Who is Edith Head?
When watching a movie made from 1945-1970, watch for women wearing clothing with clean, spare lines, beautifully made and flattering to their exact figures. Chances are, they’re wearing one of Edith Head’s designs. Edith Head was one of the most famous cinema costume designers of the 20th Century. Her trademark large, round, black glasses made her instantly recognizable. Edith Head was born in 1897 in San Bernadino, California, and although she was a trained teacher, went to work in the costume department for Paramount Studios while movies were still in the silent era. By the early 1930s, Edith Head was established and was known as a leading costume designer. Under the infamous studio system, Edith Head took credit for the work all her designers did — as did most head designers — but every design had to be approved by her, and had to be satisfy her exacting standards. In fact, Edith Head designed fashions that were far superior to the movies in which they appeared. She designed for sev
