In 1952, the then young and unknown Audrey Hepburn was cast in Paramount film Roman Holiday directed by William Wyler as Princess Ann, Edith Head the head costume designer of Paramount designed her wardrobe. ​

In the closing scene of the movie, Audrey Hepburn as Princess Ann held a press conference where she would meet Joe, the reporter she fell in love for the last time. In that scene, she wore a white lace midi dress with a shawl collar, wrap-over bodice and fitted waist, styled with a pearl choker and a Juliet style hat. 

In 1954, at the 26th Annual Academy Awards, Audrey Hepburn wore a sleeveless floral lace dress with a belt. It is actually restyled from the Roman Holiday Farewell lace dress by Hubert de Givenchy, by then Audrey Hepburn's favorite designer.

Audrey Hepburn won the best actress wearing the dainty lace dress.

Here is a video clip of Audrey Hepburn accepted her her Oscar award in the lace dress.

In 1952, the then young and unknown Audrey Hepburn was cast in Paramount film Roman Holiday directed by William Wyler as Princess Ann, Edith Head the head costume designer of Paramount designed her wardrobe. 

And among all of her outfits, the white shirt and colored circle skirt ensemble is most iconic outfit Audrey wore in the movie.

It's a simple button down long sleeve shirt with undefined shoulder and a separate jabot, and a ankle long circle skirt with belt.

​As Edith Head explained:
"You see, she's supposed to be a princess disguised as an ordinary girl on the streets of Rome. So we made her a simple costume, so she wouldn't look different." 

In the movie, Audrey Hepburn first wore the ensemble with the shirt sleeves buttoned as she left the embassy palace.

During Audrey's test, Edith Head has also designed another two alternative jersey blouses for her, one with buttons, another slip on, but later the white shirt was chosen, perhaps as a Princess, the two jersey blouses could be too figure hugging. 

The skirt is a circle skirt hitting below Audrey's mid calf, looking conservative and demure. It seems there exists an alternative skirt which Audrey Hepburn wore only for her screen test, one that is a little bit shorter with more volume(Or perhaps she is wearing some petticoat underneath?).

Blue or Beige? What is the color of Audrey Hepurn's circle skirt in Roman Holiday? Perhaps only Edith Head can answer this question by now. In some pictures, the color is sky blue, but then in another, it looks like a beige. And the doll makers seem like the beige version, and they all have Audrey Hepburn like doll wearing the beige skirt.

In 1957, Audrey Hepburn starred with Gary Cooper in the film Love in the afternoon(in French: Ariane) directed by Billy Wilder. By now, Hubert de Givenchy has become Audrey Hepburn's default designer, and in this film, Givenchy has made a few black dresses for Audrey Hepburn's personage Ariane, a young innocent music student. The silhouettes are all classic 50s style with wide skirts, but Givenchy use some designing details to indicate her identity as well as her transformation of moods as the film progresses.

For more details about this black dress, visit roger-viollet.fr