With post-New-Year's blues still dangling in the air, for some of us it's hard to muster up the enthusiasm necessary for another imminent Fashion Week. So to get you and your wardrobe out of funk and into the groove for a seven-day merry-go-round of models, drama and malfunction, we've culled together our favorite erotic, psychotic and thrilling fashion flicks. Most of the movies were chosen for the brazenness of the leading actresses' looks. These damsels in dress can usually be filed under two old-fashioned categories: "ladies and tramps" or "saints and devils," whichever you prefer. Lest you think we forgot about them, men on celluloid have also blazed the trail for testosterone-fueled fashion trends, and they are on the list too. So sit back, press fashion-forward and enjoy the show. When you are done, be kind and rewind.
The Garden of Allah (1936), Desire (1936) & Kismet
(1944)
The list pretty much begins and ends with Marlene Dietrich. She did it
all -- Muslim-chic, Orient-chic, showgirl, drag, whore, spy, baroness, countess,
princess, empress, songstress, murderess. In each case, Dietrich was dressed in
show-stopping, impeccable outfits.
How To Marry A Millionaire (1953)
The fashion in this film
is a man's idea of what a woman should wear when wooing a very rich man.
Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable slithered into those silky
strapless gowns and satin gloves to gold dig and the game hasn't changed much
since.
The Wild One (1953)
The ultimate bad boy Marlon Brando is wildly
hot in the iconic biker get-up. More sex appeal than Steve McQueen, Jack
Nicholson and Leo DiCaprio crushed together.
Vertigo (1958)
Kim Novak plays a chilly blonde named Madeleine
Elster in this Hitchcock thriller. Her costume is exclusively, neutrally
monochromatic. Very Roland Mouret.
Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
Peter O'Toole's sheik-chic performance is
so sizzling it leaves you parched in this epic that could be described as a "visual orgasm."
The V.I.P.s (1963) & Boom! (1968)
I love Elizabeth Taylor.
To me, there's nobody else who represents Hollywood glamour -- both good and bad
-- more dazzlingly than Dame Liz. She is also a feisty survivor. You can bet
that pretty much every one of her screen appearances is a fashion statement, but
there are two that stand out among the rest. The V.I.P.s because I love
the '60s put-together airport looks and Boom! because, well, you should
really see it for yourself.
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Russian Revolution fashion runs a dramatic
gamut of highs and lows. From the fur bonnets and muffs to felt peasant garbs,
the film's protagonist Lara, played by Julie Christie, wears the splendor and
hardship of the pre- and post-Revolution era exquisitely. And the music is
beautiful too.
Belle de Jour (1967)
This film is quintessential for all fashion
maniacs and movie buffs. Sure, we all love the Yves-Saint-Laurent masterminded
Catherine Deneuve's baby-doll dresses, pilgrim shoes and hair pulled back in
sweet little bows. But how devilishly handsome is Pierre Clementi in that trench
coat and with his fucked-up teeth?
Two For The Road (1967)
In one of the lesser-known Audrey Hepburn
numbers, Hepburn plays a woman whose marriage is on the rocks. Her style is very
Jackie O.: Capri pants, over-sized shades and scarves. Albert Finney plays the
husband. He also played the lawyer who hired Julia Roberts in Erin
Brockovich.
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Faye Dunaway is drop dead gorgeous. You
can't put on a camel-colored beret without thinking about Bonnie.
Girl On A Motorcycle (1968)
Marianne Faithfull does a 180 on her
baby-faced schoolgirl image and the hippy-dippy shapelessness of the time by donning
leather, hopping on a Harley and cheating on her husband. The sexy French actor
Alain Delon plays her lover. But even with all the star power, this movie is
road kill. The best part is Faithfull's pre-Angelina-Jolie, rough-and-tumble
look.
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
Another Faye Dunaway glam vehicle.
Steve McQueen is not too bad on the eyes either. This movie is a look book in
motion, the pinnacle of '60s high fashion. Woodstock is just a year away and
this is the complete antithesis of whatever it was that was going on with the
kids.
Performance (1970)
Drugs. Androgyny. Bathtub. Mirrors. Mick Jagger. Anita Pallenberg.
Klute (1971)
I think this is Jane Fonda's sexiest role -- perhaps
because she plays a hooker...? Her Linda Eastman mullet works well with the YSL-inspired
ensembles: big belts, tight short-sleeved sweater tops, short-shorts and
mid-calf go-go boots.
Prime Cut (1972)
This is Sissy Spacek's film debut and her
pubescent boobs are everywhere. She gets a see-through green sparkly halter gown
from Lee Marvin -- she's barely legal and he's well past his prime -- and they
go down to the lobby and have a steak dinner. Spacek's movies appear three times
on this list. She's quite a fashion plate!
Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid (1973)
This Sam Peckinpah directed
story of the Wild West is the best-dressed cowboy movie! James Coburn is so
sexy. Bob Dylan plays an adorable dude named Alias. Kris Kristofferson plays the
Kid. In real life, Dylan borrowed a lot of his gypsy and cowboy looks from this
movie. But who's complaining?
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
I love Ellen Burstyn's working-class mom outfits -- the headbands, the messy bob, the polyester pants,
the waitress uniform, etc. Jodie Foster plays this weirdo kleptomaniac kid named
Audrey who must be about 8 or 9 years old. She rocks some awesomely eclectic
get-ups, like a floor-length skirt topped with a concert T-shirt. "So long,
suckers!"
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