Few stars have influenced fashion quite like Audrey Hepburn. Decades after her most famous films, Audrey Hepburn’s style is still instantly recognizable: beautifully simple silhouettes, cropped trousers, ballet flats, oversized sunglasses, elegant gowns, and, of course, one very famous little black dress. But reducing Audrey to a collection of iconic outfits misses much of what made her so fascinating. She could look impossibly sophisticated in Givenchy one moment and completely at home in a pair of slim trousers and flats the next. Her look was elegant without being fussy, feminine without relying on the bombshell silhouette that defined so many of her Hollywood contemporaries, and distinctive enough that we’re still borrowing from it decades later.
And there was much more to Audrey than style. Her life included wartime hardship, an extraordinary film career, and later years devoted increasingly to humanitarian work. The woman behind the famous photographs was every bit as interesting as the image Hollywood helped make iconic. It’s no surprise that Audrey continues to inspire some of our clients at Lone Star Pin-up. The portraits throughout this post borrow from several of her most recognizable looks, but as always, the fun isn’t in creating an exact copy. It’s seeing what happens when a little Audrey inspiration meets the woman in front of our camera.
The Birth of a Style Icon
Audrey Hepburn’s rise to fashion icon began alongside her rise to movie stardom. Roman Holiday made her a star in 1953, but it was her next film, Sabrina, that began one of the most famous partnerships in fashion and film history. While preparing for Sabrina, Audrey met French designer Hubert de Givenchy, whose elegant, modern designs suited her beautifully. Their collaboration continued both on and off screen for decades, helping create many of the looks we now immediately associate with Audrey Hepburn.
And those looks were surprisingly varied. In Roman Holiday, she famously transforms her princess wardrobe by rolling up her sleeves, tying a scarf around her neck, and cutting her hair short before exploring Rome. Sabrina gave us sleek black dresses, cigarette pants, ballet flats, and glamorous Givenchy gowns. Funny Face played with everything from couture fashion to Audrey dancing in black ankle pants and a turtleneck, while Breakfast at Tiffany’s turned a black Givenchy gown, pearls, gloves, oversized sunglasses, and an elaborate updo into one of the most recognizable looks in movie history. Then My Fair Lady took things in an entirely different direction with Cecil Beaton’s extravagant Edwardian-inspired costumes.
Off screen, Audrey often favored a much simpler wardrobe. Slim trousers, flats, button-down shirts, sweaters, clean necklines, and minimal silhouettes became as much a part of her image as the couture gowns. That contrast may be one of the reasons Audrey Hepburn’s style has remained so influential. You don’t have to walk around dressed for breakfast at Tiffany’s to borrow a little of it. Sometimes all it takes is a pair of cropped black pants, ballet flats, great sunglasses, and the confidence to leave well enough alone.
The Beauty of Individuality
Part of what made Audrey Hepburn so visually memorable was that she didn’t look quite like anyone else in Hollywood. At a time when the voluptuous bombshell was a dominant ideal, Audrey’s slender frame, strong brows, short hair, expressive eyes, and almost elfin features gave audiences something completely different. Rather than disguising those differences, her most successful looks emphasized them. Her clothes complemented her proportions, her hairstyles showcased her face, and her makeup made those unmistakable brows and enormous eyes part of her signature. That’s something we can absolutely borrow from Audrey without trying to become Audrey.
The clients featured throughout this post each brought something different to their Audrey-inspired portraits. Some leaned into sophisticated Hollywood glamour, while others embraced her more playful, youthful style. The references may be familiar, but the women wearing them are entirely their own. After all, inspiration is much more fun than imitation.
Beauty With a Purpose
Audrey’s legacy eventually extended far beyond movies and fashion. In 1988, she became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, although her involvement with the organization had begun years earlier. During the final years of her life, she traveled extensively on UNICEF missions, visiting communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and using her fame to draw attention to children affected by hunger, poverty, and conflict. The work had a deeply personal connection. Audrey had spent part of her childhood in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, where she and her family experienced severe food shortages. She later spoke about receiving humanitarian aid as a child, making her work with UNICEF a remarkable full-circle chapter of her life. By then, one of the most photographed women in the world was using the attention she’d spent decades attracting to point the cameras somewhere else. And that deserves at least as much space in her story as the little black dress.
Why Audrey Still Inspires Us
Audrey Hepburn died in 1993, but her influence has hardly faded. Fashion still borrows from her wardrobe, beauty trends revisit her brows and eyeliner, and her film costumes continue to inspire recreations more than half a century after she wore them. But perhaps the most interesting thing about her style is how adaptable it remains. You can recreate Holly Golightly from head to toe, borrow the gamine simplicity of Roman Holiday, pull inspiration from the couture fantasy of Funny Face, or take nothing more than the idea of a great pair of trousers, fabulous sunglasses, and a really good eyebrow. That’s the beauty of an icon. She gives us plenty to borrow, but leaves us room to make it our own.
Create Your Own Audrey-Inspired Look
If Audrey Hepburn has been sitting on your portrait-session inspiration board for years, we would be delighted to help you put your own spin on her style. We can go unmistakably Breakfast at Tiffany’s, play with the simpler looks she wore off screen, or use her as a starting point and see where the idea takes us. Because while recreating an iconic photograph can be a lot of fun, we’d much rather create one that couldn’t belong to anyone but you.
Ready to dream up your own Audrey-inspired session? Contact us and let’s start planning.
