GOP Debate Moderator Maria Bartiromo on That Brooch That Almost Broke the Internet, Her Love for Jumpsuits and More!

The TV anchor tells PeopleStyle how she selected her look for tonight's debate

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Published on January 14, 2016 11:01PM EST

If you’re not familiar with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo, you can tune in at 9 p.m. tonight to see her moderate the hotly anticipated GOP debate. You can also catch the TV personality daily from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on her show Mornings with Maria. But right now, we’re about to give you a crash course on her style.

courtesy Fox

After the GOP debate last November, the Twitterverse was captivated by Bartiromo’s chic brooch, which sparked a series of Hunger Games-related memes. Will she do it again tonight? See what the star shared about her debate fashion prep, love for accessories and how she really feels about pantsuits.

Were you surprised by the brooch bonanza on social media?
“I definitely was, but you know I was really happy about it because the truth is, it was my grandmother’s brooch and I was so happy that my grandmother was being talked about during the presidential debate!”

An antique! How old was it?
“Close to 100 years old. I’m an accessories girl so I was happy to have it and to be able to wear it. I wore it because I liked the way it looked, and I wanted to have my grandmother with me. The fact that people noticed it — I was complimented, I liked it.”

How many looks did you try on before finding the right look for the debate?
“I tried on few things. I just want to be comfortable — I don’t want to be thinking about my outfit. I don’t want to be fiddling around with my shirt or my dress so it’s important to feel comfortable in order to have the confidence to do a good job. So that’s why I think it’s important to plan the look in advance.”

So you mapped it all out?
“Yea, I definitely had a few different ideas. I’m also a jackets girl — I wear a lot of jackets. I like the look of professional, but chic so that’s the look that I go for. Oh, and I got new shoes for the night. I’m definitely a shoe girl.”

Will we get another brooch moment?
“I guess I’m going to surprise you! I’m going to wear accessories and I have this beautiful … something beautiful that I am going to wear.”

We have to ask, where do you stand on the Hillary pantsuit?
“I like it. I like a good chic pants look — I just recently got a few jumpsuits which I love. I think it goes back to what makes you feel comfortable. I’m live [on air] six days a week so the last thing I need out there is to worry about how my skirt is feeling or how my pants are feeling. I think the most important thing when putting your look together for something really important is to be comfortable. Because you do not want to have that extra piece of noise in your head when you need to be focused on the questions and the content at hand. Choose whatever makes you feel good. If you feel powerful, strong, and confident in a pantsuit, go for it.”

You’ve been called the Sophia Loren of financial journalism. Is she a style icon for you?
“I’m Italian so maybe that’s it. Sophia Loren I have followed forever. I’ve watched all her movies. And I’m glad to be compared to her, frankly, because she’s really gorgeous and she’s still gorgeous and she’s still rocking it.”

What are you most looking forward to about tonight’s debate?
“I feel so honored to be part of the political process. I feel so honored to be able speak to the candidates and get their proposals on where the country is going and where it should be going. I feel like this is such an important election — there are so many things out there that are important to the American people. I think its such a great opportunity to get a rich dialogue going amongst all the candidates. Unfortunately, with what happened in San Bernardino and what happened in Paris, people are scared. I feel really good about at least getting these issues on the table so that we can have a rich discussion about them. I’m taking nothing for granted and I feel really humbled and honor to be part of this. I’ve been asked to do something and I want to do it really well. I want to make sure that I’m emulating what the American people want to hear about and I want to make sure to resonate with that. I want to make sure that people watch and walk away and say, ‘Oh okay, I get that now.'”

Will you be tuning in to the debate tonight? How do you feel about brooches? Sound off below

–Brittany Talarico