NY1 anchor Jamie Stelter wants the ‘TV dress’ to die

This new look suits her!

When NY1 anchor Jamie Stelter returned to TV in January following the August birth of her second child, a son named Story, the 38-year-old traffic reporter and “Mornings on 1” co-host chose a fab on-air ensemble: a hot-pink Theory pantsuit paired with star-patterned Stella McCartney platform shoes.

The splashy look kicked off Stelter’s #TVTrousers initiative, with her “wish” that “the TV dress dies a slow painful death,” as she writes in an Instagram post to her 15,000 followers.

“It just felt to me like it was outdated,” Stelter tells The Post of the ubiquitous garment in question: The slim-fit sheath in bright jewel tones such as teal, purple or magenta, worn by nearly every female news anchor because it pops on camera.

“Eventually I had this wardrobe of dresses that I only wore a couple hours a day and then never wanted to put on my body to go out or do anything else in my life because it just wasn’t me — it was some kind of costume I would put on for work,” she says. “They say authenticity wins in TV and everything else about me is the same on and off the air, [so] why isn’t my wardrobe?”

Shopping, she says, is no longer a “huge stressor” now that she’s experimenting with more menswear-inspired silhouettes, such as a navy blue M.M. LaFleur pantsuit with white-tone Tibi x Clarks shoes and bold Tanya Taylor plaid pants, all tailored to fit her 5-foot-1 frame.

Stelter says her decision to steer clear of sheaths came from the “perfect storm” of having a new child, the excitement of returning from five months off-air and a jolt of newfound confidence. “I felt that I could wear what I felt most comfortable in,” she says.

But it’s also about challenging the norm of what’s expected of a female news anchor in 2020, beyond the sleek blown-out hair, bright dress and toothy white smile — something Stelter’s colleagues are fighting for as well. Last July, five female on-air employees of NY1 sued the network for discrimination based on age and gender. Later that month, two additional women who filled in at the station filed a lawsuit alleging age discrimination. (Charter, the company that runs the network, has reportedly investigated the claims and “have not found any merit to them.”)

Although Stelter is not part of the lawsuit and wouldn’t comment on it, she says she hopes her new style helps set a different standard for women on TV.

“[It’s] taking back a little of the power and feeling like I don’t have to wear the dress that everyone thinks I should wear,” she says. “We can wear a suit, too. We can wear pants, too. And that’s OK! Not only is that OK, but it’s celebrated.”

Stelter’s followers tag her when they see images of another woman on television shirking the TV dress, such as NBC News reporter Morgan Radford, who recently rocked a pink suit on “The Today Show.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7-9fzEhB06/

“They’re like, ‘Look! It’s catching on! This is your thing!’ ” Stelter says of the comments, which come from supporters, not haters.

“Am loving #jamie2.0’s looks since day one of her return,” commented one Instagram user on a January photo, while another wrote on a post of her wearing that first-day-back Theory suit: “Your outfit! From head to toe … [you’re] phenomenal.”

She’s also working on making sure her looks are sustainable — re-wearing outfits whenever possible.  “There’s only so much room in my closet and my wardrobe budget that it seems crazy not to repeat things,” she says.

Previously, Stelter — who’s married to CNN host Brian Stelter — tried wearing roomier dresses for a bit of edge. But they didn’t always fit her spunky-yet-serious persona.

On TV, “You want things that are more on the form-fitting side, not necessarily tight. Baggier things don’t read as well on TV and make you look bigger,” she explains. “It’s not about looking skinny, but it’s looking like your clothes fit — and that’s part of looking professional.”

Stelter has long cared about comfort on camera, giving up stilettos years ago. Though that wasn’t so much a mission as a must — she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2003, and has had fusion surgeries on her neck and foot. Her fashionable flats contribute to her chill personal-style ethos.

Still, she hasn’t bid farewell to dresses entirely. “I still love skirts and dresses, it’s just not going to be that TV dress,” she says. “I will always be [wearing] something that’s a little more fun, a little more edgy, and not what you would expect.” She recently wore a button-front denim mini dress, paired with “glittery slouchy socks ’cause why the hell not,” she wrote on Instagram.

“I’ve just been trying to have fun with it,” she says. “There are no rules in the #TVTrousers world. No rules.”

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