Unassigned
She’s the fashionable co-host of E! News, the wife of Apprentice winner Bill Rancic and a (fingers crossed) future Chicagoan. Cheeky met with Giuliana Rancic in a Bloomingdale’s dressing room to discuss everything from summer styles to staying faithful. (Here’s a hint…always answer your phone.)
Cheeky: Do you have any summer trends that you love for Chicago right now?
Giuliana Rancic: As far as bathing suits are concerned – because a heat wave is about to start here and everyone wants to be by the water – I’ve been telling women to really work with what they’ve got…their best features. For instance, I work out a lot on my shoulders, so I like to wear a bandeau top with no straps and I’ll have bare shoulders with a ponytail. And I know what my weak points are too. I don’t love my stomach. So I’ll do a one-piece a lot, but get a really chic one with a couple cut outs in areas that I don’t mind with some sort of jewelry or beading to make it more interesting than your mom’s one piece. As far as styles, I’d say bright colors – yellow, mango and purple are so pretty. And, of course, you’ve got to feel great too. Because if you feel good, you look good.
Cheeky: How do you deal with the pressure of being an on-camera presence where people are constantly evaluating your looks and your size?
GR: It’s hard. It’s weird because in my job I’m on-camera every night. I’m not going to complain because it’s an amazing job. But it’s definitely hard. It’s hard being a woman in general. Whether you’re on TV or waking up and getting dressed for the day and realizing your pants are tight – it’s tough. Being a girl is tough and that’s why I put so much emphasis on really trying as hard as you can to follow a good diet. Exercise is important, but that’s 30 to 40 percent of it. The diet is everything, it really is. It doesn’t matter how much you exercise – if you’re not eating right, the exercise isn’t going to pay off.
Cheeky: When you have to put on a bathing suit and you’re not feeling it, are there any tips to fake it? To pretend your body looks a little bit better than it actually does at the moment?
GR: I think my best tip for faking it is a spray tan. A lot of people go to the beach to get a tan – I spray tan before I get to the beach. I’m not taking off my clothes and showing my body unless I’m nice and tan. And as far as looking good in a bikini or one-piece, diet-wise you just need to be smart. Don’t consume a lot of sodium. For drinks…when you go to the pool, don’t have a 500-calorie slushy drink. I know you want one so bad, but don’t have it because then you’ll feel bloated and want to hide under your cover-up all day. That’s why I partnered up with Tropicana and they have this new drink called the Trop50. What I like is that it’s 50 percent less calories, 50 percent less sugar and no artificial sweeteners. I like that you can get a fruity taste, whether you’re at the beach or the pool, but without all the calories. I’m always trying to look for things that satisfy my thirst or my hunger, but are also healthy.
Cheeky: Where are your favorite places to eat in Chicago?
GR: We love Carmine’s – we’re there all the time. Not only is it delicious food, but they’re the nicest people. They take great care of us – we always get a nice table outside which is wonderful. We love Gibson’s and Tavern. I like Sunda – the sushi is really good.
Cheeky: Do you cook?
GR: I’m a horrible cook. Bill is amazing. Thank God I married a man who cooks. What’s funny is we see this more and more these days, with modern women and modern relationships. The girl will be working long hours and will come home and the guy is cooking and it’s kind of crazy. But Bill is so great at cooking and I’m really good at holding a glass of wine and entertaining him while he’s cooking. But I clean. The deal is he cooks and I clean.
Cheeky: Since you’re going back and forth between Chicago and LA, how do you make long-distance work? Do you have any advice for couples that are dating in different cities?
GR: I think the most important tip if you’re going to date someone in another city is having trust right off the bat. Bill and I right away said to each other – and he actually initiated the conversation – “Listen, when I call you, answer the phone. Or when you call me, I’ll answer the phone.” As soon as a person starts acting shady and they’re not available, it just makes the person 2,000 miles away nervous. And why are you going to do that to someone you’re in love with? For Bill and I, it’s all about respect. We respect each other enough to maintain trust with each other. So that’s what we do – we’re always available to each other, 24 hours a day.
Cheeky: I heard you bought a house in Hinsdale – congratulations! Would you guys at one point definitively settle in one city? Would Chicago be your home?
GR: If we ever settle in one city, it will definitely be Chicago – 100%. Right now, it’s hard…our careers are going in so many different directions and we’re so busy and we don’t really want to slow that train down. When it is time to settle, we’ll settle in Chicago. And we did get a house in the suburbs that will be more of our family home, a nice place where Bill can have his media room and I can have big closets finally! So we’re excited about that because Chicago’s the best.
