All About the Femme Fatale: History, Style Guide, and Closet Essentials
Elegance, glamor, and sharp wit. Who among us doesn't dream to embody these traits? And who among us does it better than the Femme Fatale?
History of the Femme Fatale
As with all fashion(especially vintage), it is important to understand the history before you decide to dress up.
The term “Femme Fatale” (translated “lethal woman”)originated in French literature in the 19th century. However, the classic Femme Fatale archetype as we know it made her first appearance in 1930s detective films. Often times, she would serve as the antagonist, a glamorously alluring manipulator clad in ball gowns and perfectly styled hair. She was one of the first female tropes in film that actually had her own motives, desires, and complexity instead of just serving as a side character. When first created, the Femme Fatale admittedly had a bit of a controversial history. The trope was used by many directors to create a negative social perception around intelligent, driven, and ultra feminine women (they were usually the villians in these films, after all).The “lethal woman” was occasionally used in American film noir as a warning to women at the time to not pursue their own ambitions because it would make them “vain.” However, plenty of other directors at the time took the trope and flipped it on its head to celebrate and humanize these intelligent characters. Films such as Gilda (1946) were created to show that these characters were often victims of their surroundings, and usually had a bigger heart than the protagonists that villainized them to begin with. Jessica Rabbit is another example of this, with her iconic phrase: “I'm not all bad, I'm just drawn that way.”
There has been plenty of debate in the past couple decades as to whether or not the “femme Fatale” is a negative trope. The only conclusion drawn is this: it entirely depends on the director. As a character, the Fatal Woman can either be used to discourage women, or it can be used to encourage women to bloom into independent human beings, living outside the home. It can be used, more favorably, to show that these women can have it all, and should not be villainized for having their own desires.
These days, the femme Fatale trope is being reclaimed, becoming a role model to women across the world. Recently, the “dark feminine” aesthetic has been trending everywhere online, celebrating all of the traits that the classic Femme Fatale has: intelligence, independence, and mystique.
Not to mention, the fashion sense of those 50s femme Fatales is absolutely top notch. Blood red lipstick, long satin gloves, and the most glamorous of gowns certainly leave an impression. When I was younger, I'd dream of being able to dress this way.
So, how can you embody that Femme Fatale energy in your day to day life? Realistically, most of us can't practically walk around in ballgowns all of the time, but that doesn't mean we can't embody the style.
Makeup & Hair
There are a few different makeup and hair looks that the Femme Fatale has sported over time, but there’s one look that most Fatales favor.
Brows:
Femme Fatales usually wear somewhat thin, arched eyebrows. You can use a fine tip eyebrow pencil to achieve this look. Benefit’s Precisely Brow is a solid choice. Start by using an eyebrow brush to brush the hairs up, and then to the side. Do this until you have achieved that arched look (you may have to trim/shape your brows, depending on their current look). Then, take your eyebrow pencil and create light, diagonal strokes to replicate brow hairs. For maximum hold, use a tinted brow gel. One pro tip is to use a clear hair pomade throughout the brows (I steal my boyfriend's pomade. It is most cost effective!). Be careful when you do this so as not to smudge the brow pencil.
Eyes
The eyes should be dark and smokey, creating an essence of mystery. Eyes are the windows to the soul, after all, and in order to achieve the femme Fatale look you should decorate them with a veil.
To begin, apply a brown shadow to the crease. The shadow should be matte, and relatively cool-toned. You can apply the show in short, circular motions, being careful not to over-blend (this can cause the shadow to become patchy). Next, you'll apply a highlight shade on your brow bone and inner corners.
To frame the eyes, use a black kohl eyeliner to smudge along the lash line, blending as neatly as you can. The end result should be a soft, dark blurred line on both the top and bottom lash line.
To finish, add mascara and apply some sultry lashes to the corners of your eyes. Optionally, you can also take a tip from Marilyn Monroe’s makeup artist and add a fake “shadow” underneath your lashes by smudging brown liner on the outer corner of your eye. This will make your lashes look extra thick and doe-like.
Lips
Lips should be a dark, vampy red. Femme Fatales often sport a satin finish for an elegant pout. Consider Elizabeth Arden’s “Rich Merlot” to recreate the look.
Start by outlining your lips in a slightly darker red. You can use a lip brush to achieve this, or you could also use a lip liner. It was quite common to outline the top lip in two points, sort of like an arch.
Next, apply your main lipstick. Back in the 40’s/50’s, you would apply a layer of lipstick, then blot with a tissue. Then, you would apply another layer of lipstick and repeat. Typically, most people would do this up to 3 layers in order to achieve a perfectly smooth lipstick application.
Blush:
Femme Fatales liked to keep their cheeks rosy and flushed. To do this, apply your blush (usually a baby pink shade, but adjust to your skin tone/preferences) directly to the apples of the cheeks.
Hair
Finally, for the hair! Most femme Fatales (Rita Hayworth’s Gilda comes to mind once again), the go-to look was fluffy 40s curls, as pictured below:
Image Courtesy Of:
Nicholas Andrew, Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Pinup Palmer on YouTube has a really excellent tutorial on these glamorous 40s curls.https://youtu.be/y7MTkjS6HX8?si=lGOxUZjAEBYLIMw1
She uses a curling iron in the tutorial, but if you would like a more authentic vintage method of curling your hair, Rachel Maksy has this gorgeous 40s brush out tutorial using foam rollers. https://youtu.be/GE85Pem4g44?si=KQWLfVfeENO0EWaU. They sell foam rollers at the Dollar Tree as well, so this method is more cost efficient!
If you REALLY want to step it up a notch, you can also consider getting the “horseshoe haircut” that was common in the 40s. The horseshoe cut is longer in the back and shorter in the front, creating a sort of U shape. This will help your wet-set curls flow more naturally.
Nails:
The nails are truly the cherry on top of this glamourous look.
Painting your nails the same shade as your lips was a tradition in the 40s/50s, so a deep cherry/blood red nail would be ideal. Keep them long and almond-shaped, as this will lengthen your hands and add a touch of elegance to the look.
Style
And the most quintessential part of the Femme Fatale look- her clothes.
Color Palette and Silhouette
To really nail the look, make sure to opt for deep jewel tones in your clothing. For your statement colors, dark purples and blood reds are a must-have as they add a layer of mystery to your appearance. For neutrals, opt for blacks, smokey grays, and white shades.
Next to color, the silhouette of your clothing is essential to this look. A femme fatale is always seductive, so opt for form fitting, shapely cuts.
Underwear
Every stylish person knows that the very first step to putting together a quality wardrobe is to get some quality undergarments. Ideally, you underwear will be fit true to size and be comfortable (most importantly). They will also flatter your body type and lay seamlessly underneath your clothes. Especially when it comes to the femme fatale look, having the right fit will be key to achieving the iconic silhouette.
To get an authentic look, you could opt for a “bullet bra” underneath your clothes. This will give you that bombshell silhouette. The bullet bra, aptly named due to its conical shape, was a common staple in the 40s and 50s. It was usually paired with a waist cincher, though that is an optional step.
Consider getting some nylon low-cut socks as well to wear underneath your heels. This will prevent blisters and ease general discomfort.
Tops:
Classy, elegant, but still flattering cuts are a go-to for the style. When shopping for tops, opt for these necklines:
Sweetheart
Square neck
Strapless Sweetheart
Plunge/V Neck
Wrap tops
As far as sleeves go, anything flowy and romantic is always a solid choice. 40s balloon sleeve blouses fit into this aesthetic nicely, and are most ideal for the current winter weather.
Bottoms:
The practical modern woman isn't likely to run around all day in a ballgowns, so having a couple of chic, simple bottoms is essential to ensuring you carry that femme fatale vibe with you daily.
Having a few pairs of cigarette pants will take you far, and they look amazing paired with any and all of the tops mentioned above. The high rise cut of cigarette pants will add that 40s vibe, while the cropped skinny pant leg will flatter most body types. You can achieve a similar look with high rise capri pants as well!
Also consider getting a few pencil skirts. Classy, sophisticated, and sensual, these skirts make an extremely versatile piece. Consider pairing them with balloon sleeve blouses for an extremely elegant look.
Outerwear
Wrap cardigans
Fit and flare trench coats
¾ sleeve 50s cardigans/boleros
Capelets
Accessories
Heels (could be kitten heels or stilettos)
Ballet flats w a heel (heels lengthen legs)
Plate/platter hats
Dark Cat eye sunglasses
Dainty necklaces + rings
Diamond/small jeweled chokers
Gloves
Once you have gotten a few of these basic staples, you will be all set to start playing around with the femme fatale style.
So, what do you think? Are you ready to reclaim the narrative in style? Ready to embody all of the bad bitch energy that is represented within the Femme Fatale? Hopefully this guide was able to give you some inspiration to try out a new look!
For more vintage content, make sure to follow my Instagram @aprils.vintage.muses . If you decide to try out this look, you can tag me there as well!
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