Iconic Fashion Moments: Holly Golightly
This article is one that is very special to me. Audrey Hepburn has been a hereditary obsession in my family. Starting with my grandmother, then passed on to my mother, and now with me. As today is my grandmother's birthday, I thought that there would be no better way to pay homage to her, and all of the amazing things that she was, than to write an Audrey post. And so, without further ado, here is the second installment of Iconic Fashion Moments: Holly Golightly’s Black Dress.
Yes, I am doing another LBD for an iconic fashion moments post. I could honestly rename this series to “Iconic LBD” because there are just so so many. But this dress is in a category of its own, because, in a way, it created the LBD.
Made a little black dress live in its own category of elegance and necessity. The dress is the very definition of the word iconic. It is arguably Audrey Hepburn's most iconic look, and that says something because she has many.
I could even go as far as to argue and say that if Audrey had never worn the Givenchy ensemble in the film, Angelina Jolie would have never worn her black dress to the Oscars in 2012, because that is truly how influential this dress was, and forever will be.
Let's get into the specifics of the dress: It was designed by Hubert de Givenchy himself. Audrey was Givenchy's muse, and Givenchy dresses and outfits made up much of her wardrobe. Audrey’s style is often described to have been a time capsule of fashion in the ’60s and ’70s. And this dress is no different. The boatneck and open back are crucial parts of early 60’s fashion and this dress include both of those things. The dress hits just at the ankles and is paired with black pumps, black opera gloves, a layered pearl necklace with a broach like a diamond in the center. Audrey's hair was pulled to the top of her head in a knot/ twist like bun. In costumes, this bun is normally paired with a tiara, but in reality, it looks as if Audrey has a diamond-encrusted clip in her hair, rather than a tiara.
Edith Head was the costume designer on Breakfast at Tiffanies. Head is an accomplished costume designer, she has won eight Oscars for costume design and was the designer on most of the esteemed and iconic movies of the 1950s and ’60s. With the mix of Givenchy and Edith, it is no surprise that the dress made the splash it did.
And like many iconic fashion moments, especially ones from old films, the dress has been copied, replicated, and parodied many times. In Gossip Girl Blair Waldorf wore a version of the dress many times over, often in her dreams, or nightmares.
Bella Hadid’s 2019 Met Gala Moschino gown has drawn some comparisons to Audreys black gown. To be honest I don't see it, a black gown with black gloves. Her hairstyle is also slightly Audrey, but more in other films, not Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Bella Hadid also sported a similar look in the Fall 2020 RTW Marc Jacobs show. The show had a VERY 60’s feel to it, so it is no surprise that the gown made an appearance.
On the cover of Harper's Bazaar Natalie Portman wore a replica of the dress in 2006.
Also in Bazaar Tiffany Haddish wore a Holly-inspired look years later.
There is even a Audrey Hepburn barbie of her in the gown.
The gown defined what the word iconic means in terms of fashion, because now whenever you see someone wearing any gown opera glove combo, you will immediately relate it to the dress, proving its true lasting effects.
