Last week, we covered beauty tips and routines from the six most distinguished starlets of the Old Hollywood era. Today, we’re taking style tips from the greatest of them all: Marilyn Monroe. More specifically, Marilyn Monroe in her role as the American showgirl Lorelei Lee in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
For those of you unfamiliar with the premise of GPB, let me fill you in on the specifics of Lorelei Lee: She really, really liked money. And jewelry. And… something else? No, wait, that was it.
Now, I ain’t saying she’s a gold digger…
Though Lorelei’s character depth could fill a single page of paper three times over and still have room to spare, one thing’s certain — that girl had style.
To help you recreate her effortless poise and next level diva walk, we’re equipping you with three fashion steps that are sure to get you in the right direction. Enjoy the bling, ladies!
Step 1: Muster up all the confidence you’ve got, and then some.
Part of what makes Marilyn Monroe’s performance as Lorelei Lee truly memorable is that she’s got confidence radiating from her very fingertips. Every word she says is filled with honesty, and she speaks with cool self-assurance.
Lorelei had the original a zero f’s given attitude.
Best of all is that Lorelei’s startling, whip-smart remarks don’t go unrewarded — they’re instant hits. Take, for instance, this exchange between Lorelei and her fiancee’s loaded father:
Esmond Senior: “Have you got the nerve to tell me you don’t want to marry my son for his money?”
Lorelei Lee: “It’s true.”
Esmond Senior: “Then what do you want to marry him for?”
Lorelei Lee: “I want to marry him for YOUR money.”
While we wouldn’t recommend being this blunt with your future father-in-law, the strongly felt sentiment behind it is, actually, inspiring. Girl speaks her mind, for better or worse, and she’s nothing if not realistic.
Step 2: Learn to apply makeup and style accessories like a pro.
Okay, so you don’t have a whole crew of professional makeup artists to fill in your brows or give you a false lower lip. So what?
With the advent and proliferation of Youtube tutorials and how-to articles, these days you don’t need outside help to look as gorgeous as Marilyn! All that’s necessary is a steady internet connection, a basic makeup bag, and some time on your hands.
These two videos will help you master the makeup trends of the early ’50s: “Historically Accurate: 1950s Makeup Tutorial” and “Marilyn Monroe – Iconic Make-up Look.”
As for styling tips straight from Hollywood or Marilyn’s personal makeup artist, read: “8 Beauty Secrets from Marilyn Monroe’s Makeup Artist,” “5 Fascinating Facts About Marilyn Monroe’s Beauty Routine,” and “The Best Old Hollywood Beauty Hacks.“
Or, if you’re the type who prefers hardback to anything online, we recommend you check out the book Your Beauty Mark: The Ultimate Guide to Eccentric Glamour. It’s currently rated 5 stars on Amazon, so you know it’s bound to be good (pun intended)!
Step 3: When in doubt, dazzle them with diamonds.
According to Lorelei and “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” a girl’s substitute for happiness can be found in any of the following stores: Tiffany’s, Cartier, Black Starr, Frost Gorham, or Harry Winston.
But since we (sadly) don’t have the budget to walk into Harry Winston and drop upwards of $1000, we recommend that you look at flashy costume jewelry that’s well within the $50 price range.
One of our favorite place to find statement necklaces is J.Crew, but you can also find great jewelry selections at Charming Charlie, Baublebar, Kohl’s, and Macy’s. See if you can style your new pseudo-diamonds à la showgirl Lorelei Lee!
Thoughts?
What do you think: Do gentlemen really prefer blondes? Are you a fan of Marilyn Monroe or other Old Hollywood stars? Is “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” one of your favorite songs? Comment below!