My favorite thing in March's issue of American Bazaar was a pretty tight editorial photographed by Peter Lindbergh, starring the guy from American Beauty and a lovely blond model as infamous icons Bonnie & Clyde. (*Men's wear note: tweet suits and age are kinda hot on him.)
Bonnie's Wardrobe Basics:
♥ a skinny, classic belt
♥ high-waisted pencil skirts
♥ black & white, brown & cream
♥ woven lace-up heels
♥ sweet cardigans
♥ printed scarves
♥ a snappy beret
The shoot is very reminiscent of 1967's Bonnie & Clyde, starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, right down to the hairdo. Um, wasn't straight, flipped under hair from the 60's, not the 30's?
On a more practical note... Fashion sure is fanciful and Hollywood sure uses a heavy hand with the wardrobe and gloss (though the tight, unconventional clothing choices of the original female gang members was known to draw unneeded attention to their activities). These are a few photos of the original outlaws in the early 1930's, clowning around for the camera during happier times. Regardless of the posed pictures, Bonnie is said to have never actually fired a gun or helped with a robbery, though she was described as "a hell of a loader."
I think it's really strange and amusing to see how stories are romanticized and distorted. Bonnie Parker (poor high school honor roll student/poet) and Clyde Barrow (petty criminal filled with rage from prison abuse) were part of a small gang of notorious robbers who roamed the country during the Great Depression. Through their bank robberies and manipulation of the media, the couple became some of the first celebrity criminals of the day. Before their bungles and body count rose, they were thought of as "sticking it to the man" for all disenfranchised Americans. The pair also foresaw their own early, violent deaths as inevitable.
The gang's hideouts were often discovered because of the posse's loud, liquor-fueled parties in quiet, Prohibition-era neighborhoods. They spent two years robbing gas stations, small stores, banks, stealing cars and killing almost twenty cops and civilians. At the end of their run, Bonnie's leg was so injured she had to hop or be carried everywhere and the rest of the gang was dead or fleeing. Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed and gunned down by law enforcement in Louisiana. Neither were yet twenty-five years old. Allegedly, celeb robbers John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd sent cards to Bonnie's funeral. (I guess I maybe don't have the most creative mind, but to me their story is not so much glamorous or "bad-ass" as it is really sad.)
What do you think of Bonnie & Clyde?
Would you wear Bazaar's current take on 30's femme fatale?
Confession: I spend a disturbing amount of time watching shows/reading stories of true crime. And Bonnie and Clyde is so tame comparatively that it doesn't spark my interest. I can appreciate, however, that they were some of the first celebrity criminals. Their story is sad, yes, with an element of patheticness for me. Where the glamour came in I'm not sure, but the duo pops up everywhere from photo spreads to rap songs.
ReplyDeleteI can completely condone imitating her wardrobe, however, especially in this modern update.
just found your blog and I love it. this was a great intro post for me. love the shoot, so fun and the style is great. their life story is also fascinating, cannot believe it was all over by 25 though, quite the life!
ReplyDeleteI think there story is a sad one too-hearing their true tale does make the romanticized version we know today seem kind of silly.
ReplyDeleteWhat isn't silly are those amazing outfits! I would definitely sport those looks about town.
I LOVE the editorial! I know it seems like the whole Bonnie and Clyde thing has been done to death, especially lately, but I just love it!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I think you mean the guy from "American Beauty" not "American Pie"... although that would be funny!
i loved this shoot! it was my favorite spread from the issue :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting these!! This is a wonderful concept and I definitely adore Bonnie's outfits. It's badass in a really really classy way, which in some ways is more powerful than the black grunge stuff.
ReplyDeletecraving those outfits
ReplyDeletei have always loved the bonnie & clyde style... since the very first time i saw the film years ago. it's funny how it keeps coming back. these photos are great, but no one can touch faye dunaway- she was and still is a goddess.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great post! I love learning from other bloggers! I have never been that interested in Bonnie and Clyde. The editorial was quite stunning though. The model has an amazing face.
ReplyDelete