Twiggy, known for her elfin face and big blue eyes, made a bold move when she chose a pixie hairstyle, creating a unique look that has been copied for decades.
Although Twiggy changed the fashion industry with her youthful style, she recently shared that she never actually wanted the androgynous buzzcut that became her signature look in the Swinging Sixties. She was just too shy to say no to a famous hairstylist at a fancy salon.
As she celebrates her 74th birthday on September 19, let’s take a trip back to the 1960s when Twiggy first introduced the baby doll styles we still love today!
In 1966, Twiggy, born Lesley Hornby in Britain, was seeking a trendy new look to kickstart her modeling career. At only 5-foot-6, she was considered too short to make it in the competitive fashion world.
Reflecting on her upcoming 74th birthday, the former supermodel recalled getting her shoulder-length hair styled for test photos at London’s House of Leonard. There, she met the famous British stylist Leonard Lewis, known professionally as Leonard of Mayfair.
Lewis was searching for models to try his new crop haircut, and Twiggy was the perfect fit.
In a recent guest appearance on Jessie Ware’s podcast, “Table Manners,” Twiggy, the former style icon, revealed that she never wanted to have her hair cut short.
“I went in to have it shampooed and set, and Leonard saw me. He said, ‘Let me try my new haircut on you,’” Twiggy told Ware during the podcast. “I’d been growing my hair, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if I wanted it cut. But I was in this very fancy salon in Mayfair and felt too shy to say no, so I just nodded.”
The next day, Twiggy went back to the salon and sat in Leonard’s chair, preparing herself for the change.
“I was there for seven hours. He cut it, then I went out, had it colored, and came back for more cutting. It was crazy,” she said with a laugh.
Although the androgynous look wasn’t what Twiggy was aiming for, she quickly understood why Leonard was a famous stylist.
After Leonard perfected Twiggy’s short blonde haircut, British photographer Barry Lategan took her pictures.
“Leonard put one of the photos up in the salon, and a journalist from the Daily Express named Deirdre McSharry saw it while getting her hair done,” Twiggy explained. “That’s how it all started. When that haircut and photo happened, it was a pivotal moment for me.”
The pixie cut made her large blue eyes stand out, and she emphasized them with mascara on her lower eyelashes.
In a chat with Vogue, Twiggy shared the inspiration behind her famous eye makeup: “I was always experimenting with makeup at home. I had a rag doll with spiky eyelashes, so I bought false eyelashes and created my own unique look.”
Twiggy, the former supermodel, shared that when she was young, she liked to rebel a bit. On weekends, she would wear makeup and miniskirts to Saturday night mod clubs with her friends, even though her school was very strict.
“I went to a grammar school where we wore uniforms, and makeup wasn’t allowed,” Twiggy said. “So on weekends, my friends and I would play with makeup like most teenage girls.” This is how her unique makeup style developed, especially her iconic eye look.
A few weeks after the photoshoot for the Daily Express, some now-famous black-and-white pictures of Twiggy appeared in the paper with the headline “Twiggy—The Face of ’66.” This launched her modeling career.
The next month, Twiggy did her first shoot for Vogue, and her life quickly became very busy. She became a major figure in mod fashion and inspired many women. While still a teenager, she even became the first celebrity to have a Mattel Barbie doll modeled after her.
Over the next few years, Twiggy became closely associated with the famous British designer Mary Quant. Mary Quant changed fashion with short skirts, giving women the freedom to show their legs.
After a few years of modeling, Twiggy retired in 1970 and started acting in movies and on stage, as well as singing.
Twiggy starred in several movies, including “The Boy Friend” in 1971, a role that won her two Golden Globes, and “Club Paradise” in 1986, where she acted alongside Robin Williams.
She also judged on “America’s Next Top Model” and created a fashion line for Marks & Spencer. She appeared in many of the brand’s billboard ads.
In 2011, Twiggy released an album called “Romantically Yours,” which features cover songs like “Blue Moon,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” and “Right Here Waiting.” Her daughter, Carly Lawson, born in 1978, sang on some of the tracks.
Still active in the fashion world, the beautiful Twiggy was an ambassador for L’Oreal and works with other brands as a designer.
These days, the famous Twiggy is busy with her own podcast called “Tea with Twiggy.” Each week, she talks with her famous friends in a relaxed and personal way.
Despite all her success, Twiggy, one of the most well-known faces of her time, says her greatest achievement is her relationship with her amazing daughter.
Twiggy’s daughter, Carly, lost her father, actor Michael Witney, when she was just five years old. He passed away during Carly’s fifth birthday celebration. After that, Carly was raised by her mom, Twiggy, and Twiggy’s second husband, Leigh Lawson, whom she married in 1988.
“Family is my number one priority,” said Twiggy, who is also a grandmother. “It always has been, even when Carly was little. If something didn’t work for Carly, I didn’t do it. We went everywhere together, and that’s why we’re so close now. The other day, Carly said, ‘I can’t remember a time when you weren’t there, Mum,’ and that’s because I was always there. Even when I traveled, she came with me.”
Many women envy Twiggy for how well she pulled off that pixie cut in the 1960s! She looked gorgeous then and still looks amazing now.
What do you remember about the Swinging Sixties? What’s the most daring hairstyle you’ve ever tried?
Share your stories and let’s show Twiggy some love on her birthday!
If you enjoyed reading about how Twiggy’s style has evolved, check out how Catherine Deneuve looks today. She also had her big break in the 1960s.
Veteran actress Kathy Bates diagnosed with a serious chronic health condition
Actress Kathy Bates been a mainstay in TV and movies for a long time. Having played big roles, she is just as scary in real life as she is on television.
The actress was diagnosed with a chronic illness, which required her to make some rather major changes.
In 1970, Kathy Bates relocated to New York in order to further her acting career. She recalls how, even though she was never very smart, she managed to make things work. “I was never an ingenue,” she asserts. “My entire career, I’ve solely played supporting roles. I was always thought to be too ugly, which was a big problem for me when I was younger. According to Bates, it was difficult because there wasn’t much work and you had to accept how other people perceived you.
Her broadway career truly took off when she played Stella May in Come Back To The Five And Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean in 1980. The actress was not given the opportunity to have a few roles that she portrayed converted for the big screen. She did, however, become well-known almost immediately after turning 42 thanks to her Academy Award–winning performance as a crazy fan in Misery.
Regarding the kinds of roles she was given, she stated, “You’re either young and glamorous and you’re going to get the lead, or it’s the opposite: you’re not attractive enough.” Therefore, you’re playing a buddy, a killer, a lesbian, a physician, or anything else,” she said. But the individual who gets to play the gorgeous, successful, and young role is not in a position of authority. On the other hand, a character might be strong without being a woman.
After starting to direct episodes, she went on to do so for TV series including Homicide: Life on the Street, NYPD Blue, Oz, and the hugely successful Six Feet Under.
The actress has experienced some personal health-related difficulties. She was diagnosed with cancer twice in her lifetime, in 2003 and 2012. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003.
Following her breast cancer surgery, actress Kathy Bates started discussing her diagnosis of lymphedema. She is the spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network.
She disclosed that she had lost eighty pounds over the course of the preceding few years. The actress had to wear compression sleeves to keep her arms from swelling. Her disease tends to flare up without them, so she makes sure to wear them whether she is flying or doing physically hard job.
“I have more confidence in my ability to live with LE if I can stop rushing, relax my shoulders, straighten my spine, breathe deeply, and focus on each little moment of completing a task,” the actress said. To control the illness, she has to continually remind herself to take it slow. It was the epidemic that forced me to slow down.
She advises everyone who is ill to continue living their life in spite of it. “When people aren’t aware about LE, going out in public while wearing a compression garment can occasionally be more painful than the illness itself,” the actress said. However, a sedentary lifestyle and prolonged confinement to your home can only make your physical and mental health issues worse.
She stressed the significance of allowing your condition not define who you are, something she actively works to do.
She is making sure to advocate for more money to support organizations that work to raise public awareness of lymphedema and for more research to be done on the condition.
Despite her diagnosis, actress Kathy Bates keeps working on projects she loves since it is her passion!
The actor is a master at living her illness-related life to the fullest, not merely surviving it.
Inform others about this post to motivate them to fight lymphedema.
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