{dressing the part} Holly Golightly & Paul Varjak

Some movies you remember for their classic one-liners, some for their emotional plot lines, and some - for their brilliant costuming. After posting that quote from Love Story, and the passing of Elizabeth Taylor, I got to thinking about my favorite film characters and how deeply my affection for them is shaped by how they dress. My movie heroines are one of my favorite sources of inspiration when it comes to dressing. I try to take the notion of playing a part with me into my closet each time I get dressed.

It's hard to narrow down my scope of favorites, but I thought it would be fun do a series of posts on my favorite well-heeled leading ladies. I figure there's no better place to start than with my favorite movie of all time, Breakfast at Tiffany's. Let it be known I am well aware of what a cliche it is to be a fashion blogger - never mind a girl - who loves this film. Yes, I had a poster on my wall in my dorm in college. Yes, I have dressed as Holly Golightly for Halloween more than once. Yes, I own it on VHS, DVD and itunes. Sue me. I've been watching this movie since I was about nine, and now it's not so much something I play to watch, but something I play to feel. I can't it explain exactly, but I have a down-to-the-gut full-body reaction to BAT. Full disclosure? I tear up every time during the opening credits, and every time she finds Cat. It's strange, I know.

 As far as costuming goes, there is so much to drool over in this film from 1961. Audrey is of course an entity in her own right, but I now appreciate so much more George Peppard's character, Paul Varjak, and his skinny ties, jackets and really good hair. Man, is he handsome, and his clean cut, rather collegiate style looks as good now as it did then. Anyway, instead of the tres typique photos of Miss Golightly in her long black gown and pearls, let's look at Holly and Paul: falling in and out of love and jaunting around New York City...

"I'd marry you for your money in a minute. Would you marry me for my money?"

"In a minute."

"Well then I guess it's a good thing neither of us is rich."

"You can always tell what kind of a woman a man thinks you are by the earrings he gives you. I must say, the mind reels."

My god, the things I would do for those sunglasses.

"Now what's all this jazz about South America?"

"I've never taken a walk in the morning before. At least not since I've been in New York. I've walked down 5th avenue at six, but as far as I'm concerned that's still night."

"Years from now, years and years, I'll be back. Me and my nine Brazillian brats [...] I'll bring them back alright, because they must see this. Oh, I love New York."

(all images were found via Google image search, and probably belong to Paramount pictures or some such giant movie studio.)