Being glamorous is about strength and confidence. It's black and

In the words of Catherine Zeta-Jones, spoken with clarity and fire, we hear the true essence of radiance: “Being glamorous is about strength and confidence. It's black and white—dramatic. You have to be strong.” This is no shallow ode to appearance, but a declaration that glamour is not merely silk and jewels, nor the sparkle of gold, but the inward force of spirit. To be truly glamorous is to stand in the world with unshakable confidence, with a strength that shines brighter than fabric, brighter than jewels.

At the heart of this saying lies the truth that glamour is courage made visible. The world often mistakes glamour for vanity, but Zeta-Jones reveals its deeper meaning: it is the embodiment of poise under pressure, the grace to walk boldly into the light without trembling, the ability to command a room not by shouting, but by the silent force of presence. Glamour is not the absence of fear—it is the strength to master it. It is not frailty dressed in finery, but power clothed in beauty.

The ancients understood this, though they named it differently. The Greeks spoke of charisma, a divine gift that drew men and women into awe. Yet beneath charisma was always strength. Consider Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. To the world she was a vision of beauty, but her true glamour lay in her confidence—her ability to face Roman generals and rulers as their equal, to rule a kingdom with cunning, and to use her presence as both shield and sword. Cleopatra’s glamour was never weakness; it was the brilliance of a woman who knew her own worth.

History also gives us Joan Crawford, the silver-screen star whose every movement was dramatic, black and white in contrast, sharp in presence. Her elegance was a battlefield, a place where she refused to be diminished by Hollywood’s ruthless tides. Behind her gowns and her dazzling eyes was a will of iron. Like Zeta-Jones, Crawford understood that to be glamorous in truth, one had to be unyielding, confident, and strong enough to hold power in a world that tried to take it away.

The phrase “black and white—dramatic” also carries wisdom. Glamour is not half-measure. It is clarity, decisiveness, the boldness to choose light or shadow without apology. The glamorous spirit does not hide in gray, but makes life into art, into performance, into conviction. Such boldness demands strength, for the world often punishes those who stand too brightly, those who refuse to diminish themselves. Glamour is thus both armor and weapon, the strength to be seen and the confidence to remain unshaken by the gaze of others.

The lesson for us is profound: to cultivate glamour in its truest sense, we must cultivate inner strength. Clothes and jewels may adorn, but without confidence they are hollow. The soul must first be radiant for the body to shine. To be glamorous is not to imitate others, but to stand rooted in your own worth, unafraid to be dramatic, unafraid to be fully seen. Glamour is self-respect made visible.

Practically, this means practicing confidence as one would practice strength. Walk upright, speak with conviction, adorn yourself in a way that reflects your essence, and refuse to shrink to make others comfortable. Face the world as though every step is a stage, not in arrogance, but in strength. Let your presence be dramatic, not because of excess, but because of certainty.

So let us remember Catherine Zeta-Jones’s wisdom: being glamorous is about strength and confidence. It is black and white, without apology, bold and dramatic. To be glamorous is not to be fragile, but to be strong enough to shine amidst judgment, strong enough to embrace beauty without fear. This is the glamour that endures, the glamour that inspires, the glamour that lights the way for others to step into their own brilliance.