When you hear the term “fashion icon,” who do you think of? To this day, Marilyn Monroe remains the ultimate fashion icon in America, and quite possibly the world. Even though she has been dead for over half a century, the public remains absolutely fascinated by everything about this legendary actress, including her iconic wardrobe.
One reason for that fascination is that Monroe’s most famous looks were about more than looking good. As it turns out, there are secret meanings and crazy stories behind almost everything she ever wore. Just what are her best outfits, and what’s the truth behind them? Keep reading to find out!
A dress that led to divorce
Without a doubt, the most famous Marilyn Monroe outfit is the dress that she wore in The Seven Year Itch. Even if you’ve never seen the movie, you’re likely familiar with its most infamous moment: the one where Monroe walks over a New York City subway grate and has to hold down the dress to keep it from riding up any further. She’s laughing the whole time, and this image (with its uninhibited joy and undeniable sex appeal) became a pop culture phenomenon that has stood the test of time.
However, what most people don’t realize is that this killer dress may have led to Marilyn Monroe’s divorce. At the time, she was married to baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, and he reportedly thought the scene was a little too “exhibitionist.” Not only would millions of people ultimately see Monroe’s modesty very nearly exposed, but about 5,000 of her fans gathered to watch her shoot the scene.
DiMaggio was there at the time and ended up storming off the set. Rumors claim that he and Monroe had a huge fight over the matter, and since they divorced soon after, many think this dress is effectively what ended their marriage!
The dress that caused an international scandal
Aside from that aforementioned white dress, Marilyn Monroe’s other most famous outfit is the one that she wore for President John F. Kennedy. The dress in question was nude-colored, insanely close-fitting, and covered with 2,500 crystals. And the entire world saw her get on stage in 1962 to sing a certain song to sing “Happy Birthday” to JFK in the sultriest, sexiest voice that anyone could possibly imagine.
The dress alone caused a huge splash, especially because, at first glance, it looked like Monroe was actually nude. This, combined with just how saucy her singing was, led countless people to believe that she was actually having an affair with the most powerful person in the world. Just like that, Marilyn Monroe caused an international scandal by simply being too sexy for anyone to handle!
The dress that made women everywhere wear pink
The next Marlyn Monroe dress we’re going to focus on is the one you are least likely to recognize. However, it is the one that has arguably had the greatest cultural impact of all. What are we talking about? The tight pink dress that she wore in Niagara, of course!
Just a few months prior, Monroe had worn a different pink dress in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the film in which she memorably sang “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.” When she rocked pink again for Niagara, the public decided that this was simply her signature color. And because Monroe was such an icon, girls and women everywhere (including Queen Elizabeth herself!) began to wear this color. To this day, pink is the color that women are most closely associated with, and that’s entirely because of Monroe making the color look so good!
She even made a potato sack fashionable
Obviously, people loved (and still love) Marilyn Monroe for both her great beauty and her immense talents as an actor. However, the main reason people are still so obsessed with her is that she had a hilariously fiery personality, and she wasn’t afraid to get petty when it meant getting back at someone who offended her. The best example of this is a story that began when Monroe wore a sexy red dress to a Hollywood party.
Most people didn’t think anything of it…after all, this is Marilyn Monroe, and wearing hot outfits is kind of her thing! Reportedly, though, one reporter in attendance deemed that the dress looked “cheap and vulgar” before adding his final zinger: that she would have looked better if she simply wore a potato sack to the party!
In response, Monroe released pictures from a photoshoot in which she was simply wearing a potato sack. This helped send a message to the mouthy reporter that she could (and would!) look good wearing just about anything. Hilariously, Monroe even received praise from potato farmers, thanking her for the free publicity!