Sabrina

Audrey Hepburn's fashion in the iconic movie Sabrina is the epitome of class and elegance. But behind the scenes of this film, the real drama resided with costumes designers.

The head costume designer of Paramount was Edith Head. She had worked with the studio since 1927 and in 1952 worked with Audrey Hepburn on Roman Holiday, the movie which won her her fifth Oscar for design. Clearly, she was a master of her craft.

Edith Head

Roman Holiday skyrocketed Audrey Hepburn into stardom. Her next film, Sabrina, followed a young chauffeurs daughter rise into the Parisian socialite scene. Knowing that Sabrina would also become a big hit, Audrey had the idea to have two designers on this film; one for her characters "before" looks and one for her "after." This is where the tension began. 

Hubert de Givenchy was hired to create Sabrinas glamorous new wardrobe. Her most remembered and iconic looks from this film were all created by the young designer. This was met with much resistance from Edith who claimed that Givenchy had stolen her moment to shine.

Givenchy

Edith Heads Designs in Sabrina

Givenchys Designs in Sabrina

Though Edith and Givenchy equally designed the film, his name never appears in the credits for the movie. And on top of that, the Oscars never mentioned his contributions either. When Edith won the Oscar for her work on the film, she failed to mention Givenchy and never publicly gave him credit.

Edith Head Winning the Oscar

Aside from the drama, the designs feature in this movie are a testimony to the talent of the era. It also marked the long friendship between Audrey and Givenchy. After Sabrina, they would go on to do 16 films together.

Stranger Things Season 3

Though I do realize this is a TV series and not a film, I'm making an exception to my own rules to talk about the amazing 80s fashion worn by El and Max this season. What I love about the costumes this season was how they started. El has been wearing her Dads hand-me-downs, so Max takes her to the mall. El says "How do I know what I like?" to which Max brilliantly replies, "You just try things on until you find something that feels like you."

El takes on the rest of the season clad with scrunches, neon prints, suspenders, and high rise pants. Though she is fighting evil Russians and demogorgons, she is dressed in clothes that make her feel strong and confident. She feels empowered through her fashion choices to protect her friends and restore peace to her town.

In an interview with Fashionista.com, costume designer Amy Parris breaks down El's fashion.

"The mall rats of the '80s were wearing these criss-cross belts and accessories were a huge thing. She just gets excited to pile it all on and it's colors and prints that she's not worn before," says Parris about the vibrant looks that catch Eleven's eye at Starcourt. The costume designer used a mix of vintage and rented pieces, but custom-built most of Eleven's shirts because of the need for multiples — you know, thanks to nosebleeds, monster goo and all.

"It was a chance for her to choose her own look and guide her own fashion sense," adds Parris.


I think this sends a wonderful message to viewers of all ages; dress in clothes that make you feel like you.

Carol

Carol is a movie set in the 1950s. It deals with the social constructs that existed back then surrounding gender roles and sexuality. Carol, a housewife, begins an affair with young photographer Therese. Their costumes reflect their age, their influence on each other, and the growth they experience through their time together.

When we are first introduced to the characters, their costumes inform their past. From a outsiders perspective, Carol seems to be a glamorous housewife. She is beautiful, wealthy, and friendly. She wears a mink coat, leather gloves, and a scarf. It wouldn't seem like anything is wrong in her life.

Therese is a young aspiring photographer. Her costumes in the beginning reflect her innocence. She wears headbands, berets, plaid, and collared shirts; a quasi schoolgirl look. Compared to Carol, they look so different it wouldn't seem they have anything in common.

They two couldn't dress more oppositely.

As the characters develop a relationship, their costumes reflect their internal changes. Carol begins to dress a little softer, embracing some plaid accents into her wardrobe. Therese wears more sophisticated clothing such as silk blouses.

But, their relationship can't continue due to the laws of the times, and they must part. During this section of the movie, Carol struggles to cope with her impending divorce and losing custody of her daughter. Her costumes get darker and at some moments she doesn't style her hair. 

Therese goest through a dramatic costume transformation. She cuts her hair into a more mature look and starts to dress very elegantly. Through her relationship with Carol, she has blossomed from a girl into a woman. 

Costume designer Sandy Powell excels in subtly showing the natural growth of human beings after an experience. 

Disney Costumes Inspire Imagination

I’m sure we’ve all had a phase of dressing up in Disney character costume. I know I did. I used to love putting on my Snow White dress or my Minnie Mouse ears and pretending I was in another land far away. My sister would dawn her Cinderella dress and together, we played pretend. Disney movies were always on in our house; I can remember a time when I got my VHS tape of Snow White stuck in the tape player. Though Disney movies today, especially the ones with a Princess as the main character are board line taboo, I challenge any distaste for them. A lot of debate surrounding these movies focuses on the gender stereotypes presented. Yes, I do see the controversy here and I am all for sending a positive message of strong powerful woman who don’t need no man. But, when these characters are embodied through play, any stereotypes that might be associated are tossed at the door. In my own experience of play, I felt nothing but empowerment putting on these costumes. When I put on my Snow White dress, I knew that I could stand up to any evil queen who tried to poison me, welcome any person into my home with a swish of my dress, and care for animals who looked to me for comfort. These costumes allowed me to imagine infinite possibilities. When I dressed up in a costume of a character that I idolized, it become armor.

Moondog: What does "female fashion" really mean?

I recently went to see the movie The Beach Bum in theaters. It just so happened that the director, Harmony Korine, was in attendance. Before the movie started he shyly and awkwardly thanked the audience of 20 for coming out to see his film and he hoped we all enjoyed. An interesting greeting for a interesting movie to say the least.

The Beach Bum tells the tale of Moondog, an over the top rich poet. His nomadic lifestyle is filled with drugs, sex,  and recklessness. Due to Moondog's eclectic and eccentric lifestyle, his outfit choices reflect his behavior accordingly.

After writing most of my blog posts on traditional, societally excepted female fashion choices, I decided that this movie was the perfect opportunity to branch out from this box.

Moondog's fashion choices throughout the movie represent him as a free spirit. He wears what he pleases. Most of what he wears happens to be traditionally "female" clothes. Dresses, one piece bathing-suits, and pink bathrobes with fur.

This got me thinking about how much "gender roles" influence our perception of someone. Just because Moondog identifies as a male, he gets judged and looked at for wearing traditionally female clothes. Though these choices in the movie were more for laughs, The Beach Bum shares a message of challenging the status quo, creating gender diversity, embracing gender queerness.

Nina: Costume Designer

Nina is a rising senior at Fordham LC. She is very involved in fashion, social media, and designing. She recently was the costume designer for the Splinter Group Production of Legally Blonde. Through this interview process Nina and I became friends and have a lot in common. I sat down and asked her a few questions to better understand the designing process.

1. What message were you hoping to share through the choices you made?
The message and vision I had in mind for the Legally Blond costumes was one of nostalgia. I wanted the audience to be transported to the Y2K era Elle Woods lived and breathed. I wanted to keep her aesthetic somewhere between Barbie and Beverly Hills/Paris Hilton. Every other character had their own message and I wanted their costumes to support their stories. Pauline had to be eccentric and the sorority girls had to be clones of one another (lol).

2. Was there a particular theme in the costumes? Did color, texture, design, etc, represent anything?
All the details, patterns, accessories tied back into the 2000s nostalgia aesthetic.

3. How do you think the costume choices influenced the audiences interpretation of character?
I think my costume choices reaffirmed the audiences memories of watching the Legally Blonde movies. I think the costume choices strengthened the connection between audience and characters because it gave them visual representations of the character’s personalities.

4. Where did you draw inspiration in order to get your message across?
 I drew inspiration from the movie itself as well as looking through 90s and 2000s music videos, magazines and tv shows/movies. Also looking at law school culture and “uniforms.”

5. Which character was the most fun to dress?
Pauline and the UPS guys! 

Thank you Nina for answering questions and providing insight into the design process!

Wikipedia Page Check In

As some of you may have seen, I did a blog post on Elizabeth Taylors Wikipedia page. In this post I discuss how I was shocked to find that Elizabeths iconic green dress from the film Suddenly Last Summer did not make it into the section about her style and jewelry; two things she is very well known for.

I edited the post to include the information I found relevant, and gladly, it hasn't been changed since I edited the page. Hopefully other Liz Taylor fans in the world appreciate the new addition!

How To Dress Like Your Favorite Female Movie Characters

Dressing like a movie character is a popular choice for Halloween or a costume party. Here are a few ways you can achieve looking like you favorite movie character. I have included links to the products listed to make recreating these looks easier.

Gwyneth Paltrow in The Royal Tenenbaums

To achieve this look, all you will need is a brown purse, a fur jacket, a short blonde wig, a red hair clip, and pink gloves.

Winona Ryder in Heathers

To look like Winona Ryders character Veronica in Heathers, all you will need is an off the shoulder grey sweater, a black overall dress, and a shiny broach.

Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction 

This outfit is probably the easiest to recreate. To look like Uma Thurman from Pulp fiction, all you will need is a white button up shirt, a black wig with bangs, and black dress pants. 

I hope this how-to has helped you find some inspiration for you next costume party!

Self-Styled Siren's Blog Post

I was recently scouring the internet for a blog similar to my own. After a few pages in of a Google search, I came across a blog about film. The Self-Styled Siren writes mostly movie reviews on classic films, but a post I came across from 2010 discusses her top 10 greatest moments of costume design. Though it is an older post, The Siren still blogs regularly. I am thrilled to find this post as my blog tends to discuss costumes from more recent films while her post discusses movies from the past. Here are my favorites from her list.

Jean Seberg in Breathless

The birth of the t-shirt and tight pants look. Not only does she look effortless and careless, her attitude reflects it too. 

Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina

This one didn't need to convince me of its merit on this list. Designed but Givenchy, Hepburn exudes glamour, sophistication, and confidence. The Siren exequently states the following: 

 "Sabrina, the lovelorn chaffeur's daughter, has learned poise and confidence, the essential elements of style. Even the least observant visitor to Paris sees that a fashionable Frenchwoman wears chic clothing because she IS self-assured, not because she WANTS to be. This, this is what Paris and a genius designer can do for you!" 

Kay Francis in Mandalay

I had never heard of Kay Francis before or this movie, but I can see why she would make The Sirens list. In her silver dress, she looks eye catching and stunning. Any film buff can see how impactful a dress like that can have on the costume and film industry.

I really enjoyed The Sirens blog post. It has been hard finding other blogs similar to my own, so I am excited to find another blog to keep up with.

The Parent Trap: 1998 vs 1961

In a previous post I made, I wrote how the costumes of The Parent Trap express not only character development of the twins, but symbolizes their newfound family bond.

Since the 1998 version of the movie is a remake, I wanted to find similarities in the costumes from the original 1961 film starring Hayley Mills. The 1998 version echos choices made in the original film. The costumes in both films play on the differences the twins have.

Sharon and Annie

 Sharon is the posh, sophisticated twin with long hair; a element kept in the 1998 version. Annie, though British, is refined and classy. Both girls live with their mother, and arrive at camp in style.

Susan and Hallie

Susan and Hallie are the mirror image of each other. Both raised by their Dad, they are rough and tumble, California girls. They are tomboys, showing up with short hair and feisty attitudes.

Together

When the twins are together, their individual styles are reflected. In both movies, the girls wear individualist pieces while still presenting as a unit. Sharon and Annie present more delicately while Susan and Hallie present stronger. Though each girl still holds her own style, each pair of twins start to look more and more like a cohesive unit.

By the end of the film, the girls are dressing identically or almost identically. This is meant to represent the transition from separate lives into one, familial bond. 

 Both movies, though over 40 years apart, capture the essence of sisterhood, love, and family. These costumes reflect how a family can come together despite many differences.

Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor is one of the top style icons in film. From her famous purple eyes to her unmatched sex appeal, Liz Taylor topped the charts for fashion inspiration. Upon doing more research about her and her impact on the fashion and film community, I came across her Wikipedia page. There is a whole section dedicated to her style and jewelry legacy. It originally read like this:

Taylor is considered a fashion icon both for her film costumes and personal style.^[87][88][89] At MGM, her costumes were mostly designed by Helen Rose and Edith Head,^[90] and in the 1960s by Irene Sharaff.^[88][91] Her most famous costumes include a white ball gown in A Place in the Sun (1951), a Grecian dress in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), and a slip and a fur coat in BUtterfield 8 (1960).^[87][88][89] Her make-up look in Cleopatra (1963) started a trend for "cat-eye" make-up done with black eyeliner.^{[5]:135–136}

Though it doesn't seem like anything is amiss, there was one costume missing from her most iconic looks. When you Google "Liz Taylor famous dress," one of the first results is her iconic green A-line dress from the film Suddenly Last Summer. There are countless recreations of her classic green look; so many people associate a green dress with Liz Taylor. I edited the Wikipedia page to reflect this new information.

^{Taylor is considered a fashion icon both for her film costumes and personal style.[87][88][89] At MGM, her costumes were mostly designed by Helen Rose and Edith Head,[90] and in the 1960s by Irene Sharaff.[88][91] Her most famous costumes include a white ball gown in A Place in the Sun (1951), a Grecian dress in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), a green A-line dress in "Suddenly Last Summer"(1959), and a slip and a fur coat in BUtterfield 8 (1960).[87][88][89] Her make-up look in Cleopatra(1963) started a trend for "cat-eye" make-up done with black eyeliner.[5]:135–136}

This new addition to the Wikipedia page allows for further reading and information about Elizabeth Taylor's classic looks. Her iconic green dress is commonly seen on posters of her and even used as her headshot. Hopefully this addition attracts and excited Liz Taylor fans.

What Costumes Are Really Trying To Say

The costumes in film aren't just to look at. They are as much a part of the story as the dialogue, plot, scenery, and characters. It is truly the hidden art form of cinema. The website Indie Film Hustle described the role of a costume designer perfectly, "Costume Design plays an essential but seemingly quiet role in making a movie memorable and making the characters awesome, whether the character was meant to blend into their environment or stand out from it. Costumes can be described as aids by which film makers tell their stories."  The costume can inform so much of the movie as well connect the audience to the story.

Indie Film Hustle points out some metaphorical connections between costumes and the time period they take place. For example, Gone with the Wind takes place during the American Civil War era. When Scarlett O'Hara's character attempts to make her own dress, she symbolizes the period of Reconstruction that follows the war.

Another example of how costumes can transmit plot details is the costume design of Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. While the other characters are dressed to reflect the time period of the late 1800s, Willy Wonka's costume stands out in color and design, showing that he is a person ahead of his time. By making his costume a stark contrast to the rest of the group, Wonka is considered "out of this world," aiding to both the plot line and his personal character development.

When costume design is done right, it quietly and subtly informs the audience about the plot. Without the costumes, big idea moments could not be conveyed discreetly.