The young Elizabeth Taylor will always be remembered as the epitome of glamour, perhaps not entirely for her wardrobe the way Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly are, but for her poised sex appeal, which made her a style icon in her own right.
These days however, when it comes to the art of sexy dressing, I’m starting to wonder where our own sartorial manners have gone.
In pictures: Elizabeth Taylor’s amazing life
Stripped of any originality, it seems sexed-up just isn’t what it used to be. Bum-grazing hemlines are de rigueur, as are black g-strings under sheer dresses, and ill fitting sky-high heels that, with all the wobbling going on, look anything but effortlessly chic.
There is nothing wrong with wearing a thigh-skimming dress, but ladies, when did we forget how to sit on a park bench without flashing everything to the world? When did dressing like a lady, and acting like one, become so uncool?
Somewhere we lost the appreciation of sexiness in an un-stereotypical and subtle sense — like the fact that a girl dressed in a roll-neck jumper with something intelligent to say is far sexier than her short skirt-wearing counterpart who thinks it’s cool to talk about how wasted she got on the weekend.
Thankfully, if the recent run of fall shows is anything to go by, fashion seems to have a newfound sense of propriety and once you’ve mastered it, I bet you’ll never look back. It’s a look that was lauded not only by the establishment — Oscar De La Renta, Valentino and Fendi — but also by the new guard, with Jason Wu and Thakoon (both favourites of US First Lady Michelle Obama) all offering a chic twist on ladylike.
Not to mention the celebration of all things feminine in our own backyard. With an elegant showcase of refined silhouettes this season at Lover, Collette Dinnigan and Jayson Brundson to name only a few, there is a definite nod to a time when red lips reigned supreme, there was no such thing as dressing down and Jackie O was every girl’s style icon.
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But this interest in polished and pretty doesn’t have to mean plain and boring. It’s about grown up girls with sophisticated sex appeal — think 1960’s movie sirens Bridgette Bardot and of course, Elizabeth Taylor; and effortlessly chic leading ladies, on screen and off, like Ava Gardner, Jane Birkin and Catherine Deneuve.
It’s a way of dressing that speaks of cardigans showing off a wasp waist with cinched belts. It’s delicate, sheer blouses worn over a beautiful lace bra. It’s elegant pumps that add an exquisite arch to the foot.
Try to accentuate one aspect of your body and let that be the focus of everyone’s attention. It’s ok to wear a plunging neckline to show off a beautiful décollage, but perhaps keep the sleeves long. Or if you have great legs, wear a short skirt but add a buttoned up blouse.
The ladylike woman of today is alluring — she charms without being over exposed or shocking. As Calvin Klein’s creative director Franciso Costa once put it: “She’s mature and intellectual…the kind of woman who wants to be on top. She has a fresh, young approach, but she’s very sophisticated. She’s collected. She’s smart. She’s sexy and she’s getting sexier.”
Your say: Do you think sexy dressing has become too crass?
Video: Remembering Elizabeth Taylor
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