Angelina Jolie says she’s figuring out her style as she recalls wanting to look ‘soft’ after being ‘hurt’

‘I want a woman to feel safe enough that she can be soft,’ Jolie says

Angelina Jolie has admitted that she’s still trying to figure out what her style is, as she opened up about wanting to look “soft” after being “hurt” in the past.

The actor, 48, spoke candidly about her fashion sense during a recent interview with Vogue to discuss her new brand, Atelier Jolie. She began by describing how she believes people perceive her based on the clothes she wears.

“Sometimes the way you dress says: ‘Don’t mess with me - I’ve got my armour on,’” she said. “But I want a woman to feel safe enough that she can be soft.”

The Maleficent star revealed that when she was faced with a difficult time in her life, she was ultimately encouraged to choose clothes that made her look “soft”.

“After I went through something where I was hurt, I had a therapist ask if I would try wearing a flowing garment,” she said. “Sounds silly, but I assumed that pants and boots projected a ‘tougher’ look, a stronger me. But was I strong enough to be soft?”

While Jolie confessed that she didn’t feel too strong at time, she acknowledged that she’s still figuring out what her style is - despite being hurt in the past. “I felt vulnerable. Now I wonder if I don’t know what my style is because I’m still understanding who I am at 48. I guess I’m in transition as a person,” she added.

The Salt star seemingly alluded to some of the personal challenges she faced over the years, including her split from ex-husband Brad Pitt in 2016. “I feel a bit down these days. I don’t feel like I’ve been myself for a decade, in a way, which I don’t want to get into,” she said.

Jolie added that she’s in a place in her film career where she’s “only taking jobs that didn’t require long shoots” after spending the last seven years doing “a lot of healing”. She also noted that while she’s “still finding [her] footing”, her work with her fashion brand has offered her a new perspective.

“I think part of this has also been therapeutic for me - to work in a creative space with people you trust and to rediscover yourself,” the actor explained. “I’m hoping to change many aspects of my life. And this is the forward-facing one.”

In May, Jolie took to Instagram to announce the launch of Atelier Jolie, which she described as “a collective where everyone can create”.

“Atelier Jolie is a place for creative people to collaborate with a skilled and diverse family of expert tailors, pattern makers and artisans from around the world,” she wrote in the caption. “It stems from my appreciation and deep respect for the many tailors and makers I’ve worked with over the years, a desire to make use of the high-quality vintage material and deadstock fabric already available, and also to be part of a movement to cultivate more self-expression.”

During her interview with Vogue, the Mr & Mrs Smith star spoke candidly about her new career in the fashion industry, noting that her brand is “not really about fashion”.

“I don’t want to be a big fashion designer,” Jolie said. “I want to build a house for other people to become that.”