Katharine Hepburn

[Mercedes]

quote from http://www.traditioninaction.org

“With stout resolve,” reports a fashion book, “she almost single-handedly broke down the dress code for women” by insisting on wearing men’s trousers on set and off, everywhere and all the time. Her style was so informal and untraditional that she never, even after becoming a star, owned a dress or skirt of her own. One of her many awards came from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in1986 – in recognition of her role as non-conformist in modern fashion.

first two pictures from http://www.traditioninaction.org, last picture from http://www.tribuneindia.com

 

[Mercedes]

quote from http://www.geocities.com/FashionAvenue/

Her intelligence and talent eclipsed her beauty but that is not to say she wasn't beautiful and glamorous. Her androgynous, modern style was a breath of fresh air in a generation where cleavage, curves and pouts were everywhere. Her characteristic New England accent perfectly suited her strong, head-strong nature. Her non-conformist, boyish, casual style was once thought ungainly but became chic and eventually Katharine Hepburn was thought of as a fashion idol.

pictures from http://fujishobo.hp.infoseek.co.jp, www.corbis.com

 

[Mercedes]

9/19/1946-Hollywood, CA: Individualistic Katharine Hepburn relaxes when, where and as she pleases. She's shown here reclining on a railway freight truck on the set of her latest picture.

...

all pictures from www.corbis.com

 

[Mercedes]

once again all pictures from www.corbis.com

 

[Clemence]

Katherine Hepburn

I can't believe there's not a KH thread yet!

(from katehepburn.tripod.com)

 

[Hanne]

Nobody wore pants quiet like Kate did ... But there is a thread on her allready Clemence !
http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28470

 

[Clemence]

bump/

 

[Estella*]

thanks for the thread mercedes and thanks for bumping clemence.
k.hepburn joking around on set
froom camdennewjournal.co.uk

 

[Estella*]

i have to say, i always had my problems with her though... i can appreciate her difference from the rest and i certainly see that she had charisma but she's not really my kind....

here's another one of those typical katherine hepburn pictures:

very cool

from homepage.mac.com

 

[northernsky]

i have to say, i always had my problems with her though... i can appreciate her difference from the rest and i certainly see that she had charisma but she's not really my kind....

that's how i feel about her, too. i think i get her appeal but.. well.

she is also hectic and loud in the films she made.. i can't stand all that noise..
maybe it's just that she didn't make 'my' kind of movies.

i like to look at her on pictures tho.

two pictures by cecil beaton.

1934.

[from chicureo.com]

1936.

[from www.mhf.krakow.pl]

 

[Browneyes]

oh i love her! she is too cool

here is a picture of her and Cary Grant (probably for the movie "the Philadelphia Story" 1940 - which was remade in 1956 bearing the title of "High Society" and starring Grace Kelly. I was soo perplexed when i watched High Society some time after having seen The Philadelphia Story, all the time thinking, i've seen this before!)

oops! edit: picture is from imdb.com

 

[Mr-Dale]

I think she is a very beautiful woman, but did she in real life talk just like Cate Blanchet did in the Aviator? I thought it was really annoying

 

[Luxx]

I think she is a very beautiful woman, but did she in real life talk just like Cate Blanchet did in the Aviator?

She did, the old movie stars had very distinctive voices. It was important to have a vocal trademark and she certainly did. That New England accent is unmistakable. I think Blanchett's portrayal made her voice a bit more of a caricature but she got it pretty right.

I know Katherine had a profound interest in women wearing pants but I just adore the way she looked in dresses.



Image credit: DoctorMacro

 

[thehepburn]

KH's accent was a combo of New England and Bryn Mawr. If you met people who have gone to Bryn Mawr college, some still tawk like that today

 

[poesy]

Was she related to Audrey Hepburn?

Also does anyone have the Avedon potrait that was taken of her?

 

[Browneyes]

Was she related to Audrey Hepburn?

nope they weren't related at all

 

[Mercedes]

nope they weren't related at all

Actually that's a point of debate, some believe that they were distantly related...

 

[Josephine]

wonderful pics everyone! thanks

 

[Browneyes]

Actually that's a point of debate, some believe that they were distantly related...

Hm, Audrey was born to the family name of Ruston - when her father later changed it to Hepburn she did too.
"After the war, her father, Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston, found documents about his ancestors, some of whom bore the name Hepburn. This is when he added it to his name, which caused my mother to have to legally add Hepburn to her name as well." (from "Audrey Hepburn an elegant spirit" by Sean Hepburn Ferrer)
This was all i knew until i did a little more research and this is what wikipedia says:
"It is sometimes claimed that Audrey Hepburn and Katharine Hepburn were sisters. The truth is they were only very distantly related, and certainly had never met before the former's rise to prominence. The closest relationship that has been identified for them is 19th cousin once removed."

So yeah, distantly related via Audrey's father's ancestors i suppose. Katharine's family was from England too.. so, I stand corrected

I've seen on a TV bio-documentary about Katharine that her family was decended from a "bastard" child of one of the children of an British king. Anyone else heard of that?

 

[jackieonassis]

She's totally cool and inspires me every day.