Audrey Hepburn

A screen wardrobe with a long afterlife

Audrey Hepburn trained in ballet before establishing a film career that included Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Funny Face and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Her work brought together performance and a precise physical presence. Later in life, humanitarian work with UNICEF became another important part of her public role.

Her fashion image is often compressed into a black dress, but it is more revealing to compare different screen wardrobes. Cropped trousers, a shirt, a full skirt and an evening gown each frame movement differently. Clothing seen in a film belongs to a character and a production, even when it later becomes associated with the actor. Keeping that distinction makes her enduring influence easier to understand.