Image: Pinterest
When it comes to iconic dresses, we have one instant recollection of Marilyn Monroe—that image from The Seven Year Itch, of her holding down the white billowy skirt of her dress, which flutters up thanks to the wind from a subway grating underneath. It isn’t just one of Monroe’s best-remembered images, it’s also considered one of the 20th century’s most iconic. The ivory-coloured cocktail dress, designed by William Travilla, came with a halter bodice and plunging neckline, a fitted waistline with a self-belt and a pleated mid-calf skirt. It was auctioned off in 2011, for a whopping sum of more than $5.6 million! However, while the dress may shroud some of Monroe’s other fashion moments, she had plenty of them! Let’s take a look.
Image: The Guardian
In May 1962, Monroe caused a sensation when she breathily sang Happy Birthday Mr President to celebrate President John F Kennedy’s 45th birthday. If that wasn’t enough, she sang it in a sheer, flesh-coloured, form-fitting Jean-Louis gown, which had a 2,500 shimmering rhinestones sewn into it. Reportedly, the dress itself had to be sewn onto her, hugging every curve in her body, and she chose to wear nothing underneath it, to ensure a flawless fit. She paid around $1,440 for it at the time, but when it was auctioned off to the Ripley’s Hollywood Boulevard Museum in 2016, the dress fetched $4.8 million.
Image: A still from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, especially when worn with this William Travilla hot pink gown that he created for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It looks great in the film, but as far as fashion moments go, it was a fussier and frillier alternative to her otherwise sleek and classic look. Made from silk satin, it had gloves, a pink satin belt, and an oversized bow at the back. It was accessorised with tonnes of diamonds on loan from jeweller Harry Winston, and satin stiletto shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo. The dress and the song has achieved cult status since then, and has inspired pop-culture by way of numerous imitations, the most famous among them being Madonna’s Material Girl video.
Image: Pinterest
No one did glamorous gowns quite like Monroe. She could carry off shocking and classic pieces with equal elan. This white number, was actually meant to be a more subtle and sleek take on the pink gown from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which became a rage. The classic white colour and the strapless, fortm-fitting style came to be associated with her, especially since she wore the dress to three functions in 1953, including the premiere of Ethel Merman’s Call Me Madam. Accessorised with a white stole, Marilyn stole the show.
Image: Amazon
If you’ve got to play baseball, you may as well do it in style! Monroe was married to baseball sensation Joe DiMaggio briefly, but it wasn’t by chance. It was because of this photoshoot, where she posed at the White Sox training camp in Pasadena, showing off her baseball skills in shorts, a shirt, and in Marilyn style – high heels. Joe waited until after he retired, and then contacted the press agent who organised the shoot to set up a date!
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