HOW TO: Channel your inner Marilyn Monroe

There’s a reason Marilyn Monroe was, and still is, one of the biggest icons in Hollywood. She was smart and talented — and the girl knew how to dress. Everybody wanted a piece of Marilyn, and for good reason: She had a signature look she perfected. To channel your inner Marilyn is to embrace glamour, femininity and a sensual silhouette.

The first thing you need in order to channel your inner Marilyn is red lipstick. Her signature makeup consisted of winged black eyeliner, a smooth powdered complexion, and red, red lipstick. It was bold, but she wore it with total confidence and pulled it off effortlessly. For those of us who aren’t fond of lipstick, (although Wal-Mart has it for a mere dollar if you’d like to try it out), or to simply tone things down for class, red lip gloss will do the job just fine.

Next comes the hair. Marilyn was famous for her platinum bob, but to channel her style all you need is curls and a lot of body.  If you have longer hair and would like to do a faux bob, simply curl and tease the front and then pin the longer pieces of your hair back to create the illusion of a bob.

As far as clothes go, Marilyn wore her clothes tight and emphasized her curves. Some of her dresses had to be sewn on her! That’s a bit over the top as far as the everyday college outfit is concerned, but we can draw attention to our curves too, just in a more subtle way. If you want to truly embrace her personal style, a skinny dress and heels are a good way to go. To tone things down for class, try a skinny dress with an oversized blazer and flats, or pair a curve-hugging top with skinny jeans and heeled boots.

To truly channel your inner Marilyn, though, the most important thing you need is confidence. No matter how tall, short, or curvy you are, whether you have long hair, short hair or no hair, be proud of it! Marilyn loved who she was — she loved her body and it showed. Part of the reason everything looked so good on her is because she wore it with such confidence. She embraced her curves, hid nothing, and wore her clothes with pride. If you truly want to channel your inner Marilyn, you had better do the same. Be proud of your looks, be proud of your body, and always ask yourself:

What would Marilyn do?