Caprice Bourret: The Sophisticated Life

This month, I spoke with Caprice Bourret of Bravo’s Ladies of London reality television series that centers around "sophisticated life" in the United Kingdom. We discussed fashion, art, health, fitness, culture, and the differences between how Americans and Europeans view manners.

Bourret has an eye for fashion, be it high-end labels or underrated boutique store trends. She has graced the cover of over 300 magazines as a model and now owns her own lingerie, swim, and bedding fashion lines. I asked her about the differences between Europeans and Americans when it comes to fashion. "Americans are a little more conservative," she said. "In Europe, there is more originality and people are very much led by edgier fashion."  So what fashion trends does Bourret follow?  "After becoming a mom, my style has become quite conservative. I love my power suits, I love my A-line cuts and I love black; it is very timeless."  This may be hard to believe, as she has often been spotted in micro minis and plunging necklines on the red carpet, but her maternity garb has given us a glimpse into her new momma style. Unfortunately, we will have to wait to see more until the new season premiers. Perhaps we will catch a glimpse of the star in her favorite designers, Prada and Valentino? For now, we must settle on her advice for the most overrated trend of today, which she didn’t hesitate to mention, the high-waisted look. "It is not complimentary on any body shape," she said.

As a Los Angeles native, Caprice now enjoys getting to know her new town and has become quite fond of London culture. She is particularly drawn to the French Mediterranean and Niçoise-inspired restaurant, La Petite Maison, which she deems is "the best food in London." Her favorite bar is at the Cannought Hotel, and when asked about her favorite museum, she replied that her favorite museum isn't in London. "My favorite museum in the world is the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles," she said, which seems rather fitting with the theme of her reality series. To escape the stresses of her everyday life, she rents a house on the island of Ibiza off the coast of Spain each summer, which she says is a popular travel destination in August for Europeans. "The food is unbelievable and the beaches are beautiful; there is a bit of glam and bit of a hippy style. It's nice for families and it’s nice if you want to party your tushy off!"  And that is exactly what she does! But how does she stay sane the rest of the time? "You have a choice in life whether to be happy or not happy, and I choose to be happy," she said. "I think it is very important to have this kind of attitude when you are raising children because children are like sponges. Whatever their parents are, they really take that onboard and it shapes their character." 

The mother of two infants, one born via surrogate and the other conceived naturally, is clearly all about her two boys now. I asked her how she bounced back after giving birth. Other than her amazing genes, she claims she "can put on weight looking at food, so I am 90% vegan and I eat quite small portions throughout the day. Running after two small boys under the age of one is like a constant cardio routine. When I was pregnant I put on 40 pounds, and thanks to my gorgeous children I have lost it all." As far as beauty regimens go, she says she's been getting facials all her life, but what she really thinks is important is what you eat. And also, "just being a happy person. There is nothing worse than looking at a woman who is aesthetically beautiful, but has a very mean and unhappy disposition." I couldn’t agree more.

After watching the season finale of Ladies of London, one may become rather sympathetic toward this mild-mannered beauty getting caught up in all the drama; one slip of the tongue, add some miscommunication, and suddenly a small issue blows up with instigators watching from the sidelines; bias opinions, a little wine, and cameras always rolling. But despite all that, Bourret clearly holds her own amidst the chaos. One thing that you can definitely take away from the series, is that manners and kindness (especially in a stressful situation) can go a long way. When I asked about American versus European customs, Bourret conveys that she doesn’t believe in all the strict rules of British high-society, or American ideals for that matter. She states simply, "At the end of the day, if you are a good person, why should you be judged because you do not know proper etiquette?"  I completely agree; when someone dances to the beat of her own drum, we should embrace it.