I will be the first to say that out of all the Old Hollywood stars out there, with their beauty, talent, personality and glamour, Natalie Wood is my favorite. You could argue that she didn't have a specific article of clothing that was a trademark (like Elizabeth Taylor and her jewels or Sophia Loren and her snug dresses) and that her style was more trendy, but that's what me her kinda cool actually. She wore white fur wraps as easily as she wore boho-chic vests and mod shifts. Have you ever googled this woman's style? She looked perfect in everything and never lost her natural essence.
One of the things that drew me to Natalie Wood in my teens were her eyes. I was in the Library and stumbled upon one of her biographies and I instantly felt a connection to her. I thought her eyes conveyed so much soul and depth of emotion. An angsty teen like me immediately 'got her'. I couldn't have had more emotion at that age!
When it comes to Natalie's talent, I always feel she's underappreciated. Okay, so she didn't have a great Puerto Rican accent in West Side Story (being 2/4's Puerto Rican and 3rd generation American myself, I have never been able to pinpoint what dialect of Spanish she was using), and her dancing and singing has always been criticized, I say, who cares! My God, have any of these people watched more than 2 movies of her 4 decade long career? How about Splendor in the Grass, Miracle on 34th Street, Rebel Without A Cause, Love with the Proper Stranger, This Property is Condemned and, a particular favorite of my mother's, Sex and the Single Girl? I think she was well beyond a true artist. Someone who was able to translate her vulnerability the to audience in a uncomplicated way. Oh, and by the way, she wasn't that bad in West Side Story...
Trendsetter? Don't pretend these sunglasses aren't Everywhere!
...and don't forget the hoop earrings...
Another reason to love Natalie: Look at her! She was beautiful! When I look at her face and body type, I can't believe how piss poor celebs look nowadays. There's just no comparison. She was a natural beauty (who loved her eyeliner). No botox, lip injections, cheek implants, face lift, breast implants blahblahblah. This is what good genes produced.
