The Eccentric Edies.

I am a huge fan of Grey Gardens, a 1976 documentary cult film by Albert and David Maysles about Big and Little Edie Bouvier-Beale. The film documents the life of mother and daughter high-society dropouts, and the reclusive cousins of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy, living out their days in their dilapidated 28-room East Hampton mansion. It's a must-see for any fan of pop culture and style icons. The two Edies are living in decaying squalor among feral cats and wild raccoons, much to the dismay of their Hampton neighbors. They are argumentative, odd, but definitely endearing. Part of the joy of watching this film are Little Edie's infamous quotes and eccentric wardrobe changes. Or as she calls them, her 'costumes'.



We are introduced to Little Edie with this quote in her distinctive, upper-crust Bostonian accent: "This is the best thing to wear for today, you understand. Because I don't like women in skirts and the best thing is to wear pantyhose or some pants under a short skirt, I think. Then you have the pants under the skirt and then you can pull the stockings up over the pants underneath the skirt. And you can always take off the skirt and use it as a cape. So I think this is the best costume for today." Many a designer including Marc Jacobs and Todd Oldham have been inspired by Edie's best costumes for the day.

I find the entire film inspiring for the Edies' sense of rebellion, spunk and brilliant madness. I've just discovered there is now a NY musical based on Grey Gardens, so I was reminded to share this film with you. If you haven't seen Grey Gardens, put it on your Netflix queue. It's a colorful cult classic I think you'll find fascinating.