The Bouviers were born into high society, but they still liked to climb.

Jackie O. did it right. She snagged an ambitious young senator bred from bootlegging money; and followed him up with a Greek shipping magnate.

Her aunt Edith “Big Edie” Bouvier Beale and first cousin Edith “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale weren’t as fortunate. Big Edie married one of her father’s law partners, Phelan Beale, who later left her; she was also all but disinherited by her father. Little Edie, having made her escape to New York’s world of modeling and performance, was considered even more beautiful and charming than Jacqueline Bouvier. In 1952, she returned to the family estate, Grey Gardens, to take care of her mother. She never left.

In the early ’70s, documentary filmmakers Albert and David Maysles heard about the mother and daughter. Their mansion in the Hamptons had been visited by the health department, and the pair lived in squalor, unable to fix their home.

The Maysles’ film, “Grey Gardens,” was released in 1975 and became a cult hit; wacky Little Edie was credited with influencing fashion designers and fabulous people alike. (She continues to inspire magazine style spreads, including one as recently as last fall, in Bust magazine.) Big Edie was credited with, well, being a crazy cat lady.

The documentary — with its quotable lines and questionable fashion — is a good watch. The film also spawned a hit Broadway musical in 2007, which Indy theater company Buck Creek Players will present starting May 29. And HBO has made a version of the film, with actors Jessica Lange as Big Edie and Drew Barrymore as Little Edie, which airs April 18.

One thing you pick up from “Grey Gardens” is Little Edie’s ability to articulate her style.

“This is the best thing to wear for today, you understand. Because I don’t like women in skirts and the best thing is to wear pantyhose or some pants under a short skirt, I think,” she said. “Then you have the pants under the skirt and then you can pull the stockings up over the pants underneath the skirt. And you can always take off the skirt and use it as a cape. So I think this is the best costume for today.”

Paper dolls

Little Edie dressed herself with aplomb. We wanted to dress her too, and hive her some accessories, so we created a “Grey Gardens” paper doll set.

Click the link below to download the doll set and test your options:

Download the paper doll set

1. A ratty fur coat. For keeping warm in the Hamptons.

2. Jackie O.-style sunglasses. Big Edie: “Jackie was 12 years younger than I, and although I was never jealous of her, I never liked her. You know what Jackie wanted? She wanted the house. Yes, darling, that’s the truth, and she did everything she could to get it.”

3. A raccoon. To keep the cats company (Raccoon puppet, $20 from Mass Ave. Toys).

4. Corn. Cook it in a pan on a hot plate in your bedroom.

5. An American flag. For Little Edie’s majorette-style dances.

6. Cats. Little Edie: “My mother doesn’t believe in kitty litter. She prefers boxes and paper. And she’s the cat lover. So you can imagine how I suffer.”