Hi, Big Fella: How Mary Tyler Moore's Racy Green Dress Predicted Future Fashion
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Images via IMDB |
It was 50 years ago this month that Mary Tyler Moore appeared on her sitcom wearing what was a very risqué and revealing dress, especially for the mid-70s. A dress so ahead of its time that it actually looks familiar today—think Elizabeth Hurley's famous "safety pin" dress and Jennifer Lopez's iconic green gown with the plunging neckline that were both Versace designs.
The Mary Tyler Moore episode where the dress made its appearance was called "You Try To Be a Nice Guy". It aired on CBS on January 10, 1975 and was episode 21 during the show's fifth season. The plot centers around Mary Richards trying to help an acquaintance named Sherry (played by the late Barbara Colby)—a former sex worker that Mary crossed paths with in prison—find a job.
When Mary learns that Sherry's passion is to be a dress designer she encourages her to follow that dream. Sherry is inspired to create something just for Mary. The result was something that, to television audiences at the time, only a woman of the night or Fredericks of Hollywood could dream up: a bright green dress with sequin lined cutouts that start below the bust and go right down to her ankles. The dress also shows off matching green panties.
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Mary's dress leaves Ted stammering and thirsty. |
The glaring gown makes its debut in front of Mary's coworker Ted Baxter (Ted Knight) and his wife Georgette (Georgia Engel). The sight of the conservative Mary in something that leaves little to the imagination makes Ted extremely thirsty while Georgette tells her "it sure reveals a lot of skin."
Who Designed Mary Tyler Moore's Green Dress?
The show's costume designer, Leslie Hall, worked on The Mary Tyler Moore Show for all of its seven seasons and created the green dress for this episode. Hall had previously worked as a set decorator at CBS on shows such as "Playhouse 90" and "Art Linkletter's House Party". But as a female aspiring to move up into a set designer position, she soon realized it would be futile to try to break through Hollywood's glass ceiling in that department and switched to costume design.
It was in fashion design for the television screen that she truly found her niche. Before getting the MTM gig, she designed the costumes for Elizabeth Montgomery's Samantha Stephens on Bewitched and Barbara Feldon's Agent 99 on Get Smart.
The show's clothing reflected the changing roles of American women at the time, as more of them began entering the workforce. Mary Richards often sported pants, something that Moore advocated for her character at the time. Jersey dresses, peacoats, and go-go boots were also staples of her style.
In a 2018 interview for Entertainment Tonight, 60 Minutes television journalist Lesley Stahl recalled how Mary Richards' fashion choices were revolutionary for women in the workforce: "Even the way she dressed was ahead of her time. My (first) boss wouldn't let me wear pants in the office. I wonder if she knew she was showing us the future."
The Swanky Modes Lycra Amorphous Dress Debuts in 1977
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Photo via Kerry Taylor Auctions |
Stahl's observation that Mary Tyler Moore was showing us the future was correct. Just a couple of years after the green dress episode aired, a British fashion label called Swanky Modes introduced the "Amorphous" dress in 1977. The brand was founded by four young London designers whose form fitting, skin baring creations became popular on the dance floors at discotheques.
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Image via Kerry Taylor Auctions |
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Image via Kerry Taylor Auctions |
My fellow movie buffs, however, will recognize this dress from the 1986 comedy film Crocodile Dundee, in which Linda Kozlowski's character wears it during the party scene. A black version of the same dress is on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Elizabeth Hurley's Safety Pin Dress
Cut outs became a very popular design detail in 1990s clothing. Just doing a search for "cutout dresses 1990s" brings up dozens of examples on Etsy, eBay, and vintage clothing websites.
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Photo credit: Fred Duval/Film Magic |
But none are perhaps as iconic as Elizabeth Hurley's sexy black Versace "Safety Pin" dress that she wore to the movie premiere of the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral which starred her boyfriend at the time, Hugh Grant. It was slit up to her upper thigh and was literally held together with large gold safety pins.
Hurley actually found the dress by accident, recalling that she knew little about fashion in those days and had to find something to wear for the movie premiere on short notice. A PR agency offered to lend her a dress and pulled the Gianni Versace design out of a white plastic bag. Hurley took it home and did her own hair and makeup for the premiere—while fighting with Hugh for the mirror in their one-bedroom flat. It fit her like a glove and made fashion waves.
Speaking about the dress and her late brother that designed it, Donatella Versace said that "Gianni made that dress for a woman who is sure of herself and who isn't afraid to break the rules."
That sounds a lot like a spunky gal we knew who could turn the world on with her smile.
Here's a look at a clip from that episode; you can also watch it in its entirety on YouTube or stream it on Hulu.
Been a long time since I’ve seen the show. What was Mary doing in prison?
ReplyDeleteShe said she got arrested for failing to reveal her news source - ? One thing I did not mention in this post is that the actress that played Sherry, Barbara Colby, was murdered (along with a fellow actor) the same year this episode aired and the crime is still unsolved to this day. They were leaving an acting class in L.A. when they were shot by two men. Her colleague was able to describe their shooters to the police before he died from his wounds. So tragic. Colby was only 36 years old.
DeleteLooks like something Cher would wear
ReplyDelete🍸Wishing you a happy & healthy new year🍸
(salemslot9 journal)
Yes, definitely very Cher! Happy New Year to you as well!
Delete