Lucy Hale On Her New Album, Holiday Giving, And Her Favorite Wardrobe Item

The Thread had the pleasure of chatting with actress and singer, Lucy Hale, who was in town kicking off the Duracell Power Holiday Smiles program to benefit Toys for Tots. She surprised the students of P.S. 64 in New York City with battery-operated toys for their holidays. As the holidays are fast-approaching, our conversation centered around family tradition and gift-giving, and then ultimately landed on our favorite topics: music and fashion.

Hale, the 23-year-old, Memphis-born singer/actress is probably best known for her role as Aria on "Pretty Little Liars," but not for long. She's got a Christian Bush-produced country album coming out that's sure to set her on the map. Especially since a) Hale claims Bush "really put [her] through the ringer," and b) she's Hollywood Records' first country artist. But country music is not all she loves; Hale says if you were to check inside her iPod, you'd find an eclectic mix of everything from Johnny Cash, to "Glee," to Carly Rae Jepsen. "As long as it speaks to me and makes me feel something," Hale says, it gets the green light.

That same attitude applies to her wardrobe as well, you know. She's no slave to any one designer or even any one style, though these days, she says, she goes for more "sophisticated" ensembles and tries to "focus on one thing," in lieu of over-accessorizing. And getting dressed is super easy when your stylists are the incredibly talented Emily Current and Merritt Elliott of Current/Elliott denim.

Truth be told, however, if Hale could pick one outfit to wear for the rest of her life, she tells us: "As much as I love fashion and love to try new things and love my heels, I have this one pair of sweatpants from [Canadian store] Roots that I got when we filmed the pilot of "Pretty Little Liars" that have paint and food on them, but I could live in them and never take them off."

Speaking of cozy clothes, Hale and her family have a Christmas tradition that includes getting all decked out in matching pajamas and taking a "cheesy family photo in front of the tree," before eating what she (deliciously) calls "Christmas breakfast casserole." Presents get opened on Christmas Eve, presumably because curiosity gets the best of them! And when it comes to holiday gifts, Hale is all about the D.I.Y. project. Photo books, framed records, drawings, scrapbooks, and ideas found on Pinterest all get her nod of approval.

This holiday season, if you hear Kelly Clarkson's version of the song, "My Grown-Up Christmas," think of Hale, who was "moved to tears" the first time she heard it. And maybe get involved in a little goodwill towards mankind, like she is. Visit Facebook.com/Duracell.com to help power 500,000 smiles for families in need.