Yesterday was the lovely Jayne Mansfield's birthday and if she were still with us she would have been 80 years old, but tragically she died in a car crash in 1967. But I'm not here to dwell on her death, we are here to celebrate one of the original blonde bombshells of the 20th century.
She had a fairly short lived acting career, despite picking up a Golden Globe and a Theatre World Award in the 1950s and her films are not really what makes her name live on today. The woman was a sex symbol and played a leading role in Hollywood's celebrity culture alongside other big names like Marilyn Monroe. Alongside her acting career, Mansfield worked closely with Playboy and shot her first cover for the magazine in 1953 and continued to be on numerous covers of the publication which really boosted her profile (as well as Playboy's!). Playboy even published her statistics at an impressive 40D bust 21 inch waist and 36 inch hips. Wow.
And it is quite obvious why her career was still at it's height even after her heyday in motion pictures and on the stage. Her famously cheerful good looks and incredible body made this girl a house hold name. In 1955 she even "accidentally" dropped her bikini top down at a press conference and Hollywood's media went wild! This wasn't the only "accidental" revealing of her famous bust and she soon received a backlash of negative publicity over these stunts. At a celebratory dinner for the actress Sophia Loren, Mansfield stole her thunder by wearing a dress so low cut that she revealed one nipple - this situation was even more awkward since Mansfield was seated next to Sophia Loren! Meow!
What Jayne Mansfield did for the lingerie and swimwear industry in the 1950s was fairly amazing! It is thought she was responsible for the design of the push up bra and the plunge bra, after all, everyone wanted that enviable cleavage. The choice of swimwear shifted from the pinup style one piece to the bikini which she helped to popularise. So here you go guys, Mansfield in some awesome undies! I particularly love the swimsuit/skirt/dress combo in yellow - genius idea!
Now because (if you haven't noticed) I'm obsessed with the rise of Summer 2013 this week I couldn't help but take a wee nosey at what vintage inspired swimwear is on offer this season, and this is just a small sample of what I found...
Ditsy Daisies Kelly Brook
Monochrome Plunge Principles
Hot Red ASOS
Lovely in Leopard For Luna
While I was doing a bit of research I found this adorable video of Manfield on What's My Line? where blindfolded contestants have to guess who the celebrity is. She lives up to the "dumb blonde" facade here but looks stunning, and her handwriting is beautiful!
Happy Birthday Jayne
Love The Vintage Fair
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I thought Jean Harlow was the original blonde bombshell?
ReplyDeleteMarilyn Monroe nr.1
ReplyDeleteJayne Mansfield nr.2