10 fashionable things we learned from Marilyn Monroe

Today would have been Marilyn Monroe's 86th birthday. To celebrate the iconic screen siren, here is a countdown of the top 10 things Ms. Monroe taught us about fashion:

1. Never underestimate the power of the little white dress
Audrey Hepburn may have made the LBD iconic, but if there was ever a worthy contender, it was Marilyn and her white dress with a plunging neckline in "The Seven Year Itch."

2. Also, never underestimate the power of standing over a subway grate.
Unlike Marilyn, these are not your friend. We'd like to reference Anna Faris's attempt to recreate the moment in "House Bunny" (above). Painful? Potentially. Embarrassing. Totally.

3. Beauty marks are your friends.
Marilyn embraced her lower left cheek beauty mark. In fact, she made it an object of desire. We may or may not be guilty of replicating her look with a brown eyeliner whenever we have a blemish we think can use a little camouflage.

4. But diamonds are a girl's best friend.
Diamonds have always been desirable but we'd like to think that Marilyn (with a little help from Elizabeth Taylor) made it perfectly acceptable for women to be draped in the lavish jewels. As they should be.

5. Sometimes the sexiest thing you can wear for a man is sing him "Happy Birthday."
Just ask JFK.

6. Stating that you wear nothing but Chanel No. 5 to bed is one way to get folks talking.
While the absolute validity of Marilyn's claim in 1954 (she wore "five drops," according to reports) is still questionable, we believe this may have been the birthplace of the signature scent. Today, the idea of a scent that is so synonymous with a woman that it's all she wears to bed is ultimately appealing -- and we've spent most of our lives trying to find ours.

7. Love your curves. (Like, really. Love them.)
Marilyn was famous for them. She showed them off every chance she got. When it comes to body love, don't be an Audrey. Be a Marilyn.

8. Go all out.
Whether it's a date with a millionaire or a presidential birthday, a big night out means a big night out. No formal event is complete without the proper attire. Opera gloves optional.

9. Only show off your best assets, one at a time.
Marilyn not only knew how to work a camera with her best angles, she knew what parts of her body to put forward and what to conceal and what to reveal. Work your strengths -- toned arms, legs for days, killer abs (we hate you), pick clothes that celebrate the best of you.

10. To quote Marilyn: "Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world."
Amen, Marilyn. AMEN.

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