Rivas 1

A Look into Alfred Hitchcock’s Obsession: The Woman in the Tailored Suit

Nicole Rivas

PGHT 5520: Fashion & Film

Dr. Marilyn Cohen

12/20/2012

Final Essay
 Rivas 2

“Blondes make the best victims. They’re like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints.”

-Alfred Hitchcock1

Often remembered for his ability to produce films that investigate murder, mystery, trauma

and themes of psychoanalysis, the infamous ‘Master of Suspense’ was a thought-provoking,

controversial director. Even though Alfred Hitchcock never kept any diaries or journals, and the

survival of his personal letters remains nonexistent, his films were indeed the notebooks and

journal entries that were poured into the creation of startling images. His disarticulate longing onto

the lips of many leading ladies, and his strong and truest impulses are just a few examples.2 He

projected his innermost desires onto the screen, reflecting the complex emotions that others

seemed to personably unrecognize. The illusionary depictions within his pictures exemplify what

Hitchcock could never obtain, but only imagine its ownership as the observer. In other words,

there was a thin line between reality and fantasy during the many productions of his thriller films.

Keeping in mind that the majority of his movies required physical and emotional dedication from

his actors, he often pushed boundaries of exhaustion for actresses in order to get that ‘one shot.’

Notoriously known for his ability to mold a series of glamorous blonde leading ladies on and off-

screen, such elegant beauties were captured through horrific glorified scenes.

In this paper, I will compare two films that reflect Hitchcock’s deepest desires through

fashion. Focusing on Vertigo (1958) and The Birds (1963), I will investigate the behind-the-scenes

processes, personal relationships with the blonde protagonists and the costume decisions in their

personal wardrobes and film production in order to unravel the mysterious themes of obsession,

ownership and modification. The primary questions in researching such a subject are to answer:

1
The Girl, directed by Julian Jarrold, HBO Films, 2012, opening scene.
2
Donald Spoto, Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock (USA: Da Capo Press, 1999), ix.
 Rivas 3

How does Hitchcock eliminate the boundaries between reality and fantasy through violence? What

particular fashions does he present the actresses wearing in order to create his ideal perfection?

And what are the underlining similarities that these leading ladies embody when they are in their

wardrobe on and off-screen?

Born as Alfred Joseph Hitchcock in Leytonstone, a district in London’s East End, as a

young boy, Hitchcock was never really active. He often clarified that as a child, he found himself

lonesome, with no playmates for interaction. He illustrates, “I would sit quietly in a corner, saying

nothing. I looked and observed a great deal, I’ve always been that way and still am. I was anything

but expansive. I was a loner- can’t even remember having had a playmate.”3 From his earliest

years, Hitchcock was a watcher, an observer rather than a physical participant. His ability to

passively observe the local life with a habit in watching versus participating helped the

development of his inner life fantasies. He explains during later years, “I never walk when I can

ride. My exertion is all from the neck up, I watch.” The escapism that enhanced his imagination to

take control over situations left him with desire to watch as an observer.

In 1956, Hitchcock was finally ready to begin production on Vertigo after several delays.

The lead female character was originally to be played by Vera Miles. Born in a small town in

Oklahoma, Hitchcock was captivated by her beauty in television’s Pepsi-Cola Playhouse. He

immediately summoned her to a meeting, announcing he would turn her into the next Grace Kelly.

Instantly signing to a five- year contract, she agreed not to appear in advertisements for swimsuits

or lingerie, and that Edith Head would design her wardrobe for film and private life. Hitchcock

3
Ibid., 20.
 Rivas 4

clarifies “so she wouldn’t go around in slacks looking like Van Nuys housewife.” 4 Already

insisting he did not want her to look like the ordinary household woman living in the suburbs; he

transformed her with the ideal femininity of traditional irresistibility. Visually recognizing Miles

with understated glamour, he chose to present her more aesthetically pleasing to his eye. This

contract restricted certain presentations of her appearance not only to the public, but also to

Hitchcock himself. He once explained, “I prefer a woman who does not display all her sex at once

[…] I like women who are also ladies, who hold enough of themselves in reserve to keep a man

intrigued. On screen, for example, if an actress wants to convey a sexy quality, she ought to

maintain a slightly mysterious air.”5 When Hitchcock refers the ‘man’ as being ‘intrigued’ he is

subliminally indicating himself. Through his approval of Miles’s wardrobe for films and everyday

life, he wants to watch her in a certain way. By excluding her participation in swimsuit ads, he

does not want to witness such provocative ways of presenting the actress but maintain a ‘sexy

quality’ conveyed through mystery.

Fig. 1: Vera Miles in Wichita (1955) Fig. 2: Vera Miles (1956)

4
Donald Spoto, Spellbound By Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies (London: Hutchinson Press, 2008),
153.
5
Ibid., 167.
 Rivas 5

Her previous personal wardrobe consisted of modest casual attire, almost ‘plain Jane’ like.

The small-town beauty queen did not necessarily wear the latest fashions as Edith Head began

presenting her in cleaner lines and modest vulnerable attires similar to Grace Kelly’s. The mid-

1950s was the height of feminine glamour with the New Look dominating Hollywood. It was used

to reflect the “safe, not particularly sexual, and quite matronly forms of femininity.” Most of

Miles’s outfits were chosen in relation to character development as the “full-skirted, small-waisted

outfits were often worn by female characters who were unthreatening, at times stodgy.” 6 Edith

appreciated that Hitchcock had a very clear idea of how he wanted the clothes to advance the story

of the film. Her makeup and hairstyle were always intact, as the iconic New Look eventually

became a part of her personal wardrobe. 7

With Miles specifically in mind to play the leading lady in Vertigo, Hitchcock explains,

“Vera’s wardrobe, hair, and make-up tests had been completed. Everything had been carefully

planned and prepared, and Jimmy [Stewart] was ready and waiting. Then she got pregnant, and in

the spring, she withdrew- and this was going to be the part that would make Vera a major star, a

real actress.”8 Once she dropped the offer, she reiterates, “I tried to please him, but I couldn’t. I

was stubborn, and he wanted someone who could be molded.”9 Because she was under personal

contract, her future roles would only be minute appearances and supporting roles (such as Psycho

in 1960). Hitchcock concludes, “I lost all interest in her, and I couldn’t get the rhythm with her

going again.” 10 He never mentioned her marriage or two young children during personal

6
Stella Bruzzi, ““It Will Be A Magnificent Obsession”: Femininity, Desire, and the New Look in 1950s Hollywood
Melodrama,” in Fashion in Film, ed. Adrienne Munich (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2011), 164.
7
Jorgensen, Jay, Edith Head: The 50 Year Career of Hollywood’s Greatest Designer (Philadelphia: Running Press,
2010), 217.
8
Donald Spoto, Spellbound By Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies (London: Hutchinson Press, 2008),
154.
9
Ibid.
10
Ibid.
 Rivas 6

conversations or to the public. Her complete transformation included a new creation without a past

as he developed an obsessive fascination.

He resented Vera, for his devoted screenplay was specifically meant for the actress. During

the film’s screenwriting process, Hitchcock was strictly involved, carefully attentive to every scene.

It was as though he knew exactly how and what he wanted to construct in order to portray a

desirable visualization. Jimmy Stewart (male lead character) reminisces, “I could tell it was a very

personal film even while he was making it.”11 Samuel Taylor who wrote the final screenplay for

the picture agreed, “Anyone who saw him during the making of it could see, as I did, that this was

a story he felt very deeply indeed.”12 His films were the edited illusions of his inner obsessions in

that he had the final approval of every scene, shot and costume decision.

Appointing Edith Head as the costume designer for the film, her original designs prepared

for Miles remained the same for the substitute actress- Kim Novak. It was made certain that the

mysterious blonde character in the film would wear dark pumps and a grey suit. Head explains,

“This girl must look as if she’s just drifted out of the San Francisco Fog, she walks and drives her

car in San Francisco where everyone wears suits- and the script specifically calls for a grey tailored

suit.”13 During the production of this film, Novak disagreed with the majority of the costume

choices. Throughout fittings, she mentioned, “I didn’t think it would matter to him [Hitchcock]

what kind of shoes I wore. I had never had a director who was particular about the costumes, the

way they were designed, the specific colours. The two things he wanted the most were those shoes

and that grey suit.”14 She would later suggest shifting its palette to colors she actually wore such

11
Ibid., 157.
12
Ibid.
13
Ibid., 156.
14
Ibid.
 Rivas 7

as purple or white. However, it was made clear that the grey tonic suit was to imply that the

character ‘drifted out of the San Francisco fog.’ Though the role was initially intended for Miles,

Hitchcock made sure to portray his desirable image.

In the film, we see Madeleine Elster (played by Novak) wearing a reinterpreted New Look

grey suit. It is not visually portrayed restrictive to the body as there are notable wrinkles that may

suggest this is a suit not being worn by its rightful owner, or that it is presented as a disguise and

not the character’s true everyday attire. The jacket displays slightly structured shoulders worn with

a small pin on the flattened collar as its sleeves are significantly loose-fitting. Enclosing and sealing

her true intentions with the buttons fully closed, they follow along the center of her body. With

nonfunctional pockets along its exterior, Novak’s waist is cinched in the outfit. The skirt’s hemline

ends right below the knee while there is a considerable baggy fit with its clean A-line design. It is

constructed with a subtle pleat in the back exposing the seams of her pantyhose. She wears a soft

chiffon scarf wrapped underneath, worn with dark brown leather heels while holding a brown mink

coat, brown pocketbook and wearing nude gloves. Her platinum blonde hair is pulled up into a

spiral French twist. Everything she wears is common, nothing individual. The outfit expresses

secrecy and a touch of aging with just one color. The dark shoes match with everything, and the

gloves also suggest a mystery and elegant quality.

As the opposite male character, John “Scottie” Ferguson (played by James Stewart), a San

Francisco detective who suffers from acrophobia is hired to follow Madeleine (the wife of a former

college acquaintance) who he eventually falls in love with. Even after her suicide, he cannot seem

to stop loving her. Months later, when walking along the San Francisco streets and passing by the

flower store she once shopped at, he suddenly comes across a brunette that looks exactly like her.

This woman’s outfit is much more body-hugging and youthful-like. Wearing a deep-green fitted
 Rivas 8

knit sweater with a green and white polka-dot blouse underneath, we visibly acknowledge the

contoured form of her breasts. Her pencil skirt of the same shade emphasizes her voluptuous

physique as it is closely constructed to her curves and worn with a green belt cinching at the waist.

She is wearing much more jewelry in comparison to Madeleine as half of her hair is pulled back,

clearly demonstrating the bold hoops and gold charmed necklace. Carrying a nude shoulder bag

with matching heels, as she passes by John, we notice she is also holding a cardigan sweater of the

same deep green.

We later find out that this character is Judy Barton and claims to be mistaken for Madeleine.

But as John exits her hotel room after making plans for dinner, she reaches into her closet and

stares at the grey suit, reminiscing her staged suicide. Judy tends to wear much more brightly

colored outfits in comparison to her previous portrayal as Madeleine. Her wardrobe consists of

form-fitting silhouettes exemplified in garments of radiant lavender, deep green and gleaming

yellow, whereas Madeleine’s fashion displays a palette of obscured somber shades such as pure

black, dark navy blue and tonic grey placing less emphasis on her body form.

As Kim Novak once suggested during costume fittings to alter the use of grey into shades

of purple, it is a clear connection with her character in the film. Novak would most likely wear the

youthful, body-hugging fashions and brightly colored garments, as the woman in the tailored suit

was meant to be played by Vera Miles. She explains,

“I went in and he [Hitchcock] said, ‘I understand you don’t like these black shoes.’ He
asked me why and I said, ‘I tell you, black shoes always sort of make me feel I’m pulled
down. I’ve always felt that your feet should be the same as the top of your head, so that
you’re connected. Wearing the black shoes would make me feel as if I were
disconnected.’ He heard me out. And then he said, ‘Fine. When you play the role of
 Rivas 9

Judy, you will not have to wear black shoes. When you are playing Madeleine, you will
wear them.’”15

She was able to be herself when she was not portraying Madeleine. She did not wear a bra and

wore her very own beige shoes while acting in scenes as Judy. She illustrates,

“I just felt natural. I had on my own beige shoes and that felt good. […] But then, I had
to play ‘Madeleine’ again when Judy had to be made over again by Scottie into what she
didn’t want to be. I could use that, again, totally for me, not just being made over into
Madeleine but into Madeleine who wore that ghastly gray suit.” 16

Hitchcock’s Vertigo is a primary exemplification that suggests his ability to blur the lines between

reality and fantasy. As he carefully constructed a film with Vera Miles in mind, the fashion

displayed through the screen is a reflection of the actual actors’ personal attires- including Novak’s

surrogate role. Madeleine played by Novak is in disguise with her grey suit. In her true discomfort

with the costume choice, she feels more at ease in garments designated for Judy. She is playing a

role that is meant to encapsulate Hitchcock’s previous fantasy with Vera Miles in that ultra-

feminine grey suit. Novak was ultimately masqueraded with its loose-fitting visualization as the

part was not intended for her.

The entire transformation for Novak not only consisted of the fit, accessories and

undergarments, but also, her hair. She recalls,

“[…] my hair was short at that time in my career and Hitchcock wanted that perfect
pulled-back hair. I already hated that gray suit and then having to go through putting on
that wig with a false front — again made me feel so trapped inside this person who
desperately wanted to break out of it but she was so caught up in the web of deception
that she couldn’t. The fear of not being loved if she didn’t have on these clothes or wore
her hair in a certain way — oh, god, she had nothing left but to kill herself in the bell
tower.”

15
Jay Jorgenson, Edith Head: The 50 Year Career of Hollywood’s Greatest Designer (Philadelphia: Running Press,
2010), 262.
16
Ibid.
 Rivas 10

In order for that suit to really work on Novak in such a way, she had to be a blonde. She had to

bring Hitchcock’s vision to life, as he closely observed his inner fantasies appear through the lens.

The grey suit has its own story which explains why the ensemble did not satisfy Novak for

her role as Madeleine Elster. Director Alfred Hitchcock wanted to give Madeleine’s clothing —

and therefore herself — an eerie appearance. So, costume designer Edith Head selected the grey

suit, saying it would be “odd” for a blonde woman to be wearing all grey, as it can tend to wash a

fair woman’s complexion. This, along with some other details, would have the desired, ‘eerie’ and

haunting effects. “Kim did not want to wear grey, but Hitch was absolutely definite about that. She

had to wear grey. Grey is not a blonde’s color and there was something off-putting about it, but

that was the psychology of the whole thing.” 17 With his interest in presenting an ‘off putting’

presentation, he wanted to visually believe this haunting effect.

Stewart’s character becomes dangerously obsessed with Judy wanting to transform her in

order to create an exact replica of Madeleine. Choosing fantasy over reality, he carefully designed

his illusionary beauty. Because Novak was a substitute for Miles, Hitchcock’s disturbing

fascinations with his leading ladies were behind their fixed appearances. The blonde woman on-

screen played a role in the imaginative depictions of his hidden desires. Within the closing scene,

as Judy is dressed like Madeleine, she falls off the top of a building due to Scottie’s strangling and

raging encounter. This was the first and last film Novak worked with Hitchcock.

17
June Van Dyke, Obsessed with Vertigo: New Life for Hitchcock’s Masterpiece, DVD-ROM (Universal Studios,
2012).
 Rivas 11

Miles seemed to have been the next leading lady that would fit the director’s ideal of

ultimate perfection. Using the combination of dark pumps and blonde hair, he would soon find the

next ‘new girl’ to fulfill the mold.

During the early autumn of 1961, Hitchcock and his wife were sipping morning coffee

while watching the news channel when a black and white commercial came onto the screen. A

blonde woman selling a diet product projected a sensual but not brassy undertone that was

obviously so successful that men and boys alike whistled as she strolled along.18 This woman in

the commercial was Tippi Hedren. Within her first appearance for Hitchcock, it quickly convinced

him that this was ‘the girl’ he had been searching for.

Similar to Vera Miles’s discovery, Hedren was found at first glance on screen. Born in a

small town in Minnesota, the model was currently living in Los Angeles. A recent divorce’ with a

young four-year-old daughter, she was in no position to deny any potential opportunities. After

having been sought by executives under Hitchcock’s request, she soon began attending several

meetings that would lead to a seven-year contract. Without a clue to whom she would be working

for, she would later discover her current devotee- the ‘Master of Suspense’ himself.

Wardrobes and hairstyles were prepared for her to complete three days of elaborate and

expensive screen tests. Hitchcock later explains, “I signed her to a contract because she is a classic

beauty. […] Movies don’t have them anymore. Grace Kelly was the last.”19 The director seems to

continuously reference his most successful mold of his idealistic blonde beauty, Grace Kelly. She

is continuously indicated during public announcements for his current leading ladies. With Miles,

18
Donald Spoto, Spellbound By Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies (London: Hutchinson Press, 2008),
170.
19
Ibid.
 Rivas 12

it was the ‘next Grace Kelly’ and for Tippi Hedren, it was about making a new ‘classic beauty’

because thus far, Kelly had been the last. Head’s routine in designing the actresses’ personal

wardrobes and costumes also exemplified looks of Kelly’s style. She comments, “Women began

emulating the classic style of Kelly’s clothes: her understated gowns, pillbox hats, tweed suits and

the white gloves with which became synonymous.” 20 With her familiarity with fashion designers

and character development, she assisted in Hitchcock’s vision as he continuously blurred the lines

in theses actresses’ everyday presentation and characters’ appearance.

In Hedren’s first feature film, The Birds (1963), we see the female lead character Melanie

Daniels wearing a tailored suit. In the opening scene, she is wearing a dark tweed suit, black leather

gloves, hair pulled back in a French twist and black pumps- Hitchcock’s ultimate perfection. The

jacket projects a boxy fit as it displays no buttons and remains open. With a short-starched collar,

we slightly see the exposure of her white blouse underneath. The straight skirt is significantly more

fitted than Madeleine’s grey suit but tailored properly in comparison to Judy’s body-hugging skirts.

The hemline ends right at the knee (versus below). However, the primary outfit chosen for Hedren

in this film is the infamous green suit.

In its first appearance, the camera angle focuses on the birdcage with two love birds. In

this shot, we clearly see her wearing dark beige heels with a slightly visible light green skirt ending

right at the knee. She is layered in a beige mink coat worn with a long sheer chiffon scarf, and

matching nude gloves holding her chocolate brown purse. There is an exuding mysterious quality

as the screen zooms in on the birds avoiding Melanie’s full presence. Entering the elevator, she

catches the attention of a man. Within this scene, the angle rises capturing her facial expression of

20
Jay Jorgenson, Edith Head: The 50 Year Career of Hollywood’s Greatest Designer (Philadelphia: Running Press,
2010), 217.
 Rivas 13

a slight smirk projected with confidence while staring into the distance. We see that she is wearing

small pearl earrings with a matching necklace, covered with the nude chiffon scarf. Her hair is still

slickly pulled back.

During the next few scenes, we are able to recognize the entire outfit as she takes off her

coat. Her loosely fitted jacket exudes comfort with its subtle functional front pockets and

pronounced collar. Underneath she wears a sleeveless top that is designed with a crewneck-cut to

highlight her pearls and emphasize her privileged position and materialistic nature. She wears a

matching cinched belt at the waist and a straight-lined skirt.

Like the iconic grey suit, Hitchcock specifically requested for the use of green as he

interpreted the color as an evoking chaste, cool quality. Referencing the idea embarked in the eau

de nil suit worn by Grace Kelly in Rear Window (1954), Head used the basic structure combined

with aspects of the Chanel suit. Altering the line and its cut, Hedren used six of them during a five-

month filming. Hitchcock carefully took weeks in selecting the appropriate accessories and later

labored over the choice of the character’s mink coat.21

Melanie Daniels (played by Tippi Hedren) is a socialite chasing after handsome Mitch

Brenner (played by Rod Taylor). She finds him in a town where birds are mysteriously attacking

people. Her green suit is the underlining transition throughout the plot. She is first introduced in

the film layered with the mink coat, nude gloves and with her hair sleekly pulled back for a very

put-together appearance. By the end of the film, we see Melanie completely different. As she

climbs alone to a room in the house, entering quietly, she is suddenly viciously attacked by the

21
Ibid.
 Rivas 14

birds. We later witness the same green suit that is now distressed with bloody stains as her hair is

completely tousled with a bandage protecting her fleshy facial wounds.

In reality, the last scene was the most difficult to shoot. After the fourth day of filming to

capture the real-life birds attacking the actress, Hedren came to despise the green suit in a similar

fashion to Judy (Novak’s character). With more rips and stained staged blood each coming day,

she emotionally and mentally prepared herself, for the tailored suit had obtained a traumatic violent

connotation.22

The actress’s real-life relationship with the director was becoming dangerously paralleled

to Scottie’s obsession with Madeleine. She recalls, “He was developing this obsession for me, and

I began to feel very uncomfortable because I had no control over him. I had to be very careful,

very watchful.”23 Observing her, studying every move, Hitchcock continued to mold the blonde

beauty through the screen and in her everyday life. The mink coat worn by Melanie on-screen was

a gift given to the actress with intent to be worn off-screen.24 Hedren goes on to explain, “He tried

to control everything- what I wore and ate and drank.” 25 With his obsessive control over the

leading lady, it was clearly demonstrated his modification of perfection was in effect.

Making over actresses according to his dream-ideal of blonde perfection became an

obsession for the director as he continuously blurred the lines between reality and fantasy. Molding

their presentation in their everyday life and within film productions, from hairstyles to wardrobes,

from make-up to shoes, from camera angles to the final cut, he presented these ideal beauties

through images of horrific terror and violence. Color was always the starting point when conveying

22
Ibid.
23
Ibid., 173.
24
Ibid.
25
Ibid.
 Rivas 15

the character in the storyline. Hitchcock mapped out all the colors he needed in the script to Edith

Head, revealing the characters as who they were. Eye-catching colors would often detract from the

action as warm colors were to demonstrate the warmness of the person. 26 The signature

characteristics in his films often feature the female protagonist with bright luminescent blonde hair

and dark heels- perhaps an underlining fetishism.

Because there was a lot of green being used within the production, Head was specifically

limited to the incorporation of green and blue in Hedren’s personal wardrobe. Each outfit she

designed represented a bird, allowing interesting conversations about the clothes with the

reporters.27 Her entire wardrobe consisted of long shifts for morning wear, daytime cocktail clothes

to formal dresses. Her evening clothes were all black-and-white with many different coordinated

pieces. Hitchcock would approve of the proper length in pearls, precise color of wigs and each

subtle element in her makeup.28 Everything was based on the approval of the director’s satisfaction

as the observer.

Scottie’s hazardous fixation ultimately led to the death of Judy as he was drawn to the

woman in the grey suit.

Judy: Wouldn’t you like me, just me the way I am? […] And then you started in on the clothes. [Pause]
Well I’ll wear the darn clothes if you want me to, if you’ll just…just like me.

Scottie: [with great desire in his eyes, he softly whispers] color your hair…

She only complied with the transformation in return for his love. Hitchcock was obsessed with

the woman in the green suit. Hedren simply obeyed his demands of modification as she sought his

26
Jay Jorgenson, Edith Head: The 50 Year Career of Hollywood’s Greatest Designer (Philadelphia: Running Press,
2010), 314.
27
Jay Jorgenson, Edith Head: The 50 Year Career of Hollywood’s Greatest Designer (Philadelphia: Running Press,
2010), 299.
28
Ibid.
 Rivas 16

approval due to her lack of experience as an actress. She explains, “I felt terrific responsibility,

terrible pressure, and my focus in life was trying to do everything I could to justify his faith in

me.”29 His treacherous fascination with the actress would eventually lead to the end of her acting

career (after his Marnie film in 1964) as she left her contract.

Questions about representing classic and ostensibly traditional femininity were often

portrayed in the fashions reflected in the two mystery thriller films. The grey suit had similar

structures of the New Look with its cinched waist and contoured physique. Head’s version was

used to ‘tell the woman’s story’ and reveal key aspects of her character (in contrast to Judy’s

garments). With its lack of erotic interest, it indicated the discontent with this imposed identity. 30

The green suit displayed a resemblance to Chanel’s legendary modern suit with its practicality,

comfort and accessible movement from the body. It embodied the independent strong woman,

depicting a new understanding and portrayal of femininity. In the films, both suits are displayed

through scenes of torture and fatal encounters. The proposed ultra-femininity associated with such

fashionable tailored suits may have threatened Hitchcock’s sensibilities as he was “sexually

incompetence.”31 His inner fantasies depicted on-screen often left the fashionable woman in the

tailored suit dead or majorly wounded. Further investigation of the modern woman is needed in

order to draw comparison to the ‘single girl in the city’ as several scenes of both films were set in

San Francisco, Ca.

29
Donald Spoto, Spellbound By Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies (London: Hutchinson Press, 2008),
171.
30
Stella Bruzzi, ““It Will Be A Magnificent Obsession”: Femininity, Desire, and the New Look in 1950s Hollywood
Melodrama,” in Fashion in Film, ed. Adrienne Munich (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2011), 161.
31
Ibid.
 Rivas 17

Fig. 3: Kim Novak as Madeleine in Vertigo (1958) Fig. 4: Kim Novak without a bra as Judy in
Vertigo (1958)

Fig. 5: Grace Kelly (1956) Fig. 6: Jacky Kennedy in the iconic Chanel Suit (1961)
 Rivas 18

Fig. 7: Grace Kelly in the eau de nil suit in Rear Window (1954) Fig. 8: Tippi Hedren as Melanie Daniels in The Birds
(1963)
 Rivas 19

Bibliography
Bruzzi, Stella. ““It Will Be A Magnificent Obsession”: Femininity, Desire, and the New Look in
1950s Hollywood Melodrama.” In Fashion in Film, ed. Adrienne Munich, 160-180.
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2011.

Jorgensen, Jay. Edith Head: The 50 Year Career of Hollywood’s Greatest Designer.
Philadelphia: Running Press, 2010.
June Van Dyke. Obsessed with Vertigo: New Life for Hitchcock’s Masterpiece. DVD-ROM.
Universal Studios, 2012.
The Birds. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. DVD-ROM. Universal Studios, 1963.
The Girl. Directed by Julian Jarrold. HBO Films. Aired October 20, 2012. October 23, 2012.
Spoto, Donald. Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock. USA: Da Capo Press, 1999.
Spoto, Donald. Spellbound By Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies. London:
Hutchinson Press, 2008.

Vertigo. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. DVD-ROM. Universal Studios, 1958.