So, the other day, I was kinda stuck, you know? Just staring at my screen, trying to get some creative juices flowing for a totally different project, and my mind just wandered off to Christmas. Don’t ask me why, it wasn’t even December! And of course, when you think Christmas, you think Mariah Carey. It’s like a law of nature or something.

Anyway, I started picturing all her insane Christmas outfits. Always so festive, right? The sparkles, the reds, the whites. Just pure holiday cheer. But then, completely out of left field, Marilyn Monroe popped into my head. I’d been watching some of her old movies the week before, and man, that woman had style. That classic, timeless glamour.
And then this weird idea hit me. What if you tried to combine them? Mariah Carey’s Christmas spirit with Marilyn Monroe’s iconic look. Seemed a bit wild at first, I gotta admit.
My Little Experiment
So, I did what anyone with too much time and an internet connection does. I started pulling up pictures. First, a ton of Mariah’s Christmas getups. You know, the Santa-style dresses, the super glam snowy white gowns, all that bling. She really owns that look.
Then, I switched gears to Marilyn. That famous white halter dress from ‘The Seven Year Itch,’ the pink gown from ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,’ even just her everyday Fifties chic. Her style was so distinct – always very feminine, accentuating her figure.
The real head-scratcher was how to make these two vibes actually work together. It’s like mixing, I don’t know, eggnog and a martini. Could be amazing, could be a disaster.

- Mariah’s Christmas is very ‘now,’ very pop, very… much.
- Marilyn’s is classic, more understated in a way, even when it’s glamorous. It’s got that vintage, structured feel.
I started sketching, well, doodling really, in my notebook. Not a real designer or anything, just playing around. I thought, okay, let’s start with a Marilyn base. Maybe a halter-neck shape, or one of those figure-hugging dresses she wore. Something that screams ‘Marilyn silhouette.’
Then, the Mariah Christmas magic. Instead of just plain fabric, what if it was a deep Christmas red velvet? Or a shimmering winter white, but absolutely drenched in crystals, like Mariah would demand. And you’d definitely need some faux fur trim somewhere, maybe a stole or around the cuffs if it had sleeves. That feels very ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ video vibe.
The more I thought about it, the clearer it became. Like, picture a dress: a really well-cut, red satin number, maybe knee-length with that iconic Marilyn neckline. But then, you overlay it with delicate silver beading that looks like snowflakes. And of course, the hair would have to be Marilyn’s signature blonde curls, but maybe with a sparkly, festive hairpin. For makeup, classic Marilyn red lip, but with a touch of Christmas glitter on the eyes.
I never actually made the outfit, obviously. My sewing skills are pretty much limited to buttons. But it was a really fun mental exercise. Just goes to show, sometimes the best ideas come when you’re not even trying, and you just let your mind connect weird dots. It was a good way to spend an afternoon, just thinking about how different styles could talk to each other. Ended up with a pretty cool concept in my head, if I do say so myself. Better than staring at a blank page, that’s for sure!