Stylish Movies: Picnic At Hanging Rock

picnic6 If there's one film to watch this year to reflect the biggest fashion trends right now it's 1975's Picnic at Hanging Rock. Hair bows? Check! Long white dresses? Check! Basket bags and boater hats? Check! It's a perennial favorite of mine (and the rest of the fashion world) for summer inspiration, even though the film is set on Valentine's Day. I won't begin to give a synopsis of the plot, but it's well worth a viewing if you like mysterious and unsettling films with amazing fashion (a remake of the film is also coming out soon!). But even without viewing the film a quick Google or Pinterest search of "Picnic at Hanging Rock" will yield hundreds of inspiring results from the film itself to the numerous editorials and lookbooks it has inspired. The key elements to take away for channeling this look are long white dresses, preferably with a vaguely Edwardian inspired or with lace detailing, romantic, wavy hair topped with a straw hat, and delicate satin ribbons to be tied in the hair or around the waist. There's this tension in the film between restrictive looks and more relaxed ones; uniform/conformity and breaking free. This tension is partly what captives in the style; high collar blouses and tousled undone hair; feminine bows juxtaposed with more rugged elements or a setting. Details to finish off the look--vintage jewelry (perhaps a heart locket as a nod to Valentine's Day) or a butterfly motif to echo Miranda's butterfly buckle on her belt. It was an intentional symbol of the ephemeral nature of Miranda, a delicate beauty like a butterfly that flutters briefly into sight to add a moment of wonder, but is gone in the blink of an eye.   picnic1 picnic7 picnicat

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