Collection: Marilyn Monroe’s Potato Sack Dress by Earl Theisen, 1951
Earl Theisen
(April 12, 1903 - May 1, 1973)
Marilyn Monroe is a Hollywood icon and cultural figure whose life and work continue to inspire people today. She was a major sex symbol in the 1950s and 60s, and her image and style continue to influence fashion and beauty even today.
There are several versions of the story behind a series of promotional photos taken in 1951 by Earl Theisen of Marilyn Monroe wearing a potato sack dress.
The best one involves a party at the Beverly Hills Hotel in which Monroe, then 24, allegedly showed up in a revealing red dress that a columnist declared “cheap and vulgar,” adding she would have been better served wearing “a potato sack.” The Twentieth Century Fox PR department then capitalized on the moment by putting her in one.
The less colorful version of the story is that the studio was simply hoping to drum up some publicity by suggesting their starlet was so beautiful, she could even make a potato sack look good - which she indubitably does.
What is for certain is that she was photographed in the getup by Earl Theisen, a photographer for Look magazine who shot Monroe frequently. As for who tailored it to hug her famous curves, chances are good it was William Travilla, the costume designer who crafted her iconic looks in eight films, including the pink satin gown in 1953’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and the billowing white dress in 1955’s The Seven Year Itch.