Costume Sharing at 20th Century Fox

I was watching the film "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" (1952) today, when I noticed actress Hildegard Knef wearing the exact same dress Marilyn Monroe wears in some very iconic photos. I know that Marilyn was under contract at 20th Century Fox, so I looked up the movie I was watching and sure enough, it was a Fox film. I found this quite interesting, since I'd never noticed two classic starlets wearing the same dress before. I figured they would have had their own very specific wardrobes, which I'm sure they did for the most part. Was it because Marilyn wasn't a superstar yet in 1952? Or was it because Hildegard was so unknown? Anyways, I looked up some other Fox actresses, and I found another double! A promo shot of Susan Hayward wearing the same costume that again, Marilyn Monroe wears. But this time from the film, "Bus Stop". Has anyone noticed any other doubles? If so, let me know!

Glam up in 1950's Suit

I absolutely love vintage suits! They can be classy but glamorous at the same time. Here are a few pictures of some great 1950's suits. The first one is of Marilyn Monroe looking amazing in a green/blue suit. The next two are from 50's patterns, and the last one is a navy blue 50's suit that's for sale in my online store. Just remember to wear a hat to match!

1960's Fashion on Film - The Misfits

I watched this movie for the first time yesterday, and loved it. It's probably my favorite Marilyn Monroe film now. She's quite different from any other character she's played before, and I would say it's one of her finest performances. The movie has an incredible star studded cast including Clark Gable, Montgomery Cliff, Eli Wallach and Thelma Ritter, who all make this an amazing film to watch. Anyways, now I will get to the clothes! Marilyns wardrobe is fabulous. The movie was made in 1960, but released in 1961 so there are still 50's influences in the clothing. Taking place in the hot Nevada desert, Marilyn get's to show off some very western and casual style clothing. There's also a little 60's bikini that's only shown for a couple seconds. My favorites though are the gorgeous cherry print halter dress, and the fitted black sheath dress. I also love the veil she wears in her hair in the first picture.

The 1920's Bathing Suit

Personally I don't think that 1920's swimsuits are extremely flattering to the figure, but at the same time I think they're really cute! It's like wearing a long wool tank top - comfy until you get into the water, and then it becomes 10x as heavy! Above is a photo of Marilyn Monroe wearing a 1920's swimsuit while filming "Some Like It Hot".

Vintage Dress Deja Vu

I watched the movie "The Shining Hour" last night starring Joan Crawford. It was made in 1938. Near the beginning of the film she wears a dress that reminds me of the gold one Marilyn Monroe wears in the movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", which was made in 1953. I wonder if the dress designer was inspired by Joan's 1930's dress? I also just found out that Gentlement Prefer Blondes was actually first made as a silent film in 1928! I would love to see it! It stars Alice White and Ruth Taylor in the roles later played by Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe. Sadly the film was lost, but you can see from the photographs this movie had some great 1920's dresses!

Marilyn, is that you?

I think this is probably one of the cutest pictures I've ever seen of Marilyn Monroe! No make-up and looking absolutley adorable. I love how you can see the little pin curls poking out of her hair wrap.

Vintage Sunglasses

I LOVE 1950's sunglasses. I cannot say no to a pair of cat eye sunglasses ever! I posted pics of my lastest finds, as well as pics of Marilyn Monroe, Lana Turner & Ava Gardner all making sunglasses look good.

Bombshell 1950's Dress!

Wow, check out this 50's vintage dress I just got! I love how the chiffon is layered so has a puffy look to it. It must have been a prom gown, or worn for something very special! Unfortunately it's too big for me so I'll have to put it on my website. Hmm, who could I picture wearing this? Maybe Betty Grable or Marilyn Monroe in "How to Marry a Millionaire"? I wouldn't say Bacall, as her dresses seemed a little more conservative compared to the other two. But this is more of the glamorous girly look that they had, I love it!

Vintage Workout Wear

I started going to the gym again, and it's got me thinking. What did ladies used to wear while working out or playing sports? Say during the 40's or 50's. I know that "working out" wasn't what it is today, but it did exist. Marilyn Monroe used to lift weights, and Jean Harlow & Ginger Rogers were avid golf and tennis players. In the photos I found, it looks like the usual shorts & tops worked just fine. But wow, I wish I looked that cute while at the gym! These modern day lycra outfits just aren't the same. I do have some absolutely adorable 1940's shorts that I could wear, but I wouldn't wanna chance getting them all sweaty! Not to mention the weird looks I'd get! Haha, but I'm used to that wearing vintage clothing all the time. No pain, no gain:)

Vintage Makeup Style

Jean Harlow or Marilyn Monroe? Which vintage make-up style do you prefer? The 1930's thin eyebrows and rosebud lips? Or the 1950's full eyebrows and luscious lips?

Vintage Bathing Suit Score

I kid you not, I found the black Marilyn Monroe 1950's swimsuit pictured above. The only difference is that mine has a cute halter strap around the neck. My hairstylist sent me the tip last week. She was chatting with the owner of the vintage store beside her salon, when he mentioned he just got a bunch of 1950's bathing suits in. She knows about my obsession, so she called me right away and let me know. Of course I went there right away, and there it was! My dream vintage swimsuit is all mine now. Although I still want an animal print one like Connie Francis is wearing below.

What's Your Real Name?

It's interesting that so many classic Hollywood starlets changed their names when they got involved in film. Here are just a few examples of some of the beautiful ladies who were not satisfied with their birth names.

Stage name followed by real name:

Carole Lombard - Jane Peters

Joan Crawford - Lucille LaSueur

Rita Hayworth - Margarita Cansino

Lana Turner - Julia Turner

Marilyn Monroe - Norma Mortenson

Barbara Stanwyck - Ruby Stevens

Bette Davis - Ruth Davis

Veronica Lake - Constance Ockleman

Lauren Bacall - Betty Perske

Ginger Rogers - Virginia McMath

Carole Landis - Frances Ridste

I wonder how different their careers would have been if they had kept their original names...

Vintage Starlet of the Day

The lovely Adele Jergens. Wow, the dress she's wearing above is breathtaking.
Since I recently posted the picture (a few posts ago) from the 1948 film "Ladies of the Chorus", I thought I should feature Adele. She was the blonde in the middle. Adele was only 9 years older than Marilyn Monroe, but in that film she played Marilyns mother!
Some fun facts about Adele:
She started off as a burlesque dancer when she was just 14 years old!
She was named "Miss World's Fairest" at the 1939 World's Fair in New York.

In the 1950's she became a bit of a b-movie queen, starring in films such as "The Day the World Ended", "Runaway Daughters" and "Girls In Prison".

What Happens To Women Without Men? I LOVE b-movie posters!

To My Vintage Clothing Readers

I just wanted to thank all you beautiful ladies who take the time out to read this blog!

Unfortunately, none of my friends share my passion for vintage - so it's great that I can come on here and talk about my obsession!

Much love to you all,

Ang

PS - Can you spot Marilyn above?

PSS - I love the shoes.

Vintage Starlet of the Day

Marilyn Monroe of course. It's about time I put Marilyn in here. I could do a blog just featuring her clothes, or shoes for that matter. And the reason I chose this picture? Those platforms! Check them out.