Ingrid Bergman

“I was the shyest human ever invented, but I had a lion inside me that wouldn't shut up!” - Ingrid Bergman

Many people haven’t heard of Ingrid as she was around in the forties but after reading this blog post I hope you learn something new about her and how influential her elegant style truly was!

Ingrid Bergman was the most impressive and memorable fashion icon of the 1940’s. She was known for her natural beauty – she didn’t plaster herself in heavy make up worn by most other actresses at the time. This made her beauty special. If you want to watch a video dedicated to Ingrid, I have included one below:

 

Here are some facts about the history of her life...

Ingrid was born in Stockholm, Sweden on August 29^th 1915 – her mother died when she was only three years old and her father died when she was twelve.

Ingrid’s father was very significant as he was an artist and photographer which encouraged Ingrid to be creative from a young age as he had a lot of passion for the arts; Ingrid said “it was my father’s enthusiasm over my play-acting that turned me into an actress.” Ingrid’s passion for acting encouraged her to attend the Royal Dramatic Theatre School where she made her professional stage debut.

Here are three interesting facts about Ingrid...

• Her first film was ‘Munkbrogreven’ in 1935 but her most famous role was in ‘Casablanca,’ a wartime romance – Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman starred as one of the most beloved couples in cinematic history.
• On Ingrid’s 25^th birthday she won her first Oscar for Best Actress and she ended up appearing in over 50 films.
• Ingrid amazingly acted in five different languages; Swedish, English, German, French and Italian. She was very talented.

Sadly, Ingrid died after a long battle with breast cancer on August 29^th 1982, her 67^th birthday, in London, England.

So, now you know the background of Ingrid’s life I will tell you what fashion items she made popular!

Ingrid was known for her beauty, as it was completely natural; expressive blue eyes, full lipped mouth and high cheekbones – many women were green with envy.

Her hair was always wavy and carefully put together. She had a very feminine but also masculine look, which she managed to pull of very well!

Ingrid in a white, neat blouse

Neat blouses – Ingrid’s fashion debut began after her role in Casablanca. Ingrid liked to look sophisticated and clean, she wore white button-down blouses.

Ingrid in a jacket and pencil skirt

Boxy Jackets, wide legged trousers and pencil skirts - When people think of Hollywood film fashions, they usually think glamour and tight fitting clothes but Ingrid brought a new meaning to it and always wore a fitted jacket and pencil skirt, classy and out of the ordinary at the time.





Andy Warhol's artwork of Ingrid

 

Brimmed hats – Ingrid liked to finish her look off with a brimmed hat. Andy Warhol even loved this look so much that he created a painting of Ingrid in her hat.

Here is something I put together which includes shops where you can buy Ingrid inspired items:

To this day, high-street stores and online shops have affordable skirts similar to Ingrid’s for example; high-waisted, pleated and over the knee pencil skirts. Blazers/jackets have recently become popular too, with oversized shoulders and a range of different materials to choose from. If you visit any stores, take a look at how many smart skirts and blouses are around that remind you of Ingrid Bergman!