Edith Head: Little Lady Behind the Big Glasses Quiz

Answer: Edna Mode

Edna Mode (voiced by Brad Bird) was half-Japanese and half-German. She was energetic, talented and demanding, with big glasses and a severe boyish hairstyle complete with bangs (fringe). The character was quite reminiscent of Edith! Edna felt superior to all other designers.

She had little use for runway boutiques and modern fashion models, saying supermodels were "spoiled, stupid little stick-figures with poofy lips who think only about themselves". For safety reasons, she was against capes in her new designs for the Parr family because any superhero who had a cape got killed or trapped.

Answer: haberdashery

Max Posener took out a $1,500 promissory note from the San Bernardino National Bank to set up a haberdashery. It failed within a year. When the bank sued, Max's stock and fixtures were sold for a fraction of their worth. He later left town. Jane Kesner Ardmore, who co-wrote Head's autobiography said, "Edith was strictly today and tomorrow.

She didn't like thinking about yesterday". Edith found it very painful to admit her mother had remarried.

Answer: a dove gray tailored suit

During her meeting with Edith she announced, "I don't wear suits and I don't wear gray". In addition, she disliked wearing a bra and thought the suit was "too restrictive". Edith knew the simple gray suit was integral because it represented the character's view of herself in the first half of the film.

After going through a psychological change in the second half of the film, she wore more colorful clothes to reflect the change. Hitchcock also wanted the character to look as though she emerged from the San Francisco fog so the color was a must! Edith cleverly selected samples of fabrics and textures (all gray) knowing the suit could be made of any of them and suggested Novak pick the fabric.

She made the star feel as though they were "designing" together.

Answer: Choose a wardrobe that pleases you--if you like it he will too!

She advised, "Choose your wardrobe to please him and suit his way of life". Edith believed men married covered girls, not Cover Girls, and urged women to maintain a bit of mystery while dating. Edith advised ladies to discover a potential partner's interests, idiosyncrasies, likes and dislikes, and shop for new clothes with him in mind.

She cautioned ladies to be sure deep down about the kind of man they wanted, and if one didn't fit the bill, find another man!

Answer: oversized blue tinted glasses

Looking through a blue glass was a common trick of costumers in the days of black and white film; it helped them to get a sense of how a color would photograph. Edith had a pair of glasses made out of the proper shade of blue glass to save herself from looking through a single lens.

Answer: eau de nil green city suit

The eau de nil (water of the Nile) green suit worn by Grace Kelly in "Rear Window" was the forerunner of Tippi's green suit worn in "The Birds". Tippi's had a more structured look.

Answer: True

With so many book deals and TV appearances, many studio executives felt she was "hogging the spotlight". In 1967, Paramount allowed her contract to expire without offering a renewal. At her departure, she had been a Paramount employee longer than anyone else in the studio's history except its founder, Adolph Zukor.

Answer: Bette Davis

"Edith Head's Hollywood" was published two years after her death in 1981. In the foreword, Bette Davis praised her for making clothes to suit a character instead of just showcasing designs. Bette said, "For her the character always came first".

Answer: toreador pants and sarong

Edith said when Lamour became a star so did the sarong. The public wanted the new fashion, and swimsuit companies created knock-offs. The sarong Edith Head designed impacted the swimsuit fashion of the 1930s, and the sarong has remained in style ever since. Audrey Hepburn's figure was seen by some as "boyish" and "gangly" with her long neck, broad shoulders and slim hips.

Instead of padding, Edith created pants that would flatter and be fun. Nowadays we may call them capri pants, but they are just as popular.

Answer: Norma Desmond

Norma Desmond, portrayed by Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard", was an aging silent film star whose career had faded and was forgotten by her fans, but she still had illusions of a comeback. Edith said, "Because Norma Desmond was an actress who had become lost in her own imagination, I tried to make her look like she was always impersonating someone".