For the last film club (after a long lapse), we watched Belle de Jour.
Before I continue, this is what happened in Paris last year at the Virgin’s Records when Stephie was trying to track down the elusive DVD for this 1967 classic:
Stephie: Do you have Belle de Jour?
French Sales Lady: What? *heavily accented*
Stephie: Erm… *have no idea how to pronounce it right* Belle de JOUR?
French Sales Lady: *look super puzzled*
Me: *trying to help* Belle de Jour?
French Sales Lady: *thinks* OH! You mean Belle de Jour *sounds exactly like what we just said*!
Alright, enough of silly anecdotes.
Recently, every time I watch a film, I almost pay more attention to the clothes than the plot itself. And there’s so much to gawk at in Belle de Jour.
(Photo: tsutpen.blogspot.com)
The beautiful Catherine Deneuve on the set of Belle de Jour with director Luis Buñuel.
It was love at first sight for me with the coat she is wearing (underneath the fur overcoat) in this photo! I just kept staring at it and thinking (or saying out loud), “I want it, I want it!”.
A little bit of Googling later (Stephie’s Google Queen-ness must be rubbing off on me), I found out that the clothes in the film are actually all designed by YSL!
In Stephie’s words, “that explains all” 
Yves Saint-Laurent first started designing ‘costumes’ for films at the age of 24, with his works featuring in a considerable number of films in the ’60s and ’70s. After Belle de Jour, Deneuve forged a lifelong friendship with the designer, and subsequently modeled for him.
(Photos: Cinebeats)
Its a real pity that I can’t seem to locate any photos of the clothes (all the pictures I can find are of Deneuve not wearing any clothes) featured in Belle de Jour, but these sketches gives a reasonably good idea of what they look like.
If you are equally besotted with the fashion of bygone eras where clothes are not so commonly ready-to-wear (especially for the more well-to-do ladies), also watch Black Book, a war film set in 1940s Netherlands.
(Photos: New Yorker, New York Times and City Paper)
I don’t know if it is still running since I watched it a couple of week ago, but if you manage to catch it, do look out for a amazing dress of lace over vintage slip. There’s also a stunning red number with a lovely, lovely back
It is endlessly fascinating how fashion has evolved over the decades. Our fashion is often a disheveled one that tries so hard to look ‘effortless’ (think: Kate Moss) – the fashion of mid-20th century is one where painstaking effort is made to ensure not one hair is out of place Opposite end of the spectrum I guess, but it comes one full round perhaps.
Wonders why looking impossibly groomed is no longer in style
Dottie
7 Comments
May 29, 2008, 3:51 am, at 3:51 am
I think I might die if I don’t get to see these two films by the end of the summer. And YSL as the costume designer definitely explains it all…
May 29, 2008, 8:30 am, at 8:30 am
I have never even heard of these two films before, which is kinda embarassing to admit being that I am a film student and all. But I will put them on my summer movie list, right after Once!
May 29, 2008, 9:12 am, at 9:12 am
maybe it’s too tough to look impossibly groomed… like Dita von Teese.
May 29, 2008, 5:54 pm, at 5:54 pm
Catherine Deneuve is so beautiful..
It’s an interesting point you make about grooming having given way to ‘effortlessness’, but sometimes I think it’s like we’re still expected to try- only without letting it look like we tried. I suppose the modern age makes allowances for slight amounts of dishevelment, which is cool really- one one hand I might envy the grace and poise of these women of the 50s and 60s, but on the other I’d drop dead if I had to look so perfect all the time.
May 30, 2008, 12:09 am, at 12:09 am
LOVE this post! Belle de Jour is such a brilliantly styled film
May 30, 2008, 3:58 am, at 3:58 am
such a an eye-candy film, I love Catherine Deneuve. also Umbrellas of Cherbourg is great!
October 30, 2008, 1:03 am, at 1:03 am
[...] when we watched Belle de Jour? The article of clothing which left the deepest impression was the patent trench coat which [...]