On Screen Influencers of Style Trends
There’s no denying that fashion is having a major throwback moment. Decadal influence and pop culture references are clear in many of today’s major style trends. While there are countless fashion icons from the past and present to call upon when you need that extra bit of inspo, it’s the style trends from the silver screen that have often paved the way for these fashion favourites.
Here are some of the most stylish on-screen characters from whom we’re still taking fashion and style pointers.
Bonnie Parker
Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde is outlaw chic at its best. We have no idea how anyone would have time to accessorise with an assortment of berets and bandanas mid-crime spree, but we’re happy to let it slide.
Neo and Trinity
If you’re reading this from behind a pair of super skinny sunnies, you’re probably familiar with this on-screen duo. Style trends like floor-sweeping black coats, ultra-thin eyewear and patent leather everything are daily essentials for Neo and Trinity in The Matrix.
Penny Lane
Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous has an epic 70s wardrobe, but no character shines more than the enigmatic Penny Lane. Whether she’s embracing flower-power girlishness or rugged up in her trademark fur-lined coat, Penny Lane is the embodiment of the best of 70s style and its trends.
Amy Blue
Cult black comedy flick Doom Generation stars Rose McGowan as the foul-mouthed Amy Blue. Her iconic look consists of a blunt bob haircut, retro sunnies, visible lingerie and perpetual scowl. Very Instagram, we know.
Vivian Ward
Now that 80s fashion is a major style trend, who better to look to than Vivian Ward? Her wardrobe of body-con dresses and thigh-high boots at the start of the film and her sophisticated shoulder-pad heavy outfits as the narrative progress are equally amazing.
The Lisbon Sisters
Sophia Coppola’s film adaption of Jeffrey Eugenides novel The Virgin Suicides centres on the short lives of the mysterious Lisbon Sisters – Cecilia, Lux, Bonnie, Mary and Therese. With colour palates and costumes as intriguing as the characters themselves, suburban nostalgia has never looked so stylish.
Tracy Chambers
In the rags-to-riches film Mahogany, protagonist Tracy Chambers’ rise to fame is a visual feast of flamboyant fashion. One to watch if you’re feeling inspired by this year’s Met Gala theme, Camp.
Elvira Hancock
Michelle Pfeiffer stars as the impossibly stylish Elvira Hancock in Scarface. Her look remains ultra-chic to this day. Slip dresses, plunging necklines, drop earrings and suits are staples for Elvira.
Annie Hall
Diane Keaton’s style in Annie Hall ushered in an era of mixing elements of menswear with fitted feminine staples. What seems like a timeless approach to dressing now was considered highly unusual for women at the time of the film’s release.
Want more style inspo? Check out some of our favourite vintage style icons.
