When you think of Art House cinema style, you usually head straight for the French “Nouvelle Vague.” Godard muses like Anna Karina and Jean Seberg populate the popular imagination, giving us pixie cuts, round frame glasses and full calf-length skirts.

However, with TIFF’s “Fellini: Spectacular Obsessions” underway, we’d like to present another European art house gamine (and possibly our favourite Fellini woman ever), Giuletta Masina.

Known as the female Chaplin, Masina exudes an endearing fragility. Even when life never seems to go in her characters’ favour, Masina still maintained wide-eyed naievete and infectious optimism. With two of our favourite Fellini movies being La Strada (The Road) and Le Notte di Cabiria (Nights of Cabiria)–here are six ways to add two of Masina’s most iconic characters (and looks) to your style arsenal.

1. Start with the eyes: On screen, Masina uses her gigantic doe eyes to really make us feel for her characters. Give your eyeliner a break and pile on the false lashes, as well as the mascara. Keep your eyeshadow soft, barely-there and natural. 

2. Be afraid to be only boring, not vulgar: Ok, so we totally paraphrased Diana Vreeland here, but especially in Le Notte di Cabiria, Masina’s character Cabiria tempers her innocence with a certain vulgarity. So why not wear that top that’s a little too “loud” or would get you yelled at by your mother? Pair it with a neutral or pastel skirt (or shorts!) to add just a touch of sweetness.

3. Wear a hat: Embrace Masina’s most famous role, Gelsomina in La Strada, by accessorizing with a bowler hat. Or if you’re looking for something a little more feminine, channel Cabiria’s slightly deranged-yet hopeful fragility by donning a super flowery pillbox hat.

4. Oversize your clothing: Again, look no further to Gelsomina for ways to embrace oversized, androgynous clothing. Whether it’s donning a mens’ button up shirt, belting those too-big trousers for a high-waisted paper bagged look, or adding a boxy blazer, playing with proportions will add some interest to your outfit.

5. Wear horizontal stripes: Both Cabiria and Gelsomina adore their horizontal stripes, and really, what’s not to love about this classic-yet-cool pattern? 

6. Embrace odd combinations:  In Cabiria, Masina pairs pencil skirts with sandals, socks and a fur jacket. In theory–heinous, in practice–super cool. It’s these kind of pairings that define personal style. Perhaps for you, those fashion don’ts can become fashion dos?

~ Natasha Hunt

Photos from http://blackcigarette.livejournal.com/1047480.html