Marilyn Monroe died on August 5, 1962: a life of glamour and gorgeous dresses - in pictures
Before she became an actress, Monroe was a model, and in her brief career she wore fashion that was the envy of women everywhere
Nobody personified glamour better than Marilyn Monroe, the beautiful yet troubled Hollywood actress known as much for her feminine curves and sex appeal as her screen presence.
Monroe was also a fashion icon, what she wore playing an important part in her star image (she often chose white to emphasise her blonde hair, and wore revealing outfits to show off her figure).
Her publicity stunts often involved clothes exposing large amounts of flesh or even malfunctioning, such as when a shoulder strap of her dress suddenly snapped during a press conference.
Born Norma Jeanne Mortenson in Los Angeles in 1926, she spent most of her childhood in foster care before launching a career in modelling – until she caught the eye of 20th Century Fox executive Ben Lyon.
