© 2011, Clothes on Film 29 Mar ’11 Who could ever suggest James Bond never puts a foot wrong sartorially? While it tends to be Roger Moore’s seventies incarnation receiving most disdain, this baby blue towelling playsuit worn by Sean Connery in Goldfinger (1964, directed by Guy Hamilton) is commonly remembered as the actor’s one costume disaster. Yet, seen in period context and motion, plus modelled by one of the most handsome gentlemen who ever graced the screen, it might be worthy of reconsideration. Worn for the film’s first post-credits scene, whereby Bond is introduced, informally, to megalomaniac villain Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe), this diminutive, crotch wrangling ‘beach wear’ is…

© 2011, Universal Pictures 5 Sep ’11 The arrival of Scarface (1983, directed by Brian De Palma) on Blu-ray grants ideal opportunity to indulge the film’s exemplary costumes by Patricia Norris. In its bogus world of clashing colours and mix fabrics, drug lord Tony Montana (Al Pacino) is the model of gangster symbolism, while steely dame Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer) has become a pin-up for the disco couture era; both characters are as psychologically screwed up as each other. Tony arrives in Miami, Florida, 1980 as a refugee from Cuba. His Caribbean heritage and lack of cash is demonstrated by a fondness for loose fitting, short sleeve island shirts. These are…

© 2011, Universal Pictures 5 Sep ’11 The arrival of Scarface (1983, directed by Brian De Palma) on Blu-ray grants ideal opportunity to indulge the film’s exemplary costumes by Patricia Norris. In its bogus world of clashing colours and mix fabrics, drug lord Tony Montana (Al Pacino) is the model of gangster symbolism, while steely dame Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer) has become a pin-up for the disco couture era; both characters are as psychologically screwed up as each other. Tony arrives in Miami, Florida, 1980 as a refugee from Cuba. His Caribbean heritage and lack of cash is demonstrated by a fondness for loose fitting, short sleeve island shirts. These are…

© 2011, Universal Pictures 5 Sep ’11 The arrival of Scarface (1983, directed by Brian De Palma) on Blu-ray grants ideal opportunity to indulge the film’s exemplary costumes by Patricia Norris. In its bogus world of clashing colours and mix fabrics, drug lord Tony Montana (Al Pacino) is the model of gangster symbolism, while steely dame Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer) has become a pin-up for the disco couture era; both characters are as psychologically screwed up as each other. Tony arrives in Miami, Florida, 1980 as a refugee from Cuba. His Caribbean heritage and lack of cash is demonstrated by a fondness for loose fitting, short sleeve island shirts. These are…

© 2011, Universal Pictures 5 Sep ’11 The arrival of Scarface (1983, directed by Brian De Palma) on Blu-ray grants ideal opportunity to indulge the film’s exemplary costumes by Patricia Norris. In its bogus world of clashing colours and mix fabrics, drug lord Tony Montana (Al Pacino) is the model of gangster symbolism, while steely dame Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer) has become a pin-up for the disco couture era; both characters are as psychologically screwed up as each other. Tony arrives in Miami, Florida, 1980 as a refugee from Cuba. His Caribbean heritage and lack of cash is demonstrated by a fondness for loose fitting, short sleeve island shirts. These are…

© 2011, Universal Pictures 5 Sep ’11 The arrival of Scarface (1983, directed by Brian De Palma) on Blu-ray grants ideal opportunity to indulge the film’s exemplary costumes by Patricia Norris. In its bogus world of clashing colours and mix fabrics, drug lord Tony Montana (Al Pacino) is the model of gangster symbolism, while steely dame Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer) has become a pin-up for the disco couture era; both characters are as psychologically screwed up as each other. Tony arrives in Miami, Florida, 1980 as a refugee from Cuba. His Caribbean heritage and lack of cash is demonstrated by a fondness for loose fitting, short sleeve island shirts. These are…

Oscar winning costume designer Janty Yates has kindly taken time out filming Ridley Scott’s latest Robin Hood to chat about her contribution to an earlier Scott picture, Hannibal (2001). Hannibal’s forbear, classic chiller The Silence of the Lambs (1990), was directed by Jonathan Demme and costumed by Colleen Atwood. It relies on a dank, washed-out atmosphere that informs the narrative by very lack of its presence. Hannibal on the other hand was always intended as a glossier more conspicuous affair. This marked something of a change of pace for Janty Yates whose earlier credits included the austere Victorian fashions of Jude (1996) and Scott’s own sword and sandal epic Gladiator…

© 2010, Clothes on Film 30 Nov ’10 In the season 3 episode ‘Souvenir’, Betty Draper (January Jones) undergoes a dramatic style transformation. Following an impromptu trip to Rome, she temporarily drops the pinched, pretty; near-outmoded late fifties style dresses to instead don the very latest in European chic, specifically a colourful maxi dress that belongs in sleepy Ossining just about as much as she does. Betty accompanying Don (Jon Hamm) on his business trip likely had two intentions: to run away from her feelings for Henry Francis and to rekindle desire with her husband. In such a romantic setting, away from the kids and free to role play, the…

© 2010, Clothes on Film 30 Nov ’10 In the season 3 episode ‘Souvenir’, Betty Draper (January Jones) undergoes a dramatic style transformation. Following an impromptu trip to Rome, she temporarily drops the pinched, pretty; near-outmoded late fifties style dresses to instead don the very latest in European chic, specifically a colourful maxi dress that belongs in sleepy Ossining just about as much as she does. Betty accompanying Don (Jon Hamm) on his business trip likely had two intentions: to run away from her feelings for Henry Francis and to rekindle desire with her husband. In such a romantic setting, away from the kids and free to role play, the…

© 2010, Clothes on Film 30 Nov ’10 In the season 3 episode ‘Souvenir’, Betty Draper (January Jones) undergoes a dramatic style transformation. Following an impromptu trip to Rome, she temporarily drops the pinched, pretty; near-outmoded late fifties style dresses to instead don the very latest in European chic, specifically a colourful maxi dress that belongs in sleepy Ossining just about as much as she does. Betty accompanying Don (Jon Hamm) on his business trip likely had two intentions: to run away from her feelings for Henry Francis and to rekindle desire with her husband. In such a romantic setting, away from the kids and free to role play, the…