Audrey Hepburn's Fashion Moments That Remain Legendary

No one aesthetic achieves more Old Hollywood than Audrey Hepburn's fashion. The three-time BAFTA winner was as much a fashion icon as she was a legend of the silver screen and her most famous outfits work just as well in 2023 as they did when she debuted them. “Audrey’s aesthetic was timeless, minimalist, and modern,” says expert Meghan Friedlander.

Meet Our Expert

Meghan Friedlander is the author of Audrey Hepburn in Paris, forthcoming from HarperCollins. She is the curator of Rare Audrey Hepburn, a website that archives Hepburn's style and career and can be found across all social media platforms @rareaudreyhepburn.

While Hepburn always had an innate sense of style, Friedlander cites the star’s relationship with one equally famous designer as the catalyst of her legendary aesthetic. “When [Hepburn] was teamed with Hubert de Givenchy in 1953 for the film Sabrina, together, they were able to create the 'Hepburn Look,'” she tells InStyle. “They had the same appreciation for art and fashion, preferring clean lines, solid colors, and interesting details. They were perfect collaborators.”

While classic and minimal, Hepburn's tastes were anything but one note. “As fashion advanced so did Audrey’s style,” explains Friedlander. “She was never afraid to experiment with new trends. In the '60s she embraced mod fashion, wore shorter hemlines, and played with bright colors. You can see her radical transformation in the films How to Steal a Million and Two for the Road. By the '70s, semi-retired and living in Rome, she traded in her French haute couture for designs by Valentino and boutique lines.”

Related: 9 Audrey Hepburn Style Quotes to Live By

While Hepburn’s style remains a cornerstone of her legacy, reflecting the style of the times back into the world like a looking glass, it would be a mistake to attribute her fashion-it-girl status to trend-chasing. “Hepburn’s true aesthetic was her authenticity,” Friedlander notes. “So much of fashion is instinct and her greatest secret was her intuition.”

Looking back at Audrey Hepburn’s most iconic looks is an exercise in anachronism. Many of her sartorial achievements feel at home in a modern, minimalist wardrobe, but a trip through her fashion archives also reveals a signature aesthetic, timestamped with a bygone era. Ahead, we’ve rounded up Audrey Hepburn’s most beloved and notable looks, including how to style them for your very own Breakfast at Tiffany’s fashion moment.

Audrey Hepburn's "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Dress

The Givenchy dress Hepburn wore in the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany's is likely her most well-known and oft-emulated look. Accessorized with oversized sunglasses, opera gloves, and a decadent yellow diamond and pearl Tiffany necklace, the sheath dress with its cinched waist has become one of the most iconic 'fits in cinema.

While there's much to love about this legendary look, die-hard fashion and Hepburn fans are especially enamored with its lesser-known details. "What makes the dress distinctive is the back," explains Friedlander. "The backline is designed in the shape of a crescent moon, which adds drama and surprise to an otherwise minimalist design, embodying Hepburn’s style with its marriage of a simple design and a single striking detail."

Audrey Hepburn in Capri Pants and Ballet Flats

Hepburn knew how to style separates, imbuing even the most basic pieces with a sense of effortless elegance. Among her essentials were black capri pants and ballet flats, two of the pieces Friedlander cites as Audrey Hepburn fashion staples. "Audrey is synonymous with the ballet flat," she tells InStyle. "She had a pair in practically every color. Her’s were custom-made in Italy by Salvatore Ferragamo."

Audrey Hepburn at the 26th Annual Academy Awards

At the 26th Annual Academy Awards, the five-time Best Actress Nominee cinched a win for her role in Roman Holiday wearing an altered version of the floral dress she'd worn in the film's final scene. "The gown was originally designed by Edith Head, but Audrey asked Hubert de Givenchy if he could modify it for the Academy Awards," Friedlander reveals, adding that the designer "removed the sleeves and added a "décolleté Sabrina." The dress featured intricate floral appliqué and lacework throughout. An instant modern classic, Friedlander reports that the dress sold for over $130,000 at auction in 2011.

Audrey Hepburn in Gingham Capris

This quintessential Hepburn closet staple wouldn't appear out of place in a Tomato Girl Summer wardrobe and serves as a perfect example of how Hepburn stayed true to her personal style while taking fashion risks. While she styled the red checked gingham pants in question with a sleeveless turtleneck top in this 1955 photo with husband Mel Ferrer, they could easily be worn with her other go-to's like a button-down shirt or stylish statement coat.

Audrey Hepburn's "Sabrina" Ballgown

One of Hepburn's most decadent gowns, and a personal favorite of Friedlander's, is a black and white Givenchy ballgown, dubbed the Inez de Castro gown, the actor wore in Sabrina. "That dress fit her like a dream," Friedlander, "and I love how the skirt is detachable, another unique feature by the Gentleman Couturier."

Audrey Hepburn's "Sabrina" LBD

If ever a LBD changed the fashion world as we know it, it was the one Hepburn wore in the opening scene of Sabrina. "Audrey wasn’t fond of the original design and requested that Givenchy change the neckline to hide her collarbones," explains Friedlander. "Givenchy obliged and that small request changed the course of fashion history. The neckline which was once called the décolleté bateau is now forever known as the décolleté Sabrina."

Audrey Hepburn in a White Button-Down

Another Hepburn wardrobe staple: a white button-down shirt. "Off-screen, Audrey was often described as running around the studio lot in a pair of capri pants and a white button-down shirt," says Friedlander. "Whether she was in Hollywood filming Sabrina or in Paris filming Charade, it was her unofficial uniform."

Audrey Hepburn Wearing a Statement Coat

"Never underestimate the importance of a signature coat," says Friedlander. "Givenchy was the master of coats. [Case in point:] Holly Golightly’s double-breasted, orange coat with the funnel neckline and tie at the waist." When styling a statement coat with Audrey Hepburn fashion cues in mind, Friedlander recommends keeping the silhouette simple, suggesting "you can wear it casually with a t-shirt and jeans or over a sheath dress with a pair of oversized sunglasses."

Audrey Hepburn's "Roman Holiday" Style

While not as flashy as her iconic Breakfast at Tiffany's wardrobe, Hepburn's outfits in the 1953 film Roman Holiday have us itching to book a romantic getaway of our own. The belted skirt and collared blouse look above is one of our favorites thanks to its clean lines and waist-cinching silhouette, but each 'fit Hepburn wore as Princess Ann delivered the same level of polished and effortless sophistication. The vibe was so immaculate that the looks were deemed too good to be relegated to the silver screen. "After production wrapped," Friedlander shares, "Paramount Studios gifted Audrey her entire Roman Holiday wardrobe as a wedding gift." Although she never wed her then-fiancé, James Hanson, we imagine she got plenty of wear out of the gifted ensembles.

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