Doris Day Movie Fashions in Pillow Talk and Lover Come Back

Thanks so much for your help in identifying some of the hats in yesterday’s post.  I loved your comments!  So much fun to find you enjoy the old movies, too.

It wouldn’t be fair to share all the great hats Doris Day wore in the movies, Lover Come Back and Pillow Talk, without also sharing the fabulous dresses with which they were paired.   After watching these movies, I can understand why there are whole blogs dedicated to vintage clothing and recreating those looks for today.  They truly were wonderful.

I’ve shown both the front and back of these delightful styles when possible.  Unfortunately, I discovered Doris rarely stands still in a movie.  She is almost always in motion, so a few pics are just a bit blurry.  Hope you enjoy these glimpses of the casual, elegant and sophisticated fashions for women between 1959-1961.

Brief Synopsis:
Lover Come Back, starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson was released in 1961 and was their second film together. Tony Randall also had a big part. In the movie Carol Templeton (Doris Day) and Jerry Webster (Rock Hudson) are big time rivals, working for competing advertising agencies. Much of the plot/fun in this movie revolves around the old theme of mistaken identity…which is also a big theme in the movie, Pillow Talk.

Lover Come Back:  The Fashion

You may recognize the hat from yesterday’s post.

 

Love how the jacket opened in the back.

The dress underneath…

Pretty in pink…

 

Remember the “bubble” hat from yesterday…it was paired with this suit.  It’s fun seeing the handbags, as well.

 

Never could get a great shot of this outfit…but here’s a glimpse.  The hat she’s wearing was the last hat in yesterday’s post.

 

Love the coat…you may recognize the cloche style hat from yesterday.  Notice she even wore gloves.

 

An elegant suit for an evening dinner out…

 

This was an outfit Doris (Carol) wore for a day on the golf course.  Pretty fancy for golfing.  I love the color and the fitted look of the skirt.

 

Doris even looked fabulous while biking.  No sweating allowed. 😉

 

Boating…loved the slim slacks paired with the short jacket.

 

You can’t forget the purple hat Doris wore in this scene…here’s the bathing suit that went with the hat.

 

Love this coat…you could wear this look today.

 

A bit closer view…

 

Diane mentioned this elegant top in her comment yesterday.  You were right, Diane…it really is beautiful!

 

I remember when big bows tied at the neck were so popular on women’s blouses in the 80’s.  I had quite a few of those back then.  I never realized it was a repeat of a popular 60’s style.  Look at the light bulbs on that chandelier behind her.  Have you ever seen bulbs like that?!

 

This was one of my favorite outfits in the movie.

 

Love the side split of the coat.

 

And here’s the dress that was underneath.

 

PILLOW TALK:

Pillow Talk, a romantic comedy, was the very first movie Rock Hudson and Doris Day starred in together…actually, the first of three. Tony Randall was also in Pillow Talk. It won the Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) and was nominated for several other awards.

Pillow Talk is set in New York city and Doris Day plays a very successful interior decorator named Jan Morrow. Unfortunately, Jan is stuck sharing a party line with Brad Allen, (Rock Hudson) who turns out to be a major lady’s man and quite the phone hog.

The sparks fly and insults are exchanged when Jan can barely squeeze a phone call in between Brad’s constant calls with all the women he’s playing courting. Things get really interesting when Brad accidentally meets Jan and finds her to be much more attractive than he ever expected. He pretends to be someone else, knowing she would have nothing to do with him if she knew who he really was. They begin dating and you can just imagine what happens when Jan discovers he’s her party line Romeo.

Pillow Talk was named to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2009. It was found to be “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant and it’s being preserved for those reasons.

Pillow Talk:  The Fashion

Dressed for a day of work as an Interior Designer…

Remember the furry hat from yesterday’s post?  I noticed in these movies, Doris always kept her hat on. Apparently it was considered an important part of her ensemble, because it wasn’t removed when she took off her coat.

 

Another coat…not the greatest view but all I was able to capture.

 

The elegant pin you see here was worn on the waistband of a skirt in another scene.

 

The faux leopard hat we saw yesterday had its own matching muff.

 

It looked great with a red coat, doesn’t it?

 

A red velvet cape for an evening out…

 

The red velvet dress she wore underneath…

 

Another suit for work…appears to be black velvet or velveteen.  I noticed Doris took off her hat once inside this time…you can see it in her hand.  Ummm, wonder why sometimes her hat is left on but removed in other scenes?

 

And here’s the pretty pin we saw earlier on her dress, now being worn at the waistband of this suit.

 

A housecoat worn at home…

 

The back…

 

Another comfy look for home…

 

Doris looked beautiful and so elegant in this scene where she attends a party held by one of her clients.

Doris Day Fashion in her Movies

A little closer view…notice the long gloves.  Wow, what a stunning look!

 

A comfy knit dress…perfect for work.

 

A closer view…once again she’s wearing the pretty pin.

 

I was so amazed at how many matching coats/capes Doris wore in these movies.

 

Here’s the dress that was underneath the coat.

 

Another beautiful evening gown…

 

with an elegant open back…

 

Sleepwear…feminine and pretty

 

Good thing she wasn’t wearing the gown above in this scene toward the end of the movie, Pillow Talk. Rock Hudson carries Doris through the streets of New York to his apartment in her pajamas. She’s mortified! He’s not too happy with the “revenge decorating” she’s done for his apartment. lol

 

Hope you enjoyed this fashion movie tour.

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Comments

  1. A little more info about wearing hats….the hat was to match/coordinate with the dress or coat, but not the shoes and purse. Gloves were neutral usually. Hats were kept on for social situations, not for work or at home, or a long visit with good friends.

    Remember these were the movies, in real life the only women who wore such elegant and stunning outfits were very wealthy.

    The styles and variety might have been less apparent for most women but the basics were the same: Dress, Hat, Gloves, Shoes, Handbag, hosiery…..always when out of the house! Especially for church!

  2. Susan (Between Naps on the Porch) says

    Mellodee, thanks for that info…so interesting! You would definitely have to be pretty wealthy to afford coats/hats etc…for so many outfits. Can you just imagine how many closets you would need to hold them all. Fun to dream…love the escapism of the movies.

  3. Susan,
    Fun, fun post!
    Doris Day has been a favorite of mine for a loooooonnnnnggg time. Seeing her outfits was enjoyable to view.

    May you have a sweet day,
    d

  4. Bonjour, c'est une grande satisfaction de lire votre billet sur Doris Day et ses toilettes, mode des années 50/60. En France,à cette époque, on appelait "bibis" tous les petits chapeaux. Comme le dit si bien Mellodee ci-dessus, on pouvait profiter et admirer les toilettes des élégantes au sortir de la messe le dimanche. Merci et bonne continuation.

  5. sheila from life @ #17 says

    Whenever I watch Pillow Talk, I just dream about having my fashion "stuff" together enough to dress like Miss Doris was dressed in that film! and then time for work comes and I grab whatever isn't wrinkled…too much…and head out the door…but it is nice to dream 🙂

  6. iSavortheWeekend says

    Just watched another movie last night with Doris Day (Man with the Horn?). I'll watch any movie of hers just to listen to her sing, what an angelic voice – none can match. I also likes the way she walks, she's got that lil jig, she's so adorable, I love her! 🙂

  7. I loved Doris Day movies and Pillow talk was one of my favorites,
    Chris

  8. Days at Buttermilk Cottage says

    The clothes are beautiful and elegant. AND it doesn't hurt that Doris Day was thin and trim and could wear them beautifully.
    Best,
    Susan

  9. Mid-Atlantic Martha says

    Loved those old movies — such fun. I guess another reason to leave those hats on…..no "hat hair".

  10. For the Love of a Cottage says

    When growing up, I saw all of the Doris Day movies dozens of times. Mom even let me have my hair in a blond short style like hers. The movie she was in where she is making her own ketchup in the basement was going to be my life. I HAD to narrow it down to one movie, didn't I? Well, life didn't turn out that way, but I still love the movies. I absolutely loved your post!!!

  11. I always loved Doris Day movies and even when I was young I adored her outfits! She has a perfect figure!
    I remember my Dad always wearing a hat back in the early 60's and my Mom had a selection of her own too. I know when you wear a hat it often messing up your hair do, so I think women didn't take them off for that reason. They often used hair pins to fix them on their heads just right. I love that velvet dress and coat she wore- can you imagine how luxurious that must have felt to wear!!

  12. I adore Doris Day and have loved your posts. Have you seen "With Six You Get Egg Roll"? It is one of my favorites and there's a hat in that one you should see!
    Check out "The Thrill of It All" is a cute one too!

    I sure remember wearing white gloves as a little girl.
    Oh, the headaches of not having a mate to your glove when Sunday Morning rolled around….

  13. Susan (Between Naps on the Porch) says

    Molly, I haven't seen that one but I enjoyed Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back and Send Me No Flowers so much, I definitely plan on watching more. Thanks for the tip on With Six You Get Egg Roll…can't wait to see it!

  14. What classics. Wish those clothes were on the rack today!!

  15. I love With 6 You Get Eggroll! Best movie, came out about the time of Yours Mine and Ours-the first one!

    Fun posts Susan!

    Mary
    From Virginia

  16. I am so happy to have lived in this era of time and fashion. Women did dress in a classic manner with the styles of the clothes. Even if one could not afford designer clothes such as Doris wore, there were fabulous dress patterns for the home seamstress. My mom would make most of my dresses copied from great designs. When I left for college in 1960, my "mom designed wardrobe" was very much like some of these outfits that Doris wore. Gloves were a part of each outfit, and to this day, when I attend Estate Sales, I head for the gloves to buy the unique ones…..one last memory, if you will indulge me, just before I left home for college, my mom gifted me with a faux leopard purse and matching shoes. IF I only had them in my closet today, what fun I could have with them!

  17. What beautiful clothes! Designers were so tuned into what flattered the female body. I love to see these and the fashions on Mad Men. The hats are fun to see but I wouldn't want to return to wearing them. The ones that Doris Day wore really flattened the hair!! Streamlined and simple design, so flattering!!

  18. Thanks for the memories! Doris Day is just great and love the retro fashion.

  19. Oh my Gosh the red coat and leopard hat came with a leopard muff!! Love it.

    I like the ivory evening dress too!

  20. Another thought on Doris Day movies. My parents had an LP from one of the movies….and Que Sera, Sera….was one of the songs. I can remember playing it in the house and that one song over and over and over…I was probably 8 or 9. I liked the part that went something like "when I was young and fell in love, I asked my mother what will he be…will he be handsome, will he be rich?…." clearly I was looking forward to growing up and falling in love. I think those movies influenced our thoughts and that our futures would be as bright as Doris Day's!! She seemed to have it all.

  21. Sue (Someone's Mom) says

    Well that was fun. I would actually wear several of these styles now…many are starting to come back in style. Of course, I'm glad we no longer have to wear dresses all the time as they did in the 50's!

  22. Robin@DecoratingTennisGirl says

    I love Doris and Rock. What good movies to watch. My favorite is Send Me No Flowers. Tony Randall is a hoot in it!
    Doris is always a class act. Her clothes were sensational. I have an autographed picture from her 🙂

  23. Beeutiful by Design says

    Love! Shopping in Charleston this Labor Day weekend I saw several similar hats in the windows on King Street. I have also seen similar fashions in the fall magazines, I hope they are coming back! Doris was such a classy elegant woman. Jennifer

  24. Alycia Nichols says

    I was a child when these movies first aired, and they ruined me for life! I thought EVERYONE woke up in the morning looking glamorous, and wondered why I was the exception! My mother dressed in fashions such as these, and I always loved them. I dress in similar suits to this day (sans the hat and gloves, and the hemline is above the knee!). The 3/4 length sleeve is still fabulous from where I sit!!! This was a wonderful trip down memory lane! I think I'll go tune in The Movie Channel and see if I can catch some of these oldies but goodies!

  25. I grew up watching Doris Day and love her still! I can still hear my mother singing Que Sera, Sera to me and now I sing it to my grandgirls. Thanks for the lovely trip down memory lane.

  26. Adorable white dress that stands for soo much grace in that times of woman caring for the style. LOVE THE STYLE OF DORIS DAY IN THE MOVIE CHARACTERS SHE PLAYED LIKE AUDRY HEPBURN FOR HER MOVIES.REAL DESIGNERS WHO HAVE COMPASSION FOR THE BEAUTY OF WOMEN.LIKE DORIS DAY WHO MOST WOULD HAVE PRECIEVE A HOUSE WIFE OR AUDRY HEPBURN A PRINCESS.BOTH THESE WOMAN AND JACQUELINE BOUVIER KENNEDY REARED THE STYLE INSTUTION OF FASHION…HIGH SOCIETY GALLANT WOMEN OF ARISTOCRATIC WEALTH 1950'S AND LEANAGE RULE THE FINISHING SCHOOL GLAMMOUR WITH THE HISTORY OF THEIR BIRTH…

  27. Maria C. Coleman says

    I was just a little girl when these films came out but even then I really enjoyed the lovely clothing. Today I love my jeans but still try to stay out of them as much as possible! Thanks for your lovely blog.

    Connie

  28. I still love these movies with Doris Day and Rock H. Love the clothing back than, (they remind me of my pretty mother) when women were so feminine and didn’t look like the men counterpart, at all!! Although cloths are confortable for women now, I still try to wear my dresses and skirts sometimes. Super fun post! Thanks Susan. Enjoy the weekend.
    FABBY

  29. That elegant top on Doris you mentioned “Diane made a comment”? Do you know who that was made by, it is absolutely beautiful? Great fashion picks & site.

    Thx
    Michelle

  30. 3/10/14 8:53p Doris Day Fashion/Styling in the Movies
    Doris Day had made a major transformative image change in “Pillow Talk” in 1959 with her Fashion’s in this film and “Lover Come Back” 1961. You should check out “Midnight Lace” 1960, her Wardrobe is Stunning in this film Doris Day reached her Zenith in Fashion.

  31. This post is AWESOME! I absolutely love Doris Day and Pillow Talk and Lover Come Back are two of my go to movies when insomnia rears its ugly head. And if you put Tony Randall into the mix – they are laugh out loud funny! I type this and I am in jeans and a Notre Dame sweater watching the ND football game. I wonder how she would have dressed for a football game? Sometimes I am sad the present day culture is so casual. If you dress up people are like – “Hey what are you all dressed up for?” Kinda sad, doncha think? Thank you for this – I adore her – there really isn’t anyone like her in present day Hollywood and I doubt there ever will be! 😉

    • Thanks, Tracy! I know…absolutely the best movies! So true…people act like you’re weird if you do dress up these days. Have you ever heard Doris interviewed? She is still sharp as a tack, funny and so gracious, even when those interviewing her are not. I was so impressed when I listened to an interview online a few years ago. The questions sometimes were almost rude and she was just as nice and caring as she could be throughout the whole interview. Truly an amazing soul!

  32. Loved this post and blog! Doris Day is my favorite actress of all time!

  33. These clothes exemplify simple elegance. That never goes out of style.

  34. Cynthia Lambert says

    We should give credit where credit is due for these lovely designs. Bill Thomas did Doris’s clothes for Pillow Talk and Irene designed Lover Come Back, and also for another noteworthy Doris movie – Midnight Lace. Other designers for her movies included Moss Mabry, Ray Aghayan, Jean Louis, Glenn Connelly, Rosemary Odell, Constance Edney, and Morton Haack – and that’s only in the 60s. Her career started in the forties and she kept going until about 1973.

  35. LOL! I watched these movies growing up in the 50’s and 60’s and even tho’ I am becoming an ancient baby boomer, I would wear some of these in a minute. Watched them again recently, so fun. Love the green satin cape coat as well as the beaded overblouse and all of them really.

  36. I love Doris Day movies. And the clothes she wears . I wish I could have someone make me all her capes & dresses.

  37. I love these clothes. These dresses are timeless and could be worn today. The early 60’s fashions are my favorite!!!

  38. Ms, Jay Solton says

    I was doris Day’s assistant from 1964 – 1966. I had her yellow suit from “Move Over Darling: which I “undersold” on Ebay. I have one item left. It’s a silver/blue night gown, sleeveless, with a bow in front. It was part of a peignoir set. I’m trying to sell it on Ebay or to an auction house but I can’t find the film it was from. I had thought she told me the outfit was from Pillow Talk but I’ve checked out every photo and it’s not it. You can go to Ebay to see it. It’s on auction for the next three days. If you can help me find the film it’s from I’d be glad to Zelle you $100

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