I love Edith Head

If you know me, you know I have a hefty appreciation for old movies. If you know my family, you know we love musicals. And one family favorite musical is "White Christmas", the 1954 classic with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.

Every time I find myself watching these films - particularly "White Christmas" - I am struck, over and over again by the costumes. Here is one of my favorites: Rosemary Clooney in a deep green velvet cocktail dress (the picture doesn't do the color justice) --



And every time I look up a favorite costume, I always see the same name: Edith Head. The woman was a genius. She won 8 academy awards (though nominated 35 times). She was a french teacher who wanted a better paying job. She was a costume designer who couldn't draw when she started. She designed for Hitchcock films, and dressed everyone from Barbara Stanwyck to Audrey Hepburn to Grace Kelly to Paul Newman (in "The Sting"). She said, "Your dresses should be tight enough to show you're a woman and loose enough to show you're a lady." Well said. That's why I'll be asking for her book for Christmas - "How to dress for success." Teach me, Edith!

Here's another favorite: Grace Kelly in "Rear Window"




one of her sketches of this dress just sold at christie's for $12k.