Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most influential style icons of the 20th century, known for a look that helped define Hollywood glamour in the 1950s and continues to shape fashion and beauty today. Her style combined elegance, confidence, and femininity in a way that made her image instantly recognizable around the world.

Monroe’s signature aesthetic included glamorous, form-fitting dresses that emphasized the hourglass silhouette, often paired with bold makeup such as red lipstick, defined eyeliner, and soft, glowing skin. She also became famous for her platinum blonde hair, which reinforced her “Hollywood bombshell” image and set a beauty standard that has been referenced for decades in fashion, film, and pop culture. Beyond specific garments or makeup trends, her overall presence,playful, confident, and highly stylized, helped shape how modern celebrity image-making developed.

Her influence extended beyond fashion into photography and visual culture. Monroe was one of the most photographed women of her era, working with leading photographers and appearing in images that defined mid-century glamour. These portraits helped build a carefully crafted public identity that blended vulnerability with star power, making her both an admired actress and a lasting cultural symbol.

Opening next week, the National Portrait Gallery marks what would have been her 100th birthday with Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait, a landmark exhibition exploring her life, image, and enduring legacy. Running from 4 June to 6 September 2026, the exhibition brings together works by artists including Andy Warhol, Pauline Boty, Marlene Dumas, Rosalyn Drexler, and Audrey Flack, alongside photographs by influential photographers such as Eve Arnold, Richard Avedon, and Cecil Beaton. Together, these works highlight how Monroe’s image has been reinterpreted across generations in both fine art and photography.

The exhibition ultimately reflects how Monroe’s style was never just about clothing or appearance, but about the creation of an enduring cultural icon whose influence continues to shape ideas of beauty, fame, and identity today.