Reel To Real #1: Anna Karina in "A Woman is A Woman"

Let me formally introduce this column: I'm Zoey, freshman and hopeless cinephile. Reel to Real is meant to give Vassar students fashion inspiration from great films. We often watch movies and lust after the character's wardrobes; i'd like to show how you how you actually can copy some great looks. Fashion magazines constantly feature looks inspired by the same group of actresses (Audrey, Marilyn , ect), but so many great actresses are waiting to be discovered. Please post pictures of outfits you put together that are inspired by these lovely ladies (and sometimes men) in the comments section!

First up is my favorite fashion icon, French New Wave Star Anna Karina in "A Woman is a Woman." Her style in all 7 films she made with director Jean-Luc Godard is iconic, so i will probably end up featuring them all! Godard's films were made on a low budget, forcing Karina to wear her own clothes. This makes her style genuine, as opposed to the ovbiously styled looks in contemporary film. 

Karina's look makes modesty sexy. Her character in this particular film, Angela, is a stripper, but even her performance outfit manages to look sweet, not hypersexual:

As you can see, the nautical look is a staple of Karina's wardrobe. A few nautical details, like rope or red/white/blue ribbons will help you achieve it without looking like a castoff from Fleet Week. Karina always has at least one bold primary color in her outfits, so if you are wearing all black, pull on some red or blue tights! Here was my attempt to copy two of her outfits:

The plaid/schoolgirl look is also an essential part of the Anna Karina persona. Always keep it simple with some bursts of primary color. This includes long (knee-length) full skirts, cardigans, Mary Janes, black ballet flats,and knee socks. here are some Karina-esque pieces:

Here are some more pictures to inspire you. Anna's look is the perfect mix between classic and whimsical, but you really can make it your own, as I did in the picture above.

Don't forget the makeup: blue eyeshadow and liquid cat eyeliner. For a school day, this can easily be toned down. 

But most important is the right attitude! Anna isn't such a great fashion icon becuase of the clothes she wears but becuase she wears them with such charm, as you can see in this picture: