Back in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, fashion icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Grace Kelly, and Elizabeth Taylor inspired millions with their elegant styles. In the 50s' silhouettes were cinched at the waist, which led into ‘60s mod style, inspired by street styles in London. Regardless of the decade one is trying to follow, sophisticated and classic styles can be hard to attain without a celebrity fashion icon from which to get inspiration.
Amy Kuschel, the owner of Amy Kuschel, a wedding shop in San Fransisco, is a designer of classic dresses.
“I love Audrey Hepburn. She's so perfectly charming and beautiful, inside and out. We designed a wedding gown with Audrey in mind,” Kuschel says. “I'm always a fan of a woman who is gorgeous, but also very down to earth. Her style comes naturally and I love that sort of authenticity. And there's Marilyn Monroe, of course. Her drama, her sense of humor, and her incredible glamor are irresistible.”
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was known for her sophisticated and classic style. Since her role as Sabrina in the 1954 film, “Sabrina,” she wore a lot of Givenchy. She specifically asked Hubert de Givenchy to design her costumes for her movies. After that, she chose to wear Givenchy in seven of her films and her everyday wardrobe.
Leah Sykes, former Miss America’s Outstanding Teen and music business graduate of Belmont University, looks to Hepburn as a classic-style icon.
“Classic style to me is something that is classy, and by classy, what I mean is that it portrays beauty, and it portrays an individual’s worthwhile not being overexposed,” Sykes says.
Hepburn had an elegant style that worked well with her natural beauty. She was known for her style in the 1950s and 1960s, but now women all over the world strive to look like the well-known actress.
“You see the girls having pictures of Audrey Hepburn all over their walls, and I know that I have a picture of Audrey Hepburn hanging in my college dorm. She wouldn’t be there if people didn't look up to her or admire her and her style,” Sykes says.“Despite whatever decade it may be in, it’s still just simple style. That’s something that my dad used to tell me when I was young — fads come and go but true style is timeless.”
Hepburn was never overexposed but her outfits still made her look great. She wore a lot of outfits that showed off her waist; whether it was a dress that flowed at the bottom, a cute pair of trousers, or some shorts, she wore outfits that contoured to her body.
“If you look at many pictures of her, she’s never doing anything that you would classify as gaudy or over the top,” Sykes says. “She was always understated and simple and I find that absolutely beautiful.”
When it comes to accessories, they can either add to or take away from a classic look.
Hepburn wore pearl earrings and necklaces, diamond earrings, hats, and neck scarfs that went with the outfits she was wearing.
“In my typical every day I am always notorious for just throwing on a pair of pearl earrings,” Sykes says.“If I’m trying to dress in a classic way, say I’m going to a super-fancy dinner like a black-tie event, I usually plan my evening gowns and my outfits around the jewelry that would accessorize it.”
Because of Hepburn’s fashion sense and her collaboration with Givenchy, she will forever be known as a style icon.
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor was well-known for her violet eyes, double-layered eyelashes, and her glamorous style. Some of her famous films include “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (1958) and “Cleopatra” (1963). She often wore bright colors, plunging necklines, and tight dresses that showed off her hips. Whatever she was wearing, she was confident in her style.
Aimee Ortiz, a graduate of California Baptist University, is striving to become a fashion designer for the film industry. She started having a passion for classic clothing when she was younger; her grandparents used to watch old movies and Ortiz liked how the women were sophisticated without showing off everything.
“Come to the ‘50s you started getting more of that hourglass in there. And then in the ‘60s… people switched to the mod style,” Ortiz says. “I guess for me a classic vintage style would probably be just classic silhouettes that have lasted throughout the decades.”
Taylor often wore Luxe Bulgari diamonds and pearls that added to her glamorous and classic style. She also wore soft blue, pink, yellow, and emerald that made her violet eyes stand out in her films.
“I really enjoy her (Elizabeth Taylor) style as well and just how she pretty much rocked everything she wore. Whether it was a day dress or some cool capris, she rocked it,” Ortiz says. “You can’t go wrong with black and white and also a bold red lip. I mean, that’s what people usually think about. I would also say don’t be afraid to put in a little splash of color.”
Ortiz says she likes to shop at vintage stores that sell old-fashioned clothes like style icons like Elizabeth Taylor used to wear.
“I look more toward old movies or pinup models that you see around.”
Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly was well-known because of movies including, “To Catch a Thief” (1955) and “Rear Window” (1954). Her royal, yet timeless sense of style is what made her such an icon. She didn’t wear many plunging necklines or short skirts but wore high-waisted pants, cashmere coats, and elegant dresses. When she married Prince Rainier III she became Princess of Monaco, and she certainly dressed elegantly like a princess.
Kelly wore a lot of Helen Rose, Edith Head, and Christian Dior designs. Her outfits were timeless, which shined not only in her films but also when she became the princess of Monaco.
“Grace Kelly was always so impeccably dressed,” Kuschel says. “The reason we remember her is partly due to her keen sense of style. It would be fun to dress her in a more streamlined wedding gown on her wedding day. Perhaps the Pfeiffer or Fifth Avenue.”
Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren was an actress from Italy. Her acting career started after she competed in a beauty pageant. She became well-known because of her appearances in films during the ‘50s. In 1962 she got the Best Actress Academy Award for playing Cesira in Vittorio De Sica’s “Two Women.”
Someone who admires Loren is Nino Via, assistant director to the fashion design chairperson at Fashion Institute Design and Merchandising. He has designed for brands like Ralph Lauren and photographed for magazines like Harper’s Bazaar.
“Sophia Loren, she was Italian and she was …very feminine and very elegant,” Via says. “Growing up in Italy you learn part of the Italian history is renaissance. At an early age, you can’t help but be involved in color palettes around you and study the history of Italy and all the artists.”
Loren is still known as one of the most beautiful Hollywood actresses and her fashion has inspired many. She believed that fashion was meant to fit the woman rather than the other way around.
“Body-wise she had a very curvaceous and sensuous, sexy body. So I would design garments that accentuate her,” Via says. “I would design something very elegant and something very sexy and something very beautiful and very classic.”
Loren influenced a lot of designers today, including Sofia Sizzi, who has come out with a line called, Giulietta which is based on Loren’s style.
Whether you are looking to dress classic or improve your style, an icon can be a good way to get inspiration. Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn all had classic styles. They interpreted style in their own ways, which made them forever known as fashion icons.