Fashion Icons: Marianne Faithfull

Marianne Faithfull is one of my favourite fashion icons from this series. Her sixties-psychedelia-rock ‘n’ roll look was the first one I tried to emulate when I first got interested in the 1960s fashion and culture. So, a typical Marianne look would include a suede skirt, shirt, thin scarf and boots, or a floral print mini dress with boots. As you’ll see from my collages, she wore lots of different looks, from sequin dresses for her performances, to bell bottom trousers, nun-style black dresses with white collars, paisley shirts, dresses with bishop sleeves etc.

I haven’t read her autobiography yet, but I do like her music, from the simple and innocent mid sixties tunes such as ‘Come and Stay With Me‘ and ‘As Tears Go By’, to her ‘songs of experience’, sung in a husky voice, such as ‘Sister Morphine’ and ‘Working Class Hero’.

Fashion Icons: Pattie Boyd II

Pattie Boyd is my seventh fashion icon in this series. I’ve already written posts about Jane Birkin, Sharon Tate, Britt Ekland, Uschi Obermaier, Anna Karina and Edie Sedgwick.

Pattie Boyd (b. 17 March 1944) was a model in times of Swinging London and a dolly bird who married my favourite Beatle – George Harrison, and later another great rock star – Eric Clapton. After being a model and a muse to two musicians, Pattie went on to become a photographer and an author by writing her autobiography Wonderful Tonight. Pattie holds a very special place in my heart because she was one of the first fashion icons of the 1960s that I fell in love with, and she was loved by George which is quite enough for me. And speaking of George and The Beatles, I have to mention their song Something which was written by George and inspired by Pattie herself! Do listen to it, the lyrics are so beautiful:

“Something in the way she moves
Attracts me like no other lover
Something in the way she woos me

I don’t want to leave her now

You know I believe and how

Somewhere in her smile she knows
That I don’t need no other lover
Something in her style that shows me

Don’t want to leave her now
You know I believe and how

You’re asking me will my love grow
I don’t know, I don’t know
You stick around now it may show
I don’t know, I don’t know…“

Pattie and George were a typical Mod-turned-Hippie couple. So, for her Mod-look think of mini dresses, cute jumpers with knee-length skirts, striped shirts, pointy shoes, black dresses with white collars, and the typical Mod make up. For her hippie phase think of floral dresses, flared paisley trousers, beads and long necklaces, floppy hats and longer, free-flowing dresses. Her hairstyle and make up also changed; for Mod style she wore heavy eye makeup, fringe and hair with flicked ends, and for her hippie phase she ditched the fringe and opted for a bit longer, more natural looking hair. Here you can read about Pattie’s tips on 1960s makeup and long hairstyle.

And now the collages:

Fashion Icons: Edie Sedgwick

Edie Sedgwick (1943-1971) was an American socialite mostly famous for being one of Warhol’s superstars at the Factory in the 1960s. With her eccentric behaviour Edie attracted Warhol’s attention and for a while this anorexic beauty from a prominent family was a star in New York City, at the same time when The Velvet Underground and Nico were doing their first light shows. Then she hooked up with Bob Dylan who broke her heart, and after a short marriage to Michael Post she died of barbiturate overdose at the age of 28.

To get this Poor-Little-Rich-Girl look think of large chandelier earrings, massive earrings, geometric prints, black and white combos, Mod A-line dresses, black tights with boots and gold or silver ultra mini dress, leopard print coat… She wore large fake eyelashes and it allegedly took her three hours to apply her make up! Film Factory Girl (2006) starring Sienna Miller as Edie is very good in my opinion and the costumes are really accurate.

Although Edie wasn’t the inspiration for Bob Dylan’s song Like a Rolling Stone, the lyrics bring the spirit of her short, glamorous and sad life:

“Once upon a time you dressed so fine
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you?
People call say ‘beware doll, you’re bound to fall’
You thought they were all kidding you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hanging out
Now you don’t talk so loud
Now you don’t seem so proud
About having to be scrounging your next meal

How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone

Ahh you’ve gone to the finest schools, alright Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
Nobody’s ever taught you how to live out on the street
And now you’re gonna have to get used to it
You say you never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He’s not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say do you want to make a deal?

How does it feel, how does it feel?…“

Fashion Icons: Britt Ekland

Well, as you may have noticed, this is a series I’ll be doing throughout summer – fashion icons, mainly from the 1960s. I wasn’t sure how persistent I would be at making this series because I tend to change my mind quickly, but I really enjoy doing these collages and trying out similar outfits and make up, and, you seem to enjoy it as well so I’ll continue.

Britt Ekland, an actress and big-blue-eyed Swedish beauty was born on 6 October 1942 in Stockholm. Today we’ll take a look at her style from 1960s and 1970s. Britt’s fashion path was similar to many sixties actresses, models and singers; she started the decade in a classic, elegant Mod look, and around 1967/68 embraced the psychedelic hippie look that was getting more and more popular. It’s funny when you look at the pictures, one moment she’s a sixties gal clad in Mod A-line dresses with heavy make up, and the next thing you know she’s wearing flared trousers, long coats and floral dresses.

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.