Fashion Icons: Sharon Tate

I only watched Sharon Tate in one film – The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) by Roman Polanski, and, oh my, she was the cutest thing ever, with those large hazel eyes and drawn on freckles and rosy cheeks. The way she talked, the way she moved; in a white nightgown, barefoot, with red hair, taking a bath… one could really melt seeing how gorgeous she was. Before she was murdered in 1969, two weeks away from giving birth, Sharon was at the height of her fame as an actress and married to Roman Polanski. Today she is considered of the beauty and fashion icons of the 1960s, side by side with Twiggy, Jane Birkin and Marianne Faithfull.

Interesting things about her style: ‘Sharon preferred Clean, Elegant, Simple lines… Not frou-frou at all. She particularly liked antique camisoles. She didn’t like baggy clothes, she wasn’t into Granny Coats like others were. She liked tailored clothes, even her Peasant Tops were tailored. She also had an Indian Wedding shirt tailored. She had blouses with hook and eye buttons made with spun gold. She wore jeans and pedal pushers.’

– ‘Sharon disliked wearing shoes…Whenever possible, she would go barefoot or wear ballet slippers. Classic Ballet Pink was the preferred color –but she wore black slippers, too. I definitely remember that she had a pair of red ones, because she wanted to match a red mini dress, so we spray painted a pink pair, and made it red.’

– ‘Sharon wore big wide belts that went over jeans or skirts. She loved Chanel and Gucci handbags. Same brand for shoes, too. She had a big heavy, gold, Cartier cigarette lighter.’

– ‘Sharon loved big hoop earrings and thin Love Beads that were made of tiny glass beads…called Bugle Beads. She was not big on rings or heavy necklaces…I think she didn’t like rings because they brought attention to her hands and she used to bite her nails. Her real jewelry was a Cartier watch with a black reptile band.’ (source)

One of her quotes: ‘In Europe, everything is so much more liberal and open. So much more realistic. The whole freedom outlook over there is just fantastic. People aren’t worried about what society is going to think- as long as the feelings are there…and the feelings are honest. Men in Europe cry and in airports they kiss their sons right on the lips, emotion makes them real men.‘

You can watch a video about her clothes here, and read a bit about her make up here.