Audrey Hepburn

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I’d be surprised if you are reading this post and you have never heard of Audrey Hepburn. She is most well known for her role in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and she is a huge icon of fashion. In this post I will tell you some facts about her life, which items she made fashionable and where you can buy similar styles today...

Audrey Kathleen Ruston was born in Belgium on May 4^th 1929, her father was a British banker and her mother was a Dutch baroness. At five years old, Audrey was sent to a boarding school in England but most of her childhood was spent in Nazi-occupied Holland, she survived by eating tulip bulbs! Audrey had a breed of tulip named after her in 1990.

Audrey’s father walked out on the family and disappeared which Audrey says is “the most traumatic event in my life.” It was one of many though; Audrey’s uncle and four others were executed by the Nazis for publicity.

During the war, she acted as an occasional secret messenger for the Resistance by carrying illegal leaflets stuffed in socks!

One of Audrey’s many talents was Ballet, she was very good at it and her initial ambitions lied in dance but she was told she was too tall. Audrey starred in many movies, including the lead female role in Roman Holiday. She is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award.

Audrey and her son, Sean.

Audrey had two children, her first son, Sean, was born in 1960 and ten years later her second son Luca was born.

In 1992, Audrey was diagnosed with colon cancer. She passed away in her sleep on January 20^th 1993 at the age of 63.

Now you know the history of her life! Here are three interesting facts about Audrey:

• Audrey had four miscarriages in her life, she cherished children very much. She wanted children more than anything in the world
• Audrey was a distant cousin of Princess Diana
• She was self conscious about her size 10 feet

Audrey Hepburn was extremely talented but she also had a memorable dress sense too. She was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1961. She was also very beautiful, her eyes were very expressive and she gave the advice to “decide what your strongest facial feature is and emphasize it.”


If you really want to have a look just like Audrey's, I would recommend watching the video below which is a tutorial based on how to achieve her beauty:

It is obvious that Audrey has influenced a wide range of people; one example is Victoria Beckham who is known for her elegant style. Audrey popularised the LBD (little black dress) when she wore one in Breakfast at Tiffany’s accompanied by white gloves and pearls, this is one of the most famous film costumes recorded.

Audrey was too tall for ballet so she took up acting instead

Another popular actress at the time was Marilyn Monroe; Audrey was a direct opposite of her as she had a more natural beauty. When asked how to achieve her look, Audrey said “my look is attainable. Women can look like Audrey Hepburn by flipping out their hair, buying the large sunglasses, and the little sleeveless dresses.”

Here’s a list of the items Audrey wore a lot:

1. Capri pants
2. Slim trousers
3. A black turtleneck
4. Button-down shirt
5. Ballet flats
6. LBD
7. Silk scarf
8. Trench coat
9. Pearls
10.  A flashy hat

One of Audrey's most talked about fashion statements of the 50s were her capri pants, named after the Isle of Capri. Audrey first wore them in the movie Sabrina with a matching black top and ballet flats. Capri pants then became the most popular 'it' summer item. They look good worn with a simple top and a straw hat.

Below is something I have made which features Audrey’s favourite fashion items that are available to buy from modern shops:

If you like sophisticated fashion, I would definitely recommend using Audrey Hepburn as your inspiration!