‘Jane Birkin’s Got What It Takes’—Vogue Said So in 1966. Here, Her Best Looks From the Magazine

Sad news was delivered yesterday: Jane Birkin, the beloved actor, songstress, mother, style icon—and Vogue cover girl—had died. An eternal It girl, Birkin first appeared in the magazine in 1966, not long after its then editor, Diana Vreeland, had declared a youthquake.

Then married to the composer John Barry, Birkin sat for Norman Parkinson at Osterley Park, a neoclassical manse, looking every inch an ingenue in a babydoll dress, all legs and bow-tied hair. In the same shoot she gave a groovy geometric Sassoon wig a twirl.

When Birkin appeared on the cover of the January 1, 1970, issue—announcing the year and, effectively, the decade—she was in a guise that is more familiar to us. Here was Birkin, bohemian and liberated. “Jane’s the kind of girl who likes to find an adventure waiting each morning when she wakes up,” the magazine would later write. “She loves to bounce out and do things, whizz off and see people, roll up her shirt sleeves and run….” That sparkling energy never faded. Here’s how it was documented in the pages of Vogue.

Two best bets for 1970—Jane Birkin, the young English movie luv. And the superstar knit in a luvly new colour—the bloom of violet for the Chemise Lacoste, by David Crystal. Of double-knitted Dacron. Calderon belt…. A best bet for hair on the track of shine and bounce like Jane’s: Great Body, Clairol’s master hair-builder…. And Clairol’s winning thing on the mouth: Call-a-Copper lipstick.

Jane Birkin’s Got What It Takes—London Snap, Paris Dash
Guess who’s put the snap-dash in November air this time: Jane Birkin. Greeny-blue eyes clear as the sparkle on a perfect day, shiny brown hair polished as chestnuts. She’s got half a dozen films just behind her, one out only a month called May Morning, another—with Serge Gainsbourg—in mid shoot. And plenty of fashion time to enjoy all this London snap and Paris dash—for a good four pages and lots of brisk days ahead. That’s Jane, left, with the newest pet in London—a python weskit: more about that, next page. Here comes Jane flapped, tabbed, and belted in suede grey as wood smoke over pale grey jersey pants—ambling down an allée in the hedge-lined Parc de Saint Cloud. Turnout by Mic Mac. There goes Jane, right, kicking up quite a lot of fringe—tier upon tier of russet suede whirling out and about laced tunic, knee-long pants. By Ossie Clark. Boots, this page, by François Villon.

Jane Birkin’s Got What It Takes—Weskit, Tunic, Pants
Jane’s nice new pet python—the one you caught briefly a page ago—gives its all to weskit, a snaky long brown silk jersey dress; the sleeves wriggle down to each wrist, the skirt falls in bias folds. Turnout by Jean Muir. Jane, centre left, in great beige, black, and red checquered kerchiefs floating over a veil-of-chiffon tunic and red-flowered black crepe pants. By Ossie Clark; Celia Birtwell print. Gripoix sautoirs spill over Jane’s own charms and chains. Francois Villon shoes. Great local colour, left—Jane in a flap-yoked jersey tunic shirt green as the Chantilly woods; the pants jacquarding down each leg take turns at mossy green, violet, pale grey. By Mic Mac. Maxandre belt.

Jane Birkin, Serge Gainsbourg | More Dash Than Cash—The Long Leggy Midis at Mini Prices
Jane Birkin—the girl with the cat-green eyes and swishing hair. Young and happy…his year’s girl. Laughing it up here with her best beau, Serge Gainsbourg. Both of them white-hot stars, hitting first in Europe, blazing now on college campuses across the country with their super first album, Je T’Aime, written by Serge, and their movies—Slogan, Cannabis. Jane’s next picture, sans Serge, The Movement …. On these six pages, she’s moving and grooving the kind of free and easy fashion that all modern girls adore—all at adorable little prices…. $89 wraps it up, left, and just look at Jane and Serge rapping together, tied up in a tug-of-war—Jane’s midi skirt is forest-green matte jersey slit open to show her long legs. With a deep-red jersey wraparound top and red jersey wrapping Serge. All: Maxime de La Falaise for Blousecraft. Of rayon (Style Trends fabric). Capezio boots. $40 buys an Empire for Jane B, below: a soft black jersey midi, all décolletage with a little tie on the bosom. Of acrylic jersey. 499-Division of Kloss-Pruzan. Necklace by Danecraft. Battani patent boots. Jane’s coiffures, these six pages, by Franklyn Welsh.

Jane Birkin, Serge Gainsbourg | More Dash Than Cash—The Midi Cardigans Over Knickers and Pants
$88 to nab the niftiest knickers, left: a little hem-holding from Serge while Jane wears the pants—camel-coloured mid-calf knickers tucked into snakeskin boots and ready to kick up a storm under a matching midi cardigan. Maxime de La Falaise for Blousecraft. Wool, nylon, and Angora (Tussah Fabric). Michael Danyon choker. Capezio boots. $82 walks off with the pants, right, and a terrific cardigan to go with them—Jane lets its swing free and clear to show some bare midriff in between; Serge backs her up. Both in brown matte jersey. Maxime de La Falaise for Blousecraft. Of rayon (Style Trends fabric). Sandals by Bernardo. Braided belt by Elegant.

Jane Birkin, Serge Gainsbourg | More Dash Than Cash—The Leg-Baring Midis
$60 knitted up into the longest, slinkiest cardigan ever, far left: brown knit with buttons all the way to the ankles—Jane wears it mostly unbuttoned and bares a lot of leg with a little help from Serge. Maxime de La Falaise for Blousecraft. Of wool, nylon, and Angora (Tussah Fabric). Long Lucite pendant by Thomas Bobbins. $68 puts together a look to grab onto, left, and Serge grabs on. Midriff-baring green knit top and a kicksy green knit midi tied up in leather and unbuttoned from the thigh down. Maxime de La Falaise for Blousecraft. Wool, nylon, and Angora (Tussah Fabric). Belt by Elegant. Capezio boots. $50 for the kind of midi Jane loves, above: side-slit so she can poke a leg through and clingy-soft. In amber-coloured matte rayon jersey. Maxime de La Falaise for Blousecraft (Style Trends fabric). Thomas Robbins pendant.

The Great American Shirt Life: Jane Birkin Lives It Up Here and on the Next Six Pages
Jane’s the kind of girl who likes to find an adventure waiting each morning when she wakes up. She loves to bounce out and do things, whizz off and see people, roll up her shirt-sleeves and run—to the beach, to the store, to make a movie… her latest, Romance of a Horse Thief with Yul Brynner and Serge Gainsbourg, has kept her on the run for months in Yugoslavia. Back in Paris, Jane lets down her shirt sleeves for evening, along with all that thick long brown hair. And she’s completely at home in her own flat or anyone else’s; here, it’s the apartment of a terrific young decorator, François Catroux, and his dashing blond wife Betty…. Jane lives it up in a white voile shirt, far left, that’s just one sheer beautiful plunge, wrapped with a corselet of Goya-red satin over a swirl of black skirt. Shirt by Kay Busgang for Alice Stuart, in Dacron and cotton. Corselet by Helene MacGregor for The Chelsea Cobbler. When you let down your shirt sleeves, near left, really make a point of it—like the crisp, clean white cuffs on this white-striped white tunic shirt Jane is wearing with white lace legs. Sibley-Coffee cotton shirt; Seltzer Diamond fabric. Tights: Bonnie Doon.

The Shirt Life With Shorts, Knickers…and Jane Birkin
Take an Edwardian swell’s shirt and tie, this page, white-on-white stripes with a hairline of terra-cotta—strap it with studded leather, wrap it with a taupe poplin cape over matching shorts…you’ve a look that’s ready to roll, today, tomorrow, any day. Cotton shirt from the Custom Shop. Cotton cape and shorts by Luba for Elite. Junior sizes. Belt: Elegant. Watch: Sheffield. Cape, about $80; shorts, about $24. Shoulderbag, wristwatch, grommetted belt—they’re all part of the strapping shirt look, left: chamois shantung safari-shirt and fawn suède knickers. Lady Arrow shirt; Qiana nylon (Rosewood fabric). Celia Sebiri bag at Henri Bendel. Watch: Jacques Ferré Design for Simonelle. Belt by Elegant. Joanna Rubens for El Greco knickers.

The Shirt Life With Jumpshorts, Necktie…and Jane Birkin
Shine in your shirt-sleeves, shine in your shorts, left—it’s all one and the same with this sleek little navy jump you belt down under a wide-open skirt. Button-down-front jersey jump-shorts by Weber, of Qiana nylon (Webco Mills). Belt by Garay. Khaki wool skirt by Cacharel. The striped shirt right off his back, right—it’s the freshest thing you can put on yours; wear it wrapped with its own giant tie, strapped with leather at the waist. Shirt, from the Custom Shop, in burgundy-and-white cotton stripes. Belt by D’Naz.

The Shirt Life With Britches, Shorts…and Jane Birkin
This navy knit undershirt, right, is out on top for some of your dashiest looks—with little print britches and white lace legs is the way we see it for evening. Shirt by Gregory, of Qiana nylon (Webco Mills fabric). Watches: Seiko, Universal Geneve. Elegant belt…. There’s a nifty, shiny kind of sleek about the hooded dinner shirt Jane’s in, top right: she wears it seductively open and wrapped—with a big gleaming buckle and black right down to her toes. Shirt by Florence Alper for Contessa Monique, of Qiana nylon (Webco Mills fabric). Belt by MiShelly Creations for Bonwit Teller. This page: Belle-Sharmeer tights; Rayne shoes…. Short shorts, long legs, far right, and a really fast plunge, almost to the waist—you can hardly wait for night to come so you can be your most adorable in it, just like Jane. Shirt and shorts by Matson, in Qiana nylon (Webco Mills fabric). Hector Jorge choker. D’Naz belt.