Finding Marilyn Monroe

This is supposed to be a get-the-look post, specifically how to get the look of Marilyn Monroe. However, emulating the enigmatic icon without devolving into mockery (think Vegas impersonator) could never be easy. There will always be only one Marilyn.

My suggestion is to find the part of her look that works for you, whether it is the elegant drape of her dress, the simple palate of colors, or the blond curls.

This week, the members of the Vintage Fashion Guild have shown some of their glamorous Marilyn-style vintage clothing in the fashion parade. Of the many breathtaking items, these are a few:

50s-60s black fringed dress from magsrags, 50s Foster Grant sunglasses from Proper Vintage Clothing, 50s royal blue draped dress from Miss Martys Vintage, 50s Ceil Chapman pale taupe silk gown from Poppy's Vintage Clothing, 50s Roxanne swim/play suit from Damn Good Vintage, 50s black satin 2-piece halter dress from Viva Vintage Clothing, 60s rhinestone bracelet from Aarayln's Velvet Dragonfly, and black suede high heel pumps by Valentine from JoulesVintage

I'm showing some unused 1950s shorts and also unused—amazingly—is a black Travilla dress. I have a gold tissue lamé Hardy Amies dress. All remind me of Marilyn, but the connection to Travilla is especially close, as he was the designer of a number of the most iconic outfits Marilyn wore for her movies, including that white halter dress over the subway grate. You know the one.

All among my eBay offerings this week

Whatever part of Marilyn you find, I hope it makes you feel wonderful.

I am not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful. —Marilyn Monroe

Happy Birthday Marilyn

“No one ever told me I was pretty when I was a little girl. All little girls should be told they're pretty, even if they aren't.

“The truth is I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn't argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn't.”

“It's better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone - so far.”

“To put it bluntly, I seem to have a whole superstructure with no foundation. But I'm working on the foundation.”

“It's often just enough to be with someone. I don't need to touch them. Not even talk. A feeling passes between you both. You're not alone.”

“Dogs never bite me. Just humans.”

“Men are so willing to respect anything that bores them.”

“I want to grow old without facelifts... I want to have the courage to be loyal to the face I've made. Sometimes I think it would be easier to avoid old age, to die young, but then you'd never complete your life, would you? You'd never wholly know you.”

“I knew I belonged to the public and to the world, not because I was talented or even beautiful, but because I had never belonged to anything or anyone else.”

“I've never dropped anyone I believed in.”

“I restore myself when I'm alone.”

“I am not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful.”