Marilyn’s Poses: Evolution and Inspiration                          

     In May 1950, Marilyn sits for this pleasingly natural portrait (by Earl Leaf) that is free of affectation. She was several months away from signing her second and lasting contract with Twentieth Century Fox.
      By the time she achieved stardom two years later, she had perfected an arsenal of facial expressions to convey a myriad of moods. With her head tilted back, eyelids lowered and lips moist and parted she sent a clear message of sexual availability. Larger than life exuberance was expressed with an open-mouthed smile that showed off her perfect teeth, and a wide-eyed “who me?” look brought to mind the innocence of a child. Marilyn finessed these expressions (and many others, of course) so naturally that they became organic. Soon, every starlet in Hollywood was being encouraged to copy Monroe’s poses, but none succeeded with the same impact.  

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The pink-and-green glamour of the century-old Beverly Hills Hotel—seriously swoon-y photos here, along with vintage snaps of the high-profile guests (like Marilyn, shown here in BHH repose in 1951.)

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How My Week with Marilyn costumer Jill Taylor turned that sketch—based on this real-life Marilyn outfit—into this, on Michelle Williams. More exclusive details on the costumes—including lots of sketches and a spirited vintage-undergarment discussion—here.

Sketch courtesy of Jill Taylor. Movie still by Laurence Cendrowicz/© 2011 The Weinstein Company.

Love this story, from costume designer Jill Taylor: The jaw-dropping dress in the opening scene had to hold up for 11 days of shooting … and did, though after day four (when a zipper broke beyond timely repair), Michelle Williams had to be sewn in whenever she wore it. “The last day was the worst day of all. I couldn’t even go on set; I was so neurotic about that dress.”