Nina Ricci

Catherine Zeta-Jones is InStyle’s December cover girl! In the issue, the 43-year-old actress proves—after years facing life’s toughest battles, like husband Michael Douglas’s throat cancer and her own admission of bipolar disorder—that she’s back, and stronger than ever. “I’m not the kind of person who likes to shout out my personal issues from the rooftops,” she tells InStyle. “But with my bipolar becoming public, I hope fellow sufferers will know it’s completely controllable. I hope I can help remove any stigma attached to it.” Ever an icon of strength, Zeta-Jones triumphed through it all—and now she’s having some fun. “I’m building a closet in my house now, and it’s like a dream,” she says of her obsession with fashion. “Racks on each side, a whole boudoir. I sit in there and watch CNN. Michael says one day I’m going to go in and never come out!” And her stock may surprise you. “I love clothes, and yes, we go out, but it’s not like I’m walking around all day in a neglige with fluffy mules,” she says. “We’re country people, really. I garden and knit. I golf. We ride horses. It’s true, I don’t like the whole cutoff-shorts-and-T-shirt look, but I think you can look fantastic in casual clothes.” Next up, you’ll see her in Playing for Keeps (out December 7th) and Broken City (out January 18th). For more of our exclusive interview, flip to page 431 of the December issue—or download it on your iPad, Nook, or Droid tablet—on newsstands Friday, November 16th.

• Download the new issue on your tablet:
• 1. iPad
• 2. Nook
• 3. Kindle
• 4. Google Play

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• Behind the Scenes with Gwyneth
• Halle: InStyle’s November Cover Girl!

Cover: Nina Ricci dress and belt, Fred Leighton jewelry. Photo: Dolce & Gabbana silk lace and tulle dress, Eres polyamide-spandex bra, Falke fishnet tights, Verdura diamond, aquamarine, and platinum brooch, Fred Leighton diamond and 18kt gold vintage bracelet, Valentino Garavani crystal-embellished leather heels.

Season four of The Good Wife premiered on CBS last night, and Julianna Margulies’s Alicia Florrick returned with a fully restocked wardrobe filled with power suits, delicate jewelry, and work-ready bags. InStyle.com caught up with costume designer Daniel Lawson, shown, to get the full breakdown of last night’s looks. “I wanted to start off the season with something unexpected for her, which is why I put her in bright colors,” he said of the Proenza Schouler jade jacket and Akris red suit. “It’s something fresh and vibrant that we never did before, and it tells the viewers, ‘You better keep watching, because you don’t know what’s coming your way!’” Get all the details on this season’s looks in the gallery, and follow Lawson @GoodWifeFashion for the latest updates.

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• Inside the Costume Department of Good Wife
• Julianna’s Top 10 Beauty Secrets
• All the Details on Julianna’s Gown

Halle Berry always manages to turn heads on the red carpet, and it always seems so effortless. How does she do it? “When I think about how I want to be, I like to be less is more,” the Oscar-winning actress told InStyle.com at the launch of Revlon’s new soufflé-like ColorStay Whipped Crème foundation in New York recently. “I try to be more simple and not let the clothes wear me but me wear the clothes.” In addition, comfort is key. “I generally want to feel comfortable,” she said. “No bells and whistles. Try to find a simple way. That’s what I try to achieve!” Judging from her most memorable “less-is-more” looks—from left, Kaufmanfranco at a 2009 event, Nina Ricci at the 2011 Golden Globes, Halston at the 2011 FiFi Awards, and Elie Saab at 2002 Oscars—it’s mission accomplished!

Click through the gallery to see some of our favorite Halle Berry looks ever.

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• Our Favorite Instagram Photos: Halle Included!
• The Best Oscar Dresses of All Time
• See Halle’s Emerald Engagement Ring