Ioana Moasa

Some of the strongest words I have ever read are Betty Davis’ opinions about Hollywood and women’s condition, in general. With a sparkle of cockiness, her words perfectly describe they way she managed to turn herself into one of those faces you didn’t want to miss.

I have recently watched Feud, an anthology series created by Ryan Murphy, based on the neverending differences between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, with Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford and Susan Sarandon in the role of Betty Davis. I loved the re-creation of their relationship, focusing on the filming of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. And that’s when I remembered how much I looove Bete Davis and how much I loved her fashion style and acting. 

In 2008, readers of In Style magazine voted Keira Knightley’s green dress from the movie Atonement (2007) as the Best Costume of All Time.

The dress was designed by Jacqueline Durran, after “the rich emerald green colour was specially requested by Atonement’s director Joe Wright”, for it expressed temptation, one of the main subjects of the movie. Also, one of the meanings of emerald green lies in “importality”, so that dress was there to last.

What’s more, “Keira Knightley’s character, Cecilia Tallis, is seen wearing only variations of green (apart from her regulation nurse’s uniform) following the incarceration of her love Robbie (James McAvoy). Subscribing absolute denotation to the colour is impossible, so by very definition it becomes mysterious.”

And since there are only a few iconic green dresses in the history of cinema (see also Vivien Leigh’s green ensemble in Gone with the Wind), the beautiful emerald green dress from Atonement will go as a masterpiece in movie costumes history.

The leather jacket goes way back in the history of fashion, music and film.

After World War II, the world witnessed a rise of a new rebellious attitude and style, especially on the American ground. It was the era of fast cars and rock’n roll.