All About Marilyn Monroe's Iconic White Dress (and the Behind-the-Scenes Drama It Caused)

From countless recreations to behind-the-scenes drama, here’s everything to know about Marilyn Monroe’s iconic white dress

Even if you've never seen The Seven Year Itch, you can surely recognize the film's famous scene in which Marilyn Monroe stands over a subway grate, the wind causing her white dress to billow up around her in a tantalizing spectacle.

Like many of Monroe's outfits, including her pink gown from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and the notorious "Happy Birthday Mr. President" dress, the white garment has cemented itself in fashion history. The pleated halter-neck number has also become a part of Monroe's legacy, forever associated with her image as Hollywood's ultimate sex symbol.

From the designer who dubbed it a "silly little dress" to the film secrets behind the iconic moment, here's everything to know about Marilyn Monroe's white subway dress and its lasting impact.

Related: Marilyn Monroe's Best Fashion Moments of All Time

Where did Marilyn Monroe wear the white dress?

Monroe wore the famous white dress in the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch, directed by Billy Wilder. The scene was filmed early in the morning on Sept. 15, 1954, on the corner of Lexington Avenue and 52nd Street in New York City, according to CNN.

Who designed Marilyn Monroe's white dress?

Monroe's white halter dress was designed by William Travilla, who simply went by Travilla. In 1949, the designer won an Academy Award for his work on Adventures of Don Juan and he went on to create the costumes for several of Monroe's films, such as Don't Bother to Knock and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Monroe reportedly once wrote a note to Travilla that read, "Billy Dear, please dress me forever. I love you, Marilyn."

Despite its lasting legacy, Travilla never saw Monroe’s white dress as a pillar of his career, reportedly once dismissing it as “that silly little dress.”

Who blew up Marilyn Monroe's white dress?

As the actress stood over a subway grate, a member of the crew operated a wind machine from underneath, creating the now-iconic moment of Monroe's dress billowing up around her as she tried to hold it down.

Though Monroe wore two pairs of white underwear to ensure she wasn't revealing too much, her husband at the time, professional baseball player Joe DiMaggio, apparently disapproved of the scene's suggestive nature. Photographer George S. Zimbel captured DiMaggio storming off the set and it was later reported that the couple got into an argument that night, ultimately resulting in their divorce. About three weeks later, the Daily News announced the separation with the headline, "Marilyn Splits With Joe Over Sexy Pictures."

How many takes did it take to capture the iconic moment?

When the scene was shot in New York City, thousands of spectators gathered to witness the now-iconic moment, which The Guardian reported took 14 takes to capture. However, the noise from the large crowd made the footage unusable, so the scene was re-shot on a lot in California. It wasn't all for nothing, though — stills from the original shoot were used in promotional material.

What was the legacy of Marilyn Monroe's white dress?

The iconic image of Monroe's billowing skirt solidified her status as a Hollywood sex symbol while also representing a pivotal point in her life and career.

Over the years, the iconic scene has been recreated, spoofed and referenced countless times in various forms of media. Celebrities such as Madonna, Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj have worn similar dresses onstage and in photo shoots, advertisements have paid homage to the moment and in 2020, a massive statue of Monroe standing over a subway grate was permanently installed in Palm Springs, Calif.

Netflix's 2022 biopic Blonde, starring Ana de Armas, took extra care in recreating the famous dress. The film's costume designer, Jennifer Johnson, told the Associated Press that it was a difficult process because the specific pleating technique used on the original dress has become a thing of the past.

"I think we went through about 50 yards of fabric because the pleating wasn't right," she said. "It looked great, but the molds were not designed correctly for the pleating. There was a lot of research and development and waste going into that."

Where is Marilyn Monroe's white dress now?

Travilla kept many of his designs until he died in 1990, but the iconic white dress Monroe wore was in the care of the film studio, 20th Century Fox, until it was relinquished in 1971.

According to The Guardian, actress Debbie Reynolds purchased the dress for $200, and it became part of her impressive collection of Hollywood memorabilia, including costumes and props from The Sound of Music. Reynolds had hoped to open a museum displaying her collection, but the project never panned out. As a result, Reynolds auctioned off her items in 2011, where Monroe's white dress sold for several million dollars, with some reports claiming it went for $4.6 million while others say upwards of $5.6 million. According to CNN, the auction house, Profiles in History, had estimated the dress would sell for $2 million.

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