It's been half a century since one of history's ultimate fashionistas walked the Earth. August 5 marks 50 years since Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her bedroom at her Brentwood, Calif., home.
Despite the passage of all those years, Monroe's mark on the fashion industry is indelible, as an icon of femininity and sexuality and as a fashion visionary who propelled virtually unknown designers to fame.
She brought body-conscious designs to the forefront of fashion, a feat in an era of Peter Pan collars, matching gloves, handbags and propriety.
Perhaps one of Monroe's greatest contributions to fashion and beauty was how she embraced her curvy, seductive figure.
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“She had a huge impact on women's fashion,” said Ashley Bellet, professor of costume design at Oklahoma City University. “She really kind of made it OK to be sexually attractive. I think that, especially in costume
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The book is a compendium of spectacular photos, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and trivia about the starlet, who will live in infamy in the hearts of fashion enthusiasts and professionals.
‘Marilyn in Fashion'
In “Marilyn in Fashion,” the authors explore Monroe's favorite designers, including those she discovered on her own and those who dressed her in films. With chapters covering the individual designers who were lucky enough to dress Monroe, the book is a must-have for student designers and Monroe fans alike. Though some facts about Monroe's life are disputed by some sources, the authors do well at describing Monroe's career trajectory and family background.
From humble beginnings, the girl born Norma Jeane Mortenson was baptized Norma Jeane Baker. In high school, she dropped the E from her middle name and lost her last name altogether. It wasn't until her career had begun that she became known as Marilyn
In the article, “The Fashion Industry: Free to Be an Individual” by Hanna Berry, Berry discusses how for decades women have been told to use certain products and that if they used those products they would be beautiful. Women over the years have believed this idea and would purchase items that promised to make them prettier, thinner, smarter and even more loved. However, in reality it was never what they wore on their bodies that helped them be any of those things; but what it did help with was to empower women to become fearless and bold by what they chose to wear on their bodies as a form of expression.
Working at her father’s clothing shop, she became very knowledgeable about expensive textiles and embellishments, which were captured in her works later in career. She was able to capture the beauty and lavishness of fabrics in portraits of aristocratic women.
Today we can see items of clothing that are commonly worn that have grown out of this initial innovation of freeing a woman’s body. This can be seen in clothing from the Spring 2017 New York Fashion week (see Figure 2), as the model’s bodies are freed by the more minimal use of material. The lowering of necklines and the increase in skin shown in haute couture over the decades is owed to Art Deco fashion and is symbolic of the rise of women’s rights over the years, as the physical discomfort and restrictions that the tight corsets of previous eras could be considered of women’s place in society. The new style being a stance against the oppression. It dictates that a persons own comfort and style is to the upmost importance, not to contort one’s body into something it is not meant to. Today it is shown in loose and cropped pants, shorts, low necklines, cropped tops, and various other clothing that reveals skin that was once covered. Art Deco fashion is also seen today through “chic garçonne” ideal that emerged out of early feminism that made women want to do the same things that men could, and so adopted smoking, sport, an interest in vehicles, a flirty sense of
She showed the world that models no longer were just a pretty face but also shrewd businesswomen with enterprises of their own. Twiggy paved the way for the top models of today, and will always be remembered. Her body matched Diana Vreeland's description of the perfect contemporary woman: "the straightest legs, knees like little peaches, tiny narrow supple feet, rounded arms, and beautiful wrists and throat. She was both modern and romantic. She was perfect." (Vogue).
Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jean Mortenson on August 1, 1926. Her mother was emotionally unstable, Marilyn soon given up for adoption. At age 16 she married and later married and divorced 3 times after. Her career took off around the year 1944 and by the year 1949 she began posing nude for calendars. Monroe placed under the care of her physician Dr. Ralph Greenson whom she also had affairs with placed under care of him
The death of Marilyn Monroe is one of the most famous, unsolved murders of all time. Her death certificate claims that on the night of August 4th, 1962 Marilyn Monroe killed herself from a drug overdose in her home in Los Angeles, California. Although some might say that the drug overdose is the only possible reason of her passing, other might say that theories such as the CIA killed Marilyn Monroe makes more sense. For example, Marilyn Monroe was allegedly having an affair with both John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy. The most common theory supports the idea that “the Kennedys killed her (or had her killed) because they feared she would make public their love affairs and other government secrets she was gathering” (History.com
As the stock market booms and society prospers, women’s fashion undergoes drastic change during the 1920’s. The hems of skirts and dresses rise to newer, more promiscuous level. The traditional long hair, supposedly the crowning glory of a women, is cut shoulder-length or shorter. Defined waistlines are lost, giving way to a shapeless and loose fitting style of clothing. Manufacturing of cosmetics emerges during this decade, and a variety of products become popular among women. The famous Gabrielle Chanel, more commonly known as “Coco Chanel,” introduces her renowned perform in the late 1920s (Yarwood 139). Peggy Whitley, dean at Lone Star College, sums up the newfound cosmetic craze in her American Cultural article: “Powder, lipstick, rouge, eyebrow pencil, eye shadow, colored nails. They had it all!” Associated with the distinct new styles of the era, the iconic “flapper girl” is born. This term is often used for women who donned the edgy style of the time, particularly with a defiant and independent outlook on life. Outside the exciting and rebellious life of the flapper girl, everyday clothing also experiences significant change. Relaxed sport’s attire bec...
Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her bedroom from a possible overdose on August 5, 1962. Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jean Mortenson in Los Angeles on June 1, 1926. When she was younger; her mom was emotionally unstable and was frequently confined to an asylum, so Marilyn was reared by a succession
Marilyn Monroe (Monroe) was an image of fashion and beauty in the 20th century. Overcoming a traumatic childhood to become one of the most confident women. Making bold provocative, but, fashionable statements about how women should be confident about their own body image. Without the help of others, she would not have become the person she is known as today. Marilyn Monroe, a famous actress, who has influenced the rest of the world.
Many of her concepts were influenced by sportswear and men’s clothing which evolved into a practical effortless style for women. Chanel had a unique way of working. She preferred to work directly on her models rather than sketching. She stood up for what she believed in and paved the way for women in today’s society. She rebelled against the norm of what society wanted women to look
Think about the obstacles of a woman to become successful in the 1950s. I want to find an answer whether it was the media, which created Monroe’s sexy image or Monroe, whom herself used her sexy image to become famous. I am going to study the background of the time period, and learn if the current events such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Cold War, had any impact on Monroe's life, or whether Monroe herself had any influences politics in mid-20th century. I will also explore on how Monroe’s image influenced and redefined the feminism in the 21st century. I believe Marilyn Monroe was a clever, confident, and independent woman who was very brave and smart. Her spirit is what the girls in the new century needed. I also would like to study why Marilyn Monroe is still relevant and even famous in the 21st century to show the power of female charisma.
Diana Vreeland. "Diana Vreeland Memos: The Vogue Years.” Vreeland, Alexander. 14 October, 2013. 11 March, 2014. www.dianavreeland.com. Web.
Paul Poiret was born on April 20th, 1879 in Paris, France. His contributions to twentieth-century fashion has earned him the title in many people’s eyes as the “King of Fashion”, because he established the principle of modern dress and created the blueprint of the modern fashion industry. Poiret’s designs and ideas led the direction of modern design history. He was born into a working class family and his natural charisma eventually gained him entry into some of the most exclusive ateliers of the Belle Époque. Jacques Doucet, one of the capital’s most prominent couturiers, hired him after seeing promising sketches he had sold to other dressmakers. Furthermore, he was hired by the House of Worth and was put to work to create less glamorous and more practical, simple items because his out of the ordinary designs were not welcomed in open arms by opulent clientele. Despite this experience he was still confident in his ideas and ventured out on his own with money barrowed from his parents and opened a storefront. Moreover, he wanted to promote of the concept of a "total lifestyle” was seen as the first couturier to merge fashion with interior design. His independent work broke the normal conventions of dressmaking, and overturned their underlying presumptions. He liberated the woman’s body from the petticoat and the corset to allow clothing to follow woman’s natural form. Poiret also radically revolutionized dressmaking to switch from the emphasis surrounding the skills of tailoring towards those based on the skills of draping and began to use bright colors. Furthermore, Poiret was apart of the art deco movement, which was surrounded by a period of immense social upheaval, particularly for women, and emergence of technol...
middle of paper ... ... It also analyzed the influences of modern dresses. As Palmer and Clark (2005) mentioned earlier, both decades are the classic era in fashion history.
Clothing has been around for thousands of years; almost as long as the modern human has. At first, it served the practical purpose of protection from the elements; but, as life for early humans stopped being a constant struggle to survive, they started noticing how they looked and the concept of fashion began to take shape. These first few garments were typically dyed draped cloth that was pinned at the shoulder and/or waist. This was seen in many ancient civilizations around the world, Greek and Roman the most notable. Over time, clothing began to get more and more complex and formed to the body’s shape, eventually leading up to the tailored style we now have today. However, the sophisticated world of Haute Couture; or high fashion, can distinctly trace its roots to Paris during the mid-19th century. Clothing from there was thought to be superior to those from anywhere else, and women began to come from all over Europe just to buy dresses. This was probably due in part to one notable dressm...