Dame Elizabeth Taylor, screen legend, fashion icon, and Academy Award-winner, died in Los Angeles today at age 79. In loving memory of her larger-than-life glamour, we take a look back at the style moments that defined her extraordinary life.
She was no stranger to getting married--she famously did it eight times--but her first wedding, to Conrad "Nicky" Hilton in 1950, was one of her most memorable. Liz was just 18 years old and wore a gown that was given to her as a gift by MGM studios.
By 1959, she was already dressing the part of the movie star she'd become. At the premiere of Suddenly, Last Summer, then-husband Eddie Fisher helped her out of the car, decked in a beaded dress, fur stole, and major jewels.
Her on-screen wardrobe caused even more of a stir. On the Suddenly, Last Summer set, where she earned her third Oscar nomination, a little white swimsuit helped cement her place as a true Hollywood beauty.
She eventually took home the statue, in 1961, for Butterfield 8. She accepted it looking like the picture of ladylike elegance, with elbow-length gloves, a demure dress, and a perfect coiffe.
Liz famously fell in love with co-star Richard Burton on the set of 1963's Cleopatra, but her on-screen style had more lasting power than the marriage. Alexander McQueen referenced the look heavily in his fall 2007 collection, and the chunky costume jewelry she wore still has an influence on today's runways.
Her penchant for wild accessories grew with her fame, especially her love of haute hats that highlighted her signature bold eyebrows. The headdress worn here, in 1967, was reportedly worth $650,000.
At the 1970 Academy Awards, she made a major splash on the red carpet in a very revealing dress by costume designer Edith Head. Her decolletage was upstaged only by a stunning 69-carat Cartier diamond around her neck, a gift from then-husband Burton. It was originally bought as a ring, but the star said, "even for me it was too big, so we had Cartier design a necklace."
Even in ailing recent years, Liz was never caught without her signature bling. At the 2007 launch of her new jewelry line, she proved that a wheelchair was no obstacle to looking completely and utterly glamorous.
You will be missed, Dame Elizabeth! Leave your condolences, favorite style moments, and messages here, dolls...
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