Marilyn Monroe Fashion in There’s no Business Like Show Business
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Marilyn Monroe fashion, vintage fashion, 1950s fashion, style and dresses in the movie There’s No Business Like Show Business
This post is all about the Marilyn Monroe fashion in No Business Like Show Business
There’s No Business Like the Show Business 1954 is a musical comedy with fabulous fashion and vintage style dresses.
The story is about the Donahue family who lives and breathes the show business.
Their parents expect the children to follow in footsteps, with a life on stage.
However once the sizzling blondeshell, Marilyn Monroe, enters the son’s life, his world is turned upside down.
Marilyn Monroe’s character’s dream is to build a career on stage, and she’s not looking for love.
Marilyn Monroe’s elaborate costumes showcase Old Hollywood Glam style to the max.
Who better than one of the most iconic sex symbols ever to get your vintage fashion inspiration from?
What did Marilyn Monroe wear in No Business Like the Show Business 1954?
In No Business Like the Show Business, Marilyn Monroe’s vintage wardrobe ranges from classic day dresses, to glitzy showgirl costumes, to silk robes and glamorous furs.
For shoes, Marilyn Monroe wears a variety of 1950’s pumps and high heeled sandals.
Not surprisingly, in true 1950s Marilyn Monroe fashion, you never see her wearing flats.
Marilyn Monroe’s fashion accessories include an inspiring collection of glitzy statement earrings and bracelets in eye-popping colors and styles that match her outfits.
She also adds long gloves and gorgeous fur stoles and fur coats to her outfits to elevate them to Old Hollywood Glamor status.
What is Marilyn Monore’s hair and makeup style in the movie?
You’ll notice that Marilyn Monroe’s signature blonde hairstyle is a bit shorter and has a tighter curl than the style she wears later.
However, her signature makeup is in place with red lips, black eyeliner with dark eyelashes, and lightly drawn in eyebrows.
Who did the costumes for There’s No Business Like the Show Business?
Marilyn Monroe teamed up with the legendary William Travilla, for the costumes in No Business Like the Show Business, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.
Travilla designed Marilyn Monroe’s costumes and wardrobes for eight of her films, creating some of her most iconic looks, including: Don’t Bother to Knock, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, as well as legendary ivory pleated cocktail dress that blows up in The Seven Year Itch.
Travilla was also one of Marilyn Monroe’s go to designers for her outfits for her personal life too.
According to the tabloids, Travilla and Marilyn Monroe were a couple for a time, with Tavilla later saying, “We dated for a brief period and if the famous baseball player Joe DiMaggio had not come into Marilyn’s life, then I would have pursued our affair further.”
Obviously his fascination with the blonde bombshell continued, as he famously said, “My clothes for Marilyn were an act of love. Because I adored her, I couldn’t help but do my best for her.”
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Marilyn Monroe Fashion & Style Dresses in No Business Like the Show Business – Vintage Style Outfit #1: Sexy Maid Costume
The movie opens with a number of entertaining musical numbers telling the story of Donahue family and life in the show business, from when the parents started the act as a young couple to now performing with their three grown children.
The life for their youngest son Tim (played by Donald O’Connor) is about to change.
Marilyn Monroe’s character, Vicky Parker, is a hat check girl at a fancy restaurant.
She is working hard and looking to make her big break in singing and performing.
Tim Donahue checks in his hat with her and is immediately enamored.
Marilyn Monroe’s character gives him a hilarious brushoff in a funny accent that she’s practicing, as he tries to flirt with her.
Marilyn Monroe is wearing an off the shoulder ruffled shirt, a short black fluffy skirt, and a white apron. She also has a pink rose garland around her neck and sheer black hoes.
Her vintage style outfit is almost comical, and yet adorable at the same time, as it looks like the combination of a retro sexy maid costume and a 1950s show business costume.
Marilyn Monroe Fashion & Style Dresses in No Business Like the Show Business – Vintage Style Outfit #2: Glitzy Showgirl Costume
Marilyn Monroe’s character sneaks backstage to change, as her manager has arranged for a big producer to visit that evening.
She gives a delightful singing and dancing performance to “After You Get What You Want You Don’t Want It.”
Marilyn Monroe is wearing a nude form fitting long dress, with a dramatic cutout.
Her dress is covered in gold sequins and a glitzy white beaded pattern.
She has a dazzling matching headdress with feathers and beaded flowers.
This is paired with white strappy sandals and glittering earrings.
The result? Her showgirl outfit is so glitzy Old Hollywood glamour and over the top that one is both mesmerized and entertained at the same time.
Marilyn Monroe Fashion & Style Dresses in No Business Like the Show Business – Vintage Style Outfit #3: Blue Day Dress
Marilyn Monroe’s character travels to Florida with her new manager, excited for the opportunity to join a new act, hoping she can finally make a name for herself in the show business.
As she is getting ready to rehearse for her number, Tim Donahue walks in and is delighted to see her.
When she’s introduced with a different last name, he anxiously asks if she’s married, to which she says no, as this is part of her act, “New name… new clothes….I guess everything else is pretty much the same…”
Marilyn Monroe is wearing a fitted pale blue day dress, with a defined waist, plunging back, and button accents on the skirt. The sleeves are cutout and then connected as bow cutouts in the cuffs.
This is paired with oversized glittering triangle earrings.
Notice how the style details (like the skirt buttons and sleeveless bow cutouts) up level this dress from ordinary to extraordinary!
Marilyn Monroe Fashion & Style Dresses in No Business Like the Show Business – Vintage Style Outfit #4: Heat Wave Showgirl Costume
Marilyn Monroe’s character comes on stage, dancing and singing an outrageous performance “Heat Wave”.
Marilyn Monroe is wearing a sparkling bandeau style bikini top, with a pink drapey scarf to give the illusion of asymmetrical shoulder strap.
This is paired with a matching tiered skirt that’s perfect for skirling and showing off her sexy legs.
She also is wearing a glittering black cap and oversized statement hat with roses.
Her fashion accessories include oversized black sparkling hoop earrings and glitzy armlets.
Notice the blending of the 1950s style, plus gypsy, and dramatic flamingo style, which results in a delicious over-the-top costume number that would have raised eyebrows off stage.
Marilyn Monroe Fashion & Style Dresses in No Business Like the Show Business – Vintage Style Outfit #5: Floral Dress
After her performance, she goes out for a romantic stroll with Tim Donahue, and she talks about how she’s changed and improved her voice and performance.
Tim Donahue (referring to her old act and funny fake accent): “I liked it, it was different!”
Marilyn Monroe’s character: “Yes, like green hair is different!”
Marilyn Monroe is wearing a white and floral fit and flare dress, with white straps and a sash accent. This is paired with a matching shawl, and statement pink earrings and high heels.
Marilyn Monroe Fashion & Style Dresses in No Business Like the Show Business – Vintage Style Outfit #6: Casual ‘Lazy’ Costume
In rehearsing for her big opening night on Broadway, Marilyn Monroe dances and sings to “Lazy,” with her boyfriend and his sister also in the act.
The performance is pretty corny, and delightfully entertaining in an LOL fashion at the same time.
The basic gist of this act is that all of these guys are calling Marilyn Monroe to ask her out, but she just wants to lounge at home and be lazy.
The highlight of the performance is Marilyn Monroe’s vintage fashion.
Marilyn Monroe is wearing a black plunging v-neck shirt and matching cigarette pants.
Her fashion accessories include a dramatic colorful scarf sash that emphasizes her small waist. This is paired with black high heel sandals and dramatic dangle earrings.
We love this Marilyn Monroe look, that is such a great example of chic 1950s style.
The monochromatic color matching of the top and bottom is echoed in the shoes and contrasted with her dramatic pop of color from her waist sash.
Marilyn Monroe Fashion & Style Dresses in No Business Like the Show Business – Vintage Style Outfit #7: Fitted Cream Dress
The next day, Tim Donahue comes to her dressing room to pick her up for lunch, and she gets called into the producers office, so she tells him to go ahead, and she’ll meet him later.
Marilyn Monroe is wearing a neutral colored fitted dress with a crisscross bodice fashioned into a bow. This is paired with a matching cream colored fur muff, and matching opera gloves, an overcoat, and dramatic gold earrings.
Hours later Tim Donahue returns, completely toasted, and they fight, as he accuses her of playing up to the production manager, trying to get ahead.
Marilyn Monroe tries to explain, “….You were born to this business and you’re part of it, you never had to pound down doors to get people to listen to you….”
He doesn’t get it, so he leaves in a huff.
Marilyn Monroe Fashion & Style Dresses in No Business Like the Show Business – Vintage Style Outfit #8: Fur Coat Outfit
That night Tim Donuhue gets into a car accident, then disappears.
His mother and sister continue in the Broadway act with Marilyn Monroe’s character.
However, his mother is angry at Marilyn Monroe’s character, blaming her for her son’s disappearance.
One rainy day after their permanence, Marilyn Monroe tries to catch a cab with Tim’s Mom to explain, but she receives the brushoff.
Marilyn Monroe is wearing a gray and white oversized fur coat with long black opera gloves, and a matching black hat with a rose.
She pairs simple diamond earrings and a black clutch with her outfit.
Marilyn Monroe’s Broadway show is a big hit, and it continues running for multiple consecutive shows.
Marilyn Monroe Fashion & Style Dresses in No Business Like the Show Business – Vintage Style Outfit #9: Silk Robe Outfit
It’s over a year later, with World War II starting to brew, and the detectives have given up trying to locate Tim Donahue.
One evening backstage Marilyn Monroe’s character is finally able to explain to Tim Donahue’s mother how much she loves Tim, and how she never had feelings for her stage manager, even though he had them for her, but that she’s simply so grateful to him, as he’s done everything to get her to where she is today.
Marilyn Monroe is wearing a teal silk dressing robe that is fitted at the waist.
We love this casual Marilyn Monroe outfit that’s so sexy and classy at the same time. This is a perfect vintage style that’d be just as fashionable today, as it was almost 100 years ago…. Now that’s the definition of timeless style!
Marilyn Monroe Fashion & Style Dresses in No Business Like the Show Business – Vintage Style Outfit #10: Glittering Mermaid Style Costume
Tim Donahue shows up at the theater in a navy uniform, saying that he’d needed time to think things out.
Tim joins them on stage, and the entire family performs together again, just like in the old days, but with Marilyn Monroe also included!
Their final musical number is “There’s No Business Like the Show Business”.
Marilyn Monroe is wearing a glittering form fitting sleeveless mermaid style dress. The color bleeds from white to light blue in a sexy fringe puff.
This is paired with long glittering diamond earrings and silver strappy high heels.
Even though this outfit is a costume for their theater performance, yet one could just as easily see Marilyn Monroe wearing this glittering outfit out for a date night or night on the town.
This post was all about the Marilyn Monroe fashion and style dresses in No Business Like the Show Business.
What are your thoughts on the Marilyn Monroe fashion, dresses, and costumes in No Business Like the Show Business?
Given her dazzling vintage wardrobe, which looks are your favorite, do you prefer her retro day dresses, her glitzy costumes, or her fur stole and fur coat styles?
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Originally published Jul 03, 2023. Updated Sep 03, 2023
