Remembering Doris Day's girl-next-door style throughout her Hollywood career

'I like being happy. I want to make others happy.' 
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Lauren Keary13 May 2019

Doris Day was not only a Hollywood legend but also a style icon in her own right. The actress and singer died Monday morning at the age of 97 in her Carmel-by-the-Sea home in California from a serious case of pneumonia.

Fellow Hollywood stars paid their respects with kind words, with George Takei saying she was "synonymous with Hollywood icon" and William Shatner calling her the "World's Sweetheart."

PA Archive/PA Images

Some of her most well-known films included "Pillow Talk," for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, "Lover Come Back," "Calamity Jane" and "Send Me No Flowers." The songs she was most famous for singing were “Secret Love,” “Everybody Loves a Lover” and “Que Sera Sera” (”Whatever Will Be, Will Be”).

Widely known as America’s wholesome girl-next-door, the legendary actress shed some light on the woman behind the innocent public image in her tell-all book, Doris Day: Her Own Story.” The 1976 book told the story of the three failed marriages and financial struggles that tormented Day behind the facade of her perfect Hollywood career.

In "Grease," the song "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee," pokes fun at her image with the line, "Watch it, hey, I'm Doris Day, I was not brought up that way." Her innocent, playful, girl-next-door style helped reinforce her public persona.

Hulton Archive/Getty

Day’s fashion sense always seemed to match her sunny disposition and bubbly personality. She encapsulated 1950's and ‘60’s style with feminine pastel dresses, pillbox hats, mink coats and even pajamas covered in red hearts.

"I like joy; I want to be joyous; I want to have fun on the set; I want to wear beautiful clothes and look pretty. I want to smile, and I want to make people laugh. And that’s all I want. I like it. I like being happy. I want to make others happy," Day famously said about her style.

Look through the gallery above for all of Doris Day’s best and brightest retro looks.

Doris Day - In pictures

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