Old Hollywood movies offer us a chance to peak into a bygone era where people dressed up for no specific reason. They wore pencil skirts even when they were just hanging out at home. Men wore 3-piece suits and would never dare to wear something resembling casual wear. Or that’s how it seems. This was a time when our idols, especially, dressed up because they could and because they enjoyed it.

Pencil skirts first became popular thanks to Christian Dior’s 'New Look'. President FD Roosevelt offered US citizens the New Deal; Christian Dior offered all women the New Look. He wanted clothing to accentuate women’s curves. He had many orders from Hollywood stars such as Ava Gardner, Marlene Dietrich and Rita Hayworth. Dior became one of the most influential designers of the late 1940s and 1950s and it’s thanks to him – among others – that women can wear something that celebrates their femininity. 

Let’s look at some of the women who have glamourised the pencil skirt over the years.

Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a hot tin roof. She was 26 years old and she endured Mississippi’s southern heat in stylish pieces such as pencil skirts and stilettos.

Bette Davis in All about Eve. Margo Channing and her friends went to lunch in chic skirt suits. They were also very fond of their fur coats. These women influenced the regular Jane Soaps to also wear tailored clothing.

Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca. Ingrid was the consummate fashion icon and remained so until her death in 1982. Her style was glorious and polished. And yet it was also playful – she wore a hat with her skirt suit in Casablanca.

All the women in How to marry a millionaire. The movie’s wardrobe has been the envy of many women since its release in 1953. Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Betty Grable all wear to-die-for outfits.

Get some of these women’s glamour with round toe shoes, soft fabrics and a pencil skirt from Betty Barclay.

Author bio:

Gray & Osbourn wrote this article about how a pencil skirt from Betty Barclay can transform anyone into a silver screen star.