The Story of Bonnie and Clyde

As the fall/winter months approach, I always find myself infinitely inspired by Faye Dunaway's wardrobe in "Bonnie and Clyde." She was quite possibly the best-dressed female crook ever (the best male being Cary Grant as John Robie the Cat, natch). How could Warren Beatty's Clyde resist her Bonnie's wardrobe of long tweed skirts, trench coats, fitted sweaters, silk scarves, mary janes, and berets? The film's costumes, designed by Theodora van Ruckle, were dubbed the "gun moll" look (named after Bonnie's nickname) and helped usher in a 1930s style revival during the late sixties. Even Faye's honey-blonde bobbed haircut has been an inspiration for me; I cut my ribcage-length hair to a shoulder-length bob last year to evoke Faye's look more. And though I don't look as killer in knitted sweaters and bandana scarves (nor do I have her cutglass cheekbones) as she did, Faye as Miss Bonnie Parker had such a beautiful classic look that anyone could pull it off. Just as the film itself has remained just as revolutionary and important four decades later as it did upon release, Miss Dunaway's fantastic look has inspired many girls like me for over forty years.

Little Willow

Maureen Cox Starkey was the first wife of Ringo Starr, who he married in 1965. During their ten-year marriage, "Mo" (as she was often referred) developed a keen style - from Liverpool sweatheart wearing skirt suits, houndstooth coats, kitten heels and silk blouses to Rock'n'Roll goddess in her over-the-knee boots, babydoll dresses, and velvet short shorts. She rocked the Sixties dollybird staple - great long hair with blunt fringe. But whether she was a peroxide blonde or her natural raven-colored hue, Maureen always seemed to have fun!

Born in Liverpool, Maureen left school at sixteen to become a hairdresser in 1962. Around that time, she started frequenting the Cavern Club and became a fan of the Beatles, who performed there often. She took a particular liking to the band's drummer. After a while she and Ringo began dating, which proved to be both a dream and a nightmare for Mo. While she like Ringo and thought the music was great, she was unconcerned with his band's growing fame and was quite alarmed by the vicious reactions she received from fans. On Valentine's Day 1963, she was cut on the face by a fan while waiting outside for Ringo in the car. But still Maureen and Ringo kept dating. When Ringo was hospitalized in 1964 for tonsilitis, Maureen rushed to London to stay by his side and nurse him back to health.

Maureen's down-to-earth and generous nature was not overlooked by Ringo, who proposed to her in early 1965. In February, a now-18 Maureen married 24-year-old Ringo. Their first child, a boy named Zak, was born seven months later. Over the course of their decade-long marriage, they would have two more children.

Mo and Ringo were very much in love, but still problems arose in their marriage. Ringo grew to develop an alcohol problem and there was infidelity by both parties. But Maureen, who had an affair with George Harrison, still loved her husband and didn't want a divorce. Eventually she relented and she divorced Ringo, citing his affair with Nancy Andrews as main reason.

In Cyn Lennon's book "John," Maureen was apparently depressed for several years following her divorce from Ringo. Eventually she moved on, marrying Hard Rock Cafe & House of Blues founder Isaac Tigrett in 1989. Tigrett The couple had a daughter together two years prior. jokingly referred his new bride as "my greatest piece of rock memorabilia." But even after she embarked on a new life with her new family, the Starkey clan remained close. Ringo has said, "Three years ago I started working again after a long break, and the whole family, including Maureen, came to the gigs... We're like that. We go as a family to support the family. Even though we're divorced, me and Maureen still share the joy of being part of the same family."

On New Year's Eve 1994, Maureen lost her battle to leukemia; she was 48 years old. Along with her children, her mother, and her husband Isaac Tigrett, her ex Ringo was holding her hand when she passed away. Ringo was reportedly said that when Maureen passed away, a part of his soul died as well. The song "Little Willow" (a heartbreaking beautiful song if you've never heard it) off of Paul McCartney's "Flaming Pie" album was dedicated in her memory.

That Daring, Darling Holly Golightly

Oh my goodness, has there ever been another film so beautiful, so influential as Blake Edwards' 1961 magnum opus "Breakfast at Tiffany's"? Nevermind how much it differed from Truman Capote's original novella about a call-girl and her bisexual writer friend -- this film was a true feat all on its own! Featuring the marvelous Audrey Hepburn as Holly, along with George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Mickey Rooney, and Buddy Ebsen, this film has remained a timeless classic. Why, you may be asking? A simple answer is that even if you weren't listening to the elegant dialogue or Mancini's beautiful "Moon River," this film would still take your breath away because Edwards really makes each shot of this film worthy of being a framed photograph. Its so stylistic in every way that you just feel immediately more sophisticated upon watching it (even if you are only in sweats and gorging on popcorn like I often do!)

Every girl I know has, during one point in her life or another, wanted to be Holly Golightly. No it wouldn't be enough to dress like her or adapt her fear of mean reds or love of Tiffany's -- they actually wanted to become this character. But eventually after a few weeks they would give up in vain. If you are one of these girls but are a little more determined to succeed, I recommend you checking out the blog Chic and Charming (if you haven't viewed it, I highly recommend it -- it's really wonderful), they posted a list that details everything in "Breakfast..." so that you can legitimately own all the same things Holly did, associate with the same folks, dine at the same places, even use the same brand of cake mascara. I myself dilligently took notes upon first viewing.

Chic and Charming's great list of How to Be Holly Golightly
http://www.chicandcharming.com/2008/01/how-to-be-like-holly-golightly.html

Also, I just thought I'd post this Wiki-how guide to being Holly. Its quite fun as well
http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Inspired-by-Holly-Golightly

The Pattie Chronicles: The Makeup

Pattie has long been admired for the way she applied makeup. The main principle in recreating Pattie’s look for yourself is to stick with dark eyes and pale lips. This mantra works for just about any other sixties bird, from Brigitte Bardot to Cyn Lennon, simply because this look works for everyone. Never do dark eyes and dark lips or pale eyes and lips at the same time – it looks very off when it is done. Unlike many other sixties girls, who flamboyantly applied a color wheel of hues on their faces, Pattie was a bit more modest in terms of makeup application. She stuck to the essentials when it came to makeup: black/brown liquid eyeliner, brown eye shadow, blue-grey eye shadow, black/brown mascara, pale foundation cream, pale pink lip gloss, and pink blush. The perfume she used for years (and is said to still use) is Jicky by Guerlain. “It’s got a lovely musty scent without being too sweet,” Pattie once said about her signature scent. It was also the favorite fragrance of Brigitte Bardot, the object of the Fab Four’s affections for years (hmm… I’ve got to get myself a bottle of this stuff…)
The main emphasis in creating a truly modern look was the eyes. As Pattie herself said, the eyes are the most important feature of your face. So rightfully, you should dedicate most of you makeup attention to them. Don’t be worried if you are taking a lot of time doing your eye makeup – that’s how it’s supposed to be! It simply wouldn’t look as good if it could be done in a rush. “Eye makeup is essential,” Ms. Boyd told US Vogue in October 1969, “especially as I have very fair lashes. I like to make my eyes the most important feature. Depending on whether I have a tan, or my mood, or what-color clothes I am wearing, I wear whatever-color eye shadow accordingly, and put the same color but a darker shade on the crease of the eyelid. So I might use pale green with green-black shadow, and for a more startling effect, middle-green poster paint. Blue-green is a good color with deep lilac shadow, browns as well. I also use blue mascara. I think the naked look is fantastic if one is very suntanned, but if not, it can look most uncared for.”
To make her eyes look bigger, Pattie revealed in May 1965 that she “put on several coats of mascara, but before I do this I draw a line in black eyebrow pencil across my eyelids at the roots of my eyelashes. I don’t curl it up at the end like most girls do. I extend it slightly out and downward” because she believed it contoured her face and made her eyes appear rounder. After this, apply your eye shadow. Pattie advised keeping a palette of eye shadow colors on hand in order to match to your clothing and coloring. “I keep brown and blue-grey [shadows]…always,” she told 16 Magazine in September, 1965. To apply shadow use a brush, “imagine a line straight from where the inside of your eyebrow starts to just above the inside corner of your eye. Start to gently brush on eye shadow from that point, arching the line slightly upwards and keeping it just above the first crease in your eyelid. When you reach the peak spot in the middle, start sloping downwards, stopping the eye-shadow just above the end of your eye line. This makes your eyes look very exciting!” Pattie also applied her mascara to her lower lashes, but told girls to do this only if it looked good on them. “If it suits you, do it,” she said, “if not, skip it.” Although not necessary, false eyelashes can be used to make one’s eyes seem larger. Pattie used them rarely, never as much as Twiggy, but this was because she was born with great lashes herself and rarely felt the need. But, if you are looking to buy Pattie-worthy lashes, look for thick lashes as opposed to longer lashes. Falsies, as they are often called, can be found in just about any drugstore or makeup store out there.
On her lips, Pattie used a dab of foundation cream to take the color out of them. She tended to not used lipstick, but would sometimes put a topcoat or gloss over the foundation so that her lips didn’t look dried out. Though not all of us were blessed with a naturally full, borderline-Bardot mouth like Pattie was, we can fake it. Using a lip plumping gloss or applying a pale gloss a little outside of your lip lines can give the illusion of a fuller pout.
Very self-conscious of her rounded face shape, Pattie used a large rouging brush to “elongate” her cheekbones. “I lightly twirl” the brush “in blush rouge and then gently dust some along each check just above the jawbone. This gives the illusion of a thinner, better-shaped face.”

Pattie was well-aware that in order to have good skin, “you just may have to make a few sacrifices” by cutting out junk foods and following a thorough skincare regimen. “First off,” she declared in the November 1965 issue of 16 Magazine, “you all know that cleanliness if a prime requisite when it comes to having a pretty face,” advocating twice daily washings and moisturizing. Pattie also advised applying makeup in the correct light, so it comes out looking as natural as possible.

Jean Genie

The first American gamine, the Iowa-born Jean Seberg became an icon in French and American cinema during the 50s and 60s. With her pixie-cut hair, elfin features, and breathy voice, she was our answer to Audrey Hepburn and Leslie Caron. She was discovered by Otto Preminger, who would direct her in two films. She made her film debut as Joan of Arc in 1957's "Saint Joan," a role she beat out 18,000 other actresses for. She was only 17 years old.

Her next film, "Bonjour Tristesse," put her alongside such greats as David Niven and Deborah Kerr. This is personally one of my favorites of Seberg's films. The film tells the story of a French teen's guilt resulting from a summer spent with her father, his mistress, and another woman on the Riviera. One of the most interesting things about this film is that it is made half in color, half in black-and-white in order to illustrate the happy times and the unhappy times in the girl's life.

Seberg then became the poster girl for French New Wave cinema when she was cast in Jean-Luc Godard's "À Bout de Souffle" (another of my favorite films of her's). The image of Seberg in black cigarette pants and a Herald Tribune sweater while walking the streets of Paris with Jean-Paul Belmundo has become iconic. Seberg also starred in the Warren Beatty vehicle "Lilith," "In the French Style," "The Beautiful Swindlers," "A Fine Madness," and the 1970 disaster film "Airport," among many others.

As the sixties progressed, Seberg used her celebrity status to advocate her beliefs. She supported to NAACP, Native American Rights, and the controversial Black Panther Party. Because of her international influence, Director of FBI J. Edgar Hoover considered this actress a threat to national security and launched a secret capaign for Seberg to be "neutralised." The FBI kept close tabs on her, tapping her phone lines. In 1970, when Seberg became pregnant by her second husband Romain Gary, the FBI saw an opportunity to completely discredit the leftist Seberg. They "leaked" a story to gossip columnists at the LA Times and Newsweek that the child wasn't fathered by Gary, but by a Black Panther Party member. The story caused so much stress for the seven months pregnant star (who already was prone to anxiety and depression) that it brought on premature labor. She gave birth to a baby girl, but the infant died two days later in the hospital. The day after the child's death, Seberg called a press conference in hopes of putting rumors to rest, and she presented the reporters with the body of her death white child as proof. Though effectively putting an end to rumors of her romantic involvement with a Black Panther, Seberg could not escape being hounded by the FBI.

At this point, friends of Seberg said she became withdrawn and suicidal following the death of her child, becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol and prescription drugs in order to even function. She relocated to Paris in order to escape the FBI, but that didn't improve her fragile state. Despite producing a son, her marriage to Gary fell apart, and Seberg would go through two more husbands before the decade's end. During the seventies, she made numerous suicide attempts ranging from overdoses to trying to throw herself in front of a Paris Metro train. Every year on the anniversary of her child's death, she attempted suicide.

In early 1979, Seberg married Algerian "playboy" Ahmed Hasni and moved with him to Barcelona, only to flee back to Paris a few weeks later in order to escape Hasni's abusive nature. At this point, despite promise that she was going back to make films and would turn her life around, Seberg felt she was completely alone. In August 1979, Seberg went missing for 11 days until she was found dead in the backseat of her car in Paris after almost two weeks. She had taken a massive overdose of barbituates and alcohol, and left a note saying, "Forgive me, I can no longer live with my nerves." She was only 40 years old. Her second husband, Romain Gary, committed suicide a year after her death. Her funeral was attended by Jean-Paul Satre, Simone de Bouvoire, and several directors and actors who worked with this incredible talent.

Rumors arose as to whether or not the FBI had been involved in her death. There were no pill or alcohol bottles in any proximity of Seberg, and yet the alcohol level was far too high far Seberg to have driven to a secluded place to kill herself. Also, Seberg needed glasses in order to drive and never left without them, but her glasses weren't in her car upon her death. But, given her depressive and suicidal nature, these rumors were overlooked and her death was ruled a suicide.

The cultural legacy of Jean Seberg can be seen even though she passed away almost thirty years ago. She is still very popular and celebrated in France, her gravesite in Montparnasse a pilgrimage for many. Kirsten Dunst cropped her hair off a years ago in order to propose a biopic starring herself as Seberg. Several films, plays, books, musicals, photoshoots have been inspired by Seberg's body of work and sense of style. Her smart beatnik style consisting of black cigarette pants, black ballet flats, and a striped boatneck shirt has long influenced Parisian fashionistas.


Further reading:

"The FBI vs. Jean Seberg"
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,947393,00.html

"Saint Joan" fanpage (including an interview between Seberg and husband at the time, Romain Gary)
http://www.saintjean.co.uk/menu2.htm

Another good Jean Seberg page
http://www.tedstrong.com/jeanseberg.html

Happy Xmas (War is over)

In celebration of Christmas (which will be here tomorrow) I have assembled my favorite Xmas-themed photos from my four favorite people in the world: The Beatles!

Dear Brigitte

How does one even begin to explain the importance Brigitte Bardot has had on our world? She caused many a boy to have a sexual awakening, never once doubting that God created woman after they saw her in a bikini. She was the objection of affection for all four of the Beatles; Cyn Lennon was even made over to look like a Liverpudlian version of Bardot whereas George Harrison often compared Pattie to this french fille. But the celebrities who crushed on her didn't stop there. Bob Dylan dedicated the first song he ever wrote to Bardot.

During the 50s and 60s, she was a source of inspiration for many girls (well the ones that wern't insanely jealous and hateful of Brigitte) who desired to look just like her. Brigitte, despite how sexually she was regarded, dressed rather modestly. Favoring dark-wash jeans, wool sweaters, cigarette pants, and trench coats, Brigitte always had a laid-back look that said, "Oh I know I look incredible, but really I only woke up three minutes ago and put on whatever was closest to me." The influence of her style can be seen on numerous other fashion icons, most notably Kate Moss. I saw an article online somewhere that compared both their styles using photographs. I'll post the link here once I find it.

In 1973 when she turned 40, Brigitte retired from film after 50+ pictures and numerous French-language albums. She turned her attention to speak for those without a voice, becoming an activist for animal rights, something that she continues to this day. Brigitte is now in her mid-70s and still carries herself with the quite grace she acquired from her ballerina days. She is truly one-of-a-kind; like a Marilyn Monroe or Cary Grant, the world will never see another Ms. Bardot in the entertainment world, no matter how many comparisons we make.

Jean Cocteau once said in regards to her, "I’ve always preferred mythology to history. History is composed of truths that become lies, mythology of lies that become truths. One characteristic of our age is that it creates instant myths in every field. The press is responsible for inventing people who already exist and endowing them with an imaginary life, superimposed on their own. Brigitte Bardot is a perfect example of this odd concoction. It is likely that fate set her down at the precise point where dream and morality merge. Her beauty and talent are undeniable, but she possesses some other, unknown quality which attracts idolaters in an age deprived of gods."