Audrey Hepburn has been cited as the epitome of a gamine.

A gamine is a slim, often boyish, elegant young woman who is, or is perceived to be, mischievous or teasing.

The word gamine is a French word, the feminine form of gamin, originally meaning urchin, waif or playful, naughty child. It was used in English from about the mid-19th century (for example, by William Makepeace Thackeray in 1840 in one of his Parisian sketches), but in the 20th century, came to be applied in its more modern sense.

Lexicography

In 1997 the publisher HarperCollins drew up a list of 101 words – one a year – that defined the years 1896 to 1997.[1] Gamine was chosen for 1899, being described by Philip Howard in The Times as follows:

An elfish young woman. Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday was the archetypal, unforgettable, adorable gamine.[2]

Gamine has been used particularly of such women in the performing arts or world of fashion. In that context, the closest English word – of Anglo-Norman origin – is probably "waif" (although "gamine" is often seen as conveying an additional sense of style and chic). For example, in a press release of 1964, impresario Andrew Loog Oldham described the 17-year-old singer Marianne Faithfull as "shy, wistful, waif-like";[3] and writer and musician John Amis referred to German-born actress Luise Rainer (1910–2014) as Paul Muni's "waif-wife" in the 1937 film, The Good Earth.[4]

Gaminerie has sometimes been used in English with reference to the behaviour or characteristics of gamin(e)s.

In silent films

In the early 20th century, silent films brought to public attention a number of actresses who sported a gamine look. These included the Canadian-born Mary Pickford (1892–1979),[5] who became known as "America's Sweetheart" and, with her husband Douglas Fairbanks, was one of the founders of the film production company United Artists; Lillian Gish (1893–1993),[6] notably in Way Down East (1920); and Louise Brooks (1906–1985),[7] whose short bobbed hair, widely copied in the 1920s, came to be regarded as both a gamine and a "Bohemian" trait (this style having first appeared among the Paris demi-monde before World War I and among London art students during the war.[8]) In 1936, Charlie Chaplin cast his then-girlfriend Paulette Goddard (1910–1990) as an orphaned gamine (credited as "A Gamin") in one of his last silent films, Modern Times.[9]

Audrey Hepburn and gamines of the 1950s

In the 1950s "gamine" was applied notably to the style and appearance of the Belgian-born actress Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993): for example, in the films, Sabrina (1954) and Funny Face (1957). Hepburn also played the role of the gamine Gigi in New York (1951) in the play of that name, based on the novel (1945) by Colette, who had personally "talent-spotted" her when she was filming in Monte Carlo.[10] On film and in photographs, Hepburn's short hair and petite figure created a distinct and enduring "look", well defined by Don Macpherson,[11] who cited her "naïveté which did not rule out sophistication", and described her as "the first gamine to be accepted as overpoweringly chic".

Other film actresses of the period regarded as gamines included Leslie Caron (b. 1931),[12] who played the leading role in the 1958 musical film of Gigi; Jean Seberg (1938–1979),[13] best known in Bonjour Tristesse (1958) and Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless (1960); Shirley MacLaine (b. 1934),[14] in films like Some Came Running (1958), Hot Spell (1958), and The Apartment (1960); and Jean Simmons (1929–2010),[15] for example, in Angel Face (1953). The French singer Juliette Gréco (1927–2020),[16] who emerged from Bohemian Paris in the late 1940s to become an international star in the 1950s, also had gamine qualities.

1960s and beyond

Audrey Hepburn's most iconic "gamine" role, as the main character Holly Golightly, came in 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's. In many ways, the "gamine look" of the 1950s paved the way for the success of the following English models: Jean Shrimpton (b. 1942), one of the first to promote the miniskirt in 1965; Twiggy (b. Lesley Hornby, 1949),[17] who became "The Face of '66";[18] and Kate Moss (b. 1974),[19] associated in the 1990s with the "waif" look and what, notably through an advertising campaign for Calvin Klein in 1997, became known as "heroin chic." Moss was part of a trend of "wafer" thin models which was satirized in Neil Kerber's strip cartoon "Supermodels" in the magazine Private Eye.

Other gamines

Others who have been described as gamines include: Danish-French actress Anna Karina (1940–2019);[20] American actresses Edie Sedgwick (1943–1971),[21] Mia Farrow (b. 1945),[22] Liza Minnelli (b. 1946),[23] Sissy Spacek (b. 1949),[24] Jennifer Jason Leigh (b. 1962),[25] Calista Flockhart (b. 1964),[26] Bridget Fonda (b. 1964),[27] Mary Stuart Masterson (b. 1966),[28] Julia Roberts (b. 1967),[29] Winona Ryder (b. 1971),[30] Selma Blair (b. 1972),[31] Gwyneth Paltrow (b. 1972),[32] Michelle Williams (b. 1980),[33] Anne Hathaway (b. 1982),[34] and Rooney Mara (b. 1985);[35] English actresses Susannah York (1939–2011),[36] Rita Tushingham (b. 1942),[37] Helena Bonham Carter (b. 1966),[38] Tara FitzGerald (b. 1967),[39] Keira Knightley (b. 1985),[40] Carey Mulligan (b. 1985),[41] and Emma Watson (b. 1990);[42] Portuguese actress Maria de Medeiros (b. 1965);[43] French actresses Juliette Binoche (b. 1964),[44] Caroline Proust (b. 1967),[45] Vanessa Paradis (b. 1972),[46] and Audrey Tautou (b. 1976);[47] English-French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg (b. 1971);[48] Australian actress Mia Wasikowska (b. 1989);[49] Israeli-American actress Natalie Portman (b. 1981);[50] English-American actress Lily Collins (b. 1989);[51] Canadian model Linda Evangelista (b. 1965);[52] American models Tina Chow (1950–1992)[53] and Kristen McMenamy (b. 1964);[54] Welsh-French model Lucie de la Falaise (b. 1973);[55] Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia (b. 1975);[56] and American singer Cat Power (b. Chan Marshall, 1972).[57]

Penelope Chetwode (1910–1986), later Lady Betjeman, wife of the Poet Laureate, John Betjeman, was described by Betjeman's biographer A. N. Wilson as "gamine of feature, but large-breasted".[58] Corinne Bailey Rae alleged that she was called a gamine in her song, "Choux Pastry Heart" (2005).

In film

Among the notable gamine characters of film are: Gelsomina,[59] the street performer from La Strada (1954), played by Giulietta Masina (1921–1994); Bree Daniels,[60] the prostitute played by Jane Fonda (b. 1937) in Klute (1971) (whose hairstyle was sometimes referred to as the "Klute shag"); Nikita,[61] the titular punkish junkie in Luc Besson's 1990 film, played by Anne Parillaud (b. 1960); Amélie,[62] in the 2001 romantic comedy of that name, played by Audrey Tautou; and, most recently, Alice Cullen, the vampire played by Ashley Greene (b. 1987) in The Twilight Saga (2008).

Gamines share similarities with the modern, cinematic "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" stock character.

Literary quotations

In the modern romance The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon, one of the female characters is a 'gamine', wife of the Doctor Black, the surgeon of Ruth Patchett, the heroine of the story.

Notes

  1. ↑ See The Times, 3 November 1997
  2. ↑ The Times, 3 November 1997
  3. ↑ Faithfull – An Autobiography, 1994
  4. ↑ The Oldie, August 2006
  5. ↑ Zimmerman, Jean (17 January 2018). "'Girls In The Picture' Traces A Friendship In The Flickers". NPR. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  6. ↑ Kanfer, Stefan (28 June 2010). "When Words Go Lightly to Screen". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  7. ↑ MacDonell, Nancy (30 October 2007). In the Know: The Classic Guide to Being Cultured and Cool. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-4406-1976-2. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  8. ↑ Virginia Nicholson (2002) Among the Bohemians
  9. ↑ Wilmington, Michael (26 December 2003). "A restored, rousing 'Modern Times' as modern as ever". Chicage Tribune. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  10. ↑ Judith Thurman (1999) Secrets of the Flesh – A Life of Colette
  11. ↑ Stars of the Screen (Marks & Spencer, 1989)
  12. ↑ King, Susan (16 March 2017). "Gene Kelly's widow recalls magic of the film 'An American in Paris' as the stage version comes to SoCal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  13. ↑ Anniss, Elisa (9 March 2010). "A Classic in Stripes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  14. ↑ Bahr, Lindsey (10 March 2017). "Shirley MacLaine sets the record straight". The Morning Call. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  15. ↑ "That Was One Classy Dame". Glamour. 19 October 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  16. ↑ Piccalo, Gina (23 September 2020). "Juliette Greco, actress, singer and muse of postwar France, has died". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  17. ↑ Davis, Laura (31 October 2011). "They call me 'Twiggy'". The Independent. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  18. ↑ "The face of '66" BBC News
  19. ↑ Elser, Daniela (3 November 2019). "'I had a nervous breakdown': Sad truth behind iconic Kate Moss image". NZ Herald. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  20. ↑ Campbell, Mel (1 June 2013). Out of shape : debunking the myths about fashion sizing and fit. Affirm Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-92221-314-3. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  21. ↑ Cox, Rebecca (18 May 2016). "How To Dress Like: Edie Sedgwick". Grazia. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  22. ↑ Kelly, Marie (21 April 2018). "Style Icons According To Marie Kelly: Mia Farrow". IMAGE.ie. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  23. ↑ Smith, Liz (11 March 2011). "Liza still lively at 65". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  24. ↑ Kerridge, Jake (19 September 2013). "Stephen King: True compassion lies at the heart of horror". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  25. ↑ Lodge, David (2002). Consciousness & the Novel: Connected Essays. Harvard University Press. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-674-00949-3.
  26. ↑ Staff Writer (22 January 2001). "THE ACCIDENTAL STYLIST". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  27. ↑ Kael, Pauline (15 May 1991). 5001 Nights at the Movies. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-8050-1367-2. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  28. ↑ McEnroe, Colin (27 January 1992). "Casting About in a Sea of Same-named Actresses". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  29. ↑ Calder, Peter (29 June 2000). "Erin Brockovich". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  30. ↑ Traill-Nash, Glynis (1 April 2007). "Cream of the gamine crop". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  31. ↑ Lee, Chris (26 September 2004). "One of the tops in the trade". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  32. ↑ "Proof we always had a taste for celeb titbits". Daily Express. 17 April 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  33. ↑ Ginsberg, Merle (12 February 2012). "BAFTA Fashion: Michelle Williams Follows Chanel, Victoria Beckham, Valentino With H&M?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  34. ↑ Means, Sean P. (17 April 2017). "Monsters emerge from pain in inventive 'Colossal'". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  35. ↑ Lacey, Liam (16 December 2011). "The girl with the sudden cachet". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  36. ↑ Susannah York, the gentle star of 1960s cinema, dies after battle against cancer | Film | guardian.co.uk. Guardian. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.
  37. ↑ Hodgkinson, Will (15 June 2001). "Interview with Rita Tushingham". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  38. ↑ Rees, Jasper (23 October 2011). "MAYBE SHE CAN ACT, AFTER ALL". The Independent. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  39. ↑ Cooper, Neil (2 February 2004). "Valley of the doll's house Tara Fitzgerald flirts with her dangerous side as Nora in a vivid new version of Ibsen's play". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  40. ↑ Johnson, Brian D. (14 November 2005). "KEIRA THE CONQUEROR". Maclean's. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  41. ↑ Shone, Tom (15 April 2013). "Great Expectations: The Inimitable Carey Mulligan". Vogue. Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  42. ↑ Schulte-Hillen, Sophie (9 December 2015). "Emma Watson's Bouncy New Bob Is Our Midweek Beauty Inspiration". Vogue. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  43. ↑ Dunn, Megan (17 August 2021). Things I Learned at Art School. Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited. p. 107. ISBN 978-0-14-377486-0. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  44. ↑ Moore, Roger (17 September 2003). "JULIETTE BINOCHE ARRIVES HAPPY WITH 'JET LAG'". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  45. ↑ Detective chic. New Statesman. Retrieved on 2 January 2021.
  46. ↑ Thomas, Mathilde (2015). The French Beauty Solution: Time-tested Secrets to Look and Feel Beautiful Inside and Out. Penguin. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-59240-951-8.
  47. ↑ Susman, Gary (24 January 2005). "Audrey Tautou will join Hanks in Da Vinci". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  48. ↑ Merkin, Daphne (16 October 2005). "The Unfairest of Them All". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 August 2021.(subscription required)
  49. ↑ Mottram, James (30 August 2012). "Mia Wasikowska: A new Aussie movie queen". The Independent. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  50. ↑ Okwodu, Janelle (9 June 2021). "At 40, Natalie Portman Remains Hollywood's Vegan Fashion Queen". Vogue. Retrieved 25 August 2021.(subscription required)
  51. ↑ Embleton, Fiona (19 October 2019). "Lily Collins on her all-time favourite beauty products and why being different is cool". Marie Claire. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  52. ↑ Hochswender, Woody (12 November 1989). "The Ultimate Marketplace – The Models and the Glamour Trade". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  53. ↑ Sweet, Matthew (27 May 2015). "The Gamine". The Economist. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  54. ↑ Sajbel, Maureen (4 April 1993). "Style : Spring Beauty : The Latest on Looks : Making Waifs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  55. ↑ Hume, Marion (26 June 1993). "FASHION / He's not famous, he's my brother". The Independent. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  56. ↑ Jupp, Emily (3 September 2021). "Natalie Imbruglia: 'The 90s are back in. Have I just become vintage?'". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  57. ↑ Frere-Jones, Sasha (3 December 2007). "Wonder Woman". The New Yorker. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  58. ↑ A. N. Wilson (2006) Betjeman
  59. ↑ King, Loren (19 November 2020). "Fellini's Masterpiece 'La Strada' Shines in New Restoration". Newport This Week. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  60. ↑ Kirwin-Jones, Ellie (10 September 2020). "Jane Fonda details working with 'crush' Robert Redford 'Think I'd done something wrong'". Daily Express. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  61. ↑ White, Rosie (13 November 2007). "Violent Femmes: Women as Spies in Popular Culture". Routledge. ISBN 9781134198078. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  62. ↑ Kaltenbach, Chris (9 November 2001). "So sweet it might make you ill". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  • The dictionary definition of gamine at Wiktionary
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