The Style & Story of Louise Brooks
"A well dressed woman, even though her purse is painfully empty, can conquer the world"
~ Louise Brooks
There's always a book, that you can go back to time and time again. The story and the plot never seem to tire, and the once mysterious characters turn into old friends. I feel this way when I read The Great Gatsby or The Beautiful and The Damned by F.Scott Fitzgerald. His words have the same effect as a time machine, and offer the perfect encapsulation of the glamourous twenties. The 20's in America, have always fascinated me, it was a world of prohibition, gangsters and a seemingly sexual and moral revolution. Of course, the flappers are what holds most of our attention. Women with their modern beliefs and morals who wanted to embrace a new femininity by being promiscuous, smoking, wearing make-up and being tomboys. One such woman was the actress Louise Brooks.
Louise Brooks is the embodiment of the Jazz Age, with her signature look and affair with Charlie Chaplin. A true poster girl for the roaring twenties. Her trademark sleek 'black helmet' bob and porcelain skin made her a style icon and she is still admired and referenced to this day. She appeared in 24 films during 1925 and 1938 and was the face of silent cinema. She was best known for her role as Lulu in the 1929 silent film, Pandora's Box. Louise also starred in Love Em and Leave Em, A Girl in Every Port and The Show Off. Her look made her instantly recognisable, and combined with her acting was striking enough to convey powerful stories in silent cinema. Her style was synonymous with the mood of flappers at the time. She favoured slender pieces in soft and loose fabrics such as pyjama and pinstripe trousers. Embellishments such as sequins and heavy fringing were added to some pieces for extra glamour. The ideal shape during the 20's was for a boyish silhouette, whereby the body was completely obliterated of curves and discretely hidden by roll-on corsets. Her bob was very popular as women began cutting their hair into shorter styles and this became a symbol of resistance to femininity. Fashion was just one way for women to express their needs and desire to be seen as equal to men and liberated from the confines of their usual lives.
The Look: Come Spring or Fall, the 20's are a decade that are always easy to emulate. The focus should be on a loose and slender silhouette with straight dresses reaching just above the knee. Silk pyjama pants signify a carefree mood and fringing, sequins and fur also add to the look. For accessories, opt for cloche hats and jewelled headbands.
Photos: silenthollywood/blondeepisodes
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