STYLE NOTES:
The strapless black gown Rita wore in Gilda, created by Parisian designer Jean Louis, became a fashion favorite.

Rita Hayworth's most famous publicity pose, which had her perched on her own bed in a sheer lace nightgown, inspired World War II soldiers so much that they pasted it on the atomic bomb that was dropped on Bikini Atoll.

The process that changed Margarita Cansino into Rita Hayworth was elaborate: it included, among other things, a strict diet and electrolysis to raise her hairline. The painful procedure took two years to complete and made a subtle difference that Rita felt was truly worth the trouble.

When Orson Welles dared to make Rita's hair both short and platinum blonde for The Lady from Shanghai, the public outcry was deafening. "The public became as angry with me over Rita's hair as the Hearst family had been about Citizen Kane," he recalled.

STYLE RESOURCES:
» ONLINE:
TheFashionSpot.com: Rita Hayworth - thread dedicated to Rita and her style
Love Goddess: Rita Hayworth Fashion Page - a lovely section dedicated to Rita's style!
Love Goddess: Rita Hayworth Hair - a timeline of her trademark hair
Miss Vintage: Reconstructing Rita - transformation from Margarita Cansino to Rita Hayworth
Wikipedia Entry
IMDB Page

RITA-INSPIRED:
If you find anything inspired by Rita, her style or movies, please let us know! :)

GET THE LOOK:

» Paperdolls:
Rita Hayworth Paperdolls - beautifully rendered collection of Rita paperdolls