• Intelligencer
  • The Cut
  • Vulture
  • The Strategist
  • Curbed
  • Grub Street
  • Subscribe to the Magazine Give a Gift Subscription Buy Back Issues Current Issue Contents New York Shop
    Subscribe to New York Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Profile
    Sign Out
The Cut
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
Style
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Parties & Red Carpet
  • Fashion Shows
  • Cathy Horyn
  • The Cut Shop
Self
  • Health & Wellness
  • The State of the Uterus
  • Parenting
  • Advice
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Horoscopes
Culture
  • Books
  • Television
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Celebrity
Power
  • Politics
  • Work
  • Money
  • Rebecca Traister
More
  • Latest Stories
  • Video
  • About Us
  • nymag.com
  • New York Magazine
  • Intelligencer
  • Vulture
  • The Cut
  • The Strategist
  • Grub Street
  • Curbed
legends
August 13, 2014

Lauren Bacall Could Teach You a Thing or 2 About Style

By Isabel Wilkinson and Véronique Hyland

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
Photo: Keystone/Getty Images

When Lauren Bacall strode into a room — dress shirt open and tucked into high-waisted pants, a long chain dangling below her braless sternum, sunglasses covering her most of her face — men practically flew from their chairs at the chance to light her cigarette. Her deep, confident voice, insouciant gaze, and perfectly molded waves made her, perhaps, the original embodiment of Effortless Glamour.

From her early days as a department-store model to her later years as a Hollywood legend, Bacall — who died yesterday at the age of 89 — was a style icon in the truest sense of the word. She was discovered by Diana Vreeland, then editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar, when she was 16 and a year later, in 1943, debuted on the magazine’s cover, where she was reimagined as a Red Cross nurse, with red lips, a sultry expression, and what soon became her signature shiny waves.*

Photo: Louise Dahl-Wolfe for Harper’s Bazaar

The powerful Hollywood director Howard Hawks (at the suggestion of his wife, Slim) saw the issue and took a chance, casting Bacall in To Have and Have Not opposite Humphrey Bogart. (“You do know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve?” she famously told him in that movie. “You just put your lips together and … blow.”)


Bacall soon became known for her alluring looks and raspy voice that was, according to The Guardian, honed into a wolfish growl thanks to two packs of cigarettes a day early on. And, through much of her career, there were always men around to light those cigarettes: Bogart again in To Have and Have Not (“Anybody got a match?”), whom she married in 1945 (at age 21) and stayed with until his death in 1957 — and later Frank Sinatra and actor Jason Robards Jr.

The star was an early adopter of the jumpsuit and coveralls trends still beloved by today’s fashion set, managing to make even a rumpled denim all-in-one look somehow alluring. (The red lip and cascading waves helped.) She favored items of clothing that showed off her midriff as early as the ‘40s — like cutout dresses and bandeau tops — and became a lover of silky, liquid lamé. She befriended many designers, including Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent, and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Click through our slideshow for highlights of Lauren Bacall’s incredible, stylish life, from the early years all the way to her later pantsuits and the red carpets where she carried her pet papillon, Sophie, under one arm.

* This post has been corrected to show that Bacall was 16, not 17, when Diana Vreeland discovered her, debuted on Harper’s Bazaar in 1943, not 1944, and was 21, not 20, when she married Humphrey Bogart. 

Related

The Majestic Elaine Stritch Had No Use for Pants
View
1 / 49 Photos
A femme fatale photo shoot from the early 1940s, when the actress was only 19. Photo: Transcendental Graphics
She chose a bold tie-neck blouse for a 1945 publicity photo. Photo: Bettman/Corbis
With Bogart on the set of To Have and Have Not, the movie they first met on. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
A bold orange turtleneck and a matching bold lip, circa the '40s. Photo: Corbis
In 1945, she showed off a customary combination: striped tailored dress, smart wedges, and a cigarette. Photo: Ralph Crane/Ralph Crane
Traveling in style with her dog, 1945. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
"Maybe it's just a hold-over from my modeling days, when I had to dress to the nines whether I felt like it or not, but I just don't like to doll... "Maybe it's just a hold-over from my modeling days, when I had to dress to the nines whether I felt like it or not, but I just don't like to doll up for my own admiration," the casualwear enthusiast told her interviewer on this 1945 shoot. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
In 1946, the actress got bookish in a wool suit, the work of designer Leah Rhodes. Photo: Keystone/Getty Images
Only she could ably ride a bike in a full skirt, 1948. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
In her signature high-waisted trousers, 1948. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
Glamorizing smoking on set in 1948. Photo: Alfred Eisenstaedt/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Strong shoulders and bold color in an undated publicity still. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
Accessorizing with pearls in 1950. Photo: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Sophisticated lounging-at-home style, circa 1950. Photo: Silver Screen Collection/2011 Silver Screen Collection
She was dubbed "Languorous Lauren" in this 1950 publicity shot. Photo: John Kobal Foundation
She wore a white lace blouse to play opposite Kirk Douglas in the 1950 film Young Man With a Horn. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
Animal instinct: sporting a zebra-striped top and lizard-skin shoes, 1954. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
A snappily dressed family: with Bogart and their son Steve in 1952. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
Soaking up the sun in a minidress at her Brentwood home, 1954. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
Working a statement necklace in 1955. Photo: Hulton Archive
A master of color-blocking, mid-1950s. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
In 1955, she and her daughter Leslie adorably matched plaids. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
The most glamorous of gowns, in 1956. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
With Rock Hudson in Douglas Sirk's Written on the Wind, 1956. Photo: Archive Photos/2012 Getty Images
The dog lover sported clean-cut separates and a wide-brimmed hat in 1957. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
It's hard to know where to look, between Bacall's fur bodice and a young Frank Sinatra, 1957. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
Early to the blanket-skirt trend in Goodbye Charlie, 1959. Photo: Gjon Mili
In 1965, she danced onstage in full flower-child fashion while starring in the Broadway play Cactus Flower. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
Bold sequins for her 1966 star turn in the musical Applause. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
After the performance, she joked around with co-star Eli Wallach. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
High-flying style (note the ladylike purse) with her children circa 1961. Photo: Hulton Archive
Fresh from a Paris flight, with a draped fur coat, a Chanel bag, and not a hair out of place, 1961. Photo: New York Daily News Archive/1961/Daily New... Fresh from a Paris flight, with a draped fur coat, a Chanel bag, and not a hair out of place, 1961. Photo: New York Daily News Archive/1961/Daily News, L.P. (New York)
She picked a surprisingly low-key frock for her 1961 wedding to Jason Robards. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
A dream of a gown, complete with pockets, in 1966. Photo: Jack Mitchell
One of her many fashion-designer friends was Yves Saint Laurent, here with her in Paris in 1968. Photo: CBS Photo Archive/1968 CBS Photo Archive
Head-to-toe white, ladylike earrings, and a knowing expression in 1968. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
With Pierre Cardin in 1968. Photo: CBS Photo Archive/2004 CBS WORLDWIDE INC.
Note the dramatic choker and full sleeve, circa 1970. Photo: Baron
She wasn't afraid to pair a sweeping feathered hat with a bold fur, circa 1974. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
Political accessorizing: Woody Allen gives the actress a Jimmy Carter pin at a rally for the candidate, circa 1976. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Rese... Political accessorizing: Woody Allen gives the actress a Jimmy Carter pin at a rally for the candidate, circa 1976. Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
Arriving, Louis Vuitton bag in tow, at the Oscars rehearsals in 1975. Photo: Ron Galella
An avant-garde take on overalls, 1980. Photo: Walter McBride/© Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
Menswear chic on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1983. Photo: NBC/¬© NBC Universal, Inc.
With the ultimate accessory, a Golden Globe, in 1993. Photo: Ron Galella Ltd
Bacall loved a suit, and this all-white one made an impact at a 1991 AFI ceremony. Photo: Ron Galella Ltd
Kissing up to a fellow blonde: Gwyneth Paltrow. Photo: Time & Life Pictures/Time & Life Pictures
A silver fox at the 2000 Film Fest. Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd.
Sophie and a be-suited Bacall at the premiere of The Walker in 2007. Photo: Malcolm Taylor/2007 Getty Images
She chose a sweeping cocoa-colored gown to accept an honor from the Academy in 2009. Photo: ROBYN BECK/2012 AFP
1 / 49

Tags:

  • lauren bacall
  • old hollywood
  • star style
  • legends
  • diana vreeland
  • harper's bazaar
  • howard hawks
  • More

More Galleries

May 26, 2023
Cannes Film Festival 2023: Red Carpet  There’s more than movies to be shown. Here are all of the looks at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. 
keeping up with the royals May 6, 2023
All the Looks From King Charles III’s Coronation  Robes, crowns, and Katy Perry. 
By Brooke LaMantia
met gala 2023 May 2, 2023
Met Gala 2023: All the Looks  See all the dresses, some on-theme and some, well, not so much — honoring Karl Lagerfeld at the Met Gala. 
By Brooke LaMantia
oscars 2023 Mar. 12, 2023
Oscars Red Carpet 2023: Every Look  Rihanna! Florence Pugh! Michelle Yeoh! They’re all here. 
celebrity Feb. 19, 2023
All the Best Looks From the 2023 BAFTAs Red Carpet  Florence Pugh, Barry Keoghan, and Angela Bassett brought color to the red carpet. 
grammys 2023 Feb. 5, 2023
Every Look From the 2023 Grammys Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Adele, Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, and more.
By Brooke LaMantia
golden globes 2023 Jan. 10, 2023
All the Looks From the 2023 Golden Globes  Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jenna Ortega, Jessica Chastain, Julia Garner, Jeremy Allen White, Angela Bassett, and more. 
parties! Sept. 23, 2022
Katie Holmes, Chloë Sevigny, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week  Chanel, Mejuri, and more celebrate. 
parties! Sept. 16, 2022
Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week  Fendi, Frame, and Coach all celebrated NYFW. 
emmys 2022 Sept. 12, 2022
Emmys 2022: All the Red Carpet Looks  Updating: What Hollywood is wearing to the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards. 
By Olivia Luppino
nyfw spring 2023 Sept. 9, 2022
Gigi Hadid, Chlöe Bailey, and More of the Bestest Party Pics of the Week  Saks Fifth Avenue, Longchamp, and more celebrate the beginning of NYFW. 
rip Sept. 9, 2022
The Queen Sure Did Love to Color-Coordinate  Monochrome for decades. 
red carpet Sept. 6, 2022
The Venice Film Festival Is a Major Fashion Event  Valentino and Gucci and Armani, oh my. 
red carpet June 5, 2022
All the Best Looks at the 2022 MTV Movie and TV Awards  Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Hudgens, Jay Ellis, and more! 
parties! May 20, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Harry Styles > everyone! 
parties! May 13, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Bury me in Dove Cameron’s Saint Sintra skirt. 
parties! May 6, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Cue the Met Gala after-party FOMO. 
met gala 2022 May 2, 2022
Met Gala 2022: All the Looks [Photos]  Billie Eilish, Kim Kardashian, Michelle Yeoh, Hailey Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Blake Lively, and more. 
parties! Apr. 29, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  This one goes to Olivia Rodrigo and her sweater vest. 
parties! Apr. 22, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  “Fuck those Zoom tops.” 
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
  • About The Cut
  • About New York Magazine
  • Newsletters
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • We’re Hiring
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Accessibility
The Cut is a Vox Media Network. © 2023 Vox Media, LLC. All rights reserved.