Danke Marlene

I spent three hours in the library this afternoon researching Marlene Dietrich for a paper I'm writing on her for my German Cultural History class. In the mid-1930s she traveled to Paris on a hiatus from her studio contract. (She was unwelcome in Berlin due to her anti-Nazi stance.) She arrived in a suit (she'd packed over twenty-five), tie and beret. A Parisian magistrate, offended by her garb, threatened to have her arrested for impersonating a man; but Marlene's former lover, Maurice Chevalier, came to her defense and said that every freedom-loving Frenchman should love Marlene Dietrich. (Below: Marlene in Chanel)

It's thanks in part to Marlene that women can walk down red carpets in beautifully tailored suits, looking smart and smashing, without being arrested. Kirsten Dunst look impeccable.