Jane Birkin: "I'd Rather Be Dressed As A Man" (Slideshow)

**Scroll down for slideshow**

Jane Birkin, the woman, not the coveted Hermès bag, spoke to WWD about her new album and her signature tomboy style.

WWD: A V-neck sweater and jeans is your signature look. Do you have a wardrobe of ballgowns at home that you secretly like to dress up in?

J.B.: Not at all. My thing is cashmere jerseys. I'm always peeking in [my daughters'] collars to see where they've bought their cashmere from. I just did a TV show a couple of days ago with [opera singer] Roberto Ayala where we sang "Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'en Vais." I had to make a tiny bit of effort. I'd bought a secondhand YSL suit for a cocktail in Buenos Aires and wore it with stockings and high heels and a camisole from Sabbia Rosa, where I used to buy my lingerie when I was younger. People were amazed; they're so used to seeing me in jeans. Then I threw it all off and got changed. I couldn't wait to get my shoes off, and the skirt was too tight. I'd rather be dressed as a man, and Lou [Doillon] had found these baggy men's pants [by John Varvatos] for me in New York. As soon as I'm in boys' things I feel like I'm 12 again. I'll go on tour in a white shirt and waistcoat. Lou is my costume designer; she has all the good ideas.

• • • • • • • Jane Birkin and iconic French singer Serge Gainsbourg living the bohemian life in Paris, 1969

According to Wikipedia, this is how the Hermès bag came to be named after Birkin:

Hermès named and designed a handbag - the Birkin bag - for her in 1984 after the actress was seen in 1981 by the head of Hermès struggling with several bags while boarding an aeroplane. The Birkin bag has become one of Hermès' most popular and expensive handbags.

Visit Jane Birkin's website.

Comments

[kellygrrrl]

03:00 PM on 01/19/2009

Serge's head-body proportion is really odd

[Swerinjer4]

02:02 AM on 01/08/2009

while you're at it put a bag over you rhead.

[IntrepidReader]

03:20 PM on 01/06/2009

What would this website and its bloggers do without the word iconic? I see it describing everything from French singers to family Christmas cards. Why do I have the feeling some of these same people described everything as being "surreal" back in the 90s?

[mommadona]

08:50 PM on 01/05/2009

I don't know the woman, but she looks like a together person who's traveled the trail lightly.

[jukesgrrl]

08:22 PM on 01/05/2009

That's a look alright. Looks like she just rolled out of bed.

[Kenji]

08:17 PM on 01/06/2009

Got a problem with that?

[johnnygoodwud]

07:07 PM on 01/05/2009

teeth should be the color of your eyes, sort of an off white, not this porcelein white everyone is trying to achieve. whitining is a diluted acid, which will eventually wear the enamel off and make the teeth very sensitive.

[SwingingFromCenter]

03:15 PM on 01/05/2009

*Reads the headline*

Gee....there's a shock

*Rolls eyes*

[eva belle]

01:27 PM on 01/05/2009

Ok, who or what is this?

[vjoseph]

01:22 PM on 01/05/2009

Jane Birkin est une femme exceptionelle. Charlotte is also amazing

[johnnygoodwud]

10:43 AM on 01/05/2009

big difference between having a sense of style, (fashion), and wearing costumes. i see sarah palin was voted one of the best dressed for 08'. HA, has anyone seen her 'look' before the RNC hired a stylist? i believe true fashion compliments you, not the other way around. when you look at someone you should notice the person first, than their outfit.

[LolaP]

11:34 AM on 01/05/2009

palin on the best dressed list is ridiculous! whoever compiled that list is a nut. 150k might buy you a stylist, but it won't buy you style. major difference

[Teadye]

12:00 PM on 01/06/2009

A right wing nut job who dissed Gwyneth Paltrow for being "anti-American" (meaning a non-Republican I suppose?) but still liked her clothes. Phooey.

[smag]

01:45 PM on 01/05/2009

Get a life.

[Topfeeder]

10:37 AM on 01/05/2009

I believe even men would agree that womens' clothes are ridiculous.

[NoSillyName]

06:06 PM on 01/05/2009

Hey, some men like to wear women's clothing!!

[smag]

06:41 PM on 01/05/2009

Those are not men. They are .....well you know what they are.

[sophieozz]

10:29 AM on 01/05/2009

She remains gorgeous. I have always liked her style.

I'm tall and like the fit of men's clothes. They're also better made. I can go into a dollar discount store and snatch up men's shirts and pullovers for a song. Many are 100% cotton and often that's heavy cotton, not the flimsy stuff sold to women. Some are brand names.

[RoseBlue]

03:03 PM on 01/05/2009

That is so true. Also, women are totally ripped off in a host of other service industries... auto mechanics, hair salons, dry cleaners (dress shirts = $2.50, women's blouses = $3.00). Pathetic.

[NoSillyName]

06:00 PM on 01/05/2009

Remember the lyric to one of John Lennon's songs? "Woman is the N of the World"? Of course, he did not say "N", but his point was valid. We in the "civilized" world get ripped off in many ways, but look around to the condition of women in other cultures and cry.

[zizyphus]

09:50 AM on 01/05/2009

I agree totally. Traditional women's clothing is a weird costume, and miserable to wear. Just say no to uncomfortable clothes.

[LolaP]

09:43 AM on 01/05/2009

She's a cutie

[Tatiana]

11:05 AM on 01/05/2009

What? Did you see the pic?
Her teeth are yellowish/brown.

[LolaP]

11:28 AM on 01/05/2009

She's naturally gorgeous and charismatic. not everyone's into the hollywood look...

[norah s]

01:28 PM on 01/05/2009

Teeth are naturally cream colored. The white teeth we see in the U.S. are for the most part artificially induced. Dentists say that there is quite a range of color in teeth, from yellow to off-white. Ms. Birkin's teeth look great to me! I don't happen to find brilliant white teeth attractive - you can't help but notice the blinding white, but that doesn't necessarily make it pretty...