The first trailer for Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes update starring Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson is online and it looks, well, lacking. Watch it HERE. Not lacking in excitement; there are more explosions and fist fights here than the average Jason Statham movie. Yet one vital ingredient appears to be missing – Sherlock Holmes is not wearing his deerstalker cap and Mac Farlane cape coat. Apparently none of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes books specifically state the great detective ever donning a deerstalker cap. However he wore a cape, as many stylish Victorian gentleman would have at the time, especially for travelling. Obviously…

On first discovering that the late Eiko Ishioka’s costumes for Tarsem Singh’s fairytale update Mirror Mirror: The Untold Adventures of Snow White are to be featured in an ‘app’ for Apple products we were, to put it mildly, sceptical. On further consideration, however, this is actually a fun and really quite sweet idea. Simply titled ‘Dress Up Snow’ this free app showcases several of Ishioka’s most typically imaginative and extravagant outfits for the movie, all worn by Lily Collins as Snow White – alas none for Julia Roberts’ Evil Queen. Users can alter a cutesy rendered image of Collins wearing different ensembles, in addition to changing the scenery, adding accessories,…

Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood Directed by: McG The terminator, as represented first and best by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is an obvious signifier for brutish masculinity on film: black leather biker jacket, muscular build, modest dialogue. The irony being, of course, that he is a machine. In Terminator Salvation (2009) this iconic manifestation stays in place, but the clothes and actor change. Not for the first time this has occurred (Schwarzenegger isn’t the only actor to play a terminator after all), but in this film his replacement looks more or less the same. After the slim-framed T-1000 (Robert Patrick) and the female-framed T-X (Kristanna Loken), it is a back…

We had a seemingly endless parade of character portraits revealed in early March, but now here is the first actual trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire with actual footage and everything. Surprisingly, it is not centred on the more glamorous side of Catching Fire, i.e. the sensational Capitol outfits. Instead we stay dark and dirty with Games contestants Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) and previous winner Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) visiting the poverty ravaged districts. There are lots of Nehru and ‘granddad’ collars, linen, leather and heavy cotton fabrics, and just a hint of Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) tottering into view wearing two fluffy Capitol gowns.…

If this new trailer for Man of Steel was the actual movie, then it would be difficult not to stand up and salute at the end. This is three minutes of very worthy, very dramatic, very promising footage for one of the most anticipated films of the year. Best of all though, we really get to see the new Superman suit in action. Costumes designers for Man of Steel are two legends of the industry, James Acheson (Doctor Who, Spider-Man) and Michael Wikinson (Watchmen, Tron Legacy). Quite how these men divided their time on the film remains a tight-lipped mystery for now, but being as both have significant sci-fi experience…

Costume on the brain? This won’t help. Michael Wilkinson Technology in costume design – BRILLIANT Costume Cafe podcast by Colleen Monroe. Sleepy Hallow Pilot costume designer Sanja Hays explains why Ichabod won’t be dressing in Gap tees anytime soon. Grand Theft Auto V Always indespesnible and relevant Tyranny of Style interviews GTA V costume designer Lyn Paolo, who also worked on TV shows Southland, E.R. and The West Wing. American Hustle Michael Wilkinson honoured for his work on a film we are jumping up and down with excitement for. Scandal More Lyn Paolo talking about Kerry Washington and co in Scandal. Halloween …and EVEN MORE Lyn Paolo, here with fellow…

Costume titbits you may have missed. America Hustle Tom and Lorenzo cast their expert eyes over the American Hustle character posters. Costumer of Awesome Who is the Costumer of Awesome? Whoever he/she is they clearly work in the business and have a unique plus hilarious way of putting said crazy biz in perspective for the rest of us. Sleepy Hollow Why does Ichabod never wash his clothes, you may or may not be daft enough to ask. The Art of Costume Design CUT! Costume and the Cinema – a period costume design exhibit at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. House of Versace Costume designer Claire Nadon got…

On the surface the Babadook is just another bogeyman: prickly, sinewy, all arched limbs and spiky digits. And this is the point: he is just another bogeyman; it is what he represents that really matters. Without spoiling too much, The Babadook is larger than life because he is the exaggerated physical manifestation of our demons. In this respect he could look like anyone – wherever our fears lead. Nonetheless for the purposes of dressing up as the Babadook for this Halloween, and having anyone actually guess who you are, the following is required: top hat, cape and some pointy things to stick on your fingers. To achieve maximum scare, however,…

A slight but worth watching video about the costume and production design for frothy Walt Disney biography Saving Mr. Banks. If you have not seen the film it won’t spoil anything, and will probably get you wanting to dress in sixties suits and dresses again, like Mad Men did in the early days. Costume designer for Saving Mr Banks, Daniel Orlandi (Down With Love, Frost/Nixon), chats a little about his approach, which is how you might expect for a period movie where clothes are weaved into the narrative rather than absolutely intrinsic to it, i.e. show but do not ‘show off’ the era. Orlandi wanted the female cast to be…

So what’s been happening this week then? Blue Jasmine ‘In costuming the past we lose the present.’ Wonder Woman Michael Wilkinson has basically said nothing about Wonder Woman’s outfit, yet we’re still hanging on his every word. Mad Men Jessica Paré chats about the show’s costumes and her own ‘French with a rock edge’ style. Dallas Costume designer Rachel Sage talks about her work on the TNT reboot. The Oscars Catherine Martin wins and wins BIG. Kudos. Red carpet fashion Tyranny of Style casts his educated gaze over the winners and losers. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D More Tyranny of Style, this time revisiting Ann Foley’s stylish contribution to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D…