Ellen’s Style Goes Beyond What She Wears

Ellen DeGeneres: JC Penney, CoverGirl, crew socks and kindness

February 9, 2012

Source: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for PCA

Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres, PCA winner and new JC Penney spokesperson, backstage during the 2012 People's Choice Awards in January. The couple has been together 8 years -- that's 8 years longer than Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries, minus 72 days, give or take.

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A friend of mine asked me if I was covering a gay couple in my Love Style series. If I could cover anyone, I'd love to cover Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi (hey! I just noticed, they both have a De in front of their names), especially after another friend sent me the below video.

It seems there's been a bit of a kerfuffle about Ellen DeGeneres becoming a spokesperson for JC Penney — an actual petition against her actually. Seriously?

Ellen DeGeneres, who just took home a People's Choice award for her wildly popular talk show, joked – she is a comedian – that she's especially looking forward to the discount on T-shirts and crew socks.

The 54-year-old Ellen DeGeneres' style pretty much consists of sweaters or T-shirts, casual suits, sport jackets, and jeans – but she has to be able to dance in them!

After her lighthearted quips on the perks of the JC Penney gig, Ellen DeGeneres got serious, and addressed the backlash regarding on their choice of her as spokesperson in this video segment – well worth watching.

She ended with outlining what she stands for:

Honesty
Equality
Kindness
Compassion
Treating people the way you want to be treated
Helping those in need

"To me those are the traditional values," Ellen said, "that's what I stand for."

Ellen DeGeneres got to the heart of what I try to incorporate here at StyleGoesStrong.com.
Style, real style, does not stand alone – it incorporates everything you are – what you stand for as well as what you stand in. And hopefully at some point everyone will walk a mile in someone else's shoes.

What is Ellen DeGeneres' style? Admirable.

I was cranky with JC Penney for their T-shirt about being too pretty to do homework, which I addressed here. But everyone can change their mind and their stance – JC Penney is standing behind their choice of Ellen DeGeneres (and not selling those T's anymore), so, like the messages Ellen references in the video, I'll be shopping there again too – although probably online. Once again, we're talking conscious purchase power here.

And while I'm at it, buying more CoverGirl – because Ellen is a spokesmodel for the Simply Ageless line (which I happen to like) — and those values she stands for are truly ageless.

Don't forget — next week is Random Acts of Kindness Week:

Real-life love stories:
Love Style: Amy & Ken
Love Style: David & Gwen
Love Style: Jamie & Amy

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Anonymous | Feb 22, 2012

funny about 8 yers longer than those kardashions— too true.

Anonymous | Feb 17, 2012

I want to thank Style Goes Strong for pointing me in the direction of Ellen's "traditional values" and her video — I just put this post on my FB page because it resonated. Gerit Quealy's right, style is so much more than appearance. I skip most "beauty" sites but Gerit always teaches me something and uses humor to make me think. This conscious shopper is heading to JC Penney!

Anonymous | Feb 16, 2012

I had not heard about this Ellen/JC Penny alliance or the flack against it. (I know, I know, no TV for 7 years, I'm under a rock sometimes.) Still, way to go, putting this out so well. Ellen is so classy and Portia is so stylish. So glad Penny's realizes her value. I will shop there now.

Anonymous | Feb 9, 2012

Great piece. I'm happy to rediscover JC Penny. But I wish I had one of those T-Shirts... Is it okay to wear if I wear it with irony? Cause I was never too pretty to do homework. (de) Auggo

"Style, real style, does not stand alone – it incorporates everything you are – what you stand in as well as what you stand for. And hopefully at some point everyone will walk a mile in someone else shoes." This is one of the many things that makes Ms. Quealy the best writer on this site. Thank you for this inspiring article which includes and inspiring video. And now I'm off to J.C. Penny!!!! Go Ellen and go Ms. Quealy!