Saturday night I watched
Darling, the 1965 British comedy that follows an amoral model who goes from man to man as she works her way up the social ladder. I couldn’t help but see Julie Christie as a rather unconventional choice for the lead role of Diana. She exudes this warmth and sincerity that goes against the character’s behavior. It made the men’s attraction to her more believable, and made her unreasonably sympathetic to an audience. By the end of
Darling, I found myself hoping that I wouldn’t end up like a “Diana.” She was a woman that went after what the world claimed would bring happiness…a happiness she never found. Instead, she discovers that her life has passed her by , she has never done anything she can be proud of, and ultimately gives up her freedom for a loveless marriage. As easy as it is to say that this would never be my life‘s result, I recognize this fate in so many others and have begun to realize how suddenly this could all happen. It takes focus and extreme intentionality to pursue a life of meaning. Beating the odds is no small feat.
Christie’s warmhearted grin, regardless of her saavy fashion sense, bids attainability in both
Darling and in her real life. As an “it” girl of London’s “swingin’ sixties” and star of such iconic films as
Dr.Zhivago (1965),
Shampoo(1975), and
Heaven Can Wait (1978), she wore the mod shift dresses of the time but kept her own softer stamp on the look. She wasn’t drawn to brighter colors (although bold patterns did enter her wardrobe), but instead more often than not opted for white. With Labor Day just around the corner, many still hold onto their grandmother’s rule of “no white from Labor Day to Memorial Day.” Julie Christie proves that no matter the season, white is always chic darling!
JULIE CHRISTIE CLAD IN HER TRADEMARK WHITE:My version of Julie Christie: White sundress from Anthropologie and faux fur stole as my wink to Dr.Zhivago.
