A Love Letter To The Original Cool Girl: Eve Babitz
Eve Babitz was a Los Angeles native who put party girl hedonism on the map with her writing. This seventies California it-girl’s legacy is still massively felt today, with the feelings and free-flowing lifestyle and emotions described in her writing still affecting modern-day aesthetics, fashion, and feelings.
Her first published book, Eve’s Hollywood, told her experience of growing up in sunny Los Angeles, documenting her surroundings in a vivid way that caught the attention of writers and publishers alike. Slow Days, Fast Company (the perfect summer read, in my opinion) reads like a love letter to California and the places and people she encounters there.
She documents tales of past lovers and places in California where she found love. She describes the sensual rush of dancing the tango and the rich taste of decadent foods, openly expressing the full joy that intimacy and food have to offer our souls and senses.
These raw and racy documentations of gorgeous hedonism are draped in a gorgeous glow of suntanned skin, laughter, and the blue of a summer sky.
It was undoubtedly her enigmatic presence that allowed her to become so influential in the world of writing as well as fashion.
In many pictures of her, including her arguably most famous photo in which she plays this chess game in the nude against opponent Marcel Duchamp, her dark hair can be found in a shag. Exceedingly similar hairstyles came back in fashion in 2021, nicknamed the “wolf cut” by the online community, and were seen on our favorite modern-day cool girls such as Orion Carloto.
On her cover of Eve’s Hollywood, she dons a black bra and a light-colored feather boa draped over her neck and open arms, flamboyantly wonderful in its flair and exuberance, portraying her individuality and lust for life. The silhouette of this rich fabric draped around her feels similar to the glowing popularity of coats with fur detailing, whether that be a full fur coat or a coat with fur trim on the hood. These outer garments paired with a little black going-out top have become undoubtedly popular this winter, and the free-spirited richness of this silhouette mirrors Babitz.
From her sunglasses to the modern cut of her clothing, Babitz was a pioneer of her time and ours as well. She was not a confined, clean girl nor a groupie. She found her own encapsulation of the party scene at the time while staying true to the artistic spirit that blessed us with her writings. She defied the expectations placed upon her, rejecting the notion that she had to maintain a put-together image to be respected as a writer.
Her invention of sparkling duality and sentimental partying bred the invention of the cool girl aesthetic that so many of us worship and strive towards today. Her effect is woven through our modern-day perception of Los Angeles, writing, art, food, and fashion. In each hair snip that makes a shag, each delectable bite, each pair of sunglasses reflecting the sun, every feather left on the floor of a party, every pen on paper, she can be found, delivering us with the endless joy that life, writing, and fashion has to offer us.
Strike Out,
Alara Ataman
Boca Raton
Alara Ataman is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine. An avid fan of fashion, this Pisces can be found scrolling through Depop or elbows deep in a thrift store looking for the perfect piece. If you can’t find her doing this, you may find her browsing numerous cafes in her endless quest for the perfect iced coffee. You can reach her at @leopard_fawn on most social media platforms.
