Costumes

Madhubala

Many stars have died before their time, but they were usually felled by drugs or alcohol. Not Madhubala (1933-1969). Her tragedy was of a different sort: she was born with a heart defect that ...

Mae West

Mae West (1893-1980) was ahead of her time. Way ahead of her time. She's probably remembered primarily as a zaftig sex symbol, but she was so much more than that. She was a playwright, ...

Mama Quilla

Mama Quilla is the Inca goddess of the moon. Married to Inti, the sun god, she is the female half of the divine equation. Before the Spaniards got to work smashing and melting things, Mama Quilla ...

Maria Makiling

Maria Makiling is the most widely known and beloved diwata (fairy or nymph) of the Philippines. As the guardian spirit of Mount Makiling, she is depicted as a beautiful young woman in radiant white ...

Marie Curie

Radioactivity. It was Marie Curie (1867-1934) who coined the word. She had a right to: she discovered the stuff (along with her husband, Pierre Curie, and Henri Becquerel). She was the first woman ...

Marie de France

Eleanor of Aquitaine is famed for her great patronage of the arts, and one of the finest poets at her court may have been her own sister-in-law. Marie de France (ca. 1140-1200) was a high-ranking ...

Marie Laveau

Marie Laveau (1801?-1881), better known as the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, is one of the most mysterious figures in American history. Almost all the facts of her life are shrouded in legend and ...

Marlene Dietrich

When Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992) appeared in white tie and tails in the 1930 film Morocco, audiences were mesmerized. It's an incredible entrance: she strolls onto the stage with insouciant ...

Medusa

This costume should really have its own category: Costumes For When You Have A Halloween Party Tonight And It's Already 5 O'Clock. Yes, it's extremely simple, but that's the appeal. You can stop ...

Mercy Otis Warren

Mercy Otis Warren (1728-1814) was the unsung heroine of the American Revolution. As one of the intellectual leaders of the rebellion, she wrote countless pamphlets, plays, and treatises explaining ...

Minoan Queen

We don't know her name. And unless somebody deciphers Linear A, we probably never will. All we know is that she existed, and that her world was beautiful. The centerpiece of our main illustration ...

Miriam Makeba

Miriam Makeba (1932-2008), the beloved South African legend, was famously known as "Mama Africa" for her music and her courageous opposition to apartheid. Throughout her long career Miriam was ...