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Quick Fashion Facts for Jean Harlow Style
Favoured Colours - Dramatic Black and white were her signature shades,
she rarely wore any others. White worked with her pale skin and hair
giving her a totally luminous look
Favourite Designer - Adrian, a famed MGM designer who created many looks
for Jean as well as Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and lots of other classic stars
Key Item - A bias-cut silk or satin dress for her bombshell look
Off-Duty Style - Wide sailor style pants and a short sleeved angora
sweater or cardigan
Jean loved materials like satin and silk which
clung to her figure in all the right places then floated and just skimmed over
the rest.
Talking in a magazine interview back in the '30s
she said: "I'd rather have a few dresses of very fine material than a whole
closet full of fussy, cheap-looking things."
"I find you don't tire of anything that is lovely
in quality and line," she continued. "It saves you money in the long-run
to get a good dress of which you're always proud."
Simplicity is key. No frills or
over-the-top embellishments. And no multi-colors - Jean stuck to one or
two at a time.
Jean didn't feel the need to have a packed closet
either, she stuck with a few items she knew worked for her. In the
interview, she said: "At the most, I buy six costumes a season - usually two
black crepe street frocks, a dinner and a restaurant dress, and two evening
gowns. My wardrobe is never a large one."
It's quite a well known fact that Jean often
refused to wear underwear. Her wedding photos to Paul Bern even had to be
retouched by the censors as the bright sunlight, flimsy white fabric and lack of
under garments caused an overly-revealing effect.
A tip from Jean on wearing her signature bias-cut
dresses - "They require more poise than any other kind of formal dress.
You can't slouch in them - or walk heavly in an ungainly manner. You have
to hold yourself up and carry your head high to give them the right line."
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