A young and radiant Gloria Grahame looks fabulous in a checkered blouse and black skirt. Miss Grahame was about to make her first film for MGM in 1945, Blonde Fever.
Janet Leigh looks smashing in a checkered jacket and beret in a publicity photo from 1954.
The World War II pin-up Betty Grable liked to show-off her legs. Here she poses in what used to be called a play-dress for the movie Call Me Mister, in 1951. The outfit was designed by costume designer Charles Le Maire.
Costume and fashion designer Adrian loved checks and gingham fabric. Here he designed a checked suit with bolero jacket for his wife Janet Gaynor for the film Three Loves Has Nancy in 1939.
Checks always look good in suits. Claudette Colbert poses in an Irene designed suit for the film, Guest Wife, in 1945.
Here is another great Irene checkered suit-dress for Esther Williams in Bathing Beauty in 1944. Added details like the cut-out neck-line and front, wide black belt, and a vertical strip of diagonal checks make this a unique creation.
Like Adrian, Irene also created her own label and fashion business after designing for films. Here is an Irene suit from about 1960. It features a long jacket with double rows of polished bone buttons over a pencil skirt. The hat was probably by Rex.
Checks weren't only used for suits, although only Adrian seems to have been drawn to the contradiction of using gingham in evening gowns. For this outfit for his spring 1949 collection he used cotton gingham for the tiered gown, cape, and gloves.
And period costumes too featured checkered fabrics designed by Adrian. Here is Greer Garson in The Law and the Lady, from 1951.
Checks are timeless in fashion. And even the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show of 2010 featured several checked costumes and lingerie outfits. So check out the checks when you seem drawn to that particularly cheerful article of clothing.
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