Marilyn Monroe's Personal Black Silk
Cocktail Dress
From the personal wardrobe of Marilyn
Monroe: A hand-tailored, one of a kind cocktail dress in black
silk, sleeveless with a plunging, gathered neckline and a back
zipper; with the bottom hem having weights sewn into the lining to
keep the dress lying flat when worn by Marilyn.
Marilyn wore this dress to an event
held by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, where her husband,
Arthur Miller, was recognized for receiving their Gold Medal for
Drama Award on May 20, 1959 in New York City. See photo below.
Marilyn's Evening Wear:
Marilyn's public wardrobe was full of film-star black dresses.
The 1999 Christie's auction showed us Marilyn wore seemingly endless
variations of the sophisticated little black evening dress, most
often with the dresses being seamed, darted, and even boned, to make
the most of her curves. Her dresses were cool and elegant,
every inch emphasizing Marilyn's lush, yet at the same time fragile
blonde beauty; the special luminous quality that made of her a major
star in front of still or moving cameras. This was all part of
the film star image she had so carefully created for herself.
Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe at the American
Academy of
Arts and Letters, May 20, 1959, New York City.
This dress was to have been sold
originally at the 1999 Christie's Auction:
The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe, and the Christie's tag
is still pinned to the garment. Ultimately, this Marilyn
Monroe dress sold at the 2005 Julien's Auction: Property from
The Estate of Marilyn Monroe.
