One of the most famous costumes in Grease (1978) comes from Cha-Cha DiGregorio, a minor, but totally vital character, in her ‘hot mama’ ruffled Flamenco-style dress at the dance-off. So called because she is “the best dancer at St. Bernadette’s”, Cha-Cha brings a spicy ‘Latina’ flavour to proceedings. Ironically the actress Annette Cardona, of Mexican-Sicilian descent, was advised by her agent to change her name to Annette Charles, the former being considered “too ethnic”. Other than her dress, Cha-Cha has two further costumes. Her first is barely seen by the audience as she pulls up with her arm protectively around Leo, leader of ‘T-Bird’ rivals ‘The Scorpions’, as he mocks…

SPOILERS THROUGHOUT Having recently finished a six week, six episode run on the BBC, John le Carré adapted spy drama The Little Drummer Girl was divisive in terms of audience reaction. Some found the plot impossible to follow, others revelled in the cloak and dagger shenanigans of twenty-something Charmain ‘Charlie’ Ross (Florence Pugh), a low level actress drawn into a high stakes mission of infiltrating a Palestinian revolutionary group in 1979. The show’s costume design by Sheena Napier and Stephen Noble inspired equal division. While most enjoyed the eye-popping period ensembles and how they exemplified character, just as many were left confounded by their conspicuous presence. One thing that cannot…

Julien’s Hollywood Icons and Idols sale draws high bids for famous costumes, but not the big numbers seen last year at the Debbie Reynolds auction. A rundown of why Hollywood Costume at the V&A is the best event you will see all year. Win an official Cowichan style cardigan as worn by Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski. The Big Lebowski is brilliantly designed; the characters are concisely and efficiently illustrated, says KB from FrockTalk.com. Let’s tell you why The Big Lebowski costume design rocked in an almost completely non-subtextual way. Recently Clothes on Film chatted with Kristin Burke from FrockTalk about The Big Lebowski. We discussed weightlifting pants and…

This is the last outfit Grace Kelly wore for Rear Window (1954), during the very last shot in fact. This is complex as opposed to absolute Kelly womanliness, though no less appealing for it: Red casual men’s shirt with button-down collar and pushed up sleeves. Tails are held together with a scarf ring to form a decorative side sash on the waist. Grace Kelly was known for her love of scarves so this might have been her own decorative touch. It definitely adds a hint of ‘womanliness’ to what is essentially a male item of clothing. Slim indigo denim jeans with turned up, calf length cuffs (pedal-pushers), no selvedge and…

Netflix have released a short featurette about costume design for The Alienist, giving an overall glimpse at the work of Michael Kaplan and his team in putting together the era of 1896, New York. What is enticing about The Alienist, apart from the fact that it’s brilliant whodunit telly, is that it is set outside of England, which is so often the preserve of dramas such as these. This is NY style at a point in history when those with money were about to get a whole lot more. Expensive, in other words, and if you had deep enough pockets your taste in fashion would echo this. Check out the……

Costume designer Michael Kaplan took time away from Star Trek 2 to chat exclusively to Clothes on Film about Ghost Protocol. Lord Christopher Laverty 32 Comments 15 Jul ’10 27 Feb ’12 17 Jun ’11

It was a busy week in costume. “Fashion victim” or “ensemble-y challenged”. Examining the legacy of Mona May’s costume design for Clueless. For those of you lucky enough to live in LA, literally racks of costumes have just on display at The FIDM Museum. Did you know that Calvin Klein has re-released the white dress that Alicia Silverstone made famous in Clueless? Yes, you probably did.

The proposed ethos behind Tron Legacy merchandising is more than just product; it’s a lifestyle choice. Costume designer for The Hangover, Louise Mingenbach, has answered more questions about who wears what in the movie.

The first trailer for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows starring Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Noomi Rapace and Jared Harris has hit the net. It seems on track with the first film; lots of action and banter, only this time grimy London has been replaced by snowy Europe. Jenny Beavan returns for costume design; the look is late Victorian with a twist. A few interesting sartorial notes pop up, mainly attributable to ever dapper Dr. John Watson (Law), though we are given a glimpse of Sherlock Holmes’ (Downey Jr.) nemesis, Professor Moriarty (Harris). New love interest Sim (Rapace) only really gets to showcase a wide brim hat, fringed bodice…

Like it or not awards season has arrived and predictably for costume design that means little surprises with regards to nominations. BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) have just announced their line-up for 2013. While all the choices are worthy, one especially, collectively they demonstrate a misunderstanding of exactly what costume design is and what it brings to film. Period, fantasy and spectacle are still applauded above all facets, and even though this is part of costume design it should never be the overriding factor in determining the very best of costume design. Costume serves narrative and whichever film released in 2012 has achieved that most successfully deserves…