Famous Actresses And The Iconic Outfits That Made Part Of Their Long-Lasting Legacy
While it's true that celebrities are guaranteed to wear some eye-catching gowns at their gala events, it's only in rare cases where those are really the outfits they're known for. Unless they wore something that shocked the world like Jennifer Lopez's green Versace dress, Björk's swan dress, or Lady Gaga's meat dress, it's likely to be forgotten by next year.
However, when an actress wears a particular outfit in a movie, that outfit becomes inspirational an iconic once the movie becomes beloved enough. Once an outfit is engrained in an actress's legacy, it's hard to imagine her wearing anything else.
Vivian Leigh - Gone With The Wind
Scarlett O'Hara famously made a dress out of a curtain in Gone With The Wind, but Carol Burnett achieved similar iconic status by parodying it with a more obviously curtain-based dress. The implication, it seemed, was that the green tasseled dress that resulted was a little too nice to be believably cut from a curtain.
And Burnett may have had a point, as Vivian Leigh inspired a lot of vibrant women's fashions with Scarlett O'Hara's wardrobe. Curtain-based as it may be, the dress's green and yellow color scheme comes together with its tasteful tassels.
Jennifer Grey - Dirty Dancing
Given Frances "Baby" Houseman's youth (especially compared to Johnny Castle as played by Patrick Swayze) in Dirty Dancing, it seems fitting that the dress she would wear during its most iconic scene would resemble a prom dress. It's a little more ornate than those tend to be, but the poofy skirt and the distinct shade of pink are clear hallmarks of that framing.
While her balancing spread eagle as Castle lifts her is the most enduring images of Dirty Dancing, her innocent joy as he surprises her with an elaborate dance sequence was accented by what she was wearing.
Audrey Hepburn - Breakfast At Tiffany's
Throughout her career, Audrey Hepburn stood out for making simple yet stylish outfits look like the most royally elegant clothes a person could wear. And it's hard to think of a role that fit her distinct style more than Holly Golightly in Breakfast At Tiffany's.
Although Hepburn is wearing one of the most expensive necklaces Tiffany's offered at the time in this photo, the rest of the ensemble's simple black scheme and its elegant cut achieved beauty, grace, class, and coolness all at once. It was one of the biggest ways Hepburn made black clothing fashionable.
Marilyn Monroe - The Seven Year Itch
Although Monroe's memories of this dress and the famous moment that saw its skirt blow upward as she stood over this subway grate likely weren't very happy — this moment led to a horrifying incident with then-husband Joe Dimaggio that left her bruised the next day — it's impossible to deny that it's inextricably linked to her legacy.
After all, when Monroe comes to mind for most people, the first thought likely captures her wearing this dress. Indeed, it and the moment that made it famous are likely even better known than the movie it's from, The Seven Year Itch. It may be one of her signature movies, but far more people can describe this moment than the plot.
Kate Winslet - Titanic
When she introduces her whirlwind beau Jack Dawson to her high-society peers, Rose DeWitt Bukater dons a stunning dress adorned with a decadent array of sparkling jewels that match the jewelry strewn throughout her head and neck. Considering how large Titanic still looms in the public consciousness, it's unlikely that Kate Winslet will ever wear anything quite so iconic.
However, the dress isn't just elegant and dazzling, it also informs her character. The stronger she becomes and the more explicitly she values her love and independence over the expectations of her station, the more waterlogged and torn that dress becomes. Her throwing the Heart of the Ocean into the sea isn't so surprising with that in mind.
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada
Choosing an iconic Miranda Priestly look from this movie is difficult, as her nature as an obsessively detail-oriented, micromanaging fashion magazine editor essentially necessitates her looking immaculate every time she walks into the office. At the same time, it's also fair to say that there's on look that comes to mind before the others when people picture her.
Whether it's due to the contrast with her hair or how well it fits the intimidating nature of her character, this thick, fluffy black overcoat tends to be the most common outfit to associate with the iconic Meryl Streep character.
Julia Roberts - Pretty Woman
Considering her profession before millionaire Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) hires her as an escort for a weekend, Vivian Ward's wardrobe is initially casual. Once she starts accompanying him to his high-society events, however, Julia Roberts is able to put on far more extravagant costumes.
And while others like the one she wears to the Kentucky Derby blend cuteness and class in an iconic, it's still hard to match how stunning this red dress is. From the vibrant red to the open-shoulder design, she's never caught the eye quite as much as she does here.
Elizabeth Taylor - Cleopatra
Although Elizabeth Taylor's fashions in Cleopatra aren't exactly achievable — as they require a lot more gold than most people can afford — that doesn't make them any less iconic. Indeed, Taylor's stunning beauty and piercing stare as Cleopatra is reputedly one of the most interesting things about the movie.
After all, it wasn't exactly a success upon release and it's had a mixed legacy at best in the decades since the movie has come out. Considering that the most significant fact about its production is that she started her passionate but volatile romance with Richard Burton on set, you'd think they'd have more chemistry on screen.
Judy Garland - The Wizard Of Oz
Although it's true that Judy Garland was dressing like a young girl of the movie's era to play Dorothy Gale in The Wizard Of Oz, it's also true that the exact way the costume department achieved that look has since become as iconic as it gets.
The coordination of the frilly blouse with the down-home overall dress makes her instantly recognizable in this role, and that's not even mentioning the famous ruby slippers. When a movie becomes timeless, so do its fashions, and Dorothy's outfit is probably even more appreciated now than it was at the time.
Emma Stone - La La Land
Despite its modern setting, La La Land is clearly devoted to and inspired by the aesthetics of Old Hollywood, which is shown in the choreography of its musical numbers and the soft-focus heartbreak of its plot, but especially in the main characters' clothes.
While this is true of Ryan Gosling's Sebastian as well, Emma Stone's Mia appears like a woman out of time in her wholesome, brightly beautiful yellow dress. That not only informs her character and her classical romance with Sebastian, but also makes her stand out and pop from each scene she wears it and similarly styled dresses in.
Fay Wray - King Kong
Although Fay Wray's dresses while she plays Ann Darrow over the course of King Kong are fairly simple, its flourishes can make it believable that Wray is playing a glamorous actress. At the same time, there's a reason why the elegance of her white dresses would be a little toned down for the movie.
For one thing, a brilliant array of colors would be lost on the viewers of a classic black-and-white film. For another, it's hard to imagine a costume designer throwing their soul into an elaborate wearable work of art knowing that a giant ape is about to rip it to shreds.
Jane Fonda - Barbarella
Not every iconic look is an elegant one. Sometimes, someone can make fashions that are racy and even ridiculous pop in such a way that people in future decades imitate them anyway. It's hard to think of a better example of this phenomenon than the strange 1968 movie Barbarella.
Clearly indebted to the cheesy B movies that came before it, Barbarella saw Fonda rock a series of outfits that straddled the unusual line between skimpy and elaborate. Whenever someone shows a lot of skin with a campy, pseudo-futuristic look, people have said they look like Barbarella for decades.
Catherine Zeta Jones - Chicago
While bobs certainly still look cute today, the way Catherine Zeta Jones incorporated it into her shimmering, ambitiously cut flapper dress with mesh gloves encapsulates everything that made these fashions so irresistible during the Jazz Age.
If anything, it may even look more ideal to our eyes than the actual styles of the time did, as there was always something striking and iconic about the aesthetics Bob Fosse demanded. An iconic time for fashion, seen through a later fashion icon's eyes, was always going to make a long-lasting impression.
Diane Keaton - Annie Hall
For decades, there have been no shortage of instances where famous women took what were traditionally considered men's fashions and made them look absolutely incredible. Their poise and confidence makes the aesthetic look even sharper and it often seems like a powerful thing to do.
Although she wasn't the first to incorporate those styles into her wardrobe, it's still hard to deny how influential Diane Keaton rocking this vest and tie in Annie Hall was. It's not just that these are traditionally men's clothes, but that they're intentionally left incomplete to craft a style that feels dapper yet comfortable.
Anne Hathaway - The Princess Diaries
The Princess Diaries was all about transforming a fairly awkward student named Mia Thermopolis into an image more befitting her sudden new royal status, which naturally included a lot of lessons in how to exhibit the required grace.
At the same time, her look was completely transformed, and the results gave the world this dress that at once looked appropriately elegant and not entirely removed from her more humble roots. The tiara is obviously key to her royal look, but the understated floral patterns also convey her more down-to-earth personality.
