‘Paris When it Sizzles’ Audrey Hepburn

I recently had the chance to dress up for a weekend in Devon. I took my orange ‘Paris When it Sizzles’ Audrey Hepburn dress and a floaty peach dress. I also made a new dress with some vintage lace fabric.

Audrey Hepburn style dress

‘Paris When It Sizzles’ dress

Wearing with pearl clip on earrings from a vintage fair, Next kitten heels and underpinnings all from What Katie Did.

Seventies style pleated summer dress

With box jacket and gold heels

Worn with matching flower headband, coral chandelier earrings (matching No.7 nail polish), pink rose ring and belt from another dress. The box jacket is more Sixties but the colours go perfectly. I think the tailoring grounds all the floatiness! I’m wearing my gold Marilyn Monroe heels, from ‘Bus Stop’. I got these from Topshop.

Gambit Shirley Maclaine White lace Sixties dress cheongsam vintage

‘Gambit’ dress

White lace Sixties dress

As I don’t have a bob like Shirley Maclaine in ‘Gambit’, I wore my hair in a big bun instead of a beehive. I’m really pleased how this project turned out, even though I’m sure the original doesn’t have a zip up the back. I couldn’t see how to get my head through the mandarin collar without it! Worn with Marilyn style sandals from Dune, in place of white slingbacks, which I’m still hunting. See my Marilyn Monroe Sandals post for close-ups of them.

Watch the films and see what you think of the original dresses. I ‘researched’ these films to draw out my patterns and make the dresses. How did I do?

The Fashion of Audrey — The actress Audrey Hepburn photographed by Bob...:

This dress is worn by Audrey Hepburn as Gaby in ‘Paris When it Sizzles’. I have only watched this film again because of the dress. The interest is at the back, but the collar, tulip skirt and front bow keep the front from being plain. I have yet to find cream kitten heels, but my camel pair from Next go well. My straw hat was from Primark! The pearl earrings are from a vintage market.

Audrey Hepburn:

I made this with some light cotton fabric I was given. I immediately thought of the dress from Paris When it Sizzles. I used a fitted shift dress pattern. I had to figure out how to get the drape at the back and the shoulder strap shape. I cut the skirt half wider at the top then gathered it to get the tulip effect. The collar was only just successful but I’m happy with it.