Calzedonia was once a wondrous tights paradise reserved solely for Italy and other nearby countries of the European bent. But at last, 2017 has sprinkled some good fortune upon the U.S. by permitting its entry into our lately not so fair jurisdiction (even if it is, at the moment, stalled with a demure amount of locations–then again, New York City is still all that matters in this country).
That being said, Roberts’ longtime standing as their spokeswoman (she’s been doing it for the past four years) is at last being noticed in the United States, where the feel of these commercials can’t help but conjure images of Vivian Ward finally being able to triumphantly shop. This time around, an older, more sophisticated version of Vivian (as though she’s been enjoying the credit card of Edward Lewis for years) enters the room with a touch more confidence, even if the salesperson does abruptly hand her a pair of legs to hold while she looks for new hosiery to build on her signature polka dot tights.
With the direction of Grant Heslov, who has acted with Roberts in the past in Good Night, And Good Luck., the unique vulnerability of the iconic actress shines through in a way it hasn’t in more recent film roles like Mother’s Day, Larry Crowne and Mirror Mirror–and it’s mostly due to the subtle homage she pays to one of the most beloved characters of her oeuvre. As a trio of girls excitedly takes a picture with Roberts’ legs and then buys the same pair of tights she’s wearing, it’s clear this incarnation of Roberts is one that is passionately accepted as a fashion guru. And watching the commercial, we can’t help but feel like Lisa Kudrow as Michele in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion when she tearfully exclaims, “I just get really happy when they finally let her shop.”
Shop she does, as Roberts can clearly have her pick of anything in Calzedonia, even if it always seems to be those polka dot tights, of which she has said of her style preference, “I like the dot tights with short boots.” After all, it’s very prostitute-chic.
