Grey Gardens, The Movie Fashions: The Best Costumes For The Day

Little Edie Beale was famous for her creativity with scarves, bathing suits, and skirts. (Today’s LA Times says if she were alive today she’d be a stylist.) Check out how faithfully HBO recreated her looks.

Constructing turbans out of fabric and brooches was Edie’s signature.

The costume designer on the film took great pains to exactly replicate some of Edie’s outfits. (More on that, here.)

But even before she lost her hair, she was into hoods and hats.

She probably got this from her mother.

Even her younger brothers enjoyed ladies hats.

But that’s probably because the parties that Mrs. Beale threw at Grey Gardens while Mr. Beale was working weren’t confined by gender roles.

Or heterosexuality.

Speaking of coming out, Little Edie debuted in this dress.

The purpose of her debutante ball was to start the search for a husband. But Little Edie didn’t ever want to get married. She said, “All I want in life is a dance partner.”

Ultimately, her only dance partner would be her mother.

Way back when, her mother had a music partner: Mr. Gould. But Little Edie insisted that he didn’t “satisfy her sexually.” He was gay, so she was probably right.

Before she moved back to Grey Gardens, Little Edie spent a few years in New York City, modeling and trying to make it as an actress.

It would depress her when she was forced to return to East Hampton.

But she never let that reflect in her garments.

Big Edie, however, took to muumuus.

Little Edie thought she was the cat’s pajamas in this.

Cats’ poop, however, is not as fashionable.

After her mother died, Little Edie finally got to realize her dream of having a night club act.