Back in the 50’s and 60’s, the Hollywood movie industry had lots of glamour in many ways different than the present one. Women assumed different roles, with sometimes dark, dramatic or overly polarized personas actresses played even off stage in order to strive. For all these reasons, we felt a bit nostalgic and tried to remember that old vibe. Whether we see them in newspapers, in movies or as style icons, there are some particular actors on the Hollywood scene who represent more than their acting skills. We offer you a list of 5 old Hollywood glamour icons, actresses whose style influenced generations of women, impressed movie directors and established themselves as elegant and desirable fashion icons.
1. Audrey Hepburn
Widely known as representing the sheer simplicity and elegance and sometimes compared with Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn was not only a good actress; she will also be remembered for her social activist work in fighting child poverty. Her roles inspired women all over the world with her dreamy appearances and her refined fashion taste and, of course, she also attracted a very much appreciated attention to the Tiffany’s jewelry brand.
2. Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall was one the most appreciated actresses in the forties. She was an enigmatic presence with her husky voice as her trademark. Her voice was actually trained to be lower by a voice coach, since her natural one was a high-pitched, nasal kind. We still love her despite this, especially for her iconic scene where she enters the room in a cool rhythm, almost whispering with her lowered sexy voice “anyone got a match?”. We thank you for that, Lauren. Another trademark of hers was “the look” which ironically started due to her nervousness in front of her camera: she had her strategy of self-control by pressing her chin against her chest and titled her gaze upward when looking at the camera.
3. Elizabeth Taylor
She was distinctively known for her violet eyes. She practically lived most of her life on the Hollywood movie scene with her child and adolescent roles. Although her younger roles are not that known and she was even fired by Universal, she later won several Academy Awards for her acting performances in adulthood. Her glamorous look was completed with the fact that she suffered from a genetic mutation that gave her double eyelashes. Imagine that: violet eyes and double eyelashes. As an actress was so valuable that when she considered taking a 3 months break from doing movies, the Hollywood movie industry totally panicked, since much of its income came from her or Richard Burton, her husband at the time.
4. Mia Farrow
Farrow is widely known for her roles in Woody Allen movies, but we also remember her for her fashionable 60’s graphic prints and her 70’s iconic short pixie hair style, wrongly attributed to one of the most famous hairstylists at the time. Few know the fact that she was married with Frank Sinatra. As Audrey Hepburn, later in her life she switched her interests to the poverty situation in Africa, becoming UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Her involvement went through an even extreme stage when she bravely wanted to be held captive in exchange of the freedom of a humanitarian worker. We know, this does not sound quite glamorous. But the fact that a former fashion model and actress does that, although stereotypically engaged with humanitarian work as many do, is still really impressive.
5. Natalie Wood
With her dark-haired brown-eyed figure, Wood, rather a uncommon beauty, represents the depiction of youth rebellion due to her movie Rebel Without a Cause. Her personal life quickly gained media attention due her unstable emotions and multiple affairs. Although she is considered underrated as an actress, and all the media attention gathered around her being a pretty face, her personal style became popular after her death, with several songs mentioning her in an attempt to a tribute. She is probably one of the most accurate versions of the old Hollywood glamour, due to her sudden death, which froze her iconic image for the future generation of actresses and ordinary admirers.