The Top Five Retro Beauty Icons

What does the term icon mean nowadays? It's not something we tend to dwell to heavily on, letting the media do as they will with the term, and blissfully ignoring the bastardization of this once impressive word. It has been used in conjunction with many up and coming stars ( Agyness Deyn and Kate Moss, are two who have had the term bandied around) and I may even be guilty of having used it in describing some fresh faced starlets.

The actual meaning of the word become more significant when trying to write this column however and has led me down this rather introspective path. The original meaning of the word referred to religious iconography and then went on to mean something that symbolized something else- for instance you'd call the Eiffel Tower an iconic display of Parisian culture. Can one be an icon if you've hardly breathed however? Agyness Deyn may be cutting edge and hip, but the fact that she's barely out of braces (figuratively speaking) makes me uncomfortable with allowing her that tag.

An iconic person needs to be someone who has redefined and shaped a genre, one whose input has had such significance it would be difficult to imagine said culture without her. Hence, I bring you my top five retro icons, women whose personal style, attributes and behaviour have defined how we think of 1920-1950, and whose own images and style have become heartbreakingly post-modern in repose. Every person in this list has helped define what we think of as style, and has made the jump into cyclical trends, so they are all worthy of inclusion.

Rita Hayworth

Marilyn may be the most famous blonde, but Rita certainly had the most class. Her ultra big hair inspired many a hairdresser to create his own range of volumizing products and her pouting lips broke many a heart. At 5'5 Rita was average height and at her prime she weighed in at 120 pounds- a desirable weight for any women but larger than life for today's size 0 star. She epitomized healthy and happy and showed us that curves were covetable and achievable. She was known for her love of makeup and nail varnish and was quoted saying, "I find my cuticle never tears and my nails don't break if I rub cream into them every night."

Betty Boop

[Image Source]

The term 'boop-oop-a-doop' is synonymous with popular culture and coquettish behaviour, in fact at a recent burlesque class I was taught the Bettie Boop move, a coy shoulder shrug and hip wiggle. She danced onto our screen in 1930 sexily shrugging her hips and speaking in a breathy voice that many phone-sex operators would die for. She helped express the 1920's era of unashamed sexuality and her bright red lips and black hair made her seem like a sexed up Snow White. It could be suggested that this cartoon was the inspiration for many of today's burlesque acts,

Bettie Page

The ultimate pin up girl, Bettie's brunette locks and in your face pout made her the poster girl for both men and women nationwide. She managed to epitomize uninhibited sexuality and extreme confidence, helping women realize that attitude and attraction could go hand in hand. people still ape those tousled tresses today, and her polka dot bikinis and big hair have never gone out of style.

Marilyn Monroe

Good ol Norma Jean has broken many a heart in her Marilyn incarnation. Her bright blonde tresses, beauty spot and red lips don't so much suggest sex, as lewdly open the doors in our mind. She's been called everything from harlot to harridan, but has born it all with good grace and style, becoming one of most enduring icons of our times. Perhaps her star would have faded had she lived, but Marilyn will be forever young, and the reason many of us (myself included) still get out that bottle of bleach.

Dita Von Teese

Dita's flawlessly made up face and groomed hair create an image many people aspire to. Her tiny frame suggest self control and lust, and her corsets and jet black hair symbolize fertility and lust. She l0ooks like a miniature goddess, but we know it takes time and effort to create her style; and we simply don't have time to get out the hot rollers every day. She's clearly been influenced by the likes of Bettie Page and show us all what we could achieve, if only we had the time. (and yes, she made this list by the skin of her teeth, as a MODERN icon with retro value).

See our summation of her as a Beauty hero here.

Let me know who you think is missing from this list in the comments- it's my personal top five, after all!