Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn are both not only eternal icons in film but also in fashion through their influential beauty and style that have captivated the eye and fascinated the hearts of many. The fashion and grooming practices of both were suited to their physical states and personas to accentuate their features in an embracive manner that withstands the test of time to this day. Generations have been inspired by their character in acting as well as in real life.
Their external and internal states have defined fashion and beauty of many eras through their prominent presence on screen and off, to the point where they are now visuals of quintessential imagery in contemporary media and culture, which serves as both a mirror to and a reflection of society. The question “Are you an Audrey or a Marilyn?” is a classic example of how their appearance has influenced popular culture. It’s strange to think of comparing the two women, who were both remarkable, given that their personalities, fashion senses, and physical appearances were so different.
While it’s true that each of us has our own unique perspective on what constitutes beauty, it’s important to be aware of the influence of media and cultural norms on our perceptions. They shared more in common on the inside than their external appearances suggested. To fully appreciate how Audrey and Marilyn improved the fashion and beauty industries through their minds, looks, styles, and hearts, it is necessary to comprehend the psychology of beauty, the influence of imagery, and their aesthetic.
In the 1950s, when she was at the height of her fame, actress Marilyn Monroe redefined beauty. Her signature disheveled, ever-changing look has become so iconic that it has endured the test of time. She was the quintessential 20th-century sex icon, and her style helped define the Hollywood Bombshell look. By her fashion sense, openly sexual attitude, and physical appearance. ”She knew exactly how to get the effect she wanted with black jersey, fine silk-crepe or a solid nimbus of skintight sequins’‘ according to Meredith Etherington-Smith, ex-editor of Paris Vogue. Marilyn would work closely with costume designers to curate ensembles. She was one to sport lesser-known designers and bring them fame by wearing her designs such as Emilio Pucci, Gucci, and Ferragamo. Her fashion house association is now most tied to Chanel, the mission statement of the house is
“To be the Ultimate House of Luxury, defining style and creating desire, now and forever.” This is very much the spirit of Monroe’s style, aura, and essence as we can see from her interview.
YOU KNOW, THEY ASK YOU QUESTIONS… JUST AN EXAMPLE: WHAT DO YOU WEAR TO BED? A PAJAMA TOP? THE BOTTOMS OF THE PAJAMA? A NIGHTGOWN? SO I SAID, CHANEL NO5! ‘CAUSE IT’S THE TRUTH.
She aided in the formation of the spirit that Chanel No. 5 would carry on the nature of her wit and charm. Though in her time, Marilyn never formally appeared in a Chanel commercial, she became part of the Chanel legacy through her iconic interview where she spoke about Chanel No5. Archival images reveal her penchant for Chanel cosmetics and No.5 as part of her beauty regime.
Audrey Hepburn ushered in a transformative era that revolutionized the public’s perception of women and brought about a significant shift in women’s fashion choices. In the year 1954, Cecil Beaton, a renowned fashion photographer, expressed the view that Hepburn personified the ““public embodiment of our new feminine ideal.” Audrey Hepburn’s fashion choices were characterized by a preference for minimalism, as evidenced by her affinity for clean and simple silhouettes. Her sartorial approach transcended fleeting trends, instead embodying a timeless and enduring style. In the film “Sabrina,” the costume designer Edith Head made efforts to procure an authentic couture garment for Audrey Hepburn’s character to wear, aiming to visually embody her renewed sense of self following her return to Paris. This decision was made after the renowned designer Cristóbal Balenciaga declined to create the costumes for the film.
Consequently, Audrey Hepburn turned to her preferred designer to fulfill this role. In the year 1953, Givenchy reached the pinnacle of the high fashion industry, having officially established his fashion house one year earlier. During this period, he encountered the woman who would subsequently serve as his source of inspiration. Upon initial observation, the designer found himself perplexed by her, ultimately refusing her invitation to engage in the design process. At first sight, the designer was perplexed by her, declining her invitation to design. On the impression of their first encounter, Givenchy stated, “this very thin person with beautiful eyes, short hair, thick eyebrows, very tiny trousers, ballerina shoes, and a little T-shirt. On her head was a straw gondolier’s hat with a red ribbon around it.”
The gown initially was straight off the rack and was still a perfect fit depicting her physically as the ideal Givenchy woman. Following this event, they had dinner in the evening and their lifelong friendship began, on this the designer expressed “her beauty, personality, and lightness of spirit.” captured his heart and became his muse. When Audrey returned to the set, she had been gifted with three original pieces from the collection that would appear in the film- the first of many Givenchy pieces to be featured in the film. Givenchy had an innate sense of designing for Audrey and together they would define the fashion of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Famously Hepburn once said, “His are the only clothes in which I am myself. He is far more than a couturier, he is a creator of personality.” His work aided in the creation of some of the most iconic imagery in both film and fashion today. Together they would continue to collaborate creatively, ushering in success on both sides and going onto become eternal style icons.
Audrey is also often associated with Tiffany & Co. through her performance in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s where she would be wearing the awe-inspiring Givenchy LBB. This scene has become emblematic and a classic associated with elegance, charm, glamour, and poise through Hepburn’s performance. “Audrey was aligned with Tiffany’s but not in any kind of contract,” director Matthew Miele said. “Through Breakfast at Tiffany’s, she’s become like the face of it. I think a lot of women aspire to be like that refined, cultivated, sophisticated image that Audrey represented.”
Truman Capote, the author of the novel that the film is loosely based on, had a clear preference for Monroe for the role. Screenwriter George Axelrod hired to suit the screenplay for Monroe’s acting. Speculations around the film had the character defined as a call girl, but the author insisted she was an “American geisha” and a party girl. Monroe was strongly advised to avoid playing a “lady of the evening” and would go on to perform in ‘Misfits’ instead. Critics found Hepburn to be completely wrong to fulfill the role of Holly and stood by the author’s claim for Monroe, while many audiences adored Audrey’s portrayal. The type of lens allowed Audrey’s performance to shine through and heightened empathy for Holly, transforming a once more scandalous perceived film into one that carries romantic tones and sentiment of external as well as internal beauty.
Style is not only clothing, makeup, beauty, and physical appearance, but also spirit, attitude, morals, belief systems. In critical theory, sociology, and psychoanalysis, the term gaze is defined “in both the philosophical and figurative sense is an individual’s awareness and perception of other individuals, other groups, or oneself.” – Being and Nothingness: An Essay on Phenomenological Ontology
Film techniques that generate a gaze refer to the deliberate manipulation of visual elements by the camera to present a stylized perspective that reflects the beliefs, thoughts, messages, and intentions of a particular individual or group. The concept of the male gaze refers to the portrayal of women and the surrounding environment in visual arts, predominantly from a masculine and heterosexual standpoint. This perspective tends to present and depict women as objects of sexual desire, intended to gratify the viewer. This statement posits that the presence of the male gaze and the female gaze in media and culture should be recognized, without implying that individuals of a particular gender exclusively possess one gaze over the other. These terms will be utilized in a manner akin to the utilization of the terms “menswear” or “womenswear,” whereby individuals of any gender may wear either category of clothing.
The concept of the female gaze does not entail a disregard for external beauty, but rather celebrates the unconventional and places greater emphasis on implicit meanings and potentialities. It involves an exploration of a particular idea or concept. These gazes can be observed or encountered, but they do not belong to us. The manner in which we perceive visual information as observers holds greater significance than the actual presentation itself, as it is influenced by our individual perspectives. Given that we, as individuals, serve as the observers of the visual stimuli in our existence, it is crucial to cultivate our own distinct perspective rather than relying on externally imposed viewpoints. It is worth noting that both personal and prescribed gazes elicit gratification and foster viewer identification, albeit through distinct mechanisms. The extent of one’s exposure correlates with the degree to which the external gaze becomes deeply ingrained, provided that there is a lack of individual thought that is firmly established and supported by a strong sense of self. The subconscious and conscious mind exhibit bidirectional functionality and operate in conjunction with each other. The conscious mind pertains to an individual’s awareness, while the subconscious mind operates involuntarily and absorbs all incoming information. When a lens that has been stabilized comes into contact with our own lens, it results in the integration of pre-filtered information into our own lens, thereby disrupting our inherent cognitive processes. This enables the narrative to be shaped by externally generated points rather than by our own creation.
A quote from The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood comes to mind, “You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman. You are your own voyeur.”That is why it is so important to be mindful of stylized insights and unlearning a gaze if it has hindered our connection to our individualized gaze.
Beauty is often in the eye of the holder, but what defines the eye? Our belief systems, experiences, biological, societal, cultural, and individualized views. The earliest theories of beauty find a strong connection between mathematics and beauty, often in relation to symmetry and proportion according to the golden ratio. When one views beauty it is most often a combination of both external and internal factors such as personality and intelligence. With much emphasis on either side, the importance of the inner and/or external of a person will lead the other to become a diminished value which can lead to issues of self-esteem, body image, and insecurity of intellect depending on the variable dismissed.
For instance Marilyn is noted to feel a sense of inadequacy for her lack of formal education and went on to be dubbed “dumb blonde” in media in spite of the fact she herself was incredibly intelligent. Initially, she utilized this to propel her career forward and ensure media buzz remained high which would accumulate star power and roles. Her beauty, style, and sex appeal was often a marketing tool for her work and her performances were captured in the male gaze. She also did this for herself, stating, “I dress for men. A woman looks at your clothes critically. A man appreciates them.” Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) was her most notable and her performance was sensual, vulnerable, and lively that would breathe life into media and culture for generations to come. In The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn officially became a sex symbol (the personal turning point of struggle) and in this film, her character is literally the object of desire. and forever changed the American film psyche in the subway grate scene with the flowing up skirt scene. Marilyn was at ease in front of the camera and allowed for her personality to shine through in spite of her typecasting as a “dumb blonde.”
I HEARD YOU WERE SMART, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW. I’M NOT DON’T LET ME FOOL YOU. IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE BLONDE HAIR OR IF YOU’RE NOT OUT OF SHAPE IN SOME WAY YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY DUMB, YOU’RE CONSIDERED DUMB. I DON’T KNOW WHY THAT IS I THINK IT’S A VERY LIMITED VIEW.
Marliyn was often captured on screen in the male gaze, she went beyond the limits of her time. Later though, she would often be mistreated and compared to actresses in a less light who were publicly classified as proper, hence all of the Marilyn and Audrey comparisons. Depending on the gaze, Audrey will fall short to Marilyn in concept or Marilyn will fall short to Audrey in concept hence the running versus context. This is produced by both the male and female gaze in unison that takes the aesthetics, beauty, and style and diminishes the formidable attributes to create categorical standards of how a woman should be. Creating the narrative that if you’re physically attractive you lack internally or if you don’t meet the beauty standard you will compensate, rather than recognizing women as individuals.
I’M NOT EXACTLY THE KIND OF GIRL YOU’D BE INTERESTED IN AS A MATTER OF FACT I’M EXACTLY THE KIND OF GIRL YOU’D NOT BE INTERESTED IN.
Luca Dotti, Audrey’s son revealed, ‘One of the reasons for her low self esteem is that when she started out some newspaper articles depicted her as not so perfect. She had big feet, a big nose and small breasts. She wasn’t at all what the average beautiful girl was perceived as, especially by men.’ When Audrey was rising in her career, the bombshell look was in favor, Audrey is physically quote unquote, lacking what is necessary to be the surface value subject
AS A MATTER OF FACT, EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU IS PERFECT. I’M TOO THIN, AND MY EARS STICK OUT, AND MY TEETH ARE CROOKED, AND MY NECK’S MUCH TOO LONG. MAYBE SO BUT I LOVE HOW IT ALL HANGS TOGETHER.
and instead the male gaze is presented on a conceptual pedestal- a different form of objectification that makes her more of a symbol or even partakes in the gaze with viewers which humanizes her. Her own presentation of how she moves, dresses, and carries herself further develops this stylistically. Through her demeanor she was able to change the presentation of women on screen, hence how the reaction of Breakfast at Tiffany’s had changed completely. The type of opportunity Monroe would not receive to due being taken at surface value as dumb, blonde, and beautiful.
This isn’t to say that the male gaze is wrong and the female gaze is right. Both are equally as insightful and damaging because of this elusive and ever-changing concept of femininity. This is produced by idealization and aspiration towards a conceptual state of being that is not grounded in reality, but rather an artistic curation that is a result of production that is not meant to be taken at surface value or have the concept linked to complete gratification.
I talk about the idealization of women and this cycling in and out through a character-style analysis of Megan and Betty from Mad Men if you’re interested more in this topic.
Conceptualizing to the extent that idealization forms are beyond reach is damaging as well.
IN MY HEAD, WOMEN WERE ALWAYS SMALL AND THIN AND I FEEL LIKE FEMININITY CONQUERED ME, BUT THEN I THINK ABOUT BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT ARE ALSO BROAD AND DEEP AND THICK AND I THINK OF SOMETHING LIKE THE OCEAN.
Our own gaze needs to be intact and we must appreciate others for who they are internally as well as externally, rather than having this defined for us.
In the French branch of Freudian psychology, the ego ideal has been defined as “an image of the perfect self towards which the ego should aspire.” Many people see these women and aspire to be much like them, but Marilyn and Audrey both went against the current of their times, both did not meet convention only to go on becoming established because of each of their unique beauties regardless of their own insecurities. This
Often the male gaze focuses on conventionally attractive in a traditional feminine appeal with instant gratification in a moment. This dismisses other attributes such as personality, skillset, talents, etc, and strips the agency of one. Marilyn a beauty icon only taken at surface level in her time states, “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” Marilyn in the male gaze often stops at the surface and focuses on her romantic body lines in spite of the fact that she is incredibly eloquent, intelligent, and sensitive, and in the few fleeting moments when she has the opportunity reveals she is a deep thinker with so much beneath the surface that was never shared.
SHE COULD SWITCH HERSELF ON AND OFF. AND WHEN SHE PUT ON THE MARILYN AND WHEN SHE PUT ON THE MARILYN PEOPLE KNEW WHO SHE WAS AND WHEN SHE SWITCHED IT OFF SHE BECAME INVISIBLE. GIRLS SEEM TO LOVE AUDREY HEPBURN MORE THAN BOYS DO, BUT SHE’S MORE OF AN IDEAL THAT WOMEN HAVE FOR THEMSELVES.
In the discussion of beauty, Monroe is often more physically admired, while Audrey’s personality comes out more. Even though these terms were not around at the time- Audrey was perceived more in the female gaze.
In the gaze of film that aims to stimulate thought, Audrey’s look is often favored because of societal preconceived notions and the biases in the attribution of women. These unconventional traditional feminine features were the ones to produce her beauty and give her a look suited to be a Givenchy woman. The Givenchy products whether it be fragrance or clothing are, quote “tools for transformation, encouraging the men and women who wear them to express their character freely. Each piece is pure artistry in its own right, but truly comes to life when worn.” End quote. Givenchy a designer in this time gave Audrey more agency
ARE YOU SUGGESTING HIS INTEREST IN ME IS ANYTHING BUT INTELLECTUAL? HE’S ABOUT AS INTERESTED IN YOUR INTELLECT AS I AM. Monroe’s curated persona and by extent- style and image was a tool she could switch on. Rather than being ashamed of her beauty or letting others use her image, she embraced it but others could not see past the exterior. Her lack of agency forced this persona to be switched on at all times even when Marilyn needed it off.
Monroe did not get the chance to be in the female gaze on screen and even off as she was deemed two-dimensional. Ironically though, both Audrey and Marilyn are now often seen as beauty and feminine icons The female and male gaze in the media are perspectives outside of our own. No matter which lens they are captured in both in terms of camera or thought, they transformed how fashion is seen, defined stylistic approaches for all to take part in, and changed the way women thought of their own looks or bodies. What has made these two women so formidable and admired as icons of fashion and beauty isn’t one specific look as they always developed, but their own specific look through breaking the mold and living with conviction which then as a byproduct curated their signature aesthetics to be embracive and staying true towards oneself in the face of any hardship.
Both are rightfully seen as some of the most glamorous and beautiful icons inside and out, Tom ford has two quotes on this that often come to mind for me, he states, “Glamour is something more than what you put on your body. It has to do with the way you carry yourself and the impact you have on others.” “Amplify your individuality and show the world who you are with maximum impact.” Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe have done just this and as we move forward in life we can recognize their beauty, formidable personalities, intellect, charms, style, and signature fashion as inspiration to draw from or follow suit to form our own so that we can live with style internally as well as externally.
SOURCES:
How Audrey Hepburn Changed The Way Hollywood Looked at Women- https://medium.com/@AAW98/how-audrey-…
Audrey Hepburn Beauty Impact- https://www.teens.sublimemagazine.com…
Breakfast at Tiffany’s Monroe- https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/0…
Ego and Ideals- A Layman’s Guide to Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis (Penguin 1976)
Givenchy Quote- https://www.givenchybeauty.com/us/mai…
Marilyn Monroe and Max Mara- https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/f…
Beauty Psychology- https://psychology.wikia.org/wiki/Beauty
Marilyn Monroe Fashion Influence-https://www.telio.com/2015/06/01/fash…
