Dear Reader,
Born today, June 10 in 1922, Judy Garland was a child actor and singer with an impressive array of 35 movies under her belt. Garland entered Hollywood at the early age of 13 and left an incredible mark on the film industry that would stand the test of time. Despite the impact she made on movies screens, she endured struggles in her personal life from an early age, and suffered unhappy marriages. Her addictions led to her tragic death at the age of 47 due to an accidental overdose during her visit to London performing at the Cabaret, but her wonderful American style will live on forever.
She will always be indelibly remembered for her ruby red slippers and blue gingham dress in the “The Wizard of Oz” but in real life, Garland’s signature style of kitten heels, sharp tailoring and fresh prints has made her a fashion legend. Her star continues to shine not only as a fashion icon, and one of the truly great entertainers of all time, but also as woman a woman of personal strength through adversity and advocacy for mental health. ABARA celebrates the dazzling style of this legendary actor, singer and performer.
Wearing a statement print better than anybody, Garland has always shined with her charm and undoubtable talent. Often traveling to perform, coats were an essential item in Garland’s wardrobe, and they have become her style signature; In truth, she lived in the age of great tailoring and so she found her classic fit and flare silhouette and wore her sharp coats over dresses and paired them with pumps and a statement lipstick, exuding ladylike charm whilst on the go. She wore a dinner jacket with leggings – in a flirtation with androgynous dressing.
Garland like the crisp prints of checks, spots and stripes, and gave those a sexy appeal on and off stage in crisp shirts worn with glitter pants, or a long skirt. Polka dots and pin stripes were also worn in a range of dresses to add extra pizazz and personality to her look. Her other signature is the “feature sleeve” which included a cute puff sleeve, feminine blouson sleeves, sporty cap sleeves and long cuffed sleeves, which are just a few of the sleeve types in her repertoire. She may be petite in person, but in style and personality Garland was larger than life.
We at ABARA would have been thrilled to dress her in our signature bags – and we believe that she would have appreciated our classic handbag styles and wore them with great aplomb. Happy Birthday Judy Garland!
