I re-watched Amelie a couple of nights ago, and fell in love with this gorgeous film all over again. Although I’ve seen it many times, I never fail to be touched by this French masterpiece. If you haven’t seen it, run out and rent it immediately. Don’t be put off by the fact that it’s subtitled, sometimes you have to break out of your comfort zone to experience something truly wonderful. The film weaves a tale of fantasy and fate, as Amelie, portrayed by Audrey Tatou, sets out on a quest to become a force of light and laugher in the lives of the people around her. She seeks to do good deeds, to awaken the spirits of others to the wonder of life. I believe that one of the reasons I was so drawn to Amelie in the first place was her love of small pleasures. I myself am a bit fan of cultivating a love of the little things in life. It’s those tiny details of the world that we adore, which seem insignificant to most other people, that have the power to pull us up when things aren’t going our way, or when we’re wallowing in despair. Amelie is like a love letter to the simple pleasures in life.

Another aspect of the film that hooks me every time I watch it it’s glorious aesthetic. Everything is filmed with a soft, glowing golden light, or a deep green wash which gives the film a slightly surreal look. Amelie’s personal style is as sweet and unique as the backdrop of the film.

Amelie is a portrait of effortless gamine style. She has a slightly girlish quality to her, emphasised by her pixie haircut, her huge eyes and her cheeky grin. Her clothing isn’t too fussy or elaborate, but pretty and simple. It’s a very easy style to emulate, and is perfect for days when you want to appear sweet, charming and a little bit impish.

The palette of Amelie’s wardrobe is rather dark. She tends not to wear pastels or bright colours. The two main colours that dominate her wardrobe are a deep ruby red and rich emerald green. The red and green tones of her clothing are occasionally broken up with brown or black, but these two jewel hues are the main building blocks of Amelie’s wardrobe. Her apartment is also decorated in shades of red and green. Amelie favours block colours in her outfits, but she does sometimes wear small floral prints.

Throughout the course of the film, I don’t believe you ever see Amelie in a pair of trousers. She favours skirts worn without stockings or tights. Amelie’s skirts are on the long side, and are usually hemmed somewhere between her knee and her calf.

Amelie seems to prefer separates to dresses. On top of her skirts, she wears tee-shirts or pretty blouses. She is usually seen wearing a sweet cardigan, with only a couple of the buttons fastened. She wears a lot of delicate Peter-Pan collars and crocheted trims. Her cardigans and jackets always have deep pockets, all the better for storing flat stones to skim on the canal.

When you spend your day working in a café, running about train stations and planning treasure hunts, it’s no good to be fussing with high heels. Amelie is always seen wearing a rather chunky pair of flat shoes with laces. They remind me of the low-topped Dr Martens that were popular in the 90’s. If you were copying this look at home creepers or brogues would work just as well. Amelie doesn’t wear stockings, but usually dons a pair of simple navy or green socks before lacing up her shoes.

Similarly, Amelie doesn’t wear a lot of makeup. Her look is very unfussy and rather girlish. Keep your base light, and use little more than a tinted moisturizer. Apply a light flush of blush to the apples of your cheeks and sweep a little brown mascara onto your lashes for a pretty, natural look.

One of Amelie’s most striking features is her hair. Her dark hair is cropped rather short, with a darling little fringe. She usually wears her hair loose, but she sometimes pins it up in a look that is reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. If you have long hair and you want to try this look, don’t fret. Simply pull your hair into a sweet ponytail or bun. Short hair isn’t essential to this look, but make sure that whatever style you do settle on is simple with a slight little-girl air to it.

Overall, Amelie’s style is very gamine and girlish, but her flat shoes and lack of fussy accessories lend a faintly tomboy-ish flavour. This is a great style to experiment with if you’re after something that will look cute and charming, without requiring too much effort or fussing in front of the mirror.