NOVEMBER 27, 2022
60s and 70s Parisian IT girl. Captivating beauty, free-spirited style, je ne sais quoi. Her bold eye makeup, messy fringe, and signature wicker basket has influenced French fashion and beauty that women everywhere take inspiration from. In this style guide post, I'm highlighting Jane Birkin's best looks over the years and including pieces you'll need to recreate her classic bohemian style.
If Jane Birkin was a kind of knit, it'd be crochet. My favorite outfits of hers feature crochet knit dresses and tops. In 1969, Jane arrived at the "Gala de L'Union" in Paris dressed in a long white plunge crochet dress.
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I love how this look encapsulates her style perfectly. It makes a casual, summery knit look so elegant and flirty. This dress has also inspired designer brands to recreate this iconic and timeless look. In Emilio Pucci Spring Summer Ready-to-Wear 2011, Kasia Struss strutted down the runway wearing a strikingly similar dress to the one Jane wore more than 40 years ago.
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Below are some Birkin-esque dresses:
Stoned Immaculate 'Birkin Crochet Dress" $400
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Amoy New York "The Jane Mini Dress" $225
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Mirror Palais "Maria Dress" $600
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Realisation Par "The Mary Jane" in Shrooms $220
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Add more detail to your dress by loosely wrapping a belt around your hip. Any black or brown belt with gold hardware will work.
In the film "La Piscine", Jane wears a lot of clothing inspired by her own style. In two of her outfits in this film, she wears gingham, specifically, a blue gingham dress and a black gingham skirt. Don a gingham piece to channel her outfits from the French countryside.
If you're not a dress or skirt girl, denim is the way to go.
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Pair a plain white tee or white button up with medium to dark wash jeans and black heeled ballerinas or shorts with black knee high boots/tights.
Brandy Melville "Millie Stripe Top" $32
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Rouje Denim $180
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Repetto "Camille Ballerinas" $440
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Of course, we can't forget about her signature wicker basket. If the crochet belted dresses or denim paired with knee high boots don't scream Jane, a wicker bag will be the dead ringer. Jane was almost never seen without her wicker basket. It was as cherished and important to her as the Birkin is to a modern women. I would die to watch a Vogue video titled "Inside Jane Birkin's Wicker Basket".
Bangs Vintage "Bangs Birkin Basket"
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Mark and Graham "Wicker & Leather Crossbody Bag With Bamboo Handle"
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Jane would often layer many long gold necklaces. One of her most worn pieces was a simple matinee length gold rhinestone necklace.
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Brandy Melville "Rhinestone Charm Necklace" $8
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To top the look off, spray on a musky amber perfume like the one Jane Birkin created in collaboration with Miller Harris. The perfume is inspired by Jane's past memories and her favorite smells: leather-bound books and Turkish spice markets.
A fragrance should be something suggestive, a memory...A smell that is not the one of many women overpowering the lift!" — Jane Birkin
Miller Harris "L'air de Rien" $155
The name L'air de Rien translates to "nonchalantly", which perfectly describes Jane's aura: effortless.
