IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Style icon Lauren Bacall mastered seductive elegance

Nobody else could ooze such sophistication and sexiness while rocking trouser suits and full-length skirts.Lauren Bacall’s seductive expression may have coined “the look” she became famous for, but the leading lady of Hollywood’s Golden Age also will be remembered for a fashion elegance that became a trademark throughout her legendary career. Among her signature staples: the high-waisted t
December 1946:  American actress Lauren Bacall wearing an all wool suit designed by Leah Rhodes.  (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
American actress Lauren Bacall in an all wool suit, designed by Leah Rhodes, in Dec. 1946. The legendary Hollywood star passed away on Aug. 12, 2014.Today

Nobody else could ooze such sophistication and sexiness while rocking trouser suits and full-length skirts.

Lauren Bacall’s seductive expression may have coined “the look” she became famous for, but the leading lady of Hollywood’s Golden Age also will be remembered for a fashion elegance that became a trademark throughout her legendary career. Among her signature staples: the high-waisted trouser, which accentuated her long, lean frame.  

Bacall, who died Tuesday at age 89, also preferred silky, billowy blouses that showed off her strong shoulders. The way she exuded sexiness without revealing skin was a testament to her keen sense of ageless style that looks relevant decades later.  

Publicity photo depicts the young American actress Lauren Bacall, ca.1945
Bacall in a 1945 publicity photo.Today

"Maybe it's just a hold-over from my modelling days, when I had to dress to the nines whether I felt like it or not, but I just don't like to doll up for my own admiration," she told Vogue in 1945.

circa 1945:  American screen star Lauren Bacall sitting cross-legged in a trouser suit, with her hands on her hips.  (Photo via John Kobal Foundation/...
American screen star Lauren Bacall sits cross-legged in a trouser suit in 1945.Today

Bacall, who started off as a fashion model before finding early success on the silver screen, often incorporated tailored suits with simple lines into her wardrobe. 

Actress Lauren Bacall gives a toot on a gold whistle attached to her bracelet to let her new husband, Humphrey Bogart, who calls his wife "Baby&q...
Bacall with her husband Humphrey Bogart after returning home from their wedding in 1945.Today

Her fashion choices remained consistent even after she became a mother.

Stephen Bogart, not yet two years old, learns about movie making from his dad, actor Humphrey Bogart, during a surprise visit to the set of "Siro...
Bacall and Bogart with their son, Stephen.Today

Bacall's natural sense of glamour and style followed her on stage and screen throughout the years. 

Ready in a polka dot tunic to stop the Leicester Square traffic in London Oct. 2, 1972, is American actress Lauren Bacall here to star in the London p...
Bacall stops traffic in London's Leicester Square in 1972.Today


FILE - AUGUST 12: It has been reported that actress Lauren Bacall has died of a stroke. She was 89 years old. American film and stage actress Lauren B...
Today
The most memorable style icons

Slideshow  20 photos

The most memorable style icons

Icon status has been achieved by a specific canon of women whose look has inspired, endured and infiltrated pop culture, designer collections and mass trends time and time again.