THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF SEXY AND CHIC
(About a 3-minute read)
Have you guys seen The Graduate? Let's discuss.
First off, the cinematography is off the charts. I mean, does anyone remember this scene?
I love watching classic films, because it is almost like an inside view into the culture of the past. How were people back then? Was life that different from the way it is now? Not in a technological sense, but in a human sense. How much of the day-to-day is even the same as it is now? I could go on about this, and probably will in a future post, but for now I want to talk about the one thing I noticed throughout the film.
THE TIMELESS FASHION. Particularly, the style of Mrs. Robinson (Ann Bancroft), and how incredible it was to me that as I watched this film, I continually thought...."I would 100% wear that." or " I love that coat" or "She is just so chic."
Why? Well, because every one of these looks have stood the test of time. Two words. ANIMAL PRINT. She wore it all! Tiger; leopard; giraffe! She obviously wanted to be noticed, and notice I did!
Animal print dates back almost 100 years when actress Marion Nixon walked her pet leopard down the streets of Hollywood in 1925 wearing a matching coat! In 1947, Christian Dior created the first-ever leopard prints for his collection. Suffice to say, the animal print is not going anywhere.
I love what the New Yorker wrote about leopard in an article last year:
"From the couture of Christian Dior to the authoritative polish of Jacqueline Kennedy; ... the skin of a leopard—which, as we say, cannot change its spots—has been, in American fashion, remarkably mutable. These days—on, say, the women of New York City—leopard print, whether thrift or high fashion, seems to signify, more than anything, a certain knowingness, and the wearer’s confidence that her own sartorial intentions, whatever they may be, can withstand the print’s thick past: haughty luxury, prim sophistication, seedy overexposure, rock, kitsch, and, of course, many shades of sex. Leopard—though so fixed and loud—actually seems to be a welcoming surface for projection, if you can throw some self-possession behind it." By Katie Ryder, 2017
Ah. "Haughty luxury...Prim sophistication." That's my kind of classic! Tell me. Would you wear animal print today? (Not the animal, just the print) Please say yes. ;)
The second thing I want to mention are the necklines. I noticed something about the necklines and I know it's a crazy thing to observe so deeply, but I did. Can anyone guess?
They were mostly, if not all, a bit more conservative, yet they still had that super sexy air to them. Yes, we can talk about the obvious lingerie scenes, but aside from that, Mrs. Robinson is very often bundled in a fabulous coat, with not an ounce of skin showing at all. Covered up, yet still incredibly seductive.
It begged me to ask myself, as I have asked myself every time I decide to wear a long-sleeve, covered-up top with a mini-skirt, or a wide-leg, shapeless trouser with a plunging deep-v.... Does more skin mean sexier? The answer I always resort to is...Absolutely not. Sexy to me is showing just enough to leave something for the imagination. I believe Mrs. Robinson might agree. ;)
So aside from her timeless silhouettes, and luxurious fabrics, what makes her style so classic?
I say this all the time... A woman is not defined by her clothes, but she can be defined by her style. It is sort of a Catch-22 because as I said in my first post, style cannot be defined! 
I guess we can rephrase the question then. How does she radiate this timeless, classic, incredibly chic style? Here is my take:
- The way she carries herself. She struts. She strolls. She observes. She OWNS her look. She "wears" her clothes. And by "wear" I mean less literally, but more figuratively.
- The confidence she exudes. The most stylish women I know don't have the best of clothes, they have the most confidence when wearing those clothes.
- Her sense of wisdom. Doesn't she come across as wise and worldly? Like she can teach Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) a thing or two about life? She is assertive and poised. Something that isn't learned, but comes from experience.
It is interesting to think of fashion in this way. What are your thoughts? Does fashion define a woman? Or does a woman define her fashion?
COMMENT HERE!
xx
D
