When Sophia Loren first hit the Italian cinemas in the 1950s, there was a vava-voom factor that reverberated internationally. Although not perfect, she was closer to Goddess stature than most mortals on the planet. Loren simply had an impossibly voluptuous figure, which, paired with striking green cats eyes, light olive skin, high cheek bones and sensuous lips, mesmerised audiences.
However, there was more to Sophia Loren than mere physical assets. In the 50s, the Hollywood sex bomb industry valued well-stacked bodies,, big-breasts, rich lips and bedroom eyes and while Loren had all of these, she also possessed an inbuilt elegance and dignity. She was sexy without being obvious...seductive without being tarty; and on top of everything else, she could act, winning an Academy award in 1962 for her performance in Vittorio De Sica's WWII drama,
Two Women.
The Rags to Riches Legend
Film audiences weren't the only ones to be swept away by the charms of Ms Loren and at just fifteen, she captivated influential
and married film producer, thirty-seven year old Carlo Ponti, who become her husband one divorce and seven years later. Ponti was instrumental in Loren's career and they remained apparently happily married until Ponti's death in 2007. Loren rejected the idea of remarriage, publicly proclaiming, "it would be impossible to love anyone else".
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| Sophia Loren in the 1950s |
Much has been written about Sophia Loren's childhood of grinding poverty in the slums of 1940s Naples, her illegitimacy and her ambitious, star-struck stage mother, who saw a way out of the poverty slide by meticulously grooming and guiding her daughter toward the spotlight. Loren's mother, Romilda Scicolone had herself had aspirations of being an actress and at a time when there where few opportunities for uneducated young women without funds to forge a successful career, acting must have seemed a viable option for the young and beautiful Sophia.
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| The impossibly shapely Sophia Loren |
Indeed it was, as Sophia succeeded where many failed - eventually becoming one her generations most iconic and acclaimed actresses, forging a long career in film, as well as a lasting reputation as one of the worlds most beautiful women. Romilda Scicolone must have looked upon her daughters success with a warm sense of satisfaction and the comforting realisation that her early instincts and decisions had been justified.
Italian Style
Loren's look was richly Italian and passionate. - her excessively shapely
curves, devoid of excess fat, meant clothes clung to her like a second skin
and the whole effect was intensified by a kind of half sultry/fiery/amused expression and masses of
thick dark hair, always stylishly cut.
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| Loren knew how to accessorize |
Basically the Loren look was classic upmarket sexy but with a zingy European edge - she often employed lots of tasteful accessories, such as pearls, expensive beads, Italian shoes, hats, gloves, bright scarves and luscious make-up which reflected flawless skin, dark-edged eyes and red smouldering lips.
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| 1960s Sophia |
Apart from the elegance of her clothes and accessories, perhaps the single biggest factor in Sophia Loren's style image was the way she carried herself...and still does, no doubt. Though she was not shy of wearing a sexy, tight-fitting, flesh exposing outfit, when she did, there was no hint of self-conscious trashiness. Sexiness seemed as natural to Loren as a cat arching its back and thus the sex-appeal never appeared cheap or tawdry...it was the real thing.
Dorian Leigh - the first supermodel
Diana Doors -the British Marilyn
