Friday is my absolute favorite day of the week! I always look forward to our little routine of drinks on the patio followed by dinner and a movie. This week’s Fashion + Food + Film features a classic from 1955 called Summertime. Have you seen it? I hadn’t but being that it stars Katharine Hepburn and is set entirely in Venice, I was sold immediately. I couldn’t wait to see what everyone was wearing as they strolled along the canals back then. The styles of the time were certainly more dressed up than they are today, unless you’re me and you insist on wearing a great dress and heels just to grab a gelato. I simply love Venice and can’t wait to return someday! By the way, you can see my other F+F+F posts under the Fashion menu above or here!
Let’s dive into Summertime, shall we?
The Film
In Summertime, Katharine Hepburn plays Jane, a middle-aged woman who has just never really clicked with the right person. Not that she needed to hitch herself to a guy to be complete, but she’s been a bit unlucky in love. I really liked her independent spirit and how she demonstrated a woman traveling alone from the U.S. on a European tour, especially in 1955. I think she gets caught up in the romance of Venice and she starts to resign herself to possibly living life by herself. That is, until she meets Renato, played by Italian actor Rossano Brazzi. The two fall quickly in love but Jane learns that he’s been leading a double life. She begins to feel foolish for her feelings and wonders if she can overcome them given the circumstances. I can’t share much more without spoiling the ending. Summertime is a must-see if you’re into classic films and missing travel like I am. It’s so beautifully shot in color throughout Venice. I loved it!
The Fashion
Oversized sunglasses and full skirts reign supreme throughout the movie. Hepburn is always completely styled from top to bottom, often with a hair accessory made of ribbon and a string of pearls. On a day exploring the city she wears a white midi dress with puff sleeves that is every bit as on trend today as it was then. It really reminded me of this one I shared in a previous post. And on a date with Renato she wears a stunning black evening gown with a pop of color in red heels.
She also wears a vibrant red shirt dress with a tie waist, which is what I based my own interpretation on. I love this striped linen blend dress for a lot of reasons. It’s comfortable and breathes easy, perfect for long city strolls and warm summer weather. I love that it buttons all the way down the front so you can leave a few unbuttoned and show off your summer tan (that is if I had one – haha). And you can’t go wrong with a classic stripe. It’s just timeless. You can see me wearing it last summer in Croatia here and here at home. It’s completely sold out but I’ve linked a very similar version below, plus a few others in the carousel.
Outfit details: Red Striped Shirtdress (similar style here, and a sleeveless version here) | Heels | Sunglasses | ZAC Zac Posen Bag
If you’re feeling inspired, I put together some additional (and modernized) style inspiration from Summertime, so you can recreate the looks for yourself. I included a day and night look to pay tribute to Hepburn’s incredible style transitions throughout the film.
Shop Day Inspiration: Sunglasses | White Dress | Hair Scarf | Basket Bag | Flat Sandals
Shop Night Inspiration: Lace Dress | Earrings | Clutch | Heels | Bracelet
The Food
When in Venice, you can’t skip having cicchetti. Pronounced ‘chee-KET-eeh,” it consists of small bites served in bacari (cicchetti bars). It’s a tradition and it’s Venice’s own version of Milan’s aperitivo and Spain’s tapas. Cicchetti is often paired with glasses of wine and is rather cheap. It can be a fun way to taste a few different things and you can combine them to make a full meal. Paul planned an elegant and varied cicchetti menu for us, and it was such a fun way to do dinner.
Our cicchetti menu:
Artichoke and manchego cheese spread – Recipe via The Wimpy Vegetarian
White bean and prosciutto bruschetta – Recipe via Food & Wine
Ricotta stuffed zucchini – Recipe via Saveur
Seared scallops in garlic wine sauce with white beans – Paul’s own recipe
Coppa and fig crostini with ricotta – Recipe via Food & Wine (substitute coppa for salami)
I hope this edition of Fashion + Food + Film has inspired you to get creative with your date nights or “me time” at home! Are there any movies you’d like to see me cover in this series?
xo – Erin
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Fashion + Food + Film | Vol. 4: Summertime appeared first on CathedralsandCafes.com. If you see this content published anywhere else, please email cathedralsandcafes@gmail.com.
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