Gina Gershon & Jennifer Tilly – Bound (1996)

Bound is a 1996 crime thriller best remembered for the lesbian romance between Violet and Corky, played by Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon respectively. And hey, there’s no shame in that! They’re both gorgeous and totally committed to those roles. But I’ve watched this movie at least a dozen times, and there are two things that draw me back:

1. this movie really is thrilling–I’m always on the end of my seat when Caesar brings out those bolt cutters, even though I know what’s gonna happen–and
2. these two women play total badasses. Badasses with style.

Let’s get in to the inspiration!

I love the contrasting makeup styles they came up with: strong mattes with rich reds and purples for Violet, subtly dewy nudes for Corky. I’m also a huge fan of any woman who can rock an A-shirt; it’s a look I mimic, but not very well.

Violet’s nails are so unfair. 🙁 As are the cool leather jackets. I prefer to purchase and “recycle” pre-owned leather from thrift stores and consignment shops, but I’ve yet to find anything as cool as Corky’s jacket in the top right image.

Violet’s short, simple dresses are a huge source of inspiration for me. Notice how her accessories are always minimal: just a simple wrist-watch in both of he top left images. I think if you’re going to wear something short-and-tight, keeping everything else simple is necessary to avoid looking “trashy.” Compare that to Corky, who wears multiple hoop earrings along with her loose cargo pants.

Gratuitous shot of Violet’s vanity on the top right!