With some actresses, it is difficult to separate the woman from the legacy. Especially the women of Hollywood’s Golden Age, where film and fashion were intertwined and fashion and Hollywood magazines were gaining popularity. Our culture is now filled with a love of these fashion icons. One such icon, Audrey Hepburn, was even placed on the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame. Even though the Audrey Hepburn black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is definitely famous, Audrey’s wedding dresses have also become icons. In fact, one website shows a photo of Audrey in her Roman Holiday dress and tells customers that for $300 they can get the same one. We do not recommend it. However other sites, feature a legitimate, Audrey Hepburn style wedding dress.
Audrey wears a regal wedding dress in Roman Holiday.
Regardless of whether you want to dress like Audrey Hepburn, after a single glimpse of her wedding dresses, there is usually one word that comes to mind: simple. In fact, all three of Audrey’s wedding dresses, are very simple, yet sophisticated. Fashion analysts believe that she wanted her wedding dresses to accentuate her natural beauty, especially her eyes. We wanted to take a close look at each of these sophisticated dresses.
Audrey Hepburn’s Wedding Dress:
Engagement to James Hanson
Audrey never publicly wore this first dress. She was engaged to James Hanson, a businessman, right when her career was taking off. Prior to breaking off the one year engagement, Audrey had been fitted into her ivory wedding dress, designed by the Rome-based Fontana sisters. When she called off the wedding, she wanted it to be donated “to someone who could never afford a dress like mine, the most beautiful, poor Italian girl you can find.” Amabile Altobella was that lucky italian girl; she wore it in her wedding to a farmer. The dress was sold at an auction in 2009 for $23,000.
This dress was designed for Audrey, but she never wore it.
Audrey Hepburn’s Wedding Dress:
Marriage to Mel Ferrer
Audrey married actor Mel Ferrer in a simple white dress.
Even though Audrey and Mel’s careers would allow them to spend time together, after two children and 14 years of marriage, they divorced.
Audrey Hepburn’s Wedding Dress:
Marriage to Andrew Dotti
In 1969, Audrey married Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti, whom she had met on a cruise. Audrey Hepburn wedding pictures feature a dress with long sleeves, a boat-like turtle neck, and a hemline at mid thigh. She also wore a head scarf. She soon gave birth to a son. The couple tried for another, but had a miscarriage- her third in her life. Unfortunately, Dotti had affairs with younger women and Hepburn had an affair with actor Ben Gazzara in 1979. The marriage ended in 1982.
Audrey Hepburn Becomes Fashion Icon
Besides her own three dresses, Audrey is famous for wearing one in Roman Holiday and for wearing different wedding dresses as a model for fashion magazines.
Audrey’s last wedding dress was also simple.
Audrey wore this gown in Sabrina, adding to her iconic image.
References for Audrey’s wedding dresses
“Balmain”. Elle. Retrieved 26 March 2011by Wikipedia.
http://www.glamour.com/weddings/2012/11/16-of-the-best-celebrity-wedding-dresses-of-all-time#slide=7
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/20/audrey-hepburn-style_n_3780087.html
http://www.audrey1.org/biography/7/short-biography-of-audrey-hepburn
http://www.celebritybrideguide.com/audrey-hepburn-wedding-dress-sells/