Femme fatale, muse of Serge Gainsbourg, symbol of female empowerment and of sexual freedom in the 1960s, Brigitte Bardot passed away on December 28th, 2025. Throwback to the best outfits of the ultra-sensual French fashion icon, actress and singer.
By Violaine Schütz,
and The Editorial Team.
More than a mere silhouette, Brigitte Bardot embodied an attitude. A sexy, wild, and nonchalant allure that shook up the image of French femininity. As a former ballet dancer and model, she asserted herself as a free, vibrant, and dynamic woman, at a time when the prevailing aesthetic ideal was restraint, domesticity, and propriety.
A fashion icon ahead of her time
Quite a modern woman, Brigitte Bardot turned away from the bourgeois Parisian style inspired by the couture spirit of the 1950s, featuring pointed pumps, floral or striped prints, pencil-skirt suits, cocktail dresses. But also from Hollywood glamour, showcasing over-the-top evening gowns, sky-high heels, elaborate chignons and jewelry. Instead, she chose gingham prints, thigh-high boots, Repetto ballet flats, or cropped cigarette pants.
She also had a taste for pantsuits and was spotted wearing a Yves Saint Laurent tuxedo in Lebanon in 1967. Tops tied beneath the bust, capri pants, straw hats, wicker baskets, Bohemian dresses, white bikinis, striped jerseys, and off-the-shoulder blouses, were her signature looks. She even lent her name to a neckline… A clear sign that she was a true trendsetter rather than a simple follower.
The Bardot style: A blend of innocence and sensuality
Even when they looked innocent, like a headband or a ruffled skirt, sensuality was always at the core of her outfits. Never too far from the beach, the actress was a radiant young woman with sun-kissed legs living in Saint-Tropez, where she settled after retiring and giving up on cinema. Her pout and slightly distant gaze – she suffered from amblyopia and had poor vision in her left eye – only added to her incandescent charm.
Brigitte Bardot was a fierce beauty, something that came through loud and clear in her beauty looks. Her hair was often tousled and loose, her updos artfully undone, and her eyeliner and kohl were intentionally messy.
Bold and daring, she drew her inspiration from the masculine and rock ’n’ roll wardrobes. The star was phenomenal in leather shorts on her Harley Davidson. As a result, the Bardot style is now timeless. Its hallmarks live on in celebrities like Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, Sabrina Carpenter, and Jeanne Damas, as well as on fashion week runways, from Saint Laurent to Dior and Jacquemus.