If you’ve ever wondered how Eva Longoria Parker always looks so pulled together on the red carpet, we have her secret: super stylist Robert Verdi. Verdi, whose clients also include Kathy Griffin and Hugh Jackman, has helped Eva choose her enviable wardrobe since the very first awards show she ever attended as a member of the Desperate Housewives cast. Verdi knows Eva’s style so well, he can sum up her look up in just three phrases: “color, body-conscious cut, and sparkle.” And a quick review of Eva’s recent outfits proves she rarely leaves home without all three elements.

In our interview with him, Verdi defined Eva’s look and offered some style tips for the rest of us.

The Inside Source: How did you go about developing Eva's “look?

Robert Verdi: I think part of it is that we have similar tastes and we gravitate towards the same things. She and I both love color. Neither of us will pick up the black items in the store. And if it sparkles, we both jump on it like two birds.

Also, Eva is so tiny, so her figure really dictates the choice of dress. She will drown in a dress if there is too much fabric. Even if it is a fabulous dress, if it has too many bells and whistle, she puts it on and gets lost.

TIS: Do you need a body like Eva's to get her polished glam look? What are tips that work for everyone?

RV: You don’t need a body like Eva and yes, the style does work for every one. Eva’s look is largely about balance. There are certain rules we try to stick to: Make sure a dress highlights her waist and never smashes her bust line (because she is small on top) and never combine low cut and tight. You can have one or the other. Again, it’s about balance, which applies to everyone.

Eva’s look is about choosing one or two parts of the body to enhance and also accentuating your most positive attributes. The greatest the thing about fashion is that it’s changeable. Clothes tend to scare people; most people are more comfortable getting a permanent tattoo than trying a new look. I tell women all the time: “It’s not about having the perfect body; it’s about highlighting what you love about yourself.”

TIS: We know Eva loves body-hugging styles, but how to you make the look tasteful as opposed to tacky?

RV: Boobs, butts and legs—you can have any two but never three. The girls who we all go “yikes” when we see them? Those are the ones that have done all three.

TIS: What are the best accessories to pair with brighter dresses or bold prints?

RV: I think that making color look fresh and cool this season has to do with wearing it with something neutral.

It’s a natural instinct, if you have a bright color, to lean towards metallic accessories, and that is not wrong. But it’s better to do something a little less expected, and celebs have started doing this: They are wearing a nude shoe or grey shoe to make a bright dress look sophisticated and chic rather than clowny.

Dressing for every day is different from styling a magazine photos shoot, where I would put hot pink and turquoise together. At a shoot, it’s the perfect setting, the perfect stage, model, lighting. . . It’s a fantasy world you can create. But in real life, there is something really chic about pairing red with nude, orange with brown, purple with navy.

Eva has keyed in on this. Her accessories are a key to making a look chic versus cheap.

TIS: Any tricks for finding great accessories that will work with a woman’s existing wardrobe?

RV: I tell people to buy the whole “suite” of jewelry based on one piece you love, and then break up the set. I say buy a suite because women aren’t always aware that they have already developed their sense of their style. If you love the bracelet, then buy the set with the bracelet, earrings and necklace, and break it up. Take gumdrop pearls and strand of pearls: together, they look like grandma, but separated, each piece reflects your personal sense of style. Trust your style instinct.

TIS: If a woman is going to invest one item today that will still be in style next year, what should she buy?

RV: A huge influence from the boob tube is “Mad Men,” so I think it is important to buy a high waist fitted dress or high waist pencil skirt. These pieces are also so easy to wear and look great on everyone. Either of these is an item you can wear five different ways:  Can you put it with a tweed jacket and boots for work? Absolutely. With red heels for a date? Yes. For the movies or weekends, you add ballet flats and fitted short cardigan. Or, wear a long cardigan and heels for work again.

TIS: What pieces should women weed out of their closets immediately?

RV: A broomstick skirt or very flared skirt. Things that are too bohemian are out. I think we are moving back to the androgynous looks and simplicity of designers like Jil Sander and Helmut Lang. In general, when you put something in your closet, always pull something out.

STEAL EVA’S STYLE

 Yoana Baraschi Satin Silk Party Dress (buy it now price, $99)

Betsey Johnson Evening St Regis Strapless Dress (buy it now price, $59.99)

Suzei Chin for Maggy London Stretch Satin Dress (buy it now price, $74.99)

Fitted Satin Blouse Pencil Skirt Dress (buy it now price, $38.99)

A former fashion and beauty news editor at In Touch magazine, New York-based writer Kim Martin has personally interviewed hundred of celebrities about their style.