How Richard Burton’s character in Villain (1971) dresses to impress and intimidate. A brief video dip into the costume design of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Actually that title is a tad misleading – it’s all the clothes worn by Lee Marvin as kick-ass-tough-guy-on-a-mission Walker in Point Blank. This is the second video in a new Clothes on Film feature breaking down costume design in sartorially interesting (or just way cool) movies and, in some cases, television.  Costumed by Margo Weintz, Point Blank is stone-cold neo-noir thriller, one of the best of its kind, focusing on Marvin’s Walker and his score settling against those who double crossed and left…

Actually that title is a tad misleading – it’s all the clothes worn by Lee Marvin as kick-ass-tough-guy-on-a-mission Walker in Point Blank. This is the second video in a new Clothes on Film feature breaking down costume design in sartorially interesting (or just way cool) movies and, in some cases, television.  Costumed by Margo Weintz, Point Blank is stone-cold neo-noir thriller, one of the best of its kind, focusing on Marvin’s Walker and his score settling against those who double crossed and left him for dead on an abandoned Alcatraz island. The film is known for its sharp suits, which are all covered in the video, but also for some…

Bit late to the party for this one, but what the hey. Did you know that Calvin Klein has re-released the white shift dress that Alicia Silverstone made famous in Clueless? Yes, you probably did. Thanks to Mona May’s costume design reinventing the look of an era, replacing baggy jeans and grunge with brightly coloured femininity and for (rich) boys, 1950s drape jackets and high-waisted trousers, Clueless (1995) remains a sartorial time capsule. That May went onto design for the 1996-97 television series demonstrates just how important her fashion contribution was at that time. Perhaps unsurprisingly Alicia Silverstone’s Cher is the most memorable character in terms of costume for a…

Contributor Birdie McAra explores the fantabulously non-male gazey world of Birds of Prey. The costume style evolution of Kathleen Turner in Romancing the Stone (1984). The scruffy gumshoe style of Mickey Rourke in Angel Heart (1987). With very special trousers. A brief glimpse at the costume world Mark Bridges created for Joker. Brigsby Bear tells the bizarre yet charming tale of a young man, James Pope (Kyle Mooney), who was kidnapped as a baby and subsequently released into the world many years later with no knowledge of it beyond a non-existent kids television show. The film evokes a nostalgic view of the 1980s and, while is contemporary set, gently embraces…

A brief video dip into the costume design of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. MINOR SPOILERS Movies that feature contemporary fashion, particularly high-end and particularly for women, are a tricky sell costume wise. While men’s semi-formal to formal attire is generally shaped around the fundamental guise of the lounge suit, women’s clothing has a lot more avenues and possibilities. In addition to colour and pattern there is shape and form, which can vary dramatically for the fashionable wearer. What can vary dramatically can also date dramatically and this can be major stumbling block for costume designers. Films centred around the world of fashion, or those that include a lot…

After Earth is Amy Westcott’s first attempt at a sci-fi feature. Her M.O tends to be contemporary costume, such as The Wrestler (2008) and award winning work on Black Swan (2010). But even then she seeks out subtext amongst typical genre interpretation. Black Swan for example is a psychological horror whereby costume reflects the inner workings of the protagonist’s mind so actually becomes part of the narrative. After Earth is similar in this respect because the film’s primary ensemble, the ‘life suit’ worn by Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) is synthetic in construction yet organically synched with the human body. Without his suit, Kitai could not survive Earth’s hazardous environment; his…

We chat to costume designer Gary Jones about his work on Oz the Great and Powerful. Colleen Atwood does it AGAIN. Watching Jane Eyre on location makes for an enriching experience. Our first Dual Analysis with Costumer’s Guide. To kick off, here is what Chris from Clothes on Film had to say. This might be the most famous and copied outfit Grace Kelly ever wore.

Click HERE to see the full images at Collider Okay, this is getting silly. After those Captain America costume pics ‘leaked’ yesterday, here is some similarly early concept art for Kenneth Branagh’s Thor. What. A. Coincidence! To be 100% honest it is hard not to raise a smile at these images. The outfit is true to the Marvel comic source (to a degree) and well put together, though the quality of these pics is not doing costume designer Alexandra Byrne’s work a lot of favours. Still, we are in the era of aggressive internet marketing, so released they are, no matter how bizarre digi-Chris Hemsworth standing in the middle of…

The first full-length trailer for Disney’s new live-action adaptation of Cinderella was this week and featured tantalising glimpses of what promises to be a visually gorgeous film. The costumes, designed by three time Academy Award winner Sandy Powell, appear to be absolutely stunning. With a clever mix of the eighteenth century, the 1830s, and a little 1950s couture thrown in for good measure (Powell has been quoted as saying she was aiming for the look of “a nineteenth-century period film made in the 1940s or ’50s”), Powell has created another jewel to add to her already over-bling crown. Here is a quick rundown of some of the looks we’ve been……

Clothes on Film talks exclusively to director of The Help, Tate Taylor, about his use of costume and make-up in the movie, Southern fashions and approaching his role from an actor’s perspective. With only three features under his belt, Mississippi born Tate Taylor is relatively new to directing. Taylor’s work as an actor may be more familiar, a small but noteworthy part in Winter’s Bone (2010) perhaps his most high profile role. Coming from an acting background grants him rare insight into the filmmaking process; specifically how costume is employed on the other side of the camera. Director Tate Taylor on set with Emma Stone (Skeeter) and Viola Davis (Aibileen).…