21 of the Biggest Beauty and Fashion Moments in Classic Cinema
We go all the way back as far as the pictures themselves to bring you some of cinema’s greatest looks
For the most part, there is something comforting about old movies, films from the golden age of Hollywood, where actresses like Elizabeth Taylor and Judy Garland reigned as queens. The first old Hollywood film I saw was The Philadelphia Story starring Katharine Hepburn. It’s something that I’ve kept coming back to, even years after my first viewing, and was the film that ushered me into my love for classic Hollywood. I was completely entranced by Hepburn’s performance, not to mention the gorgeous looks she’d served all throughout that movie. Whenever I think of a particular actress from old Hollywood, one film of hers comes to mind—the most iconic, the most memorable, coupled by an equally iconic and memorable beauty and style moment.
After all, beauty back in the day was influenced mostly by movie stars. These women didn’t follow style; they dictated it, and it reflected in society. As Amanda Krause wrote for Insider: “In the early 1900s, for example, lips were the focal point of the face, and were often lined in sharp shapes. But by the 1950s, it became more common for women to wear rounded pouts in bright-red shades. Similarly, popular eye makeup has changed drastically; minimal colors were worn in the ’30s, and pastel eye shadow was popular in the ’80s.” Here, we go through some of classic cinema’s greatest looks, as seen in some of its greatest stars.
Cinema’s Biggest Beauty Moments
Cinema’s Biggest Beauty Moments
Elizabeth Taylor, Cleopatra (1963)
Throughout history, Cleopatra has been the epitome of feminine sensuality and strength, and the 1963 epic by Joseph Mankiewicz made sure to show that. Scenes behind the camera were an epic in their own right, as news of her tempestuous affair with Richard Burton broke out, and Taylor was given a record-breaking $194,800 costume budget, all of which had been gloriously showcased in color. But more than the iconic outfits came the iconic eye looks—all done by Taylor herself. The ’60s then became known for its heavy liner trend, which even makeup brands, such as Revlon, hopped on.
Bette Davis, All About Eve (1950)
All About Eve is a film with tons of great moments, but one of the greatest moments, to me, isn’t exactly cinematic: It’s Margo Channing, played by Bette Davis, as she leans against a counter in her kitchen, her hands in her dress pockets. Yes! Her dress has pockets! With Margo’s costume design by star-favorite Edith Head, she looked every inch a dream—and Davis would be inclined to agree. (She, after all, was the one who requested that Head design her costume for the film.) As Head would later write in The Dress Doctor, “Bette liked the coat dress so much, she had six of them made for herself in varied colors.” I mean, I’d do the same, too.
Audrey Hepburn, Funny Face (1957)
It’s easy to think of Audrey Hepburn and have Breakfast at Tiffany’s immediately come to mind. That look of hers in the opening scene, after all, is truly iconic. But let me lay this out for your consideration: Hepburn in Funny Face, a 1957 musical starring her as Jo Stockton and Fred Astaire as photographer Dick Avery. As a shy bookstore employee who becomes Avery’s muse, Jo has a simple yet captivating beauty—much like Hepburn herself—as she has the range to look incredibly gorgeous in a plain black turtleneck as well as in that iconic Givenchy dress she dons on the steps of the Louvre. Funny Face, with costumes by Edith Head, has always been a love letter to fashion, and it definitely shows.
Vivien Leigh, Gone With The Wind (1939)
Aside from Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra, another historical film brimming with exquisite, extravagant costuming is Gone With the Wind, starring Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara. In it, she dons intricate dresses, reflective of the fashions of the Civil War and the Reconstruction era. The gown that I immediately think of when I think of Scarlett O’Hara is that jewel-red, sequined dress she wears to Ashley Wilkes’ birthday party, as well, of course, the infamous green “curtain dress” that has been parodied by the great Carol Burnett. Every entrance Scarlett has in this film is bound to leave one in awe—no one, after all, gets more beautiful than the resplendent Vivien Leigh.
Bacall, Monroe, and Grable, How To Marry A Millionaire (1953)
In How To Marry A Millionaire, three powerhouse actresses of classic Hollywood would come together. Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Betty Grable star as Pola Debevoise, Schatze Page, and Loco Dempsey—three women who use their talents and beauty in an attempt to marry men simply for their money, but eventually find true love anyway. With beauty so deeply embedded in a film, it’s impossible to ignore in a list of big beauty moments. In How To Marry A Millionaire, Monroe, Bacall, and Grable all project the beauty and fashion standards of the era: Grable’s hair in candyman curls and Monroe and Bacall’s in classic pin curls. And of course, all three girls are picture perfect in—what else?—red lipstick.
Ava Gardner, The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
In The Barefoot Contessa, Ava Gardner is clad in silk so often that I’m inclined to believe that she and that type of fabric are made for each other. With costumes designed by the Fontana sisters, a pair of Roman fashion designers, Gardner sparkled and glittered and was every bit like the Spanish sex symbol she’d portrayed, the fictional Maria Vargas.
Anne Bancroft, The Graduate (1967)
In The Graduate, Anne Bancroft as Mrs. Robinson made animal print her b*tch. Whenever I think of this film, I think of the blonde streaks in her hair, the leopard-print coat she rocks—a symbol of her predatory ways—and, most of all, Bancroft’s incredible performance showcasing a certain kind of calculation mixed with equal parts vulnerability. Most of all, her strong brows, nude lips, and curled lashes complete her iconic, fierce look.
Anna May Wong, Piccadilly (1929)
Anna May Wong was one of the very few Asians in old Hollywood, but her iconic bob and eyebrows have earned her the status of fashion icon as early as 1924. In the British silent drama Piccadilly, Wong plays Shosho, a dancer and dishwasher of the Piccadilly nightclub. The film, as well as Wong, exudes 1920s glamour, with Wong donned in gorgeous flapper outfits and matching cloche hats, while she sports an intense and heady makeup look. This film solidified Wong’s acting prowess, while continuing to prove that she is indeed a woman of style.
Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl (1968)
In Funny Girl, Barbra Streisand is every bit the star she was born to be, and the star she was born to play. As Fanny Brice, Streisand’s looks in the show transform from young, talented ingenue to a woman of the world—shown in one the film’s iconic opening in animal print. With costume design by Irene Sharaff, Funny Girl’s outfits grow alongside Fanny Brice—although her makeup stays consistently the same all throughout—and that, combined with the music and Streisand’s star power, are only some of the things that make this movie great.
Liza Minnelli, Cabaret (1972)
Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles in Cabaret has a lot of show-stopping outfits, but nothing more memorable than that one-piece silk number, complete with tights and a choker, during “Mein Herr.” Likewise, her hair, her makeup, and even her nail polish are equally iconic, as the blue eyeshadow, fanned out lashes, and emerald green nails really round out her look.
Julie Andrews, Star! (1968)
Throughout her career, Julie Andrews has been known to be the saccharinely sweet young women, after her turns in Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. In the latter half of the 20th century, she attempts to deviate from that image by taking on more mature films, like Star! and Darling Lili. When I think of Andrews and “big beauty moment,” I automatically think of the former—Star!—in which she portrays British performer Gertrude Lawrence. In the film, her looks are befitting of a movie star: glittery, sequined, ruffled, and way more skin than we’re used to seeing on Andrews.
Katharine Hepburn, Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Katharine Hepburn’s looks in Bringing Up Baby, to me, are the epitome of textbook old Hollywood: glamorous, poofy, and elegant. And why shouldn’t her character, Susan Vance, look like that? She is, after all, an heiress. The visual of her with her pet leopard, Baby, while she’s clothed in gorgeous, golden silk is a visual that’s hard to get one’s mind off. With Hepburn’s stature as an actress, especially, she was also found in a lot of menswear in this film, which popularized the look among women in those times even more.
Lena Horne, Cabin in the Sky (1943)
Lena Horne’s polka-dotted crop top, coupled with her black hair up in victory rolls, accented by a large flower in Cabin in the Sky has always been a big beauty moment for me. Horne is one of old Hollywood’s greatest beauties, and this film is only one of many that prove it. In the movie, she plays Georgia Brown, a golddigger who runs off with Little Joe Jackson, and her crop top has been memorialized in many an art piece, from paper dolls to caricatures.
Judy Garland, Summer Stock (1950)
Judy Garland has had a bevy of famed looks from her illustrious career—who could ever forget Dorothy Gale’s baby blue pinafore dress from The Wizard of Oz, or long, red hair swishing about as she danced alongside Gene Kelly in The Pirate? But to me, one of her most iconic beauty moments will always be Jane Falbury’s suit and stockings combo in Summer Stock, as she performed “Get Happy.” It’s absolutely chic!
Rita Hayworth, Gilda (1946)
Rita Hayworth’s black dress in Gilda has its own Wikipedia page, just like Marilyn Monroe’s iconic Seven-Year Itch white dress, and Audrey Hepburn’s black Givenchy ‘fit. Who could forget Hayworth’s striptease as she sang “Put the Blame on Mame” in Charles Vidor’s 1946 film noir classic. That Jean Louis dress, along with her hair flip, is a standout beauty moment not only in classic Hollywood, but in all of cinema.
Gloria Swanson, Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard is as old Hollywood as old Hollywood can get. After all, the film is about the pictures, the entertainment industry, and an ageing actress losing roles to younger and younger actresses. In Sunset Boulevard, Gloria Swanson is often seen in glitter and sequins, furs and gloves, and deep, heavy-set makeup, often with a turban to complete the vibe, all masterfully curated and designed by—again—Edith Head.
Eleanor Parker, The Sound of Music (1965)
The Baroness Schraeder was one of the great style icons of my childhood. And she still is, to be perfectly honest. Played by Eleanor Parker, she was elegant and chic, with her pale blonde hair coiffed perfectly atop her head. She consistently got great beauty moments throughout the film, especially in the second act as she played with the von Trapp children, and towards the middle, when she and Captain von Trapp ended their engagement.
Grace Kelly, High Society (1956)
Grace Kelly has always had that classic 1950s look, and as Tracy Lord in High Society, she’s no exception. In that film, she’s often seen in tailored and trimmed A-line dresses and blouses that highlight her slender, hourglass figure. It’s hard to forget the wedding dress she wore as Tracy tied the knot—though easy when compared to her actual wedding dress when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco—and this film just serves great look after great look. It’s hard to pick a favorite!
Greta Garbo, Camille (1936)
Garbo’s dresses in Camille would’ve drowned anyone else who attempted to wear them, but she absolutely shines in every single gown she’d donned in the film. The movie, which was made in 1936 but set in the the mid-1800s, tells the story of Camille, a Parisian courtesan. Her gowns are just as lush as one would expect from a courtesan, and Garbo pulls it all off—an incredible feat given her real-life persona, which favored menswear and more modest clothing.
Veronica Lake, I Married A Witch (1942)
Who can think of old Hollywood looks and not mention Veronica Lake’s iconic waves? Pick any of her movies, any at all, and she’ll be whipping up one great beauty moment after the other. But In I Married A Witch, her dress with sheer sleeves is just way too good to pass up or ignore.
Jane Fonda, Barefoot in the Park (1967)
In Barefoot in the Park, Jane Fonda proves why she’s always been a style icon, and yes it involves Robert Redford’s blue button-up. But really though: her chic outfits in the movie are absolutely to-die-for, not to mention her hairstyles, which are all emblematic of the style of the late ’60s: solid colors, a ponytail, and a bouffant.
Photos from IMdB
GIFs from Tumblr
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