Bridget Moynahan - green dress

SWEPT OFF HER FEET

"I wish I had the time or patience to have more style," says Moynahan, who is busy settling into an apartment in New York, where her show Blue Bloods films, with son Jack, 3. "I can't run around after a kid in a pair of Christian Louboutins. On the positive side, that makes me really want to get dressed when I go out!" This '50s-style fit-and-flare silk brocade number is just right for a little soiree.

Dress, Carmen Marc Valvo Couture. Earrings, House of Lavande. Bracelets, La Vie Parisienne. Shoes, Jimmy Choo. 
Bridget Moynahan - blue dress

MADAME CHAIRWOMAN

Channeling Betty Draper, Moynahan unwinds in a full-skirted cornflower blue wool and chiffon dress with a crinoline lining that gives it extra oomph. Demure, sure, but the style has been updated with modern details, like an exposed seam down the back. "It's nice that long skirts are popular again, because they're very wearable," says Moynahan.

Dress, Louis Vuitton. Earrings, Miriam Haskell. Ring, Camilla Dietz Bergeron. Bracelet, House of Lavande.
Bridget Moynahan - animal print

MIDDAY REFRESHMENT

A leopard cardigan so classic and versatile it functions practically as a solid, looks fresh with a pencil skirt covered in blooms. "A skirt like this always works well on me," says Moynahan, who tends to avoid shorter styles. Her character on Blue Bloods, the daughter of Tom Selleck's New York City police chief ("I grew up watching him on Magnum P.I.—he's still a total stud"), is an assistant D.A. and, like the actress herself, a single mother. "She's not too fancy," says Moynahan, "but I like that she's strong."

Cardigan: August Silk, $40. Pencil skirt: Teri Jon Sportswear, $275. Necklace, M & B Vintage. Watch, Tiffany & Co.
Bridget Moynahan - purple cardigan

LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU

A patterned skirt, in a slimming below-the-knee length, feels newly glamorous with one of the trim cardigans making a big comeback this fall. (On this version, faux pearls add elegance.) Slipped over a metallic cowlneck top by J.Crew—"They've been making the classiest pieces!" says Moynahan—the sweater's got you covered out on the town or while having a quiet dinner at home.

Skirt: Oscar de la Renta, $1,290. Top: J.Crew, $88. Cardigan: Milly, $325. Ring, Camilla Dietz Bergeron. Bracelet, Gray & Davis. Pumps, Charles David.
Bridget Moynahan - wrap coat

LOOKING FOR STRUCTURE

Graceful dressing is in the details: a square handbag, clustered pearl earrings, the perfect red lipstick. Moynahan shows off these always-appropriate accessories against a wrap coat with dolman sleeves and a boxy, vintage shape. "Things were much more conservative in the '50s, but still so sexy," she says.

Handbag, Marni. Earrings, Camilla Dietz Bergeron. Coat: Talbots, $249.
Bridget Moynahan - tweed dress

 

THE WAITING GAME

"I've always preferred dresses that cinch the waist," says Moynahan, "because I don't have a lot of curves." This tweed one has a boatneck and full midcentury skirt that, while modest, achieves plenty of swoosh when you move.

Dress: Lotusgrace, $515. Headband, Emi-Jay. Earrings and bangle, House of Lavande.
Bridget Moynahan - plum sheath

LADY OF THE HOUSE

Moynahan has an Ava Gardner moment in a plum sheath with a gray short-sleeved top. The dress accentuates an hourglass shape, and the mix of pearl necklaces would do Audrey Hepburn proud. "When it comes to jewelry, I'm pretty minimalist in my everyday life," says Moynahan. "But it's nice to go all out."

Sheath: Tory Burch, $495. Pearl necklaces: 31. Phillip Lim, House of Lavande. Earrings, R.J. Graziano. Bracelet, Giles & Brother by Philip Crangi. Ring, BCBGeneration.

More O Style: