m a r i l y n

everyone knows the famous pictures of marilyn monroe and the connotations that come along with them. the coiffed blonde hair, bright red lips, the form fitting dresses, the flowing pleated skirt, the face punctuated by her mole...we all think of her as a sex symbol, a bold and gorgeous woman proud of her plus size and sexuality, and attach her with president john f kennedy. she was an actress. a seductress. a mistress. she oozed and screamed sex.

the other day, i stumbled upon these photos of her by one of my favorite photographers: henri cartier-bresson. they are part of a series he did following the actors of "misfits" (1962) behind the scenes. in these her hair is longer and she looks more like a jackie type than the stereotypical marilyn. i fell in love with them. it completely changed the way i look at her. i found myself google image stalking her, trying to find more of this woman.

i've always loved and admired marilyn for being herself no matter what, not afraid to be sexy in a time when conservative was not only the norm but the canon, and for openly embracing her voluptuous curves. but a part of me always thought of her as "the other woman" and i couldn't get past it. i am much more of a personal person, and while that could be due to my own immaturity and naivety, part of her made me uneasy. not to mention i'm a sucker for the classic and iconic jackie o look...i'm constantly criticized for my conservative closet. classic chic is my goto, i don't do sexy well.

perhaps it's just the character and this isn't the true marilyn, but i adore her in this look. could this be norma jean baker? maybe i just didn't give her enough credit.

o b s e s s e d .