Marlene Dietrich
(1901-1992)
“I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men.”Dietrich was well known for her non-typical and forward-thinking attire choices, notably wearing suits, uniforms, and other clothes that embodied men’s fashion during a period when male and female roles were still very sectioned off. Dietrich set a precedent for the women who would come after her in the fashion industry and contributed a great deal to women being able to have a wider variety of options as far as what they wear. To point out just how courageous Dietrich truly was and how dangerous it is to be a forerunner in something as simple as fashion, it should be known that she was nearly arrested just for wearing pants in 1930. Today, very few rational, if any, people find issue with women wearing a variety of pants and/or shorts rather than traditional dresses and/or skirts. Yet as Dietrich was opening that path forward, she was also under harsh scrutiny by those around her. She provided an image of what the future could look like as she dressed “for the image.”
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| Dietrich in traditional masculine attire |
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| Dietrich in traditional feminine attire |
Moreover, Dietrich had an amazing past and contributed to the allies through it: she was born German in a world that would soon be in the largest war with Germany seen. Marlene had renounced her German citizenship after becoming an American citizen and never looked back. She contributed to the Allies as if she was born in those countries originally. She was an outstanding actress that participated in a myriad of films until being asked to work for the Office of Strategic Services on propaganda services, which she readily aided. She translated American songs into German to broadcast to the Axis Powers. But more than that, she toured and sold War Bonds all around the United States. Eventually, she contributed so much to the Allied forces that she was recognized as the daughter of the 71st Infantry Regiment of the United States Army and awarded the Medal of Freedom by the Government (1947). She was later endorsed by France and Belgium by awarding her the Legion d’Honneur and the Knight Order of Leopold, respectively. She was an outstanding individual that commanded respect and insight as she participated in her humanitarian war efforts.
References:
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marlene-dietrich
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/g4201/famous-feminists-throughout-history/
Very interesting blog! Prior to reading I was unaware of the work of Marlene Dietrich but she for sure deserves the recognition because women's rights go further than the surface and there was a time where the clothes we put on our bodies was an issue. Marlene Dietrich defied society's expectation of a woman's appearance to prove that an expectation or dress code should not exist, we should have the freedom of choice in attire. Not only was she an aide for women she was able to utilize her knowledge of another language to help many others and that is admirable.
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I would always see references to Marlene Dietrich but never gave it a thought to google her. She's a pioneer in gender bending with her dress, challenging expectations and pointing out that clothes don't have a gender. Could you imagine being arrested for wearing pants? that's unfathomable to me. I stand by her through and through!
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