Denim in cinema has been popularised by some of the great screen icons of the twentieth century. From Marlon Brando (The Wild One, 1953) to Steve McQueen (Junior Bonner, 1972), from Paul Newman (Cool Hand Luke, 1967) to John Travolta (Urban Cowboy, 1980), from Grace Kelly (Rear Window, 1954) to Brigitte Bardot (And God Created Woman, 1956). Similar to the business suit, denim is a sartorial way of life that confers immediate personality on someone without them having to do or say a word; this personality has evolved through time and trends, though one facet remains the same: rebelliousness. The following three films are referenced in this essay, not because…

Part two in a three part sartorial analysis of denim as symbolic recognition for character on film, this time focusing on Audrey Hepburn in Two for the Road (1967). Women in Denim: Audrey Hepburn left behind her Givenchy comfort zone in decade-spanning dramedy Two for the Road to wear a veritable catwalk of trendy outfits by the hottest designers of the day. And amongst these Quant shifts and Courrèges sunglasses, Hepburn also wore jeans which, onscreen at least, she had seldom done before. Denim is not a fabric traditionally associated with Audrey Hepburn, yet here she takes to the look with such effortless chic that all memories of Givenchy couture…

Home » Archive » Sartorial Analysis Third and final part of a sartorial analysis examining denim as symbolic recognition for character on film. Part two in a three part sartorial analysis of denim as symbolic recognition for character on film. Denim in cinema has been popularised by some of the great screen icons of the twentieth century.

Third and final part of a sartorial analysis examining denim as symbolic recognition for character on film – focusing on The Parallax View (1974) starring Warren Beatty. Action Man: By the mid-1970s denim had been accepted as day wear for everyone, though still remained intrinsically associated with adolescent ‘drop out’ culture. Warren Beatty was 37 at the time of shooting The Parallax View so could hardly be described as young; he looks just a little uncomfortable in a sky-blue western denim jacket and brown twill hip-huggers. Nonetheless the casual denim jacket remains a potent symbol of 1970s action hero. Mainstream acceptable yet scruffy, Beatty’s attire resists his character Joe Fredy’s…