#What a Way to Go!

[birdmans]

sabrina carpenter at the grammy awards (2025) / shirley maclaine in what a way to go! (1964)

[vampirecorleone]

"Shirley MacLaine is quoted as saying she was happy to work with Edith Head, with a $500,000.00 budget, 72 hairstyles to match the gowns, and $3.5-million gem collection, on-loan from Harry Winston. The value of the gems, adjusted for inflation, would be $23.5 million in 2016" What a Way to Go! (1964) dir. J. Lee Thompson || Costume Design by Edith Head

[mrt-s]

Tribute to 102 of my favorite and some of the most iconic Movie Costumes (part 9/17)

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope 1977 (Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill), Costume Design by John Mollo; What a Way to Go! 1964 (Louisa May Foster, Shirley MacLaine), Costume Design by Edith Head; Elvis 2022 (Elvis, Austin Butler), Costume Design by Catherine Martin; Sleepy Hollow 1999 (Katrina Van Tassel, Christina Ricci), Costume Design by Colleen Atwood; Once Upon a Time in Mexico 2003 (El Mariachi, Antonio Banderas), Costume Design by Graciela Mazón; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2005 (Hermione Granger, Emma Watson), Costume Design by Jany Temime.

[voguefashion]

“Pink is the new black” - Diana Vreeland

Thomas Gainsborough, Mary, Countess Howe, c. 1764.

Marilyn Monroe wearing a pink satin strapless gown with an oversized bow attached at back, designed by William Travilla for the "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best friend" number from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953).

Vogue Paris, December 1964.

Jackie Kennedy wearing a Pink Chanel suit on the day of her husbands assassination in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.

Margot Robbie on the set of Barbie.

Shirley MacLaine in a gown by Edith Head for What a Way to Go! (1964).

Brigitte Bardot wearing the famous pink and white gingham dress with a Peter Pan collar made of English lace, specially designed for her by Jacques Esterel on her wedding day to Jacques Charrier on June 18th 1959.

Reese Witherspoon wearing the pink leather 'driving suit' in Legally Blonde (2001), designed by Sophie de Rakoff.

Barbara Cartland the "Queen of Romance" fiction was often dressed in a pink chiffon gown.

"A brave new pink that accepts the challenge of the blazing summer sun." Elizabeth Arden "Arden Pink" advertisement in American Vogue, April 15, 1959.

Princess Diana wearing a pink sweater and pink and white gingham pants at her home at Highgrove, Gloucestershire, 1986.

Model Suzy Parker in the "Think Pink!" number from Funny Face (1957), costume designed by Edith Head.

Valentino Garavani Tan-Go Platform Pump in Patent Leather 155mm in Rose Violet.

Molly Ringwald wearing the 'prom dress' designed by Marilyn Vance in Pretty in Pink (1986).

[perlukafarinn]

Ranking every single one of Shirley Maclaine's outfits in What a Way to Go! because I can (part 3)

(link to part 1) (link to part 2)

15. Pinky This look is unhinged and I love it so much. It's the head to toe bubblegum pink, including the wig and jewelry (clock the pink rhinestone beauty mark!). It's the floor length fur coat, which in universe is made from chinchilla. It's the fact that the only reason Shirley is even wearing this ridiculous getup is because her husband's name happens to be Pinky and he is super into personal branding.

14. Sweater dress Shirley's Paris fits are all incredibly chic and this sweater dress looks super comfy to boot. I also love the way her hair is styled here, and the nude lip adds a little je ne sais quoi.

13. Sculptural dress Now we're getting into the fits her artist husband Paul Newman designs for her after he makes it big and holy moly I love this so much! The color combo is beautiful but obviously the highlight is the sculptural elements which are as impractical as they are fabulous.

12. Abstract painting dress Second art dress and what I really love about this one (besides the print and color) is the cape attached to the gloves. Very night at the opera meets Joan Mitchell.

11. Pop art bodysuit I don't know if it's strictly pop art but that's what this fit is giving me. It's maybe not as fancy as the other two Paul Newman dresses but I love how graphic and bold it is. The fingernails on the felt hands matching Shirley's nail polish is such a beautiful touch.

10. Black negligee This outfit is such a strange mix of kinky and cutesy and I'm kind of obsessed with it.

9. Backless with the pearls Gutted that this is the only angle we get of this outfit - it might have ranked even higher otherwise. But I love a backless dress and that pearl detailing is to die for. And notice the cigarette holder is bedazzled to match!

8. Gold and fur The silhouette of this dress goes so hard. The gold lame plus fur trimmings is both kitschy and fabulous, I live.

7. White faux fur I am a sucker for an all-white ensemble, and I adore the collar of this fit. What I love most about it is the jewelry in the hair, it's such a unique placement that really compliments the up-do.

6. Tangerine dream That hat! That neckline! That color! I am in love and I have nothing more to say!

5. My fair Shirley I love this because not only is the dress covered in rhinestones from top to bottom, Shirley has also piled on the sparkly jewelry. Sit her on top of a lighthouse and she could safely guide sailors from the shore for miles!

4. Red pleather The chopsticks in the hair are unfortunate and together with other design elements lend this outfit an air of (I hate to use this word) Orientalism. But this dress is so beautiful! The silhouette is bold and unique and that color works incredibly well with the choice of fabric. I just wish they'd styled it differently.

3. Red slip Yes, this simple red slip dress tops nearly every extravagant outfit in this movie for me. It is stylish, it is sexy, and it is the best Shirley looks in this entire movie.

2. Black and gold eleganza I loved this dress the moment I saw it, with the beautiful brocade fabric and the flouncy skirt, and then it kept getting better with every new angle - first the plunging back, then the skirt parting to reveal Shirley's long legs!

1.Black bikini Maybe a controversial top pick, considering all of the elaborate outfits and gorgeous dresses in this film but this bikini is simply irresistible. The design is utterly unique and so intriguing, and the styling - the matching black ribbon in Shirley's hair, the black kitten heels and earrings - puts it over the top for me.

Or maybe it's just that I'm incredibly down bad for Shirley MacLaine. You decide.

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

October: Silver Redux

What a Way to Go! / Shirley MacLaine as Louisa May Foster

As a Halloween bonus, here's Shirley MacLaine looking very "Bride of Frankenstein" in a silver dress. This is part of the same montage of fabulous outfits as the gold dress featured a few days ago. Each only gets a few seconds of screen time, but that's not surprising, considering that the character has 73 costume changes to get through over the course of the movie!

[screenshothaven]

What a Way to Go! (1964)

[rwpohl]

what a way to go!, j. lee thompson 1964

[liviasdrusillas]

i have to say aelfgifu REALLY grew on me this szn and i’m so glad she and emma were able to come to respect and understand each other because they’re both such powerhouses

[erstwhile-punk-guerito]

[byneddiedingo]

Shirley MacLaine in What a Way to Go! (J. Lee Thompson, 1964)

Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Dean Martin, Gene Kelly, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Cummings, Reginald Gardiner, Margaret Dumont, Lou Nova, Fifi D'Orsay, Maurice Marsac. Screenplay: Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Gwen Davis. Cinematography: Leon Shamroy. Art direction: Ted Haworth, Jack Martin Smith. Film editing: Marjorie Fowler. Music: Nelson Riddle. 

[tedhead]

melrose!!!!!! forgive me!!!!!!1

[veryslowreader]

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

What a Way to Go!

[perlukafarinn]

Ranking every single one of Shirley Maclaine's outfits in What a Way to Go! because I can (part 2)

(link to part 1)

30. Tan winter coat I really adore the hood on this coat and the fur trim on the sleeves but I'm not a huge fan of the color.

29. Red suede set Another cute monochrome look. Nothing too spectacular but I love the bow on the dress and the cut of the coat.

28. Double widow Two husbands down now! This is a marked improvement over Shirley's first mourning outfit - the collar is incredible as is the tiny hat with the big tulle veil. I also adore the square broach.

27. Tan travel suit Again not my favorite color but I like it better with the lighter fur. The sleeves are top-notch and the little bow on the hat is the cherry on top!

26. Lace bikini This bikini looks both really impractical and like it would be super unflattering on nearly anyone else but Shirley really makes it work. Those sunglasses are unfortunately incredibly ugly though.

25. Denim on denim I love an oversized shirt and I love denim on denim so this one really hits for me. It's just not as interesting as the other outfits from here on out.

24. Faux fur nightie Like this! A nightie with a satin top and a faux fur hoop skirt? These are the unhinged 60s fashion choices I live for. I feel like this dress could be seen on an alien babe of the week on Star Trek TOS and I love that for her. The matching kitten heels are also very cute.

23. Flannel and jeans Our last pair of jeans on this list. There's just something about this outfit, particularly as seen in the still on the left, that has me a little twitterpated. Maybe it's the rolled up sleeves?

22. Red and white southern belle The volume in the sleeves and skirt is to die for! This is another outfit that Shirley just seems to be lounging around the house in and honestly we should all be so ambitious.

21. Sunshine faux fur Another monochrome outfit and this color is just gorgeous! There is also something so charming about the sheer cape lined in faux fur.

20. Green ostrich This outfit would probably be higher on the list if we saw it for more than a second but this is literally all we get. But it is big, it is opulent, it makes Shirley look like Big Bird's fashionable eco-friendly cousin.

19. Emerald green eleganza I don't love the fit of the bust but the cut is otherwise beautiful and the color is absolutely gorgeous. As you can maybe see in the two images, the strands on the back are draped across Shirley at first, then she throws them over her shoulders as she enters the party, so this dress is a production!

18. Triple widow Her mourning fits just keep getting better and better! What truly makes this one is the giant hat; Shirley looks like a sad, fabulous cloud.

17. Parisian green Shirley wears this set on a trip to Paris and it is understated yet fabulous! I love that the coat has a white lining to match the giant pearl necklace.

16. Quadruple widow This is the outfit we see Shirley the most in and it is beautiful! We've got another gorgeous hat and the cut of the dress is incredibly chic but I especially love that the black veil covers her fully this time.

(link to part 3)

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

October: Gold Redux

What a Way to Go! / Shirley MacLaine as Louisa May Foster

"As I look back on it now, our life together was like one of those glamorous Hollywood movies, all about love and 'What'll she wear next?'"

This dress appears for only a few seconds as part of a montage, but fortunately there are some good black-and-white publicity shots of it. They confirm that the material has a very faint pattern.

Frankly, if I saw this costume with no context, I'd assume it was for an alien princess in some sci-fi world! Edith Head really let her imagination run wild for this movie.