Most Glamorous Women of All Time

A woman’s level of glamour is commonly measured by her sartorial choices, clear skin, luxurious lifestyle, beautiful house and car, and the expensive items she owns. But true glamour is more than that. Like an education is not about grade which you can get by starting to buy cheap papers online, a glamor is not about how it looks. They wow the people around in big ways, not just with their gutsy fashion choices, but also with their classy personality, overall gorgeousness, lasting appeal and legacy. They don’t just look good – when they open their mouths, they also speak with grace and wisdom. From the industries of Hollywood, fashion, music and even politics comes a lot of glamorous and sought-after personalities, but here are some of the world’s most memorable, glamorous women of all time:

1. Diana, Princess of Wales

Let’s start this list with a member of the British Royal Family, Princess Diana of Wales. If you’re a princess, you can have any everything you want, and she did (except a loyal husband, perhaps?). But she’s more than that. Princess Diana won the hearts of people all around the world with her grace, compassion, kindness, generosity and beauty. She was known as the “People’s Princess” who goes out of her way to step out of the palace, talk to the people and touch them in a human level. She showed her genuine concern for the needy, which is a bit hard to see among many leaders in the world nowadays. She devoted her life to the causes she supported, and used her glamour for a good cause, such as by selling her gowns off for charity. And she knew that whenever she attends a charity gala, it would raise money for charities. In her short life, she impacted millions with her kind heart and beautiful soul.

But besides her kind service, Princess Diana was also known for her style. She rarely talks to the press, but when she goes out, she makes a statement through her fashion choices. Her outfits are always spot-on, and it reflects her elegance and glamour that’s top-notch classy. Like most of the British royals, she was always seen wearing hats and gloves that matches the color of her dress or shoes.

Glamorous quotes: “I’d like to be a queen in people’s hearts, but I don’t see myself being queen of this country.”

“I don’t go by the rule book. I lead from the heart, not the head.”

“I like to be a free spirit. Some don’t like that, but that’s the way I am.”

2. Coco Chanel

With her trademark suits and little black dresses, famed fashion designer Coco Chanel is perhaps one of the most famous names in fashion. Her designs are timeless, and are still popular today. In the 1920s, she introduced the Chanel suit and the LBD, and emphasized on making clothes more comfortable for women. She was credited in the post-World War I era as the trendsetter who liberated women from the constraints of the corset and popularized the casual, sporty chic feminine style. Plus, her signature scent, the Chanel No. 5 perfume became an iconic, best-selling product all over the world. She’s the only fashion designer listed on Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Though her brand is sought-after by the most fabulous women in the planet, her early years were anything but glamorous. She was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel. At age 12, her mother died and she was put in an orphanage by her father. It turned out for the best, because she was raised by nuns who taught her how to sew. Her name from her brief career as a singer, where people called her “Coco” as she performed in clubs.

Glamorous quotes: “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.”

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”

“Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future.”

3. Audrey Hepburn

Known for her beauty, grace and elegance, Audrey Hepburn was the ultimate glam girl who became an international movie star, fashion trendsetter and humanitarian. She is a famous Hollywood actress active during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and is recognized as a film and fashion icon. She rose to stardom after playing the lead role in Roman Holiday (1953), and she became the first actress to win a Golden Globe, Academy Award and a BAFTA Award all for a single performance. When she became the star of Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), it was then when she set new fashion standards.

Audrey Hepburn’s style and sophistication has influenced a lot of women and designers alike, inspiring everything from commercials to entire fashion lines dedicated to her. She was a fan of simple, clean, crisp and luxurious looks. She wasn’t into passing trends – her style was timeless. In her later years, she appeared in fewer films and devoted a big chunk of her later life in philanthropy and work in behalf of children in Africa, Asia and South America with UNICEF.

Glamorous quotes: “For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

“The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.”

“I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and… I believe in miracles.”

4. Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe

Ask random people and and tell them to list actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and most probably, they will include Marilyn Monroe in their list. Marilyn Monroe’s red lips, blonde hair and beauty mark left a lasting style impression to us all, but in the 1950s, she was known as a sex symbol for the era. She became the world’s biggest and most enduring sex symbols of all time, as she was famous for posing as a pin-up girl and for playing “blonde bombshell characters.” During her career, her films grossed more than $200 million (which was equivalent to $2 billion in 2018). More than half a century after her death, she continues to be com a major pop culture icon.

She was a strong woman who overcame a difficult childhood to pursue her dreams. But other than being a woman who knows what she wants, her fashion styles were iconic. She was the epitome of the saying, “Nothing says confidence and glamour like a classic red lip.” She rocked classic and nonchalant sartorial combinations like stiletto pumps and trench coats and even wore heels while playing baseball. She created an image that was copied by a lot of Hollywood stars that came after her, especially her hot pink gown in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), and the white halter dress she wore in The Seven Year Itch (1955).

Glamorous quotes: “Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.”

“Beauty and femininity are ageless and can’t be contrived, and glamour, although the manufacturers won’t like this, cannot be manufactured. Not real glamour; it’s based on femininity.”

“I don’t want to make money, I just want to be wonderful.”

5. Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor was the woman who knows who she is and doesn’t apologize for it. She liked what she likes, she married who she wanted to marry and she dressed the way she wanted to dress. She was known for her beauty, talent and charisma, but was just as famous for her violet eyes and scandalous love life (she was married eight times to seven men).

Starting her career as a child actress, she was considered as the last great movie star to come out of Old Hollywood, and is one of the most popular stars of classic Hollywood cinema. She was the ultimate glamorous woman, as she never appeared in public without makeup. Even after a tiresome day at the studio, she will still find time to remove her stage makeup and apply her “day” makeup before going out. She was never seen looking casual and sloppy – she was always dressed to the nines. She lived a jet set lifestyle, became the first actress to launch her own fragrance line and owned one of the most expensive, private collections of jewelry in the world. Taylor was also one of the first celebrities to take part in HIV/AIDS activism and founded two foundation for AIDS. In her later years, she dedicated her time to philanthropy.

Glamorous quotes: “Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together.”

“I adore wearing gems, but not because they are mine. You can’t possess radiance, you can only admire it.”

“When people say, ‘She’s got everything’, I’ve got one answer – I haven’t had tomorrow.”

6. Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth

Ever since Rita Hayworth danced her way into our hearts as a femme fatale in Gilda (1946), men and women became obsessed with her glamour. She was one of the top stars in the 1940s, and has become the most glamorous screen idol of the time. Trained as a dancer, she was known best for her acting talent and her explosive sexual charisma on screen. Her high power of seduction was affirmed when her photograph became the unofficial pin-up photo for Americans serving overseas in the World War II.

She knows she is glamorous and she loves every ounce of it. She met and fallen in love with Prince Aly Khan, and got married in an opulent wedding fit for royalty. Because of this, she was the first Hollywood actress to become a princess. Even though her career was at its height that time, she left Hollywood for love, but went for a comeback after her marriage with the royalty didn’t work.

Glamorous quotes: “I think all women have a certain elegance about them which is destroyed when they take off their clothes.”

“Every man I knew went to bed with Gilda… and woke up with me.”

“I like having my picture taken and being a glamorous person. Sometimes when I find myself getting impatient, I just remember the times I cried my eyes out because nobody wanted to take my picture at the Trocadero.”

7. Kate Moss

Kate Moss should have been an anti-supermodel, but her arrival to the 90s modelling scene launched the waif look. Her thin and boyish body built initially created quite a stir in the modeling world, but it changed fashion’s aesthetic forever, as it is now known as the “heroine chic” style. Because of this and her party lifestyle, Kate Moss is considered as one of the most memorable glamorous women on the planet. She has received a lot of accolades for her contributions to the fashion world.

During her career, Moss appeared on the cover of more than 300 magazines and starred in advertising campaigns of a lot of top fashion brands such as Chanel, Calvin Klein and Christian Dior. She had her own clothing line, and sold her own brand of perfume. Besides fashion, she has also become a pop culture icon, as she appeared in many rock videos. Her vocals can also be heard on some recordings by Oasis and The Lemonheads.

Glamorous quotes: “What people say isn’t going to stop me. I have to do things for myself.”

“I have a dress-up chest at home. I love to create this fantasy kind of thing.”

“It sounds really corny but I think that if you’re beautiful inside it shows on the outside, for sure.”

8. Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren

The movie star who became the pinnacle of Italian glamour, Sophia Loren is a striking beauty full of grace, sophistication and sultriness. This film star is as mesmerizing today as she was half a century ago, and she is currently the only living actress from the list of the greatest female stars of Classic Hollywood Cinema. With her fabulous looks and radiant smile, she became a leading lady to a number of Hollywood’s elite men during the 1950’s and 1980’s. She was also involved in a real-life love triangle with co-star Cary Grant and producer Carlo Ponti. Ultimately, he chose Ponti – they got married and stayed married for 50 years until his death.

Before acting, Sophia Loren joined a beauty pageant in Naples when she was 14, and is still wearing glamorous outfits today at 84. She definitely lived a lifetime of looking great. During the peak years in her career in the ‘50s and ‘60s, she epitomized sultry fashion with her ball gowns with cinched waists, bust-enhancing corsets and beachside short-shorts. She had an enviable confidence and gorgeous figure, and still retains it until today. She can still be seen strutting down the red carpet and looking glam in high heels and low-cut dresses, but still, she remains true to her humble Italian roots.

Glamorous quotes: “Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.”

“A woman’s dress should be like a barbed-wire fence: serving its purpose without obstructing the view.”

“Sex appeal is fifty percent what you’ve got and fifty percent what people think you’ve got.”