How to Dress Like Audrey Hepburn | An Audrey Hepburn Style Capsule Wardrobe

This post actually started out as a part of my capsule wardrobe series, but as soon as I started pulling it together, I realised you don’t actually need to put together an entire capsule wardrobe in order to capture that Audrey Hepburn style of dressing that’s just as iconic today as it was back in the 50s and 60s, when Audrey herself was still rocking these styles.

No, the key to Audrey Hepburn style dressing lies in its sheer simplicity – which is why you really only need a handful of items: like these, for instance…

An Audrey Hepburn Style Capsule Wardrobe

(Click on the images above to shop the exact products featured in the capsule wardrobe…)

I’ve stuck to a mostly black and white colour palette here, purely because the monochrome look is so easy to mix and match, but if black’s not for you, don’t worry about it: get the styles and silhouettes right, and you can still pull together an Audrey Hepburn style outfit in any colour (or colours) you fancy.

Here’s what you’ll need:

01.
A COUPLE OF AUDREY HEPBURN STYLE DRESSES/SKIRTS

What’s an Audrey Hepburn style dress? Well, the woman herself wore lots of different dresses, obviously, but she tends to be associated most often with that classic ‘Breakfast at Tifffany’s’ style sheath dress, or really any kind of black, slash-necked style with a simple shape, and no fuss.

This kind of dress is such a classic that it’s not too hard to find on the high street or from Vinted: try searching for things like ‘pencil dress’, ‘wiggle dress’ or ‘sheath dress’ for the slim-cut styles, and for ‘swing dress’ or ‘full skirted dress’ for that 50s aesthetic. 

If you prefer separates to dresses, meanwhile, it’s easy enough to create the same kind of look with skirts: a black ribbed pencil skirt, for instance, may not be something Audrey Hepburn herself would’ve worn, but it’s a more modern twist on the tailored pencil skirt, and an easy way to create the same kind of silhouette without feeling like you’re wearing a costume.

02.
CAPRI / CIGARETTE PANTS

Retro-style capri pants can be tricky to find these (try searching for some of the retro reproduction brands if you want something true to the style of the era Audrey would’ve worn them), but any kind of narrow-cut, cropped black pants will create the same kind of look but, again, have the benefit of not making you feel like you’re playing dress up. I like Amazon’s slim ankle trousers, but a pair of slim-cut black jeans cropped at the ankle will also work, and provide a more casual spin on this look. 

As for what you wear with them, meanwhile…

03.
SLASH NECK AND BRETON TOPS

The slash neck/boat neck top is an all-time classic, and another key element of Audrey Hepburn style that’s fairly easy to replicate. If you’re shopping on the high street, look for slightly boxy styles in simple shapes and colours: if you’re happy to go with a more retro look, meanwhile, I love Vivien of Holloway’s slash neck tops, and would happily buy one in every single colour, if I possibly could!

Oh, and stripes are also a good bet here – they’re easy to wear, and literally never go out of style!

Finally…

04.
MAKEUP & ACCESSORIES

A large part of what we think of as Audrey Hepburn style actually comes down to things like makeup and accessories. Winged eyeliner and red lipstick, for instance, will instantly give just about ANY outfit an Audrey-inspired feel, while cat eye sunglasses are another easy way to get the look, without totally changing your OWN look.

If you do want to take the look a bit further, though, my retro-inspired capsule wardrobe will give you a bit more inspiration: enjoy!

Related:

Capsule Wardrobes and Style Essentials

My Retro-Inspired Capsule Wardrobe

A Classic Capsule Wardrobe