Marilyn Monroe Style

Marilyn Monroe's best-known dress is the white halter dress that the costume designer William Travilla made for The Seven Year Itch (1955). This collection gathers the Pretty Retro pieces closest to her look: wiggle dresses, including a halter wiggle dress, pencil skirts, capri pants, Bardot tops and sweater girl tops, in black, red, wine and ivory. Each piece is designed in England and made by hand in Europe.

What is a Marilyn Monroe style dress?

Think of a fitted bodice, a defined waist and a narrow skirt that follows the hips, with a halter, sweetheart or one-shoulder neckline. Our wiggle dresses are cut that way, in super-stretchy bengaline that smooths and hugs.

• The 1950s Halter Wiggle Dress is the closest to the white dress: a midi-length halter with satin ties that fasten behind the neck, bows at the bust and hip and a vented pencil skirt, in black. See the Halter Wiggle Dress.
• The Norma is a one-shoulder dress with ruching on the lower bodice and skirt, in black, wine and teal.
• The Rita and the Lola are 1940s sweetheart styles in black, and the Pretty Dancing Dress, a full-skirted dress with a square neckline, is the one to dance in.

Capri pants, pencil skirts and tops

Capri pants take their name from the Italian island of Capri and were worn by film stars including Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. Ours are high-waisted and cropped to mid-calf, in black, red and gingham: see the capri pants in gingham. The pencil skirt is made in stretchy bengaline with an inverted back pleat, and the Bardot top has a boat neckline and bracelet-length sleeves. The sweater girl top has a crew neckline, dolman sleeves and a cropped length, in red, black, baby pink and baby blue.

How to wear Marilyn Monroe style

Keep the line close to the body and the waist defined. Wear a wiggle dress with heels, red lipstick and a cardigan, or a Bardot top with capri pants and flat shoes. For an easy daytime outfit, a sweater girl top goes well with a pencil skirt. Browse our wiggle dresses, vintage trousers, skirts and tops, or choose a fuller skirt from our swing dresses. Sizes run from UK 8 to 18 for dresses, skirts and trousers; the size guide has the measurements.