Mae West's long gowns hid her larger-than-life secret

Susan Stamburg at NPR just did a piece on Boston's Museum of Fine Arts' new exhibit, "Hollywood Glamour: Fashion and Jewelry from the Silver Screen," which includes gowns designed by Chanel and Edith Head in "quiet" fabrics that did not rustle enough to attract the attention of early mics. The exhibit is open until March 8.
     West, who stood between 4'11" and 5'2", wore ferocious pumps that elevated her 8 1/2 inches and may have had a lot to do with her inimitable walk.
     Each double-decker shoe had ankle-strapped white platform shoes bolted to a wooden silver pump.