In the last series (Corporate Women and Beyond), we took a sample of classic corporate style and switched the colour scheme though the 12-Tones, using identical shapes in order to show how a particular style can adapt with each palette.
So now let’s reverse the view. Instead of reworking a single collage into all the tones, let’s take a single tone – 12-Tone True Spring – and look at how four very famous women might have interpreted this palette as they dressed for the office.
For the sake of comparison we will keep the garment colours fairly constant, while recognising that the 12-Tone True Spring palette offers many more choices than those we will see here and that personal style will influence how an individual will use them. Note that the aim of this series is NOT to make a case for all of these iconic personalities as being springs, just recolouring their look as if they were.
Spring Style I – Katharine Hepburn as True Spring:
It’s possible to find pictures of Katharine Hepburn dressed in frills, but her enduring fame rests on her striking look, strong roles, independent choices and her preference for sporty and classic men’s tailoring. The masculine lines of her style are the closest of the four to the shapes of conventional corporate dress, but have been depicted just a bit more loosely and more casually here, as was her usual fashion. She may not have spent much time in the heeled boots pictured, but they have the clean line and sense of straightforward drama that she favoured.
Spring Style II – Marilyn Monroe as True Spring:
Marilyn’s style sits at another pole to Katharine Hepburn’s, as consistent, distinctive and memorable. The recent TV series “Mad Men” has revived interest in the look of her era, and reminded both retail and consumers about the importance of good tailoring and re-tailoring for fit, comfort and appearance. Marilyn herself might have preferred to maintain simpler shapes for her daily work wear (a quick look at Google Images seems to show a liking for shirting and basic knits when “off-duty”), but choices more typical of the contemporary corporate “uniform” can still echo the iconic styles and fabrics shown here. The overall look is just as pulled-together, confident and assured in either case.
Next time we will look at two more famous women – Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn.