Costume Designer Edith Head's Greatest Work

01 of 10

Tippi Hedren in 'The Birds' (1963)

Alfred Hitchcock clearly liked working with Edith Head — the director and costume designer worked on 11 films together. For The Birds, Hitchcock limited Head to using green and blue for Tippi Hedren's wardrobe and she came up with this tailored suit (of which six copies were made for the production).

02 of 10

Grace Kelly in 'To Catch a Thief' (1955)

Head's biographer, David Chierichetti, notes that To Catch a Thief was the designer's favorite all-time film and Grace Kelly one of her very favorite actresses to dress. Hitchcock was so dependent upon Head that she was sent on location to the French Riviera in 1954. ''I leave all of it to her,'' the director once told People. ''That's the beauty of it.''

03 of 10

Audrey Hepburn in 'Roman Holiday' (1953)

This was the film that made Audrey Hepburn a star. Edith Head told the press that Hepburn had, '' a lovely, audible face, and expressive body and the slimmest waist since the Civil War — nineteen and a half inches. You could get a dog collar around it!''

04 of 10

Gloria Swanson in 'Sunset Blvd.' (1950)

This Billy Wilder classic film noir starred Gloria Swanson as faded star, Norma Desmond. ''You don't design a picture for Gloria Swanson,'' Head told her biographer. ''You design it with Gloria Swanson.''

05 of 10

Bette Davis and Marilyn Monroe in 'All About Eve' (1950)

That dress Bette Davis wears while delivering the famous ''Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night'' — almost didn't happen. When she first tried it on, the top slipped off the actress's shoulders due to bad measurements. But Davis told Head to leave it that way, the designer did some quick sewing, and it's the dress you can see today. Davis remained a loyal fan; ''She's a thorough professional,'' she told People. ''You get the right kind of clothes from her, without the nonsense and temperament that some designers give you.''

06 of 10

Robert Redford and Paul Newman in 'The Sting' (1973)

Head won her eighth and final Oscar for this film, which starred future Butch Cassidy duo Paul Newman and Robert Redford. ''Just imagine,'' Head said during her acceptance speech. ''Dressing the two handsomest men in the world and then getting this.''

07 of 10

Natalie Wood in 'Sex and the Single Girl' (1964)

Head first met Wood when the young actress was cast in 1952's Just for You. She went on to design Love With the Proper Stranger, Inside Daisy Clover, The Great Race, and Sex and the Single Girl.

08 of 10

Shirley MacLaine in 'Sweet Charity' (1969)

MacLaine was loyal to Head's designs. Said another designer, ''There were certain stars, including Shirley MacLaine, who were Edith's and nobody else dared to touch them.'' Sweet Charity was a giant production with virtually everything made from scratch.

09 of 10

Anne Baxter in 'The Ten Commandments' (1956)

In The Life and Times of Hollywood's Celebrated Costume Designer Edith Head, her biographer David Chierichetti notes that Anne Baxter — whom Head first met on the set of Ten Commandments was the one real friendship Head had with an actress.

10 of 10

Jerry Lewis in 'Cinderfella' (1960)

In addition to working with Hollywood's glamor girls, Head was also a frequent collaborator of funny man Jerry Lewis and designed costumes for nine of Elvis Presley's movie-musicals.