Fashion (Turn to the Left)!: Movie Outfits You Love

[Wiendish Fitch]

It may seem shallow, but I actually believe movie costuming is more important than people realize: it reflects the time period the movie takes place, and usually says a lot about the character.

Plus, dammit all, sometimes they're just gorgeous to look at!

Let's discuss our favorite movie costumes, wardrobes, etc. My personal faves?

Audrey Hepburn's red dress in Funny Face: Everyone else can keep the little black dress from Breakfast at Tiffany's; this is my definitive Hepburn ensemble.

 

[AimingforYoko]

Anybody who saw Black Panther knew immediately that Ruth E. Carter had her Oscar on lock. The costuming in that movie was as important as the CGI.

[Spartan Girl]

Ooh great idea for a thread!

Katniss' wedding outfit/Mockingjay dress in Catching Fire is the first that comes to mind. Hell, pretty much every wedding gown I've ever seen in most movies. 

I loved everything Audrey Hepburn ever wore. She could make a sackcloth look stylish.

[topanga]

Ari Aster's Midsommar was a weird-ass movie, and I'm still not sure if I like it or not despite some great acting performances. But the costuming at the end of the movie was amazing. I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers. 

 

[Mabinogia]

4 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Audrey Hepburn's red dress in Funny Face: Everyone else can keep the little black dress from Breakfast at Tiffany's; this is my definitive Hepburn ensemble.

Yes, that red dress with her red lips and bright blue eyes and dark, dark hair and perfect skin...stunning. just that whole look is perfection. 

The Tiffany's LBD is okay but not even close to my favorite Audrey look. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

Yes, that red dress with her red lips and bright blue eyes and dark, dark hair and perfect skin...stunning. just that whole look is perfection. 

Hmmm, upon further inspection, I think they messed with the color grading, because Audrey had brown eyes. 

Jennifer Garner's super colorful party dress in 13 Going on 30. I could never pull it off in a million years, but she does 100%. I also love the butterfly necklace.

Ginger Rogers's feather dress in Top Hat is always discussed among classic film fans, but I confess I never cared for it. I much prefer her sparkly "Piccolino" dress. In fact, it was once my fantasy wedding dress. 

Okay, I'll admit, Ginger Rogers is kind of a style icon of mine, and I covet so many of her outfits. Heck, here's an entire webpage dedicated to another of my all time favorite of her outfits, the heart dress from Carefree.

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by Wiendish Fitch

[Shannon L.]

I love Julia Roberts' opera dress in Pretty Woman.

[raven]

Ooh, fun idea!

The ones that come to mind right away for me are Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara; the red dress

Kate Winslet in Titanic - I love her wardrobe overall but damn if she can't wear this giant hat

[Mabinogia]

54 minutes ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Hmmm, upon further inspection, I think they messed with the color grading, because Audrey had brown eyes. 

Dang, you're right. IDK why they looked blue to me. 

56 minutes ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Heck, here's an entire webpage dedicated to another of my all time favorite of her outfits, the heart dress from Carefree.

OMG I actually tried to make my own version of that dress. I cut out these red felt hearts and white felt arrows to sew onto a black shirt. I wish I had a picture of it. I'm sure, as I was about 16 at the time and didn't know how to use a sewing machine, that it wasn't great, but I worshiped Ginger Rogers in my teens and basically wanted everything she wore and to learn every dance she did (I was even less successful in that venture than in the heart shirt venture). 

I loved all the liquidy satin dresses of the 30s.

More modern, I covet the coat Anathema Device wore in good omens. Anathema Coat, anything worn by the Evil Queen from Once Upon A Time (I totally respect her commitment to dramatic wardrobe)

[andromeda331]

I love the dresses Rose wears in Titanic especially the black dinner dress, Danielle wears in Ever After but especially the costume dress that's her mother's dress and she looked really beautiful in the burgundy dress, and all the dresses Sissi wears in three part movie of Sissi, the Empress of Austria, the green gown is beautiful in the Christmas scene, the white gown with black dots when she's in Greece, the yellowish gown while still in Greece, the other white dresses and the blue gown from the first movie.

[Popples]

While Rosalind Russell wore many great outfits in Auntie Mame, the one at end was my absolute favorite. It's gorgeous, shame the blurry photo doesn't do it justice.

[Wiendish Fitch]

2 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

I love Julia Roberts' opera dress in Pretty Woman.

 

1 hour ago, raven said:

Ooh, fun idea!

The ones that come to mind right away for me are Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara; the red dress

 

Hooray for red dresses!

 

I think Leslie Caron's dress at Maxim's in Gigi is absolutely stunning. When Hallmark had a Keepsake Ornament of it a few years back, you can bet I snatched it up!

 

Edited May 8, 2020 by Wiendish Fitch

[Shannon L.]

The costumes in Titanic are gorgeous! 

[LilWharveyGal]

Speaking of Leslie Caron, I love her star costume in An American in Paris.

[PepSinger]

14 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

Anybody who saw Black Panther knew immediately that Ruth E. Carter had her Oscar on lock. The costuming in that movie was as important as the CGI.

YES. I'll never forget watching the Oscars and seeing them announce that category and the winner. I swear, if she hadn't won, there would've been protests, LOL. To design costumes with the idea that colonization hadn't happen is just...mind blowing to me. She earned that.

Other costumes? I LOVED Rachel McAdams entire wardrobe in The Notebook. I want every single outfit she wore in that movie to this day. The movie even inspired my dress for my senior prom.

[Ms Lark]

My favorite movie outfit will always be Grace Kelly's black & white dress in Rear Window.

 

[Ravenya003]

I've always LOVED the black and white striped dress Christina Ricci wears in Sleepy Hollow, which is notable for two reasons: firstly because it is the QUINTESSENTIAL Tim Burton gown. One look at it and you know you're watching one of his films. And secondly, it only gets about six seconds of screen-time at the very end of the movie:

(These were just the promo pics: she only wears it once, getting out of the carriage in New York, but so iconic!)

Edited May 8, 2020 by Ravenya003

[Ohiopirate02]

I agree that costuming is an important part of movie characters.  For all of you that love historical costumes, have you ever checked out Frock Flicks?  A website devoted to historical movie and TV costumes.  

My favorite costume movies are Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, and My Fair Lady.  

[Spartan Girl]

Padme's wardrobe was one of the best parts of the Star Wars prequels. My favorite one was the rainbow colored dress she wore in the lake scene in Attack of the Clones.

[Mabinogia]

19 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

I think Leslie Caron's dress at Maxim's in Gigi is absolutely stunning. When Hallmark had a Keepsake Ornament of it a few years back, you can bet I snatched it up!

Not a huge fan if the feathers, though I don't hate them, but the draping on the torso of that dress is absolutely stunning.

[andromeda331]

5 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Padme's wardrobe was one of the best parts of the Star Wars prequels. My favorite one was the rainbow colored dress she wore in the lake scene in Attack of the Clones.

I love the clothes Padme wore except for that weird black dress that George Lucas picked in Attack of the Clones. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

12 hours ago, Ms Lark said:

My favorite movie outfit will always be Grace Kelly's black & white dress in Rear Window.

 

Ooh, that is gorgeous. My other favorite ensemble from Rear Window is that minty green business suit with the smart little white hat with netting, and the chunky charm bracelet.

Edited May 8, 2020 by Wiendish Fitch

[Wiendish Fitch]

17 hours ago, LilWharveyGal said:

Speaking of Leslie Caron, I love her star costume in An American in Paris.

I normally don't care for frills, but I agree that Caron looks too adorable in that costume. 

 

[Spartan Girl]

How about the ball gown Elizabeth Taylor wore in A Place in the Sun? Even though it was a black and white film it was still gorgeous.

And another Audrey mention: everything she wore in Sabrina. I loved her ballgown, but the ensemble she wore when she came back from Paris? THAT was iconic.

[Ms Lark]

1 hour ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Ooh, that is gorgeous. My other favorite ensemble from Rear Window is that minty green business suit with the smart little white hat with netting, and the chunky charm bracelet.

For a special treat, here are Edith Head's sketches for our favorite outfits:

I like that one, too. Edith Head was brilliant!

[Bastet]

Oh my god, the waists in those drawings!

[andromeda331]

Some of Sissi's dresses although all are beautiful.

 

 

Danielle's dress from Ever After 

Edited May 9, 2020 by andromeda331

[coppersin]

Jessica Chastain is gorgeous in her flowing nightgown and robe at the end of Crimson Peak, especially how she moves with the costume (...while chasing her in-law down with a knife, but whatevs).

[Popples]

On 5/8/2020 at 9:06 AM, Ohiopirate02 said:

My favorite costume movies are Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, and My Fair Lady.

The "Ascot Gavotte" costumes are simply drool worthy. It's my favorite scene in My Fair Lady.

 

[Wiendish Fitch]

I can't think of a single bad costume in The Age of Innocence. Some dresses are less spectacular than others, but that's the worst I can say. This movie is a costume lover's dream come true.

I mean, seriously, in Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder's first scene alone (and Geraldine Chaplin looks fabulous, too)!

Edited May 10, 2020 by Wiendish Fitch

[Athena]

The Instagram @the_corsetedbeauty features costumes, extant fashion, and art history. They've featured almost all the costumes in this thread. 

Bette Davis in Jezebel:

 

Greta Garbo's costumes created by Adrian:

 

Scarlett's green gown in Gone with the Wind:

 

[jah1986]

On 5/8/2020 at 5:31 PM, Wiendish Fitch said:

Ooh, that is gorgeous. My other favorite ensemble from Rear Window is that minty green business suit with the smart little white hat with netting, and the chunky charm bracelet.

Love this outfit. The green business suit always seems to make an appearance in most of Hitchcock's movies. Absolutely gorgeous here.

Edited May 11, 2020 by jah1986

[Shannon L.]

I love the outfits they put Alica Silverstone in in Clueless--especially the one in the second row, third from the left (the "I love Josh!" revelation dress)

 

[Spartan Girl]

The white flowered dress Emma Watson wore at the end of Beauty and the Beast.

[akiss]

I simply adore the green dress Kiera Knightley wears in Atonement. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

Did anyone else think Queen Latifah's ensemble in "When You're Good to Mama" from Chicago stole the movie? 

[raven]

9 hours ago, Athena said:

The Instagram @the_corsetedbeauty features costumes, extant fashion, and art history.

Thanks for the tip - I think, LOL!  I'll be down that rabbit hole for a while.

1 hour ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Did anyone else think Queen Latifah's ensemble in "When You're Good to Mama" from Chicago stole the movie? 

She's fabulous!  I read somewhere she was very nervous about that scene but she killed it.

I couldn't find a better picture but Ewan & Nicole are so pretty together in Moulin Rouge.  Also, as someone who cannot wear one, I have hat/headpiece envy.

[xaxat]

Jerry Stiller's death reminded me of my guilty pleasure, Zoolander. 

If you are going to make a film parodying the fashion industry, they the fashion itself has to be a parody. And it was. . .

ETA On a more serious note, Grace Kelly and Edith Head were an unmatched team.

Although, to be fair, was there anything she didn't look fantastic in?

(Dammit, I've fallen down the Grace Kelly fashion rabbit hole.)

Edited May 12, 2020 by xaxat

[scarynikki12]

I love the color and skirt on the Atonement dress but hate the neckline. A halter for the top would have been perfect.

[Bastet]

8 hours ago, akiss said:

I simply adore the green dress Kiera Knightley wears in Atonement. 

That's beautiful (I've never seen the film, but beautiful dress).

I also love the last Grace Kelly dress in the post above mine (that one I've seen).

I respond most to something I can imagine actually wearing under the right circumstances - and so long as I wouldn't be uncomfortable, which rules out a lot of historical dresses, so while I appreciate many of the costumes posted thus far, it's on an abstract level (like looking at Met Gala red carpet pictures); it's things like these that I truly like.  (It's why, in classic movies, I'm more drawn to designs from Dolly Tree than Adrian.)

While I hate Woody Allen, I love the "Annie Hall" look created by his costume designer and Diane Keaton on that film.  Probably because it brings to mind a bit of Katharine Hepburn and I grew up loving pictures of her, in addition to her films.

I also like the spiffy wardrobe of Bonnie and Clyde.

And, holy '80s, Batman, but Working Girl is a terrific example of wardrobe as characterization.

As is Cher's Holy '90s, Batman: The Fabulous Version wardrobe (everyone's, but especially hers) from Clueless, as posted above.

[Shannon L.]

8 hours ago, Bastet said:

And, holy '80s, Batman, but Working Girl is a terrific example of wardrobe as characterization.

I'm not sure if this is exactly what you meant, but talk about wardrobe as characterization:  Emily's wedding dress in In and Out. 

It was an excellent choice and just added to the comedy. 

[Spartan Girl]

The scene in Jackie where she gets plastered modeling all her gorgeous evening gowns and jewelry while listening to "Camelot" is the best part of the movie. Those dresses were enough to distract me from wondering how she didn't OD from all the pills and booze.

Edited May 16, 2020 by Spartan Girl

[VCRTracking]

 

On 5/11/2020 at 9:58 PM, Bastet said:

While I hate Woody Allen, I love the "Annie Hall" look created by his costume designer and Diane Keaton on that film.  Probably because it brings to mind a bit of Katharine Hepburn and I grew up loving pictures of her, in addition to her films.

In a podcast discussing The Godfather Part III a female critic said she noticed  that the character of Kay was now dressing like Diane Keaton!

 

 

[methodwriter85]

Jareth's outfit is of course iconic, but god Sarah's ballgown in Labyrinth was amazing:

 

[BlackberryJam]

That beadwork looks remarkably like a fungal growth.

[proserpina65]

On ‎05‎/‎10‎/‎2020 at 4:34 PM, Wiendish Fitch said:

I can't think of a single bad costume in The Age of Innocence. Some dresses are less spectacular than others, but that's the worst I can say. This movie is a costume lover's dream come true.

I mean, seriously, in Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder's first scene alone (and Geraldine Chaplin looks fabulous, too)!

I hated the movie, but damned if the costumes weren't stunning.  And I've been in that opera house, had season tickets for years, although our seats were nowhere near that close to the stage.  Or that comfortable, for that matter.

I love Regency period clothing, so the costuming for Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion was a dream for me.  (Now, that horrible Keira Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice, on the other hand . . . )

And given my intense affection for the Royal Navy circa the Napoleonic Wars,  my adoration of the costuming for Master and Commander probably needs no explanation.  Oh, the uneeeeeforms!

 

[VCRTracking]

30 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I hated the movie, but damned if the costumes weren't stunning.  And I've been in that opera house, had season tickets for years, although our seats were nowhere near that close to the stage.  Or that comfortable, for that matter.

I love Regency period clothing, so the costuming for Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion was a dream for me.  (Now, that horrible Keira Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice, on the other hand . . . )

And given my intense affection for the Royal Navy circa the Napoleonic Wars,  my adoration of the costuming for Master and Commander probably needs no explanation.  Oh, the uneeeeeforms!

 

I like both those movies! I like the 2005 P&P costumes because it shows the transition period of the 1790s and so the older characters are still dressed in 18th century costumes.

As for the Napoleonic era I like Ridley Scott's THE DUELLISTS.  I don't care that the two leads are Americans playing French hussars I LOVE it. I love Harvey Keitel yelling "You have insulted me!" in a New York accent while Keith Carradine responds in his West Coast accent "I have exhausted patience trying not to do so.". The braiding on the uniforms is so detailed and intricate.

Edited May 19, 2020 by VCRTracking

[raven]

I ran across this article on a blog which reminded of Diana Ross in Mahogany:

[xaxat]

Rosalind Russell's suit, His Girl Friday.

Edited June 7, 2020 by xaxat

[DollEyes]

This thread wouldn't be complete without mentioning one of the most instantly iconic looks in modern cinema: the cream cable-knit sweater in Knives Out.

  Rarely has a sweater become synonymous with a movie so quickly. Of course the fact that it was worn by Chris Evans doesn't hurt, either.

😘

Edited July 14, 2020 by DollEyes