Jessica Alba on ‘Dark Angel’ Days: ‘I Was Being Objectified’

Jessica Alba's name is always at the top of many best-dressed lists for her chic, seemingly-effortless style. But there was a time when she was more fashion victim than trendsetter. In the late '90s, the now-married mother of two dressed pretty provocatively, thanks in part to her sexy character on the Fox sci-fi drama, "Dark Angel" — but she insists it was all for the sake of ratings. Even though she was only 19 at the time, "everyone formed a strong opinion about me because of the way I was marketed," Alba reveals in the June issue of Marie Claire. "I was supposed to be sexy, this tough action girl. That's what people expected … I felt like I was being objectified, and it made me uncomfortable. I wanted to be chic and elegant!"

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The sexy trend that gives Alba the worst flashbacks? Super low-rise jeans. "That was a fashion faux pas for me in the '90s," she adds. "I never thought it was a good idea — every time you bent over, it was a problem. And now, with the kids, forget it, I'm always bending down."
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Indeed, her two kids with husband Cash Warren, daughters Honor, nearly 4, and Haven, 9 months, have inspired Alba's current fashion sense, which is usually more practical than cutting edge. "I'm not going to wear stilettos, for example," she says. "Even kitten heels are kind of pushing it during the day. On a day-to-day basis, I wear boots, ballet flats, and sneakers, but mostly boots. They're stable, easy to wear." Being a mom to two girls has also affected the fashion choices she makes. Alba says that she tries to not leave the house — or hit a red carpet — in something she would not want her own daughters wearing one day. "Now if I'm going to wear something short, it has to have a high neck," she adds.
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But one thing that remains a constant in her daily outfits is her personality. Alba says she tries to portray how she feels on the inside by what she wears on the outside. "I'm all about the fantasy aspect of fashion and getting dressed to express how I'm feeling," she tells W. "Some days I feel more tomboy, some days I feel more feminine, some days like a warrior, some days a little freer, like a hippie. You can embody a different persona in whatever you're wearing."