Fashion

RIP Marilyn: A New Book Remembers Dressing Marilyn Monroe

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Pictured: Marilyn in costume on the set of “Somethings Gotta Give.”

Today, August 5th, is the anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s death.  Some of you may have seen the Marilyn festival of movies over the weekend on TCM.  Seeing her films reminded me again of her simple style and child like innocence before the cameras.  She was a fashion icon, with her Chanel No. 5 perfume, her pearls, capri pants, over sized sweaters, Pucci dresses and her beautiful handbags. The simple styles that Marilyn wore by designers such as Pucci, Ceil Chapman, JAX and Irene Lentz remain vibrant and stylish looking today, 50 to 60 years after she wore them. One of her favorite designers was William Travilla, the costume designer for many of her films including “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”  A new book by author Andrew Hansford, Dressing Marilyn: How a Hollywood Icon Was Styled by William Travilla,  tells the story of Marilyn’s relationship with the man she called simply “Billy.”   To William Travilla, Marilyn was a friend as well as a client, and he saw her as a friend not just a movie star.

Marilyn Monroe Somethings Gotta Give

Marilyn Monroe in a vintage print from the movie “Somethings Gotta Give.”

RIP dear Marilyn.

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Since 2008, Mary Hall has been the author of The Recessionista Blog, which is read by thousands of regular readers in over 160 countries. An internationally recognized expert on the art of the living the good life for less, she has been a commentator on local, national, and international radio and TV shows. Her advice has been featured in over 2,000 media outlets, including The New York Times, Reuters, Life & Style magazine, ABC News, NBC News and now The Huffington Post, among many others.