There is not man behind the mask; the mask is The Lone Ranger. Lord Christopher Laverty 1 Comment 29 Jun ’11 20 Jan ’14 10 Feb ’12

Live and Let Die (1973, directed by Guy Hamilton) is a fantasy Blaxploitation movie made in the wake of Shaft and Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (both 1971). Roger Moore’s first stab at James Bond pitted his tightly buttoned jackets and high waisted trousers against a bevy of colourful, flared, snap-brimmed seventies street wear as commanded by corrupt diplomat/New York drug kingpin, Dr. Kananga/Mr. Big (Yaphet Kotto). For the first time in his existence the world’s foremost super spy would be all but invisible. Except that there were attempts to update 007’s image in line with the fashions of the day. Some worked; Moore in a black short sleeve silk shirt…

Join Clothes on Film editor Christopher Laverty for a special Oscars Red Carpet Livestream. You better believe he’s wearing a custom made crown. SPOILERS If you’ve heard anything about Phantom Thread (2017, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson), you are bound to uncover a multitude of thoughts on the astounding Academy Award winning costume work of Mark Bridges or the retirement role of Daniel Day-Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock, 1950s fashion house couturier. But one of the key components to Reynolds is missing from the discussion: Autism. Phantom Thread opens with Reynolds (Day-Lewis) getting dressed to formalities of the era. Polished shoes, ironed trousers, a fresh button-down shirt, with the addition of…

A fortnight ago to the day, Clothes on Film creator and editor Christopher Laverty joined fashion historian Amber Jane Butchart to give one of two talks and a Q&A chat at The British Library in London. The subjects under discussion were, respectively, the unexpectedly colourful clothing of Prohibition era gangsters as portrayed in the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire, and the influence of movies and movie star style on fashion during The Jazz Age. After Christopher and Amber finished their talks to a delighted audience (they clapped), everyone reconvened to the elegant backdrop of the main library grounds to swig cocktails and dance the night away to Alex Mendham &……

There is not man behind the mask; the mask is The Lone Ranger. Lord Christopher Laverty 1 Comment 5 Dec ’12 26 Jul ’10 19 Jan ’12

It’s ironic that director Zach Snyder was against using those famous red pants for the outside of Superman’s new costume when the suit itself is underwear. This bizarre notion actually makes sense as all costume choices in Man of Steel are intended as functional, at least contextually so. There was no need to wear pants over pants as it were; Superman is already half-undressed as it is. When M. Night Shyamalan’s sci-fi thriller After Earth was released a few weeks ago it received a critical bashing for, among other things, poor special effects, weak acting and clunky dialogue. After watching Man of Steel these feel like unfair assertions. In many…

SPOILERS FROM THE OUTSET It is not made clear exactly when The Place Beyond the Pines (2013, directed by Derek Cianfrance) is set. The cars, technology, clothes and, in due course, the film’s structure lead us to conclude the first half takes places sometime around the mid-1990s. Being a solemn story the costume design generally avoids knowing clichés. If there was ever a decade ripe for mocking it is the early to mid nineties, but The Place Beyond the Pines sticks to flashes of contemporary trends applicable to its characters. Do not let Ryan Gosling’s ‘moto bandit’ Luke Glanton plastered over the marketing in paint pants and a Metallica tee…

SPOILERS For anyone with an eye to costume, The Avengers: Infinity War (2018) seemingly takes few evolutionary leaps. This makes perfect sense when we consider the timeline following particularly significant events of Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Black Panther (2017). Infinity War costume designer Judianna Makovsky (previously on board for The Winter Soldier, 2014; Civil War and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, 2016) has crafted a combination of instantly familiar looks for a jam-packed canon of characters where nobody wants to be missed, but nobody should stick out above anyone else either. It’s a real balancing act, which is something we are should sure Thanos himself would appreciate. Judianna……

Having created some of the most recognisable contemporary costume design of the 20th century for Wall Street in 1987, Ellen Mirojnick returns to dress belated sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. But how has time altered the broker’s look and what sartorial influences does the current economic climate bring to the new world of finance? Talking exclusively to Clothes on Film, costume designer Ellen Mirojnick tells us exactly what to expect when director Oliver Stone’s much anticipated follow up hits cinema screens next month. All the principals’ shirts in the film were made by Anto of Beverly Hills. Clothes on Film, Chris: How has Wall Street trader attire evolved since…

Throughout The Way We Were (1973, directed by Sydney Pollack), Barbra Streisand wears a mix of period authenticity and contemporary fashion, as costumed by Dorothy Jeakins and Moss Mabry. Essentially she is dressed as Barbra Streisand. Scan photographs and footage of Barbra from the time and it is evident that the actress brought more than just herself to the project; she brought her image too. The previous year, Barbra Streisand had experimented with the wilder excess of seventies trends in What’s Up, Doc? with Ryan O’Neal. Although now fondly remembered for upping her ‘cute’ contingent, What’s Up, Doc? was a mere flash in the pan. Streisand was never playful or…