Jessica Alba Dishes on Her ‘No Rules’ Fashion Philosophy (Exclusive)

Jessica Alba is in a season of life that’s just about being.

“Living in the moment and being present is really not easy. We’re always going to chase the next thing,” she tells PEOPLE. “I’m allowing myself to lean into being grateful and being present as much as possible, and wherever that leads me, I think that’s exciting.”

The actress, entrepreneur and mom, 44, has been focusing on rituals (meditation on the Moment App by Spiritual Daughter, cups of tea, having wholesome, “calming” conversations with her son Hayes, 7) that place her right in the moment. And her latest gig — a continued partnership with Swiss watch brand Movado — couldn’t come at a more perfect time.

“What’s nice about a watch is you’re just in the moment looking at the time and you can keep it moving but you can stay present. I think that’s something that’s needed probably now more than ever because it’s so easy for us to get lost in the digital world,” she says.

Alba stars in her second Movado campaign as a brand ambassador alongside Ludacris, Christian McCaffrey, Julianne Moore and Tyrese Haliburton (the group previously starred in the 2024 Icons campaign). “I love the timeless aesthetic of Movado and it’s a really fun,” she says in reference to the new Always in Motion chapter of the company, which not only describes Movado’s long-held style codes, but Alba’s fashion sense these days too.

“As I’ve gotten older, I just feel much more comfortable in my skin and I don’t take anything as seriously,” the Fantastic Four star, who models the Movado Museum Bangle Watch, says of her style philosophy. “When I was in my early 20s, I felt like everything mattered. I would overthink and overanalyze every decision. Now, I just don’t care. I like to have fun and wear what feels good in the moment.”

Her motto now is “go big or go home” — especially with her jewelry. “I’ll layer necklaces and bangles, I’ll wear big hoops, I do it all,” she says. “The more casual my outfit is the further I go with layering, stacking and mixing metals. There are no rules anymore.”

Alba’s love for fashion has even trickled down to her two daughters, Honor and Haven, who are now teenagers (17 and 14, respectively) and shop in their mom’s closet. While she anticipated her kids borrowing her clothes on occasion, she never anticipated their closet-“raiding” to go as far as it has (Alba “literally” has to label her clothes now).

“I wish they’d pay [to borrow my clothes] because they certainly wear it,” Alba jokingly admits. “I remember they went from being like, ‘Oh my gosh, that looks like a mom would wear it’ or, ‘That’s like a mom outfit,’ and I would feel so insulted. Now they just steal everything.”

That means Alba feels like she’s “crossed into being cool again” with her maturing teens — unless what she does has anything to do with social media. “They make fun of everything I do,” she says.

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Still, she has learned a few lessons from her internet-savvy kids, which lends to conversations that run deeper than casual chitchat.

“With my girls, it’s more of what’s going on in the world, opinions on it, how they feel about their peer group, what their friends are going through,” says Alba on how she connects with her kids. “It’s more of just staying connected to who they are, how they feel, and how they feel they fit into the world in the moment.”

Alba is now in a chapter of her life where she’s embracing the “unknown” while also continuing a years-long journey of “trying to intentionally excavate what might feel uncomfortable or not right.”

On inspiring a positive outlook in both her personal life and social media platforms — where she celebrates everything from her children’s milestones and her style to her love for Mother Nature — Alba says she’s prioritizing “trying to be happy as much as possible, but in a genuine way.”