Unlike the previous dress, this Travilla design did not pass Hollywood’s censors, and Monroe is only shown wearing it briefly in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Nonetheless, it has enjoyed an enduring legacy. The exquisite design was made from a circle of shining, gold lamé fabric, and featured sunburst pleating throughout, making Monroe look like a glowing goddess. Many other Hollywood stars would go on to wear versions of the dress, including Betty Grable, Jayne Mansfield and Ginger Rogers—but nobody has pulled it off better.

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Travilla was responsible for many of Monroe’s dresses, but none are more famous than the white halterneck dress she wears in the 1955 film, The Seven Year Itch. Crafted from georgette crepe, the dress took on a significant role in the film when wind from a subway grate sends it fluttering up, revealing Monroe’s bare legs—and creating an image for the ages. The “silly little dress,” as Travilla later called it, embodied the delicate blend of innocence and seduction that Monroe mastered, and has since become synonymous with the star herself.

Monroe had another pink frock of note: the wiggle dress that she wears in Niagara. Featuring a cutout right under the bust, the satin dress would certainly not look out of place today. Costume designers Charles Le Maire and Dorothy Jeakins created it to capture the allure of the 1953 film’s anti-heroine, embellishing it with a bow and a flashy fuchsia shade that, like Monroe, was impossible to ignore.

Although Norman Norell is not a name many may know today, the fashion designer was a favourite of Monroe’s. “The American Balenciaga”, as he was dubbed for his use of couture techniques, was best known for his Mermaid evening gowns, which came completely covered in sequins. (Fun fact: one of them appears in Euphoria, worn by Alexa Demie.) Monroe attended the 1962 Golden Globes in a glittering green one to receive the Henrietta Award for World Film Favorite Female. The gown has since been procured by Kim Kardashian, who wore (and possibly altered) it after the Met Gala this year.

Monroe enlisted Norell to design a gown for her wedding to playwright Arthur Miller in 1956. The figure-hugging dress featured a square neckline, an empire waist, a ruched bust and short, sheer sleeves that matched Monroe’s tulle veil. In short, it was sweet and simple, allowing the bride’s radiance to shine through. Norell earned his second Coty Award (the predecessor to the CFDA Award) for it, and although Monroe’s marriage would sour, the dress left a beautiful memory.

Believe it or not, Monroe was not a regular at the Academy Awards. The actress only attended the Oscars in 1951, when she presented the award for Best Sound Mixing to Thomas P. Moulton. Her single appearance, however, was a memorable one, largely thanks to the black tulle gown she had borrowed from the 20th Century Fox wardrobe. The off-shoulder ballgown was undoubtedly inspired by Dior’s New Look, which was trending at the time. And it was originally made by Hollywood costume designer Renié for the film The House on Telegraph Hill, but Monroe made it her own by accessorising it with a white fur stole and Cartier jewellery. A blonde Billie Eilish, evoking Monroe, took to the 2021 Met Gala in an Oscar de la Renta gown meant to resemble that very dress.

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