Fashion of the 20th Century:

Fashion of the 20th Century:

An Analysis of an Iconic Givenchy

The past century has been replete with celebrities, which have included illustrious movie stars, artists, and writers, and all of these individuals have tried to outdo one another through the only means of external self-expression available, in addition to their trade: fashion. Designers have bathed in the golden light of fame themselves, and have churned at the wheel of creativity, giving society glimpses of never-before-seen dresses, suits, patterns, colors, etc. In other words, the 20th century was one of innovation, especially in the fashion arena. Yet it was also a century of simplicity, of straight lines, of minimalism, in certain decades. The piece that will be analyzed below is the Hubert de Givenchy dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film, Breakfast at Tiffany's, which is an example of the simple, minimalist style, but that has its potency nonetheless. In order to understand how the dress impacts the viewer, two mediated and two unmediated images will be analyzed, and this short examination will contribute to seeing how this modest garment shaped entire generations to come.

The Dress

The Givenchy dress, as aforementioned, is quite simple in design. It is made of black Italian satin and is meant to be a minimalist evening gown. It is sleeveless, floor-length, with a fitted bodice, a skirt slightly gathered at the waist, and embellished only at the back with a cutout decollete. A pair of opera, or elbow-length, gloves, which are also black, accompanies the dress. If the dress is so simple, then, why has it become such a sought-after piece, and why has the look become so iconic?

The Icon

Part of the answer to the above question comes from the pieces that accompanied the dress in the movie, specifically the jewelry and Ms. Hepburn's accessories. Another part comes from the actress herself, which took the dress and truly utilized it to highlight not only the best parts of her body, but also the best parts of her and her character's personalities. The complete 'look' was thus very feminine and very chic. The simple black dress became the 'every-woman-needs-one,' and came to be known as the little black dress, or LBD. Because of its fame in this particular movie, the LBD achieved as iconic a status as Ms. Hepburn, and its fame has placed it in most women's closets as a staple of wardrobe.

How a Dress Evolved

It is little wonder that the LDB a la Givenchy has become so widely known, as it was so well placed with the actress and the movie. The film effused a culture of luxury and the single girl, of making it on one's own, and the era promoted that movement and with it, the style of this black dress. The feminine, refined, ultra chic, almost Parisian style that has lasted for generations, copied time and again by women around the world.

Image Analysis (Images 1 and 2)

The first time one sees the dress in its entirety, complete with accessories, is in the window of Tiffany's (Image 1), where Hepburn breaks her fast. What is immediately captivating is the way the pearl necklace, so distinctly and perfectly placed, seems to blend in seamlessly with the dress. The contrast is almost magical. This is copied again a more recent Vogue issues (Image 2), and the look is carried well, yet by another actress, seemingly without any of the carefree spirit embodied by Hepburn in her original look.

Image Analysis (Images 3 and 4)

In the next two images, the dress is on display by Christie's of London, the house that auctioned the dress for a very pretty sum, and is also seen in sketches made by Edith Head (Images 3 and 4). The reason these images were included were to see the dress without the 'frills.' In other words, to see the dress as it was supposed to be, without any jewelry or personality, and see whether it truly has a charm of its own. Being a minimalist myself, I would respond with an emphatic yes.

Two Different Dresses (Image 5)

It must also be noted, before analyzing the last images, that the dress hand sewn by the designer for this film was not utilized. The only image from the time that we have of the original dress is in the film poster (Image 5), where one can see that the dress showed quite a big of leg, which was considered improper and that is why the film commissioned a tailor to sew up Givenchy's original design, as to not offend anybody in the audience. What a pity, for today, the dress would perhaps be ever-more popular.

In the third image, however, which is the picture of the dress as seen at Christie's, one can see that one of the photos shows the dress with the slit. Yet this discussion of without or without the cut prompts the thought of the fact that these are two dresses, one created by Givenchy, and one a copy created by another designer, a 'knock-off' almost, that together with the original created a phenomenon of epic proportions. Could it be possible that the Givenchy original would have always been preferred, and could the phenomenon grow even higher, faster, if this were to be utilized? As one can see from various film stills, Ms. Hepburn cannot even walk in the movie-version of the dress without holding it up, gathered at her knees. Did the film make a mistake in not using the original?

The answer to all these questions is no, as the real reason why the dress was so popular is because of the medium in which it was placed, as well as the accessories with which it was paired. As one can see from the third and fourth images, the dress is quite striking on its own, but becomes ever-more striking with the embellishments that were so cunningly selected by Givenchy and Hepburn.

Patterns and Details (Images 6 and 7)

A last image to be included here to truly see the incredible style of the dress, and understand why it has persisted for generations, is a copy of the design, rendered in a contemporary design pattern. One can see form this pattern that the garment itself, as described here, is quite complex, yet also only necessitates one fabric. Of course, the most complex part of the garment is the back, which is the decollete shown in Image 7, as seen also in the pattern, for this is the 'surprise' of the whole outfit, especially when not paired with the film accessories.