On July 11, the film world lost Hollywood’s greatest enigma, Shelley Duvall, aged 75.
Best known for her role as Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, the actress was a star of the Seventies and Eighties, widely celebrated for her penchant for eccentric, alluring characters.
That was before she disappeared from Hollywood altogether. The star took a twenty year long hiatus from public life, retreating to her hometown of Texas far from the Los Angeles lights.
Shelley’s break from the silver screen meant that her public fashion appearances were few and far between. Yet, that’s not to say the few we were treated to weren’t of note.
Before becoming a recluse, the actress made quite the sartorial impression. From nights spent under the Studio 54’s disco ball alongside famous friends to bohemian-glam photoshoots and off-duty New York outings, Shelley cultivated quite the style CV.
The actress’ highly distinctive facial features coupled with her quintessentially Seventies soft rock aesthetic cemented her as one of fashion’s most intriguing obscurities.
Speaking of her sister’s distinctive cool-girl look, Steward Duvall told the LA Times in 1991: “She was always changing her hair, her looks. She wore white go-go boots, a pageboy haircut in one period, tie-dye and flowing things in another. I heard she quit typing in high school to save her fingernails. And she wore huge false eyelashes; they looked like butterflies on her eyes.”
Her doe-eyed beauty even caused columnist Earl Wilson to coin her nickname “Texas Twiggy,” inspired by It-Brit supermodel Twiggy.
In addition to her natural beauty, the star’s impact on the fashion world should not go unnoticed. She modelled for American Vogue in 1971. She stepped into the shoes of the era’s most aesthetically-distinctive characters, from Jack Nicholson’s distressed on-screen wife to Suzanne in Brewster McCloud. She kickstarted 2024’s butter yellow trend forty years before it went mainstream, wearing sunny outfits in films from Annie Hall (1977) to 3 Women (1977). The definition of a short but sweet fashion career.
Even in 2023, Shelley’s legacy continued to grip fashion enthusiasts. Her voice became the unexpected soundtrack of Gen Z fashion clips across social media (“Hello, I’m Shelley Duvall”), with TikTokkers splicing the original sound from Faerie Tale Theatre, the children’s anthology television series which Duvall hosted, into their posts.
Discover Shelley Duvall’s most iconic fashion moment both on and off-screen as we look back on the mysterious star’s life and career.
The actress wore a red-cream striped tee and sported her signature lashes on the set of Brewster McCloud.
© WWDShelley opted for a longline knit dress during a Studio 54 party hosted by Halston in 1977.
One of the actress’ most iconic on-screen looks, the butter yellow backless dress from 3 Women.
The eccentric actress starred in Vogue’s 1971 March issue shot by Bert Stern.
© Michael Ochs ArchivesShelley’s doe-eyed look was her most distinctive aesthetic feature, especially when teamed with a perfectly trimmed bob.
© United ArchivesThe star was the epitome of Seventies style in a lemon yellow floral dress while filming Annie Hall in 1977.
© Keith BeatyThe Hollywood icon sported Princess Diana’s famous ‘Black Sheep’ knit in 1984.
The Shining, Shelley’s most notable work, saw the actress sport a series of wholesome gingham frocks and dungarees.
© Vinnie ZuffanteThe star tapped into true Eighties style wearing a short-sleeve grey suit in New York.
© Stanley Bielecki Movie CollectioThe star’s Twiggy-inspired lashes become one of her most adored features.
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