Rachel Bilson shared the secrets behind her wardrobe on TV series Hart of Dixie. The Hart of Dixie actress gave a behind-the-scenes peek into her closet for the series.

The petite brunette explained that she trusts the on-set costume designer Meredith Markworth-Pollack not to dress her in anything she can’t pull off.

“It’s hard for me to wear high-waisted shorts or jeans because I’m short. I love a nude shoe with a skirt or dress, because it elongates your legs. Anything that makes me look taller…,” Rachel told the UK edition of Glamour magazine.

“I trust Meredith implicitly. Occasionally, there might be a pair of jeans I’ll complain doesn’t fit, but that’s probably more of a time-of-the-month thing where I’m in a bad mood!”

The American star says there are similar things to consider when dressing for the screen as there are when attending high profile events. Rachel says it is important to get the fit of clothes just right as it can be unflattering to wear things that are too loose or too clingy.

“Dressing for TV is similar to dressing for the red carpet,” she explained. “There are things that do and don’t translate well for the camera, like something that fits really well around the hips is important. You don’t want anything too baggy.”

• Celebs confirmed for #Cannes include Cheryl Cole, Liv Tyler, Ryan Gosling, Rachel Bilson, Olivia Palermo, Jessica Biel. Stay tuned for any updates!

Rachel Bilson stays in shape by dancing. The 31-year-old actress prefers dancing to regular exercise and credits it with helping her to keep fit.

Speaking at the BlackBerry Z10 Smartphone launch party at Cecconi’s Restaurant in Los Angeles on Wednesday (20.03.13), she told BANG Showbiz:

”I love dancing, it’s such a great way to stay in shape.”

Rachel also revealed she loves to take fashion risks, even if they don’t always work out. She explained:

”I don’t like to say no when it comes to fashion. My motto is try it once and if it doesn’t work don’t do it again. Right now I love plaid, I have plaid everything.”

Rachel Bilson has said that she does not go in for the “super-clean-living LA thing”.

The actress told Women’s Health that she prefers tennis to the gym and isn’t one for health fads.

“I don’t do the super-clean-living LA thing,” Bilson said. “Everyone is obsessed with kale and hiking. And there’s a massive amount of juicing going on. I’m not into the gym. I prefer dancing or tennis. I’m not great – no Wimbledon next year – but I’m trying to get better.

The perk is you can always hit someone with the ball. Useful when your boyfriend is trying to teach you and you want to hit him in the head. Or groin. Whichever works.”

Of looking young for her age, Bilson said:

“I know I look super young. I was flying back home into LAX the other day and the security guard at the airport stopped me and said, ‘Honey, where’s your family?’

And I’m like, ‘I’m 31!’ Maybe when I’m 40 I’ll appreciate it, but as I get older and get wrinkles I’m worried it’ll be, ‘She’s the weirdest-looking teenager I’ve ever seen’.”

She continued:

“I like everything European. Even my GPS has a British accent – it’s way less annoying than the American one. And I envy the sensibility in Europe, appreciating beauty in women as they age.

I’m going to go that way. I might dye my grey hair for a bit but beyond that the buck stops. I’m not having any work done.”

She also shared some facts of her personal life:

“Communication is the most important thing in any relationship and I’m terrible at it. It’s caused a lot of problems lately. It’s really important to communicate from the beginning – set it up for the relationship to succeed.”

Read the full Rachel Bilson interview in the March/April issue of Women’s Health, on sale tomorrow (February 6).

The Cocmopolitan’s March cover girl is one of the chicest celebs in Hollywood, and here she lets Cosmo in on all her fash secrets.

Rachel Bilson is a pocket-size goddess of sartorial style – she’s just 1.58m tall – and she rocks a fitted black blazer like no one else in Hollywood. As far as we’re concerned, RB doesn’t put a dainty, size-five foot wrong when it comes to fashion.

Reminiscing about her time as Summer Roberts on The O.C. gave us a serious case of teenage nostalgia, but we’re glad she’s swapped skimpy-cute for understated chic. She always makes our Best Dressed list – and the perfect accessory to her look has to be her laid-back, be-yourself, who-cares attitude. She recently outed herself as a Justin Bieber fan (she blames her little sisters), and her dearest wish in life is to have the rotating closet fromClueless. And wouldn’t it be full of fabulous clothes!

“I have pea coats, menswear-inspired outfits, motorcycle jackets and flowy, feminine dresses,” she says.

“If I had to choose just one outfit to wear forever, I’d go for a long floral dress with my Balmain leather jacket and lace-up booties. But I usually wear jeans, a cosy knit sweater and boots, though. Shoes always come in first – but now I’m able to design to fill what voids I find in my closet!”

Yep – if she can’t find the right shoes, Rachel whips them up. The Hart of Dixie star has teamed up with celeb stylist Nicole Chavez to release a line of footwear for fashion site ShoeMint. We love that she’s so dedicated to elegance she’ll roll up the sleeves of her tailored silk shirt and get to work!

Her simplest style secret?

“Go for neutrals, with a pop of colour.”

Given the star’s comfy-chic style, designer credibility and endearing nonchalance, we’ll be taking that advice straight to the shops. Got to trust the girl – she is tight with fashion royalty Karl Lagerfeld, after all.

Picking the perfect sunnies

“I have a smaller face, so Wayfarers work because they have a small frame. If you want to try big ’60s frames, you kind of need an angular face and a good nose.”

On her street style

“I really just like to throw things together and be comfy. I’m a casual dresser. I enjoy mixing and matching and layering – just throwing things together. So it’ll be a mash-up.”

On her friendship with Karl Lagerfeld

“He’s just so warm and approachable. I want him to come over [to my place] and help me throw out scarves!”

On refusing to dress for men

“I know men hate harem pants, but I don’t give a sh!t.”

On smart casual

“I like that you can rock a shorts suit in autumn – you have a jacket, and you can wear a sweater.”

Her favourite fashion staple

“A classic, perfectly fitted black blazer is important. And I’m a really big accessories person.”

On her best-kept fashion secret

“I know nude shoes really help my child-size legs. You know, it helps in that area – you learn little things like that.”

Rachel’s top style tip

“Wear what makes you happy, and don’t put too much thought into it. You can’t pay attention to criticism, it’s not healthy.”

For more buy the March issue of Cosmopolitan, on sale Feb 4.

Rachel Bilson will apparently reprise her role on How I Met Your Mother.

The Hart of Dixie star played Cindy – the roommate of Ted’s (Josh Radnor) future wife – in two episodes of the CBS sitcom in 2010.

Series co-creator Carter Bays told TV Guide that an old character would return to the show this season and would have a “big influence on [Ted's] search for the mother”, adding: “[It's] someone you wouldn’t expect to see.”

Make-up artist Jennifer Turchi later appeared to confirm Bilson’s return on Twitter, writing: “We have the best guesties… Ray Wise back as Robin Scherbasky Sr & Rachel Bilson too!”

It is currently unclear if How I Met Your Mother will continue beyond its current eighth season. However, star Neil Patrick Harris has hinted that the show’s latest run will likely be its last.

Bays and co-creator Craig Thomas have also confirmed that the show’s team are writing season eight “like it’s the end”.

How I Met Your Mother continues on Mondays at 8/7c. In the UK, the series airs on E4.

Zap2it: This season on “Hart of Dixie,” New York-raised Dr. Zoe Hart put her feelings for Alabama small-town lawyer George Tucker — who has spent time in New York — on the shelf and instead dove into a fling with bartender Wade Kinsella. On the surface, it would seem that she and George are a better match, so what do you think is the outlook for her having a long-term relationship with Wade, who’s not her equal in education or sophistication?

Rachel Bilson: They’re totally unequal. Usually it does bother the guy more. There’s something lacking. It’s always interesting to explore the unexpected or what you don’t see coming. On paper, George and Zoe make perfect sense. Sometimes in life, you see people and say, “They totally make sense. They totally don’t make sense.” And the ones that don’t make sense last.

So what is up with that? The “opposites attract” thing, maybe. But Wade’s character has shown that there’s more to him than meets the eye, so it’s interesting.

Zap2it: What do you hear from Southerners about the authenticity of the show and its portrayal of BlueBell, Ala. (actually the back lot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif.)

Rachel Bilson: I have family in Tennessee, so they love it. Obviously, anything in television is going to be a little exaggerated, but I think the important things that are true to the south are how they’re really committed to their town and their families, how they have this support system.

But no matter what, Zoe stays true to herself, and they really respect that.

When Rachel Bilson and stylist Nicole Chavez launched footwear e-tailer ShoeMint last November, they definitely weren’t thinking about how they’d celebrate the site’s first year. But time flies.

The ladies hosted an intimate brunch at Laurel Hardware in West Hollywood over the weekend, celebrating the one-year anniversary of ShoeMint.

“We are so proud of everything that we create,” Bilson tells PEOPLE.

Friends of the design duo, including Bilson’s Hart of Dixie costar Jaime King, Lauren Conrad, makeup artist Amy Nadine and stylists Emily Current and Meritt Elliott, all gathered on the charming patio of the L.A. hot spot to toast the talents.

So just how do the designers keep their creations fresh month after month?

“I find design inspiration in street style, magazines and movies,” explains Bilson. “I love to see how people on the street throw things together. I also appreciate the skill and creativity that goes into the work of professional stylists — like Nicole! We have a constant dialogue about what we see that inspires us and what is missing from our closets.”

Bilson, a self-described shoe addict (but a petite size 5!), counts the ‘Melissa’ as her all-time favorite ShoeMint design.

“The low-heeled bootie is so chic and versatile,” she says. But a perk of the job is trying every shoe — and sharing the goods with friends and family. It’s so nice to have that support,” Bilson says, noting that her mom wears her creations. “I love to see it worn by the people I love!”