Image Analysis - Breakfast at Tiffany's
A woman is looking into a display window of the well-known jewellery store, Tiffany & Co. The very rarely empty streets of New York City indicates that it is the early hours of the morning. She holds a coffee and a croissant in her hands, which further supports the theory that it is the morning. This opening scene will become one of the most known scenes in fashion and film history.
In 1961, Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote and directed by Blake Edwards premiered in the theatres. Audrey Hepburn (Holly Golightly) was an actress known for her roles in the film and fashion industry. In the above image, you can see Audrey is dressed in a black sleeveless evening gown. The gown has a fitted bodice with back detailing that accentuates her shoulders and a thigh slit running alongside her leg. Accompanied with the beautiful gown, the designer Givenchy provided a pearl choker and opera gloves that tie the look together. This dress became the most iconic little black dress looks of the 20th century and “has also been variously described as the most famous LBD of all time” (Fox, 2018).
In the image, the background and foreground are blurred so that Audrey is the focus point. From our (the viewers) perspective, we can see that she is looking into a display window. The foreground reveals a chandelier on the left-hand side of the display window, and a reflection of the chandelier can be seen on the right-hand side, next to Holly Golightly (A.Hepburn). The reflection of this beautiful, expensive chandelier could symbolise the aspirations for stability. Holly aspires to achieve her goal but is uncertain that this is attainable for the future.
Holly Golightly, although dressed impressively, hasn’t got a stable income. She had an unusual upbringing and lost her family from a young age. Due to this insecurity of losing loved ones and not having a stable childhood, Holly isolates herself from potential situations that may get her emotionally hurt. As she is materialistic, she finds comfort and safety in being at Tiffany's. The comfort of being in a safe crowd reaffirms that she has aspirations to belong to that environment.
“The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of… Well, when I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany's. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there.” (Breakfast at Tiffanys, 1961)
The description of the “mean reds” shows vulnerability in Audrey's character. Holly wants to leave the situation that she is in but punishes herself for putting herself in that situation. Her low self-esteem due to her past is displayed throughout the film. However, in this image, the scenery indicates innocence and loneliness.
To summarise, this image conveys the safety that Holly Golightly seeks out in life. Although she has little money, she finds comfort in materialistic belongings as she believes that people of higher class and stature don’t deal with the everyday struggles of life. Her isolation alone on the streets of New York City indicate innocence and vulnerability within her character. However, although Holly feels like she doesn't belong, she is independent, elegant, and self-sufficient. This is expressed in the image.
Reference list
Breakfast at Tiffanys. (1961). Paramount Pictures.
Fox, C. (2018). Little black dress. London: Conran Octopus, New York, N.Y.: Hachette Book.
Bibliography
Clever & Chic. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s Style Analysis: The Reinvention of Oneself with Fashion.” Www.youtube.com, 20 Nov. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFI6xJGx8-A&ab_channel=Clever%26Chic. Accessed 15 Nov.
2021.Mohan, Harsha. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Holly Golightly and That Iconic Opening Scene.” THE NAVRANG JOURNAL, 28 June 2019, navrangashoka.wordpress.com/2019/06/28/breakfast-at-tiffanys-opening-scene/. Accessed 15 Nov. 2021.