Cosmopolitan magazine celebrates its 40th birthday in its September issue, and its cover girls are getting more and more comfortable in their own skin. So are the magazine's readers, says editor in chief Kate White. When Helen Gurley Brown launched the magazine in the 1960s, the cover models were the most glamorous creatures she could find -- and then they'd be made up even more for their photo shoots. But since she took over in 1999, White says she's tried to make the new cover models as sexy as their predecessors but doing it by exuding more confidence and wearing less makeup. They're even wearing more casual clothes, she says. "In Helen's day, when the covers got their over-the-top feeling with the really big hair and really big breasts in the '70s and '80s, the girls had a seductive look on their face. Now the perfect Cosmo face is, I try to imagine a girl stepping into a party and saying, 'I own this room,' because she knows she looks great." And then the reader will look at her outfit and realize it's something she might be able to pull off, White says. "You'll say that outfit could be me on a day I really push it. It's a little out there, a little sexy, hip and in fashion, but it's achievable." September's star is Scarlett Johansson, who wears Citizen of Humanity jeans and a champagne-colored Chanel top. "I love the high-low look. It's reflective of fashion today, and of our reader. Our reader loves to be comfortable and sexy at the same time." White, the mother of two and a mystery writer on the side, is very aware that she's not always an exact match with the demographic the magazine targets. "One of the great things about Cosmo for me is that because I'm suddenly working at a place where I'm the oldest person by 15 years, I'm still making discoveries. ... I arrived the first day and had on a pair of (panty)hose. I looked around and said, 'This isn't going to work.' I had to be hipper. I got rid of every single suit I owned and got rid of all my pantyhose and it was so liberating!" White says. Her advice for other women who fantasize about their turn as a cover girl• "Don't get caught in that frump factor." Look at pictures from a year ago. Are you still wearing your hair the exact same way• The same color eye shadow and lipstick• How old is your outfit? If you haven't gotten a compliment in a while, it's time to update your look, White says. Maternity clothes have their own lingo As if they didn't have enough to do, many pregnant women find they have to learn a whole new batch of fashion terms just to go shopping for clothes that will accommodate their growing bellies. Mimi Maternity defines the "belly styles" for maternity bottoms: No belly. Made to resemble regular waistlines. Good for transitioning into maternity clothes -- and out of them after the baby is born. Under belly. A cotton spandex panel that sits under the belly, leaving the actually belly exposed. Mid belly. A drawstring typically allows for an adjustable waist. Coverage can vary, but it should be more than the underbelly and less than a classic belly. All-around belly. Cotton spandex belly made to adapt to the changing body. Classic belly. Full coverage in front, offering a lot of support. Miracle belly. A constructed waist with zip fly and side panels that can be extended an extra two inches. Pull-on belly. An elastic waist that sits at or above the belly button. Often with a drawstring pull or fold-over waistband to allow for more flexibility.

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