How to Dress Like Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn was a legendary film actress. She is also one of the most quintessential fashion icons of all time. She captivated audiences with her effortless grace and aristocratic movements. During the 1950s, a time when curvaceous starlets like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor dominated film, Hepburn stood out with tall clean lines that emphasized her slender gamine physique. Everything she wore complimented her youthful figure. Hepburn's style was simple yet glamorous, and her classic nature still influences our fashion choices today.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Little black dress
• Skinny black pants
• Ballet flats
• Black top
• Full skirt
• Cinched-waist button-up collared blouse
• Scarf
• Trench coat
• Over-sized sunglasses
• Tiara
• Pearls
• Elbow-length gloves
• Large floppy hat
• Pillbox hat
• Headbands

1. Wear a little black dress. In 1926, French fashion designer Coco Chanel took the "LBD" to the mainstream. Forty years later, Hepburn as Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" epitomized the style.

2. Put on a trench coat. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" made scenes in the rain romantic. Also featured is the cinch-waist trench coat, a cold-weather necessity for both fictional Golightly and real-life Hepburn.

3. Mimic Hepburn's casual classy look. A recent Gap commercial resurrected Audrey Hepburn in the movie "Funny Face" by coupling her dancing with the song "Back in Black" by AC/DC. Decked in black skinny pants, a simple black long-sleeve top and ballet flats, Hepburn continues to influence modern fashion.

4. Try out Hepburn's "Roman Holiday" look. The 1953 romantic comedy introduced American audiences to Hepburn, who gained legions of fashion followers with her vacation style: a free-flowing full skirt; belted waist; a cinch-waist button-up collared blouse; and a dainty striped silk scarf tied around her neck.

5. Accessorize like Audrey. Oversized sunglasses, a tiara, pearls and elbow-length gloves are classic accessories that Hepburn's glamorous, party-girl character Golightly wore in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Real-life Hepburn was seen in scarves, large floppy hats, pillbox hats and headbands.

Tips & Warnings

• Be aware of your positive physical attributes as well as your flaws. A key reason Hepburn made such a style impact is that she was fully aware of her physique. Of their first meeting, famous French couturier Hubert de Givenchy recalled that, "She knew exactly what she wanted. She knew perfectly her visage and her body, their fine points and their faults." Together, Hepburn and Givenchy melded an eternal style icon.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Fashion.ie: Audrey Hepburn - The Quintessential Style Icon
• Telegraph: The Biggest Little Thing in Your Wardrobe
• The New York Times: Durable Chic - A Century of Trench