Elizabeth Taylor passed away on Wednesday, March 23 from congestive heart failure at the age of 79. She starred in over 50 movies, in classics such as Cleopatra and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and won two Academy Awards for Butterfield and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
She was known for her talent, her AIDS activism, her multiple marriages (eight), her humor, her stunning good looks, her jewels, and of course, her fashion sense. This was a woman who owned herself, her looks, and her fashion-forward choices.
Her thick eye make up, strong eyebrows, sultry pout and genuine smile never lost their appeal or charm, even with her ever-changing wardrobe – from dainty flats to poufy hair. She was a trendsetter for generations, starting with sophisticated dresses in the 40s and 50s (when she partied alongside idols such as Gene Kelly), and transitioning to deep necklines to show off her slim shoulders in the 60s.
In the 70s she wore tight miniskirts, knee-high boots, and bold colors, switching to boas and bright blue eye shadow in the 80s. Her choices were always ahead of the curve and always shocking. Let’s not forget her love of jewels, which exemplified the sayings “The bigger the better” and “the more the merrier.”
She always dressed like a star, and her memory shall live on forever. She is a timeless icon in so many ways. May she rest in peace.
Images courtesy of Getty Images.