The 30s-40s fashion style icon- Barbara Stanwyck

By Sisi Tsoi


Barbara Stanwyck is one of my all time favourite actresses. Her mythical upbringing, hard boiled character and the longevity of her career, makes her a real Hollywood legend. Born in 1906 and orphaned at early age, from her humble foster family upbringing, she somehow managed to point her trail to destiny. Following the footsteps of her sister as a show girl, she used to be a chorus girl and dancer in the Ziegfeld Follies and countless other shows. "I just needed to survive and eat and have a nice coat", Stanwyck asserted.

After a brief stint on Broadway, she landed herself roles in Hollywood. Frank Capra's choice of using Stanwyck in 'Ladies of Leisure ' guaranteed a steady stream of film roles, which helped in crafting her skill for powerful characters in pictures. She was sometimes thought of as the glamorous, bold and perfect femme fatale. Regularly fighting to be equal with her male leads, her personality shone and offered a modern take on the female persona for movies at the time. I especially love her in 'All about Eve ', as the crook who lures her man into misunderstanding. Her strong spirit and transmissible giggle certainly makes this film extraordinary. I particularly love her voice, husky and controlled, has a tranquil demeanour on the surface, and typhoon stored under.

Stanwyck had a figure like a model. Tall and athletic, she frequently wore robes that showed off her never-ending legs, with cropped tops just cut above her rib cage. These looks are shockingly on the radar now. As we have seen, the designers are moving our waist lines upwards, so we will be able to certainly imitate Stanwyck's style easily. Wear one of the cropped tee shirts we've featured, teamed with a high-waisted pencil skirt and you will find how flattering this look can be. Or a high waisted maxi skirt for a modern touch, teamed with platforms shoes, gives you a simplicity of casual glamour.

Often the tiniest part of our torso is our waist, so this should be used to best show off our assets, which is obvious in numerous old flicks. So go on, be a style icon and you'll be discover your internal siren too!

She also regularly donned with long beaded robes made from silk with bias cut details, we shouldn't be shy of elegant evening dress. We would be very pleased to picture ourselves as a film siren.




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