60 Years Later and Marilyn Monroe's Style is Still Rocking the World

Marilyn Monroe passed away almost 60 years ago, but throughout all that time she continues to be the subject of heated discussions, she is still adored all around the world.

This year the actress is in the spotlight again: the name of the Hollywood icon appeared in the news headlines thanks to Kim Kardashian with social networks still debating whether she pulled off the iconic actress's "naked" dress. And because of the newly released biopic starring Ana de Armas. It would seem that her tragic biography, style, and the star's brilliant career in film should have been forgotten a long time ago. So why, over half a century later, we are still discussing everything about her, even her clothes? What is the Marilyn Monroe phenomenon?

The elements of her style

The main reason is that Marilyn simply had a very recognizable image. Еhis combination of elements have become one with the personality of the actress. Whoever tried on the platinum curls, the same red lipstick and tight silhouettes of dresses, we would know: this is a reference to the most famous blonde of the 20th century.

Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera and now Kim Kardashian at various times quoted her iconic looks, making it stay relevant all these years. And that's not to mention the various collections by fashion brands that contain references to the icon’s outfits — from prints with her portraits by Dolce & Gabbana and Dries Van Noten to "signature" silhouettes by Max Mara.

There's a story behind every image

Besides, Monroe's iconic looks became iconic because there was some compelling story behind each one of them. The white dress from the movie The Seven Year Itch is famous for the very scene where it flies up from the air flow, exposing the actress' legs (that scene even became the reason for her divorce from her then husband Joe DiMaggio).

The dress from John F. Kennedy's birthday party made history because of the alleged affair between the movie star and the president, and because it was actually the first "naked" outfit that did the job realistically.

Even simple blue jeans became a trademark of Monroe: she was one of the first Hollywood stars who wore them both on the screen and in life. It is said that thanks to Marilyn, Levi's thought about creating a female version of their bestseller — before that the jeans were only for men. All this turns ordinary things into artifacts, gives them meaning and life.

A personal view

She starred in many films, but the main "director" of her own life and her image had always been Monroe herself.

This applied to everything, even the smallest nuances of her public persona, which she carefully built brick by brick. Breath voice, seductive walk with swaying hips, her signature platinum blonde, red lipstick and even the world-famous name were not something she was born with, but worked hard to develop. They made Norma Jeane (real name of the star) the very Marilyn Monroe — the diva, the icon and the sex symbol.

The actress was no less attentive with her outfits: she would often come up with the idea for a particular dress, or she would make her own adjustments to the costumes made by other designers. For example, the idea of the iconic "naked" dress, according to designer Bob Mackey, who worked on the sketch, was entirely her own. The actress wanted to excite the public, "wake them up".

The same jeans from River of No Return the star adjusted to her figure by swimming in them in the sea, and then letting them dry in the scorching sun, so the baggy men's pants were a perfect fit for her.

Every outfit she wore was all Marilyn. They are inseparable from her and forever inscribed in fashion history because of her. No one can "appropriate" them now: we will always remember who came up with the original idea.