Film Costume: Roman Holiday (1953)

By Rebecca Ann Wong

In the film Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn takes on the role of Princess Ann, a modern-day princess who feels suffocated and stifled by her royal duties and decides to escape her responsibilities for a day by traveling Rome on her own. The costume I found to be most interesting in this film was the simple outfit, consisting of a plain white blouse paired with a full circle skirt, that Hepburn wore for majority of the film during her tour of Rome. Throughout the film, we see how Princess Ann meddles and plays around with her outfit, changing her look through minor touches; such as by adding a neck scarf, by folding her sleeves, and in a more blatant declaration of her rebellion, even by cutting her hair short. I feel that this costume exemplifies the power of self-expression as it demonstrates how despite her restraints at being told what to wear and how to behave, Hepburn’s character finds a way to bring her own personality and flair to her outfit, and in doing so, reinforces her individuality and independence.