Helena Bonham Carter Is an Eternal Source of Offbeat Style Inspiration

Over the course of nearly four decades on the screen, Helena Bonham Carter has embodied the eclectic and romantic qualities of British style. The star, who made her unforgettable debut in A Room With a View in 1985, is known for her powerful work in period pieces like The Wings of the Dove and The King’s Speech, both of which earned her Oscar nominations, as well as her edgy performance in Fight Club — and she’s always cut a distinctive figure on the red carpet.

In a sea of actresses wearing elegant gowns, Bonham Carter stands out with her gothic, layered looks, and she’s a captivatingly unique force both on and off the screen. Here are some of the reasons why we love her. 

Helena Bonham Carter embraces "weird women"

While some actresses might not want to be called weird, Helena Bonham Carter embraces it (she was married to Tim Burton after all). In an interview, the Harry Potter star said, “I love dressing up and playing weird women. It would be boring for me to try and look as beautiful as possible on screen.” 

Bonham Carter also said she loves playing women who are “ill” or “evil,” adding, “As an actress it's my job to be understanding towards women like that and to not be judgmental. Something about this madness attracts me."

She has a refreshing attitude toward aging

Conventional wisdom has always said that women should dress more conservatively and stop taking fashion risks as they age, but at 58, Bonham Carter refuses to follow those so-called rules, saying, “I’ve always been happy to wear things I like and not follow what’s in fashion,” regardless of how old she is.

As a young woman starring in stately British period pieces, Bonham Carter was often called an “English rose” — a term applied to youthful, innocent beauties — but over time she said, “That English rose had definitely wilted.” Rather than mourn her early days, she’s taken a positive view on aging, saying that over the years, “I’ve had more interesting parts. If you’ve played ingénues, beauty goes. Luckily I can always change myself.”

The Crown (she played Princess Margaret) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street actress has also gotten real about aging and sexuality, saying, “People are slightly frightened of older women . . . Women can be very powerful when they’re older. Why can’t we be sexually and romantically attractive just when our eggs are expired? Actually it’s much more fun because we’re so freed of the terror, there is no consequence, it’s all just for fun.” Can’t argue with that!

She doesn't let anyone tell her how to dress

Throughout her career, Bonham Carter has landed on both best and worst dressed lists. Her style may be divisive, but it’s always been totally her own. She said, “I just thought I‘d never look good in what everybody else wore. So there’s no point trying. You just have to do what suits you, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t look like everybody else. Be you. That’s our gift and we’ve got to celebrate that, but it does take ages.”

On the red carpet, Bonham Carter mixes vintage and designer pieces, piles on accessories and rocks silhouettes like tight corsets and voluminous skirts. She takes an unexpectedly humorous approach to dressing up, and has cited Alice in Wonderland as a style inspiration (fittingly, she played the Queen in the 2010 live-action adaptation). 

While Bonham Carter’s style may seem tricky to emulate, it’s simpler than you might think — all you have to do is wear whatever speaks to you, and not care what others may have to say about it.

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