A dazzling smile. A great pair of
legs. Seductive eyes. Thick, lustrous hair. A sultry voice.
To many American men it’s as simple
as a great rack.
Tastes have changed over the years,
to be sure. In the early part of the
twentieth century, women were shorter and rounder and, in fact, the “ideal”
figure was that of an hourglass. The “flapper” ushered in a nearly
non-existent bosom which blossomed again
during the depression, a time when appearing gaunt was possibly considered less
than fashionable.
During WWII, woman may have been
patriotic enough to give up their hose, but not enough to forfeit the sensual
appeal of a seamed stocking. With a ruler, eyebrow pencil, and some ingenuity,
they managed to suggest the illusion of a seam. (After all, isn’t sex appeal
often only about illusion)?
In the fifties there were a
sufficient number of “blonde bombshells” to combat the “June Cleaver” type but
it was the sixties that left an indelible mark. Model Twiggy’s “little boy”
look had a major effect upon how women would view their sexual appeal for years
to come. For the first time, they did not desire the sophisticated look of
French knots and ample cleavage. Instead, they aspired to look young and
“waifish” even if it took anorexia and/or bulimia to achieve those goals.
There’s a scene on the beach in the movie, Gidget
where Gidget’s well endowed friends scoff at Gidget’s petite, boyish
figure. Nowadays it’s likely that Gidget would be laughing at her friends,
viewing them as “fat”.
I’ve compiled a list of 20 actresses who might be considered to be the
sexiest for the times in which they lived. (I say “might” because, as
mentioned, tastes are subjective).
These women stand out for having
maintained their sexuality, either by creating their own styles or by bucking
the trends of the times.
I intentionally omitted beauties
such as: Carole Lombard, Claudette Colbert, Lauren Becall, Grace Kelly, Audrey
Hepburn, Natalie Wood, Goldie Hawn, Demi Moore, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Jennifer
Aniston, who, while they might be elegant, cute, or “girl-next-doorish” don’t
necessarily exude sex. (Not to say that many men wouldn’t find them sexy or
that women wouldn’t want to look like them. Audrey Hepburn is my personal
favorite).
1. 1930’s - JEAN
HARLOW (34-25-36) Star of Hell’s Angels; original “Blonde Bombshell”.
2. 1940’s - RITA
HAYWORTH (32-25-34) Glamorous star of “Gilda”;
Married to Orson Welles and also to Prince Aly Khan.
3. 1940’s - BETTY
GRABLE (34-24-36) Known for her “great gams”; #1 pinup girl of WW II, married
to trumpet player, Harry James.
.4. 1950’s - MARILYN
MONROE (37-23-36) Sexy and vulnerable; famous (amongst other things) for the
dress that flew up around her waist in “The
Seven Year Itch”.
5. 1950’s - JANE
MANSFIELD (42-21-35) Very intelligent, despite her “poor man’s Marilyn Monroe”
image. Mother of actress Mariska Harigtay, another beauty.
6. 1950’s - AVA
GARDNER (36-23-37) Star of “The Barefoot
Contessa”; had an earthy femininity; steamy marriage to Frank Sinatra.
7. 1960’s -
ELIZABETH TAYLOR (36-21-36) Violet eyes set off her exquisite beauty; stormy
relationship with Richard Burton; apparently not a fan of casual dating, she
was married eight times.
8. 1960’s - ANN
MARGRET (35-23-35) Ended up being considered the star of “Bye Bye Birdie” (an honor intended for veteran actress and co-star,
Janet Leigh); Swedish “sex kitten” with a wholesome appeal; acted and had an
affair with Elvis.
9. 1960’s - RAQUEL
WELCH (37-22-35) Star of “One Million
Years B.C.”, which popularized the “fur bikini”.
10. 1960’s - SOPHIA
LOREN (38-24-38) Smoldering Italian actress; starred in “Two Women”; turned down Cary Grant to marry director, Carlo Ponti,
still sizzling in her seventies.
11. 1960’s - BRIDGET
BARDOT (35-19-35) French, exotic, sexy.
American men adored her. (Check out that waistline…did these women wear
corsets?)
12. 1970’s - FARRAH
FAWCETT (35-24-35) Star of “Charlie’s
Angels”) How many girls came of age with “Farrah haircuts”? How many boys came of age with that famed
“Farrah poster?”
13. 1980’s - MADONNA
(CICCONE) (34-23-33) Pop singer with a talent for re-inventing herself often,
each persona sexier than the next; popularized “trashy lingerie”.
14. 1990’s - SHARON
STONE (36-25-35) Interrogation scene from “Basic
Instinct” – enough said.
15. 1990’s - PAM
ANDERSON (36-22-34) Star of “Bay Watch”;
hot relationship with rocker, Tommy Lee; epitomized the California “beach babe look” (or at least
what men living outside California
fantasize them to look like).
16. 2000’s - BEYONCE
KNOWLES (34-26-40) Hip Hop star. The moves, the body, the voice.
17. 2000’s - SCARLETT
JOHANSSON (37-26-37) Starred in numerous Woody Allen films. Voluptuous in a
surprisingly old fashioned way.
18. 2000’s - HALLE BERRY
(36-22-37) Starred as Catwoman in “Batman”
and the costume fit to perfection, emphasizing her great body and terrific
features.
19. 2000’s - SALMA
HAYAK (36-25-37) Gorgeous Mexican born actress; star of
“Frida”. Recognized for having a spectacular,
non-enhanced “rack”.
20. 2000’s – ANGELINA
JOLIE (36-27-36) Known for her altruism, large family, and husband, Brad Pitt;
considered to be one of the sexiest woman of her time; her bee-stung lips
(emulated unsuccessfully by many women who don’t own mirrors) alone would
qualify her for this distinction.
I apologize to anyone who might feel this posting to have
been a touch politically incorrect but then I’m often a touch politically
incorrect myself.
Have a great week and thank you for joining me on this
week’s journey along,
RHODES LESS TRAVELED,
Vivian
@VivianWrites
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