Marlene Dietrich changed women’s fashion forever. Here are 5 things we wear thanks to the German actor

“I dress according to my character. Not for myself, not for people, not for fashion or men. If I dressed for myself, I wouldn’t worry about it at all. Clothes tire you out. “I would only wear jeans, I love jeans.” This famous quote comes from the equally famous actress of the 1930s, Marlene Dietrich. And the whole paradox is that, despite the above, he was and remains one of the main style icons and fashion revolutionaries of the 20th century.

How? Very simple; Dietrich managed to create a stage image that almost everyone accepted as real. The result of such painstaking work of the image creator (read: Marlene herself) can be described in two words: the joke was successful.

The actor was one of the first to wear trousers in public, and most importantly, for this freedom he was not afraid of arrest (yes, at the beginning of the 20th century, girls were prohibited by law from wearing trousers), either in a formal tuxedo or only in underwear from the screen. In general, she shocked the audience in every possible way and even then hinted to women that they could wear whatever they wanted she. Today we propose to analyze Marlene Dietrich’s style and find out how she influenced the fashion industry. Moreover, the reason for this is quite convenient. Exactly 32 years ago, on May 6, 1992, the famous actor passed away. We’re talking about five things we wear thanks to Marlene Dietrich.

trousers and tuxedo

Until the 20th century, trouser suits were considered the privilege of only men’s wardrobe. And if a woman shows up in a public place wearing a classic two-piece outfit, she may even be arrested. Soft changes began in the 1930s with the emergence of the incomparable Marlene Dietrich on stage and screen. He was one of the first to replace the three-piece men’s suit. And he did it with such grace that no one could remain indifferent. Meanwhile, she took part in costumes not only in daily life but also on the screen. For example, the actor appeared before the audience in his first Hollywood movie, Morocco, with a perfect tuxedo tailored for him. Such a fashion revolution had many opponents. For example, in 1931 the head of the Paris city government tried to expel Dietrich from the city because of his provocative outfit (i.e. trouser suit). Of course, this didn’t work for him.

Underwear on display

Nowadays, not many people will be surprised if they see a girl wearing mini slips or family shorts on the street. But at the beginning of the 20th century, no one could imagine a girl walking down the street with a length longer than the knee. No, not even the knees, but the ankles. Of course, no particular underwear style was involved. But not for Marlene Dietrich. In 1930, Joseph von Sternberg’s film “The Blue Angel” was released, which was a breakthrough for both actor and director. By the way, after this picture he will star in seven more films. “He taught me everything; lighting, makeup, understanding plasticity,” Dietrich said of working with Sternberg. But let’s get back to our topic.

It was the “Blue Angel” that made Marlene a real sex symbol. Her character, a cabaret dancer named Lola Lola, proudly wore her underwear throughout the film. She of course looked very provocative compared to what the audience was used to seeing.

“Naked” dresses

If you think that “naked” dresses appeared relatively recently, you are very mistaken. And Marilyn Monroe was far from the first person who dared to wear a transparent outfit. All this was a result of the breakthrough of the German diva. After all, she started wearing see-through dresses in movies to get around the Hays Code, which implied a ban on nudity in movies. It turned out that the actor was technically abiding by the law, but in reality he looked as provocative as possible.

men’s uniform

Marlene Dietrich gave women the so-called new sexuality. She proved that you can look feminine and quite impressive not only in floor-length evening dresses, but also in men’s clothing. Meanwhile, this flirtation with androgyny ran like a red thread throughout all the actress’s work. For example, remember the snow-white and dark blue jacket that appeared in women’s wardrobes thanks to the movie “Seven Sinners”. And look at Marlene Dietrich’s unbuttoned shirt and tie.