MARILYN MONROE & MONTY CLIFT | HOLLYWOODS DENIM-CLAD MISFITS

The Misfits Marilyn Monroe

1960, Reno, Nevada — The cast, writer, and director of The Misfits. Montgomery Clift as Perce Howland, Eli Wallach as Guido, screenwriter Arthur Miller, director John Huston, Clark Gable as Gay Langland, and Marilyn Monroe as Roslyn Taber (and who had recently divorced Miller) — Image by © Underwood & Underwood

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There are certain films of the 1950s-60s that capture what I love best– Hollywood icons clad in cool denim.  The Wild One… Rebel Without a Cause… and the list goes on.  Wild, rebellious, good-looking misfits wreaking havoc on the mainstream squares– and doing it wearing denim all the while.  Yes.

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Marilyn Monroe Montgomery Clift The Misfits

Marilyn Monroe (in her Lee Storm Rider jacket) & Monty Clift (who wore Lee Riders jeans) in John Huston’s 1961 film The Misfits.

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Marilyn Monroe wore her fair share of denim back in the day– both onscreen and off.  In The Misfits, alongside costar Montgomery Clift, you see great Lee icons of denim history well worn by Hollywood’s finest. It’s an added bonus for a film that’s a true classic, and full of real-life  irony, sadness and loss of epic proportion– which just serves to add to my sentimental yearnings for this bygone Hollywood era.

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TRIED & TRUE STYLE | THE WHITE SHIRT

Montgomery Clift white shirt

Montgomery Clift

Recently a certain reader took issue with my asserting the classic & indispensable style of the white shirt. And I quote–

“My God, How boring and predictable, a white shirt? Please… These rules are for men who don’t have a clue and just want to leave their house half decent without embarrassing themselves. This I don’t have a problem with, when it’s for convenience, comfort or not having to THINK at all about what to wear, but don’t confuse it with style.”

Huh…  Montgomery Clift– seeking convenience and comfort?  No, I don’t think so.  Errol Flynn– on a quest for decency and concerned with not embarrassing himself?  Somehow I don’t think he was all that worried about it, buddy.  Maybe Johnny Depp appeals to you more?  Bingo.  White shirt.

So let’s set the record straight once and for all–

The white shirt is for guys, what the little black dress is for our lady friends. It is absolutely a style icon in itself, and it can provide the perfect backdrop for the expression of style by letting it’s accompanying accessories sing.  Done.

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