Edie Sedgwick, as we all know, was an American socialite, actress, model who went on to inspire the likes of Andy Warhol and Bob Dylan. Now, I suppose I'm being a little bit cliché by writing a style tribute to such an obvious source of inspiration, but with such an individual style as hers, Edie will remain a style icon forever.
The First "It Girl"
The First "It Girl"
A girl of old money embracing the modern way of life, Edie was dubbed "the girl with the black tights" by Life Magazine in 1965; her style stood alone. She would habitually don nothing more than a black leotard, opaque tights and a sweater, and was admired by men and women alike. Cropped platinum blonde hair and heavily lined eyes gained Edie her signature look, and perhaps hid the insecurities of her childhood, her tragic family life, her battles with eating disorders, and her frequent drug abuse.
After studying art in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Edie dropped out and moved to New York, soon becoming a part of Andy Warhol's innermost circle of close friends. Now living life in bohemian Manhattan, Edie quickly blew through her trust fund which she inherited when she turned 21 in 1964. She was featured in many of Warhol's short films, for example "Vinyl", "Poor Little Rich Girl", "Beauty II" and "Ciao! Manhattan."
Andy & Edie.
Following the end of her close association with Warhol, Edie moved into the Chelsea Hotel after accidentally burning her Manhattan apartment. It was here that she became close to Bob Dylan, and it is speculated that this relationship quickly turned to infatuation on her part. However, after Sedgwick discovered that Dylan had married, their relationship terminated. By this stage, she had squandered her trust fund and began her downward spiral into the depths of drug and alcohol abuse, her life of glamour no longer apparent.
Though Edie seemed to have turned her life around by 1971, with her marriage to Michael Post, she was soon prescribed pain medication which once again caused a turn for the worse. By November 16th, 1971, Edie Sedgwick was dead, at only 28 years old, leaving behind her a legacy which would influence generations to come.
My personal favourite- Edie Sedgwick by Andy Warhol.
EMULATING THE SEDGWICK STYLE;
I believe that Edie Sedgwick's style is quite attainable. Leotards, boat necks, kohl.. These are all things that we have available to us very easily, it's just a matter of combining them. Here are some ideas I've come up with, American Apparel was really quite useful in trying to imitate this look;
The leotard; Cotton Spandex Short Sleeve T-Shirt Leotard- American Apparel, €28
The tights; Opaque Pantyhose- American Apparel, €14.
The eyeliner; Eye Kohl- MAC.
The striped boat neck; Unisex Sailor Stripe Long Sleeve Pullover- American Apparel, €50.
The fur coat; Whistles Allegra Faux Fur Coat- ASOS, €506.39.
The earrings; Edie Sedgwick Shoulder Duster Earrings- Etsy, $65.
I couldn't really find any examples of a mini dress worth posting here, but definitely stay on the lookout for one of these as well!
