kerry-washington-instyle

Scandal star Kerry Washington covers the March issue of InStyle and opens up about embracing first-time motherhood with daughter Isabelle, 11 months.

On her style vs. her character’s style on Scandal: “Red-Carpet Kerry wears a lot more color and pattern than Olivia does. She makes bold choices. When I was pregnant, I showed up at the SAG awards in a bare-midriff gown by Prada. I knew some people were going to hate it, but I thought it was super cute and really fun. Olivia, meanwhile, sticks to a more neutral palette in pastels by designers like Dior, Ferragamo, and Escada.”

More on her character’s style: “Olivia’s had a huge influence. After the first couple of episodes aired, people started posting on Twitter things like ‘I have a job interview today, and I’m trying to dress like Olivia Pope.’”

On being a working mom: “Women use this ‘guilt’ word a lot, but I’m not sure how I feel about it. I know why it’s the word that keeps coming up, but I can’t co-sign on it yet. There has got to be a better way. You can’t be all things to all people all the time. You have to experience your humanity, you have to know you are a limited vessel, and you can only do so much.”

For more from Kerry, go to InStyle…