Marilyn Monroe's Iconic Style Was Informed By One Major Desire: Comfort

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She is remembered for her glamour, but Marilyn Monroe's personal style was surprisingly low-key. In fact, the star, born Norma Jeane Mortenson, cared more about being comfortable than anything else. "In the '40s and '50s, Norma Jeane or 'the private Marilyn,' loved to wear simple slacks, skirts, sweaters, and loose-fitting blouses — both sleeveless and long-sleeved in silk, cotton, and corduroy — and she favored black, white, and beige," archivist Bryan Johns told Woman's World. In other words, Monroe favored pared-back styles that felt good against her skin and allowed for easy movement.

Unlike Elizabeth Taylor, another icon of Old Hollywood glamour, Monroe wasn't one for statement jewelry either or eye-catching trends. Instead, she rarely wore accessories and opted for minimalistic, body-conscious clothing. She wasn't squeezing herself into restrictive bandage dresses or even Spanx. Instead, her clothes were often bespoke. The perfectly tailored, body-skimming designs were meant to emphasize — rather than distract from — her natural beauty. "The result was a capsule collection of black sheaths and slips, sexy but simple and perfectly in tune with Marilyn's aesthetics," Elizabeth Winder, author of "Marilyn in Manhattan: Her Years Of Joy," told Vogue.

It's true that the star was sometimes known to wear flashier styles when she appeared in films — like her airy, voluminous dress in "The Seven-Year Itch" —  but there was one '50s Hollywood tradition she rejected, point blank, in the name of comfort. "Unlike other actresses, Marilyn didn't wear a girdle," James Haspiel, author of "Marilyn: The Ultimate Look at the Legend," told Parade.

Refusing a compressive girdle wasn't the only tradition that actor and icon Marilyn Monroe was unafraid to ignore. On plenty of occasions, she was known to reject the unwritten rules of Hollywood or fashion. Many of Monroe's outfits were full of hidden meaning. The star was even known to go commando. "Most often, she wore no underwear, not wanting to be 'uncomfortable' or show her bra or panty lines," archivist Bryan Johns told Woman's World. "She has been quoted as saying, 'If I could be nude all of the time, I would be.'" Monroe gravitated toward fitted, sporty clothing, like cashmere sweaters, and capris, the summer pant trend you need to try.

Also, while Monroe had an ambivalent relationship with her status as a sex symbol, the star was publicly unapologetic about the sensual image she projected. After the inaugural issue of "Playboy" published nude photos of Monroe — the photos were old, and Monroe had not consented to appear in the magazine — Hollywood executives pressured her to say the photos were not actually of her. Instead, Monroe defiantly claimed the images and opened up about the financial struggles that had caused her to pose for a pin-up photographer. The photos were later sold the photos to "Playboy." The actor admitted, "I was a week behind on my rent. I had to have the money." [via Kingsport Times]. It was an era when Hollywood studios carefully controlled celebrity image. Monroe's vulnerability and openness about her financial circumstances and her sexuality were unusual and helped to cement her icon status.