upcoming Ocean’s 8 movie imagines a major heist taking place during it) and the fashion blogs go wild on who dresses up, in the best and worst ways. Naturally, Alba has been at a few with a mixture of outfits. The 2013 Gala was notable as she worked with W Magazine to give an exclusive look at how she put it all together with designer Tory Burch.
That year, the Met had a “punk” theme to it and Alba wanted to capture that, “satirical nature, social commentary, and political issues of the punk movement that are expressed through fashion and music is something that I have always gravitated toward."
The result is this fantastic dress, the black color capturing the punk motif. The flashes of skin are elegant, which is no surprise, considering Alba never lets herself look anything less than classy. Alba’s hair in a twisted bun only adds to that casual elegance, giving the punk rock look a bit of her own personal touch.
Metallic Shine
It may be a bit surprising that Alba wasn’t too much into sports. Her childhood had her facing slews of medical issues that had her in the hospital for several weeks on end and thus not too athletic. It wasn’t until Dark Angel came along that she got into toning herself up and looking good. She grew up in Pomona, California and thus has counted the Golden State Warriors as one of her favorite teams, often showing up at games and celebrating her NBA title wins.
Recently, Alba has gotten her Honest Company to work with MLB for “Born a Fan”, a line of baby clothing with the logos of various baseball teams. Needless to say, it’s become very popular for sports moms to show their kids off in their favorite team logos.
Alba is also around for the ESPY awards and walked the red carpet in this stunning number. The metallic shine comes off bright with the nice layering at the front and the way one shoulder seems spiked upward helps it stand out even more. Alba has shown up on SportsCenter, including a funny bit of playing golf with legend John Daly and practicing golf with her father. She seems too busy to get into major sports a lot but Alba can still show up to the games looking beautiful. (Source: ESPN)
beautiful in blue
With her incredible beauty, it’s no wonder Alba was offered a lot of parts that would have her beauty on full display. One of the most notable would have to be Sin City. Frank Miller worked with Robert Rodriguez to bring his hit noir comics to life. Alba was Nancy, once a kidnap victim now grown into a dancer. When the killer targets her again, a cop (Bruce Willis) has to protect her. The images of Alba dancing in a cowgirl outfit were featured on the movie’s posters and trailers. Alba admitted the role was a bit more adult than she’d like (and she put her foot down on actually doing a striptease) but overall enjoyed it. She even reprised the role of Nancy in the 2014 sequel, now with more edge.
Alba loved the character, telling Nightline “That’s why it was so fun, because it’s the opposite of who I am. I normally have such a hard time watching me, but I don’t feel like there’s any of me up there. It’s Nancy.”
She naturally showed off on the red carpet, arriving at the premiere for A Dame to Kill For in a gorgeous form-fitting blue dress, making her stand out beautifully amongst the crowd. The latter movie may have flopped but Alba was still a sight to enjoy in it.
Pretty In Pink
Like any rising starlet, Alba was linked to some handsome guys over her career. She and her Dark Angel co-star Michael Weatherly dated for a while but eventually called it quits. It’s the only confirmed relationship with rumors of her with Derek Jeter but never proven. So it was a surprise that Alba ended up not with some handsome actor but rather production assistant/director Cash Warren. They met on the set of Fantastic Four in 2004 with Alba noting to Cosmopolitan that,
“The first week that we kind of got together, he gave me a note and signed it with a dollar sign, because his name is Cash. It just said, “I really, really like you.” And that was exactly how I felt at the time. Really, really liking him too much…I was already in love with him. And I hated it because it was terrifying that I cared about him so much right away and I already wanted him to be around forever.”
Today, the two are a great couple, raising three children, and Warren heavily involved with Alba’s philanthropy work. On the red carpet he seems to be perfectly okay letting his wife get the attention. That includes this outfit at the Golden Globes, a gorgeous pink gown with a huge diamond necklace, making the whole thing a fantastic old-style Hollywood glamour look. She may not have married an A-lister but Alba sure makes it work better than most Hollywood marriages.
Green Glow
Alba is known for her fantastic beauty and amazing style. She keeps herself in shape and looks amazing all the time. But even the most beautiful people have something they don’t like about themselves. With Alba, it’s her legs. She stands five foot seven, an average height but Alba somehow doesn’t like to flaunt her legs too much. Even when playing a dancer in Honey, she stuck to long pants, telling various magazines that she just doesn’t feel like showing off too much. That adds to her outfits as she tries to pick ones to help her show off more in different ways. As she told People,
“When you don’t have legs for days, you have to wear something to elongate them. Like with culottes, you should do a pump or a sandal. A bootie or a sneaker can make you look squashed, like an Oompa Loompa!”
For this premiere, Alba picks a great outfit. The green layers are nice, not too sheer to be distracting but still enough to get attention. The silver butterfly at her hip draws attention and for a lady who claims her legs aren’t good, Alba shows them off amazingly well. She can deny it all she wants but most will agree Alba’s legs are as nearly perfect as the rest of her.
The Dark Angel
It’s been 18 years but it’s still the role Alba is famous for. In 2000, James Cameron was still riding high on the success of Titanic and anything he had a hand in was going to get huge attention. Thus, the announcement he was creating his own sci-fi TV series for FOX wasn’t so much a show as an event. Dark Angel was set in a near future after America is crippled by a special electromagnetic bomb that turns it into a third-world nation. In Seattle, Max is a genetically engineered soldier with feline DNA who works as a messenger before aiding a cyber-genius (A pre-NCIS Michael Weatherly) in fighting dark forces. The sight of Alba in the leather outfits was soon all over posters and billboards and made her an instant star.
The show only lasted two seasons, canceled due to both budget and low ratings. However, it remains Alba’s biggest claim to fame, making her very popular because of her looks. But it was a double-edged sword. Alba explained to Marie Claire, “Right away, everyone formed a strong opinion about me because of the way I was marketed. I was supposed to be sexy, this tough action girl. I felt like I was being objectified, and it made me uncomfortable. I wanted to be chic and elegant!" But Alba is still grateful for how this show made her career and the look of her in outfits like this is still a reason she has a name in Hollywood.
Goddess
She may have risen to fame as a Dark Angel with dark clothes, but Alba still remains a major beauty in white fabrics. Something about the color helps her stand out, and a fine example is at the 2016 post-Oscar Vanity Fair party. Alba looks like some sort of Greek goddess in this stunning white gown, a dip at the front but not too overt and a great slit for her leg. The black belt around her waist helps it stand out even more and her hair is perfect. Also getting attention is her large lush jewelry, standing out majorly with its design.
Alba does enjoy her jewelry style, telling People, “It’s fun to mix it up. I like long statement necklaces. I like little delicate ones. I like tons of rings. I like earrings — all kinds of earrings. I have many holes. I’m probably going to get more. My philosophy is: break the rules. You don’t need to wear matching everything all the time. Mix metals. You can be boho one day, you can be modern and sleek another day. The most important thing for girls to do is just have fun and be in the moment.” At this moment, Alba has to stand as one of the most beautiful women alive.
That Suit
The vast majority of Alba’s swimsuit pics are probably bordering on the too revealing to show territory. Even when they’re for mainstream publications like the cover of Entertainment Weekly, a bikini on Alba’s form can set viewers on fire with her smoldering looks. She has shown off in the movies like Into the Blue, for exactly that reason. However, Alba has admitted that it wasn’t until she had her children that she felt comfortable in her body. She also insists she prefers one-piece suits over bikinis as she actually likes being a bit more covered up. As she explained to GQ magazine,
"I have to enhance what I like about my body and my stomach is good. My legs I'm not as excited about all the time, but I wouldn't cover up my stomach. That's what women do. Enhance what we've got."
Obviously, she sure learned that with this suit. The black style is terrific, not too overt but still gorgeous. The pattern is good, not too sheer but enough to both sell the bathing suit and make it appealing to everyone looking at the photo. Throw in the gold bracelets and chain around her waist and it stands out more. Of course, it doesn't take much for Alba to rock her viewers.
Chic Cool
Here’s an outfit that could have been a disaster. However, with Alba, it looks amazing. For a 2016 Saint Laurent fashion show, Alba came out in a gorgeous sheer golden gown, the material wonderful, and the dress showing off her form nicely. Over it, she wore a leather jacket, a favorite accessory of hers. Rather than be terrible, the outfit won raves for its design with her nice slit up the leg and matching earrings. It turned heads majorly and stood out from the crowd as Alba rocked the jacket well. She does enjoy them a lot, even the rare maternity wear style and in a variety of colors.
Mixing that with a gorgeous gown might seem odd but as it happens, Alba does enjoy mixing her style up. She explained to People that, “Pairing pieces that are unexpected is definitely something I like to do. If you have a very feminine dress or skirt and top, it’s nice to break up the sweetness with a moto jacket or tougher shoe, like a bootie, so it doesn’t feel so saccharine.” No one can possibly call this ensemble “saccharine” by any means as it mixes true elegance with a tough vibe, a style only Alba could pull off and shows why she remains so popular.
Spy Mom
After some time away from Hollywood in order to spend time with her family, Alba made a nice comeback in Spy Kids 4: All The Time in the World. The latest in the popular series of adventures had Alba as a spy who retires and lives with a good guy (Joel McHale) who ironically is a spy-hunter unaware of his new wife’s secret life. When enemy agents come hunting, her step kids (including future Girl Meets World star Rowan Blanchard) have to take up the spy mantle to help their mom out. It’s a wild film with the revelation of Alba’s character being the aunt of the original series star, Alexa Vega. The movie is notable for how Alba announced right after filming had wrapped that she was pregnant with her second child during the shoot.
Alba told Variety that she wanted to do the film to make it “The first one of my movies my daughter can see.”
It helps that she had outfits like this, a stunning dark top and some very nice jeans. Alba told US Weekly that she tries to keep away from torn-up jeans and prefers stylish “so your underwear isn’t hanging out” all the time. With the sleek dark look and the lush hair flowing, Alba sure looked amazing in the part and how, mom or not, she could be one hot spy.
Tropical Heat
She may look high maintenance but Alba insists she doesn’t try and stand out too much. She even claims motherhood has changed her views on always being “on” with fashion, telling In Style,
“I usually pick out my outfits the night before and I pick out my kids’ clothes the night before and it just helps me get prepared for the day. If I am in a rush, which I usually am, I can just throw on my clothes and get out the door."
She continued with, "It’s nice to lay it out the night before because it just makes getting out the door that much easier. But if you feel insecure at all in what you’re wearing, put on something else.” Of course, that doesn’t mean Alba can’t do her best to look incredible. For this magazine shoot, she’s clad in a terrific outfit, a lovely floral print top (with one strap slid down to show her off) and long skirt, accenting her curves. Alba has admitted to People that “shorts aren’t my thing” as she much prefers longer pants. Yet the way her hair is flowed back to highlight her look just adds to how she can bring the heat in any setting, especially this great pool background.
Sweat It Out
It’s no shock Alba keeps herself in shape. She had to learn that when making Dark Angel as it helped her terrific action scenes and playing a genetically perfect being. She’s kept it up with various roles like Honey, as well as some others, and even after three kids, she’s in fabulous shape. She’s shared it with Self magazine and others, admitting that,
“I'm gonna be straight with you guys. I don't like working out, but I feel really good after. It gives me energy and it just sets a good foundation for the day.” She also admitted she needed “a good alarm and strong coffee” to get up at 5 in the morning for yoga classes.
It’s helped as pics abound of Alba going to and from the gym and always looking sensational. She also encourages working out with friends as “they keep you accountable.” Alba has stated it’s more important today in motherhood as “I’ve gotten older and after I became a mum, it became more of a priority to be healthy for the right reasons. It’s more important to have a balanced approach instead of trying to be perfect.” Of course, a picture like this shows her shape in a tight top and a spa setting and how all that physical work pays off well.
Riding High
Motorcycles have long been connected with Alba. After all, her character on Dark Angel was a bike messenger in a messed-up future Seattle, where she was often seen on a bike. The images of her in that outfit hanging around bikes were soon a constant in promotions. True, a lot of it was stuntwork but Alba learned to ride an Indian bike for real to make several scenes work. Speaking to Nylon, Alba gushed she still loves the show for how it taught her so much.
“I know how to ride a motorcycle, I can do wire work like you see in the circuses. I can shoot a gun. I know how to fight, too." That’s a key reason she loves action and enjoyed her time on the series so much.
It looks like Alba still can’t get away from that motif. In 2015, she was part of the all-star cast of Taylor Swift’s epic “Bad Blood” music video which paid tribute to action movies. She was Domino with a poster of her line in the video, “Band-Aids won’t fix bullet holes.” In a behind the scenes video, Swift gushed about how she wanted Alba around because of her tough look and how she was always around motorcycles. A shot like this shows that bikes and Alba just go together so well.
Casual Chic
She may be dressed up a lot for movies and then dressed down for hot magazine shoots. But most of the time, Alba can be spotted in casual wear a lot. She told People that,
“It depends on the day, but I like to keep it casual rather than so pulled together and serious. If I have a ton of meetings with my executive team, I usually put on high-waisted jeans, a blouse, and a long boyfriend blazer. But if I am in the nitty-gritty and we’re trying to tackle a challenge, I’ll wear a long skirt with a tank and oversize sweater.”
Of course, it’s obvious to find Alba coming to and from the gym but this shows how easily she can work a good casual outfit. Here’s a great one, a tank top blue top covering her well with tight floral pants and open high heels. Even the sunglasses look stylish yet simple to sell the entire view and make Alba look like she’s walking a runway, not down the street. It’s casual but still looks absolutely amazing and Alba is able to make it work for a picture that shows even without dressing up, she can turn heads majorly.
Ruffle Up
The Academy Awards is always a time of glitz and glamour. While Alba has mostly been absent from major movies in the last few years, she still gets invites to both the show itself and the always-hot Vanity Fair after party. For the 2017 version, she showed off in a stunning Ralph & Russo dress, Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, a Jimmy Choo clutch, and Niwaka jewelry. The dress was terrific with a plunge at the front and a fantastic slit to show off her nice legs. It was hailed by many as one of the best outfits of the night and showcases Alba’s amazing style.
Alba herself is up front on how her movie career is hardly Oscar worthy and she was encouraged to do more “paycheck” roles. She told People that “It’s more about the time commitment and also the people I’m working with than anything. Before it was more, ‘What’s the distribution, what’s it going to do for my career, how big is the paycheck?’ And now it’s like, ‘Am I going to grow as an actor and is this going to be a challenge? … Is it going to be six months out of the year or is it going to be two weeks?'” While she may never get an Oscar nod herself, there’s no denying Alba can steal the show on Hollywood’s biggest night.
Red beauty
Alba always knows how to turn heads but this was still a wild one. In August 2016, she made an appearance on The Tonight Show and wore a stunning skintight red dress. The interview itself was fun as Alba talked about her life as a mother and shared a fun story about of how she used to put lip balm on her brother when he was sleeping. She added how she pretended to be “possessed by the devil” to scare her brother Joshua. Indeed, the two remain quite close with pics together for “National Siblings Day.” Indeed, Joshua guest-starred on an episode of Dark Angel where naturally he and his sister had some on-screen conflicts.
Joshua has told E among various places how it feels being the brother of a famous starlet and doesn’t seem to mind it. The two still get along great but it does seem intriguing how the Albas have taken different paths. Still, what is nice about them is that they remain close as ever. Listening to a childhood story might not be what people wanted to hear her talk about, but watching her in this dress definitely made up for it.
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