Today it is hard to imagine anyone else as troubled call girl Holly Golightly, but Truman Capote, on whose novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s was based, was disappointed when Audrey Hepburn was cast in the role. When Capote sold the rights to Paramount, he had envisioned Marilyn Monroe as Holly and believed that Audrey was completely wrong for the part. Paula Strasberg, Monroe’s acting coach, felt that playing a call girl was not good for Marilyn’s image, and the actress dropped out of production. For Audrey, on the other hand, was a welcome change after her princess and chauffeur’s daughter parts she had played in the past, even though Holly Golightly’s character was softened for the screenplay. But Breakfast at Tiffany’s was still a very modern film for 1961, and Audrey was funny, yet moving in her role.
“I should be a stylish Holly Golightly. Even if that’s all I can contribute”, said Audrey. She and Hubert de Givenchy teamed up again for Blake Edward’s romantic comedy. Her wardrobe is simple, elegant, iconic, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s was the movie that, in 1961, consecrated the black sheath dress. The couturier designed two sleeveless black dresses for the film. The first one is the straight lined, black satin gown with a beautiful low-cut back, which was worn with long, black satin gloves, large tortoiseshell Oliver Goldsmith sunglasses reminiscent of the Ray-Ban Wayfarer model, a Tiffany necklace of strands of pearls and diamante hair ornament. Holly wears the dress in the opening scene, that time of morning when the dawn has broken, but the city is still asleep, and she steps out of a yellow cab on a deserted Fifth Avenue, outside Tiffany’s.
Riccardo Tisci, creative director of Givenchy, said of the dress: “It was 1961 and this dress is in a way very sixties. The front is severe, elegant, very clean, but at the back there is the very interesting neckline, somewhere between ethnic and Parisian; a softness that other designers in that time didn’t have.”
Three copies of the dress were made: one is held at Maison Givenchy, one at the Museum of Costume in Madrid, and one was given to Audrey. One of the copies was sold at Christie’s in 2006 for $923,187, making it one of the most expensive pieces in film memorabilia. Costume designer Renie Conley remembered observing Edith Head taking one of Givenchy’s gowns apart to create a copy. “It was full of horsehair stuffing and lead weights to make it fall a certain way.” In the scene above, Holly accessorised the dress differently, opting for earrings and a white scarf only. An LBD can be different every time you put it on.
The man’s shirt Audrey wears to bed in her own characteristic chic way was designed by Edith Head, who, once again, had to settle for filling out the remainder of Audrey’s needed costumes. Wouldn’t you say that this outfit, completed by the cute sleeping mask, is memorable too? It is to me.
This is the second petit noir Givenchy designed for Holly Golightly. In cloqué silk, with a slightly flared frilly skirt, which Audrey wore with a wide-brimmed hat with an enormous cream silk bow and low-heeled alligator shoes, long gloves and again, oversized sunglasses.
She styles the dress in different ways in the film, as you can see below, either with a fabulous lampshade hat and brooch, or with a maxi necklace.
To transform Audrey into Holly Golightly, her hair was streaked with blonde highlights, a look that made her look “jazzy” and “a little kooky”, helping her “get away from that primmer lady look, like nuns and princesses”, as Audrey herself said. “It was nice to become a new girl as easily as that. I liked it so much, I decided to keep it for offscreen.” Her bouffant, backcombed hair style, by Grazia de Rossi, launched a fashion too.
It’s a bed sheet you see her wearing at her cocktail party. A scene was cut from the film in which Holly is taking a bath and has to improvise a gown on the spot. One more example that Audrey could look chic in just anything she threw on. At first I didn’t even realise it was a sheet she had on and she could have easily gotten away with that on the spur of the moment outfit if you ask me, but she soon changes into her short shift dress.
The blue jeans, grey sweater and cloth around the head she’s wearing as she sings Moon River on the fire escape were also designed by Edith Head. “The real girl comes alive in the blue jeans. Every woman is an actress in a Paris gown”, said Audrey. This look is just as timeless as the little black dress.
The beige trench coat, another style item that has been immortalized by Breakfast at Tiffany’s in the final scene, is paired with a head scarf, polo t-shirt and herringbone skirt.
The double-breasted orange wool coat was much copied at the release of the film. The funnel neck coat was classic Givenchy and Audrey wore similar versions in Charade (1963), How to Steal A Million (1966), and in her personal wardrobe. In the movie, the coat was matched with a salt-and-pepper patterned dress, fur hat, kitten heels and classic tote. In her book, Audrey Style, Pamela Keogh Clarke writes: “the Hepburn Givenchy partnership reached the apogee of refined elegance as Holly Golightly’s hangover chic caused a run on triple strand faux pearl necklaces, sleeveless dresses and oversized dark sunglasses that continues to this day.”
A hot pink silk cocktail dress studded with green rhinestones and with a pink bow around the waist. It was teamed with a collarless, three-quarter sleeved coat in the same vibrant pink. I love these infusions of colour in an otherwise neutral wardrobe.
Casually dressed, in pullover, slacks and ballet flats, Audrey is once again the personification of ultimate chic.
I don’t think there is any other actress whose roles have emulated her personal style to such an extent, as in the case of Audrey Hepburn. This wouldn’t have been possible without Givenchy’s creative mind and understanding of Audrey’s figure, needs and personality.
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photos: screen stills captured by me from this DVD edition. Please link back to Classiq if you’d like to use any of these images.
sources: A Matter of Style: Intimate Portraits of 10 Women Who Changed Fashion , by Paola Saltari, Classic Hollywood Style
, by Caroline Young, and Edith Head: The Fifty Year Career of Hollywood’s Greatest Designer
, by Jay Jorgensen
Wow! What glamour you managed to capture in these frames! Audrey won’t be matched by anybody, it simply isn’t possible! Thanks for the beautiful post.
I was trying to think of something else to say than ‘I love this film’ but the fact is that I do love it so there isn’t much to say! In spite of all the glamorous outfits my favourite is always the sweatshirt and jeans look; Audrey sitting in that window with the guitar. It’s one of my all-time favourite film scenes. It’s in my bookmarks and when I play the song I can hear the children say: “Mum, is playing that song yet again!”
Beautiful post, Ada, as always!
Lisa, I’m with you. The blue jeans look is just as iconic as the Givenchy ones if you ask me.
I think this is the way Audrey will always be remembered. I know she did many other movies, but this is the first one that comes to mind whenever one mentions her name. Those dresses and outfits certainly shaped the minds of many stylish women (and others who copied them)…. x
Yes, Audrey’s name is inextricably linked to Breakfast at Tiffany’s (but also to Sabrina, Roman Holiday). I have to admit I’ve been reluctant to write about this film sooner (and about Sabrina too), because too much has been said about the style in these films and I wasn’t sure if there was anything new I could contribute to, but the truth is that they are cornerstones in the fashion world and in film costume and I can not overlook their importance. And what’s even more important, the clothes have a timeless style.
amazing how difficult it is to imagine marilyn monroe as holly golightly. no, that role was made for audrey i think. i adore the mens shirt she wears to bed and love edith head – it was such a perfect choice for the character. i just watched this movie but this post is certainly making me want to watch it again!
Christine, it is impossible to imagine Marilyn in this role, isn’t it? Although I believe her abilities as an actress have been willingly underestimated, this role belonged to Audrey.
Sublime! i’ve always loved the quilted bag with the double chain straps she carries with the orange overcoat and of course the mens style shirt with that eye mask! Love it! (goes without saying pretty much every garment in this film is gorgeous- so I wont’ repeat it!!) But I must say the makeup she wears and the lipstick she puts on is very very beautiful:)x PS: I’m wearing my morning uniform of blue jeans, grey sweatshirt and black flats – and now I remember why I like it:)
Helen, thank you for pointing out the make-up as well. It’s perfect! And I think Audrey looked her best in this movie.
Dear Ada, this is not just a beautiful movie, this is ‘the fashion movie’ par excellence! All the looks and the pieces worn by Audrey are iconic and you wrote such a great review…thank you so much for this post!
Can anyone tell me what type of bag Paul is carrying in the picture at the bus station where the trench coat is being described? She has the bag again back at her apartment when she is drunk and she and Paul get into a fight. I am trying to find it, but I have no idea where to look! I think it’s a type of carpet bag, but I could be wrong.
Hello, Katie. I am afraid I can not help you with this information, but in case I will watch the movie again in the near future or will come across this detail, I will leave a note here.
Katie –
Haha glad to know I’m not the only one who noticed that bag and became totally obsessed with it. I think I actually bought the bag! I don’t know! I made a Reddit post about it to see if I could get any leads. What do you think???
https://www.reddit.com/r/audreyhepburn/comments/58q4qb/i_think_i_may_have_bought_a_proppiece_of_wardrobe/
Hello,
Just want to know if the lipstick ( silver case)Holly uses in the taxi scene , is ” Love in the Afternoon” by Revlon? I believe the # is #435.
Anxiously waiting for your reply!
maria
Hello! Might you know anything about that bag with the tapestry scenes on it that Holly takes to the bus station and also grabs on the floor of her apartment when she’s drunkenly trying to pay Varjak for whiskey? I think I may have bought it and I’m trying to figure out if there was only one of those bags. I made a Reddit posting with pictures here: https://www.reddit.com/r/audreyhepburn/comments/58q4qb/i_think_i_may_have_bought_a_proppiece_of_wardrobe/
Also, I did a little more research today and discovered that the tapestry on the bag was created by a tapestry manufacturer in France called Gobelins, and Givenchy was the grandson of Jules Jean Badin, a tapestry maker for Goblins. It is looking more and more like Givenchy may have created this bag for the movie and I think I might own it! If you know anything about this special bag, please let me know! Thanks!
Hello, Nicole. Thank you for all the details. I appreciate it. And congratulations if you indeed own the bag!
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