Spotted: actress Audrey Tautou shooting a movie scene in downtown Bordeaux

Despite the heavy sun, men wear "gavroches" (newsboy caps)
and women wear cloche hats

Last friday, as I was wandering in the streets of Bordeaux looking for new street style subjects, I had the luck to come across a filming. The crew was shooting a scene of Thérèse Desqueyroux, an adaptation of French writer François Mauriac’s novel. The main actors were Audrey Tautou and Gilles Lellouche. The real scene happened place in Pey Berland Square in Bordeaux where the crew was shooting the last scene of the novel supposed to take place at Café de la Paix in Paris. For the occasion, the whole cast was wearing outfits from the mid 20’s, retrospectively called the roaring twenties since the economic crash that happened right after marked the beginning of a different period. The 20’s were also the golden age of fashion designers (Chanel, Poiret, Lanvin…). This filming will then give us the opportunity to have a look on the typical style of that key-decade in fashion history.

The cloche-hat (“cloche” meaning “bell” in French) was a symbole of elegance during the roaring 20’s. As its name implies, the cloche hat is shaped like a bell and was worn pushed down onto one’s head, covering the forehead in order to bring the gaze on the face and especially the eyes. It is always decorated with a headband, flowers or feathers.

   

Audrey Tautou, smiling between two takes

Thérèse Desqueyroux, Claude Miller
Slate 144, Scene 5, Take 3

Bernard and Thérèse Desqueyroux having their last argument

In her previous life, actress Audrey Tautou probably lived in France in the 20’s. Indeed, as she already played the part of Coco Chanel and as she is the face of the perfume Chanel n°5, she seems to be epitomizing the style of that decade which key words are chic, elegance and modernity (for that time)

It is first because she can pull off boyish short haircuts really well like the bob, typical of that period. Also because she embodies the chic à la française that is natural to her but which I believe was also given to her by the movie Amélie Poulain, since it is one of the most famous French movie among foreigners. Eventually because the figure of the 20’s is characterized by slimness and Audrey Tautou is slim.

Gendarmes uniforms with officer boots and belt for the waist

Extras

Women at that time wore suits. The skirt is often pleated and goes down to the knees since women start showing their legs a little. They also wear straped shoes with or without heels.

Besides, downtown Bordeaux is the perfect place to recreate scenes supposed to take place during the beginning of the 20^th century since its historical architecture has been preserved: buildings made of stone from the 18^th century, squares, fountains… The city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. We will have the occasion to talk about it in following posts.

Absolute B.