Audrey Hepburn is considered one of the most fashionable women of the 1960s and naturally beautiful women of all time. Looking at pictures, reading accounts, and viewing her movies, it’s plain to see. Her grace and style was further recognized to the point that in 1961 she was nominated a member of the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame, joining a list of always fabulously-clothed women that now includes Lauren Becall, Coco Chanel, Sofia Coppola, Carolina Herrera, and Anjelica Houston. Audrey Hepburn was the total package—she was beautiful, had superb taste, spoke several languages, was a dedicated philanthropist, could sing, and was an influential actress. She’s one of only a handful of people to have won an Academy Award, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award. 1953’s Roman Holiday won her an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and British Academy of Film and Television award—the first woman to ever do so.
She was in plays and musicals. She was always in the public eye and had the courage to experiment with her personal style. Although the little black dress was at that point a necessity in the closets of all women, Hepburn’s Givenchy-designed Breakfast at Tiffany’s little black dress further catapulted the garment into the national spotlight. That same dress was auctioned in December of 2006 for £467,200 (some $900,000)—the highest price ever paid for a piece of clothing (the record would stand until 2011 when Marilyn Monroe’s white dress from The Seven Year Itch was auctioned for $5.5 million). Hepburn’s style was simple, and always elegant. She favored Givenchy-designed pieces (who can blame her?), oversized sunglasses, kitten heels, a cinched belt at the waist, clean-cut capris, color blocking, and hats. Oh, the hats—all sizes, all styles, all colors, all manner of decoration and patterns. Flowers, feathers, straw, felt, wide brim, close-fitting—Audrey Hepburn loved hats, and she made wearing them look effortless. Just last month, Bonham’s sold the Givenchy-designed green silk and crystal-bead-tassled hat, fashion exclusively if the 1960s, worn by Hepburn on the November 1964 issue of Vogue for just over $46,000. Now that’s a “forever” piece!
