Greta Garbo Personally Owned and Top and Pants

A Hanro (Switzerland) tunic top, ca. 1940s, and Dorce (Hong Kong) pleated pants, ca. 1980s, personally owned and worn by Swedish-American movie actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990). Evidence suggests that Garbo purchased the pants at a consignment or retail store, even though the former Hollywood actress lived in a midtown Manhattan penthouse decorated with a multi-millionaire-dollar art collection. The dove gray colored tunic top has a pleated front and puckered back. Hidden snap buttons extend from the Bermuda collar to the slightly flared waist. Both the "Hanro" cloth label and its listed size, 46, point to the clothing's European manufacturing origins. While the top was machine-made, the 3/4 length sleeve ends appear to have been hand-sewn. Some scattered discoloration throughout, including light underarm perspiration stains and a larger water stain to the right sleeve. A tiny hole located at back, else in very good to near fine condition. Measures 23.5" collar to hem, and approximately 21.5" across the shoulders. Garbo appears to have purchased the sky blue colored pleated pants at a consignment or retail store, as indicated by the red "X" mark on the cloth retail label found at the elastic waistband. The size 10 pants are made of 100% polyester and measure approximately 14" across. The pants measure 42" from the waist to the leg opening.

Greta Garbo's sartorial style can best be characterized as relaxed classical. The actress had a European aesthetic; she prioritized comfort, practicality, and simplicity over fashion fads that were often short-lived or pain-inducing. She truly endorsed the adage of her favorite fashion designer, the Russian-American émigré Valentina Schlee (1899-1989): "fit the century, not the year." In this way, Garbo's fashions always appeared timeless. At 5'7" tall and 125 lbs., Garbo maintained her lean and athletic figure through Pilates, yoga, and regular exercise. The dirty blonde haired, blue-eyed actress chose her clothing and accessories carefully to best showcase her body and face, and to cultivate a look of effortless elegance. Garbo, along with fellow actresses Katharine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich, are credited with popularizing androgynous clothing in mainstream American culture in the 1930s. Garbo appropriated traditionally masculine clothing, like Oxford blouses, turtlenecks, trousers, trench coats, and wide-brimmed hats, and made the look feminine. Several of Garbo's most famous "looks" incorporated such traditionally male clothing. Garbo preferred clothes that covered rather than revealed: long sleeves, low hemlines, and high necklines added to her mystique. She preferred dressing in black, brown, gray, and beige clothing for public appearances, but typically wore lighter colors and pastels in private. The Swedish Sphinx was also known for her artistic use of accessories: belts, sunglasses, scarves, and hats ranging from cloches and berets to turbans and fedoras. Like her clothing, Garbo preferred serviceable shoes that she could wear multiple times without pain. Garbo once remarked: "There's nothing attractive about the suffering face of a girl with ill-fitting shoes." The actress often wore flats or loafers instead of high-heeled shoes.

Greta Garbo started her acting career as a hat model in a Stockholm department store. Discovered by Swedish filmmakers, the 20-year-old wasbrought to Hollywood in 1925 bymoviemogulLouis B. Mayer. Garbo starred in 28movies,bothsilent and talkie, beforeretiringatage35. Herhighlysuccessfulfilmcareerresulted in fourOscarnominations andsuch filmsas GrandHotel(1932), Camille (1936), and Ninotchka (1939).After retiring from the film industry in 1935, the actress lived semi-reclusively. She moved into a midtown Manhattan apartment after 1953, where "Garbo watching" tourists could often see her walking outside the streets around her house.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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