Jean Seberg: 10 pictures that prove she was the ultimate style hero

It must pain the French that our understanding of enviable French girl style comes in part thanks to an American actress and a British singer. Jean Seberg, pioneer of the gamine pixie aesthetic, and Jane Birkin, who masterminded a laid-back Parisian bohemia, together cultivated a nonchalant look that has been emulated by millions.

Less is known about Seberg than Birkin, but in 2020, the tragic life of the Iowa-born actress has received the attention it deserved with a dedicated biopic, in which Kristen Stewart plays the starring role, now streaming on Amazon Prime. Seberg first found fame in Jean-Luc Godard's iconic film Breathless, which cemented her role as the face of French New Wave cinema. A few years later, she became disenchanted with the film world, and became involved with the Black Panther Party in the US. Once the FBI got wind of her support of the Black Panthers, they began a successful campaign in intimidating and harassing Seberg, culminating in the creation of a fake news story which was instrumental in the actress' eventual breakdown. The widely-publicised article claimed that she was pregnant not with her husband's child, but the baby of a member of the Black Panthers. Due to stress, Seberg went into early labour and the baby girl died two days later.

Nine years after the death of her child, Seberg took her own life. A champion of social justice, Seberg was far more than a style hero - and yet, what she wore is a projection of her modernity and free-thinking nature. Her signature was, of course, her boyish pixie crop, teamed with slouchy Breton tops, cigarette pants and ballet pumps. She loved oversized shirts, chunky knit jumpers and Peter Pan collars. And who could forget the Herald Tribune logo T-shirt she wore as Jean-Paul Belmondo’s sidekick in Breathless. Here, we celebrate some of her most inspiring looks.