Edith Head: Lessons in old-school glamour

In a career spanning nearly

six decades, Edith Head, right, dressed Hollywood stars,

from Elizabeth Taylor and

Sophia Loren to Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly.



An eight-time Oscar winner

who created the clothes for

more than 1,000 films, she also dispensed her no-nonsense

advice to the ordinary woman in her bestseller, How to Dress for Success. First published in 1967,

it is being reissued, and almost

30 years after her death, Edith’s witty, incisive tips still hold true.

How to build a successful wardrobe

Since time began, women have wailed to their poor spouses, ‘I haven’t a thing to wear.’ As far as I’m concerned, no woman in history ever had a right to make this complaint (with the possible exception of Lady Godiva).



In my experience, most women who claim they have ‘nothing to wear’ have dozens of things that they never wear, either because they don’t fit or because they are inappropriate for the things they do and the places they go.

Building a proper wardrobe is like building a home. Indeed, you should think of it like a

home, because it is something you’re going to live in. It must be comfortable and suit all

your needs.

Its extent will depend on where you live and what you do. If you’re an unmarried business girl living in a city, your wardrobe will be very different to that of a mother of three in the suburbs. The city woman needs a more sophisticated wardrobe.



But if you live in a small community, you need more changes than the city woman: she doesn’t see the same people at every party, but you do.



And the winner is. . . Edith picking up her eighth Oscar, for The Sting, in 1974,

pictured alongside Twiggy and Peter Falk

Chart your activities

An excellent way to approach the building of a wardrobe is to make a blueprint plan of your activities. Give the questions in this list one of the following answers: every day, frequently, quite often, rarely, hardly ever.

Audrey Hepburn was dressed by Edith in

Roman Holiday, 1953

How often do you:

Go to business meetings?

Go out dancing?

Go to the theatre?

Go to informal dinners?

Go to formal affairs?

Go to sporting events?

Go to dinner in a restaurant?

Entertain at home?

Go to school functions?

As soon as you’ve completed this list (adding any activities I’ve missed), take

all the clothes out of your wardrobe. Separate them into the categories on

the questionnaire.



How many outfits do you have that are right for business, dancing, dinners, and so on? Does your wardrobe lean in one direction like the Tower of Pisa ? Is it top-heavy with things you really don’t need, and sparse in the areas marked ‘frequently’ and ‘often’? If so, you’d better start rebuilding and reorganising.

Many women have asked me if it is possible to have a well-built wardrobe on a limited budget. ‘Money,’ I tell them, ‘is no guarantee of taste, and an overstuffed wardrobe is often as bare as a skeleton when it comes to wearable apparel.’

As women, we all have certain weaknesses. I know one who can’t resist pretty shoes but has nothing suitable to wear with them. Others adore frilly lingerie but never have any money to buy outer clothing.



One friend of mine, who has little need for dressy evening clothes, is forever buying new ones. The result of her unfortunate indulgence is her startling appearance at the most casual gatherings. This is what a psychiatrist might call ‘wish-fulfilment’ buying.



I won’t venture into the subconscious desires of the woman who keeps buying all that fancy lingerie, but I do know that yielding to such temptations results in a ‘sick’ wardrobe.

Most Hollywood beauties that you think are perfect have defects, but they have learnt to accentuate the positive

Another shopping danger that all women succumb to at times is the ‘bargain’. No matter how big the markdown is, it doesn’t represent a saving if the garment is going to be worn only by a hanger. Ask yourself if you would have bought the garment at its full price. If not, forget it.

And remember that how clothes feel, as well as look, is of tremendous importance. We have all seen women pluck at a hem, yank at sleeves or constantly check themselves in the mirror. Such women are not at home in their clothes because the clothes are not right for them. The right clothes for you are invariably those that you can put on and forget about.

How to succeed in looking younger

Growing old gracefully used to begin at about 35, but today women prefer to ‘stay young gratefully’ with thanks to designers, beauticians and plastic surgeons.



Good health and a happy spirit are the greatest contributors to appearing youthful. But so too is dressing adroitly.



Maturity is a time for simplification rather than flamboyance. Ruffles, sequins, bold prints, too-high heels, plunging décolletages, tight trousers and bikinis should be banished by those of us who have reached what I prefer to call the ‘interesting age’.



A far handier tool, once you’ve turned 35, is a truthful appraisal of your assets and liabilities.

Let’s start at the top. If you sometimes think that your neck is getting shorter with the years, the chances are it’s because your chin is getting bigger. This is a signal to

keep away from turtlenecks, which have a tendency to make you look as though you have no neck at all. V-necks, soft cowls and stand-away collars make necks look

longer, chins smaller and frame the face without focusing attention on the neck. Matinée-length necklaces and pendants, for the same reason, are far better than base-of-the-neck jewellery.

Moving down to your bust-line: as the years roll on, this may lack the firmness of yesterday, but with today’s ingenious shape-maker bras, there’s no reason to have anyone realise it.

No matter how many years a woman drops from her age verbally, her elbows and

upper arms can give her away visually. If, like many women past 35 (and most past 40), you are armed with sagging muscles or have elbows with ‘elephant’ skin, cover them.

A tulle stole will do as much for your arms as a soft-focus camera does for some

movie stars’ faces.

Few women who had 25-inch waistlines in girlhood still boast the same measurements in their later years. Good foundation garments can help smooth out bulges, and the

big don’ts are obvious: don’t wear wide belts, tied sashes or blouses that terminate at the waist.

Edith dressed down Elizabeth Taylor for A Place in the Sun, 1951, with Montgomery Clift, and made her ladylike in Elephant Walk, 1954

Skirts with hemline interest – pleats, ruffles or flounces – should be worn only by those with pretty legs; and even the most beautiful legs – Marlene Dietrich’s, for instance – look better when the kneecap is covered.

Many women have foot troubles as they grow older, so take a good look at your feet

to determine whether they add or subtract from your age image. If they are in the minus column, for Hermès’ sake don’t wear open-strapped sandals. Similarly, a footsore middle-aged female tottering around on high spike heels is a sad sight, and the way her feet feel invariably shows up in the sad-sack expression on her face. Far better to opt for smart, fashionable pumps, which are ageless.

Colour plays a very important part in painting a younger picture of you. Soft-focus shades are kindest to mature complexions. Vivid oranges, electric blues and sharp greens are trying for all but the young. Warm beiges with a pink rather than yellow base are flattering to most skins.

Neglect will not ravage a teenager’s beauty, but a ‘who cares’ attitude to fingernails, toenails and depilatories in middle age is dangerous.

A shorter haircut gives an uplifting effect to the face. Soft wisps of a fringe will conceal some forehead creases. Deftly applied make-up and enough sleep can do wonders for little telltale lines.

But remember, too, that wearing the wrong clothes will give your age away faster than your best girlfriend.





How to analyse your figure

There is no such thing as a standard-size movie star or woman. The forest of specially moulded torsos in my designing room prove that there are as many ‘types’ of woman under contract in Hollywood as there are on the streets of London and New York. The rounded curves of Elizabeth Taylor look very different from the mannequin proportions of Audrey Hepburn. The petite measurements of Debbie Reynolds are a striking contrast to the voluptuous silhouette of Sophia Loren.

Before designing a wardrobe for any of these stars, I analyse their figures. Here’s how to analyse yours.

First, put on a skintight undergarment and a paper bag over your head with eyeholes cut in it. Look at yourself in the mirror. Minus a head, you’re looking at your torso without the distractions of personality. Ask yourself what kind of body you see. Is it straight or curved? Do the arms look too fat or too thin? How about the legs? Does your tummy stick out? What about the bust? Does it need to be lifted a bit? Are your shoulders narrower than your hips? Do you have bad posture?

The second part of Research Project You requires an accomplice. Tape a large piece of wrapping paper to the wall and have your companion make a map of your figure with a heavy crayon. Stand away from the outline and really study it. This, combined with looking at yourself with the bag over your head, will give you the opportunity to make an unbiased appraisal of your silhouette without any fantasies about how you wish you look.

What we’re talking about here might be called physioanalysis. Just as psychoanalysis can allay anxieties by helping you to get to know your inner thoughts, so physioanalysis can eliminate fears by helping you to know your shape. Frankly, I think any woman who doesn’t find out all the facts about her own figure ought to have her head examined.

Now that you have taken a good long look, write down your honest appraisal of each part of your body in three columns: assets, liabilities and action to be taken.

Edith chose a stunning gold ballgown for Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief, 1955

Camouflage the negative

Whatever your shortcomings, your clothes can perform minor miracles in camouflaging them.



It’s obvious that a tiny woman should not wear oversized checks, stripes or polka dots.

Small patterns are far more in keeping with her size.



It is the tall woman who can afford to wear large floral prints and bulky woollens because she can carry the ‘weight’ of such patterns without looking overdone. She should cultivate heavy rather than dainty jewellery, medium-heel shoes rather than flats, two-piece outfits rather than shifts. These things will not only minimise her height, but make her look graceful and willowy.

There are rules, however, that you can follow if you are heavier than you should be, or want to be: wear solid colours, preferably dark ones; avoid short jackets, contrasting belts and horizontal stripes; keep to one colour, rather than contrasting skirts to tops; confine reds, hot pinks, orange, and so on, to small touches.

Edith tweaks a costume for the 1944 movie Here Come the Waves

If your liabilities seem overwhelming, remember this: in all my dressing the world’s most glamorous women, I have yet to meet one who is physically flawless. Most beauties that

you think are perfect have defects, but they have learnt how to accentuate the positive and camouflage the negative.



You can’t change the size of your feet, the shape of your legs, the colour of your eyes or the texture of your hair.



But with a successful wardrobe, you can change the way you look as easily as an actress does each time she plays a new role.