Marilyn Monroe’s Outfits – The Power of Being Fashionably Beautiful

Marilyn Monroe was a movie star famous for her roles as pin-up models, blonde bombshells and bubbly characters. Undeniably she was one of the most fashionably influential Hollywood women to aspire to in the ’50s and ’60s. Even in 1999, almost forty years after her death, she was named the sixth greatest female star of all time on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years, 100 Stars list.

Blonde, just out on Netflix, gives us a great deal of background on her unstable parents, especially her mum, who in the film tries to kill her.

The Beauty Foster Child

Monroe spent most of her childhood in foster homes and an orphanage, and married for the first time at the age of sixteen. This makes perfect sense considering her childhood. The simple reason is that she wanted to be loved and accepted. We all know that throughout her lifetime she sadly never found it, because tragically her love relationships were only skin deep. It was her beauty that became her success and her tragedy at the same time. As part of the war effort in 1944 she met a photographer and began a successful pin-up modelling career.

Fascination

What is it about “the” Monroe style that fascinates us so much? Her film success during the 1950s was a clear message to all other women that Marilyn Monroe’s look was the trend to follow. She fascinated the masses with her sensuous, glamorous good looks and her classic movie star appeal.

She was the blonde bombshell on the red carpet. Her style has been copied all over the world. Her plunging neckline outfits were her beauty mark. She was the pop of Manhattan.

Beauty Versus A Sound Mind

Monroe’s troubled private life received much attention. She struggled with addiction, depression and anxiety. She had two highly publicised marriages. The sad truth about her mental state was there for all to see. Understandably, after a childhood in foster care, it was never healed. The simple reason is that it was her natural beauty we aspired to. But as mentally stable women we should learn that the industry, after all, sought her for its own financial gain.

Mental health

Being famous can have harsh consequences. The possibility that Monroe had accidentally overdosed was ruled out, as the dosages found in her body were several times over the lethal limit. Her doctors and psychiatrists stated that she had been prone to “severe fears and frequent depressions” with “abrupt and unpredictable” mood changes, and had overdosed several times in the past, possibly intentionally. Due to these facts and the lack of any indication of foul play, her death was classified as a probable suicide.

White Dress

That famous white dress was the epic 1950s advert for glam. She loved to perform in front of troops. She looked fabulous in any pencil skirt and shirt. She loved to wear a sweater with plenty of diamonds. She always wore red lipstick, which was her signature style.

Many of her showgirl outfits were all about the jewellery, worn with cream and beige. When performing she loved to flirt with white fur stoles. She rocked denim too, and with a white shirt it looked very American.

Gorgeous in The Seven Year Itch

Her platinum blonde locks, red lips and sexy aura reflect the chic and feminine fashion image that we ladies still admire. The white halter dress she wore became an instant fashion symbol, and it just so happened to hug her curves in all the right places. Her dramatic eyelashes and high-arched brows created a signature look all of her own, which she is still recognised for. It is both classic and unique, and will forever be identified as “the” Monroe style.

Her clothes were often tight-fitting, daring and revealing in more ways than one. Her track record for playing the typical ditzy blonde, paired with an overload of sex appeal, is what catapulted her to international sex symbol status. No matter who you are, don’t be afraid to take a bit of her flair and turn it into a fabulous Marilyn-inspired outfit.

Sexual Abuse

Marilyn was sexually and physically abused, hence the mental health issues. She was taken advantage of by men, which sadly is what Hollywood was about. Women in those days were sexually exploited, and rumours say Hollywood still has that dark side to it. Then there is the rumoured Kennedy affair. There is still a lot of mystery around her.