These films from the past will make your inner fashionista happy.
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Even if you love to dress up, sometimes you just need a down weekend. That night where you get to stay in and just watch TV. No errands, no makeup, no heels … just your comfy pajamas and your screen and your favorite snacks. So if you just want to enjoy good fashion rather than wear it, these are iconic movies for fashion fans (and, if it helps, some are even on Netflix).
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1. Sabrina (1954)
Audrey Hepburn plays the part of a chauffeur’s daughter who is refined by studying in Paris, and who manages to make both of the wealthy Larrabee brothers fall in love with her. On the level of fashion, this was the first movie for which Givenchy made Hepburn’s entire wardrobe. Don’t miss the black A-line dress with bare shoulders and a boat neck to cover the actress’s collarbone!
2. To Catch a Thief (1955)
In this film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant is a retired cat burglar who has to prove that he is innocent of a series of robberies. To achieve it, he seeks the help of Grace Kelly to find the true criminal. All the costumes are extravagant, and the jewelry is straight out of a dream! (Plus, it was during the filming of this movie on the French Riviera that Kelly met Prince Rainier of Monaco, her future husband.)
3. Funny Face (1957)
Audrey Hepburn plays the role of Jo, a timid bookstore clerk who is discovered by a photographer who takes her to Paris to make her into a model. Her outfit of capri pants, a black turtle-neck and ballet shoes became a reference point that was recently revived by Kim Kardashian for an energy drink commercial. The red Givenchy dress she wears while descending a stairway in the Louvre is also a must-see. Sublime!
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4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
New York City is the stage where an extravagant socialite becomes interested in a writer who is fighting to fulfill his dream, and who moves into the same building. This movie is considered one of the most important ones for fashion, due to the emblematic black dress, pearl necklace, and large sunglasses that Hepburn wears in the first scene; that ensemble consolidated her standing as a fashion icon.
5. The Great Gatsby (1974)
This was the first adaptation for the big screen of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, in which Jay Gatsby, a mysterious young millionaire, falls in love with frivolous Daisy Buchanan. This movie is perfect for those who love the fashion of the 20s, with its dresses full of movement, its long pearl necklaces, and its three-piece suits for men. If you want something more “up-to-date,” another option is the 2013 adaptation (which won an Oscar for Best Costume Design) with Leonardo DiCaprio as the protagonist.
6. Mahogany (1975)
Tracy Chambers (played by Diana Ross) is an ambitious woman who, in her quest to become a fashion designer, passes through various jobs in a department store until she becomes a model. It’s interesting that Ross designed many of the clothes in her wardrobe, and it is an ode to the retro fashion of the 70s with all its colors, brightness, and voluminous hairstyles.
