Reader do you remember the scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's where Holly Golightly, Audrey Hepburn, sleeps in very, very late after the night before, and she is woken by George Peppard?
What happens next epitomises the birth of the single girl, the sexual revolution and the dress code of the modern woman.
Audrey Hepburn in an Gentlemen's White Shirt and Bedroom Hair
Holly answers the door cautiously, in a white shirt. But this isn't just a run of the mill shirt. It is a divine white dress shirt, a man's shirt, worn with bedroom hair and a hypnotically blue, embellished eye mask made by Tiffany, the colour of the Aegean Sea? Did Holly's lady of the night borrow the shirt from a lover or a gentleman who gave her $50 dollars for the powder room?
Holly Golightly and the Birth of Modern Style for Women
Whatever the answer, Holly is the trailblazer and heroine par excellence for the beginning of the swinging sixties and the life of the independent single girl. She is the inspiration for Samantha in Sex and the City and Emily in Paris and all the single girls attempting to have it all and dress like her with the same air of daring, individuality and originality.
A Riotous Sixties Party, And Fred to the Rescue
Sleeping in late is the result of her riotous party the night before where she almost burnt down her apartment with her cigarette holder. Darling Fred, George Peppard, came to the rescue just in time.
I haven't been able to get that image out of my head since I first watched the film when I was a teenager. The oversized white shirt is a timeless style hero appropriated from the male dandy and it can be worn in so many ways to nail the masculine meets feminine motif like Hepburn or Diane Keaton.
A Female Musketeer in a Dandy White Shirt
Of course, I have my own beloved versions of that white shirt from a man's vintage dress shirt to a rare antique d'Artagnan lace version, with bell-shaped sleeves and fitted seams. I have always wanted to be a female musketeer and yes, I can fence!
Every Woman Should Beg, Steal or Borrow a White Dress Shirt
An oversized man's white dress shirt makes the perfect night shirt for the modern goddess who adores making references to the Golden Age of Hollywood. A white shirt, preferably stolen or borrowed off the boyfriend, lover or husband, also looks great with leggings and boots or you could wear it over a flowing maxi skirt. The white shirt is a timeless look beyond fashion trends or whims steeped in the history of dress and fashion and the opportunity to join the boys club.
How to Join the Boys Club
But where can you find such slow fashion treasure? Make a beeline for vintage markets and posh charity shops. They are the perfect hunting grounds for such an invaluable wardrobe style hero.
Of course you could buy a new man's white shirt, but where's the fun in that, when you could uncover a one of a kind preloved white shirt or steal you man's shirt and make your own fashion history?
Breakfast at Tiffanys - Buy the DVD from HMV or you could look for mint condition copies from Oxfam so you can watch the film anytime you need a fashion and girl power pick-me-up. Or you can stream it from the usual suspects. Personally, I prefer to own my forever copy.
How to Get the Look
A white gentlemen's dress shirt - look in vintage markets, posh charity shops for high quality evening shirts a la Cary Grant.
Blue Eye Mask - Holistic Silk has just the thing, alas without the Tiffany embellishment. The colour is spot on.
Coming Soon! AJ Will Be Presenting a Masterclass on How to Cultivate Iconic Style Inspired by Hollywood, Historical Heroines and Royalty.
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Copyright Alison Jane Reid/ The Luminaries Magazine October 2024. All Rights Reserved. No Copying or Usage Without Written Permission Whatsoever. This includes Ai Training.
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