Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland Directed By: Lars von Trier The most exquisite fashion promo ever made. Only a demeaning statement if you consider fashion a frivolous construct of self-expression; Lars von Trier does not. Kirsten Dunst plays Justine, a despondent soul who cannot face the enforced happiness of her bourgeois wedding day yet can passively accept the annihilation of earth due to its collision with the planet ‘Melancholia’. Obviously the destruction of all mankind is a situation beyond her control, so she all but welcomes it. As someone who spends every single day trying to think of a reason to live, Justine is thankful the decision has…

Moon (2009) is a love letter to the science fiction movies that director Duncan Jones grew up watching. He stated his intention was, “to create something which felt comfortable within that canon of those science fiction films from the sort of late seventies to the early eighties”*. Jones’ eerie story of a moon base worker who discovers uncomfortable truths about himself during a three year solo mission certainly achieved that. One of the central reasons the film succeeds, attests blogger Dallas King is its subtly readable costume design by Jane Petrie. Petrie’s only previous science fiction credit was in the costume department for Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace…

The latest book by fashion historian, and now TV presenter Amber Butchart (A Stitch in Time on BBC 4 – second season please), is a comprehensively researched stroll through the best dressed folk ever to exist on the planet. The Fashion Chronicles: The Style Stories of History’s Best Dressed is laid out to be effortlessly readable, split into sections ranging from Ancient (and we mean ancient; basically like the first clothes ever) to 20th and 21st Century. Each entry gets a couple of pages of engaging historical notes and background justifying their inclusion along with a photo / picture or two. It works; it doesn’t feel like study or revision,…

Two weeks of links. It’s exciting. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Mindbogglingly thorough look at the costumes and modern fashion influence of GPB. Sleepy Hollow Kristin M. Burke’s headless costumes go on a little jaunt to ignite Emmy fever. …and here’s an interview with Ms. Burke where she talks about her career so far. And quilting. Maps to the Stars Not seen this yet but Superqueen makes a captivating case for this film being the new Drive in terms of heavy gloves symbolism. Maleficent A very brief insight into Angelina Jolie’s extravagant look. Look out for Clothes on Film’s coverage (hopefully) soon. …a bit more about Anna B. Sheppard’s process. …and Nathalie…

Boogie Nights (1997, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson) is packed with vintage clothing delights. Even though costume designer Mark Bridges generally eschewed more obvious 1970s/early 80s trends due to a recent retro fashion revival, the movie is still completely identifiable with both of these periods. Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) and Amber Waves (Julianne Moore) are two of the film’s most interesting characters in terms of costume, especially how their outfits seem at times to be simpatico, although, as we discover with exclusive insight from Mark Bridges himself, this was not intentional: “Fifteen years after designing the film you mention something to me I never noticed!” Of course there are other…

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. Christie’s are auctioning several Edith Head sketches for costume designs worn by Grace Kelly. Ray Holman chats exclusively about dressing Matt Smith as the new Doctor.

Clio Barnard’s stark yet heart-wrenching film The Selfish Giant (2013, UK) offers two fantastic performances from its young stars in their acting debut. Matt Price discusses how his costume design for the film reflects the strong, relatable characters so well… It is lunchtime in London as costume designer Matthew Price shuffles into the Curzon, Soho. Recently collaborating with Clio Barnard on the Bafta nominated film, The Selfish Giant, reuniting after experimental documentary The Arbour, Price is surprisingly reserved about his work. “I wasn’t really sure if they’d take me on again,” he says of Barnard and producer Tracey O’Riordan. “The Arbour did quite well so I didn’t know if they’d……

Win one of five Breaking Bad mobile meth lab t-shirts. Win an official Cowichan style cardigan as worn by Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski. Win a pair of tickets to see Madonna’s controversial costume fest W.E. at The London Film Festival on 23rd October. Please vote for Clothes on Film as Best Male Blog in the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards 2011. Win a Scarface limited edition Blu-ray DVD, scarf and money clip. Three sets to give away. Look as tasteless as Tony! Win two pairs of tickets to an exclusive screening of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in London on 9th May. Harr! Clothes on Film has been…

Finally we have a trailer for Tom Hardy’s Capone and it looks jim-jam tastic. Anna May Wong fused East and West against an ill-equipped backdrop of Hollywood cinema. Our first Dual Analysis with Costumer’s Guide. To kick off, here is what Chris from Clothes on Film had to say.

We are now up to the year 1968 for the double-episode season 6 opener of Mad Men. This already seems to be the show’s most progressive season so far costume wise. Season 5 certainly took the most significant cultural jump, with Swinging Sixties politics, clothes and interiors looming like a shadow of coolness. In the latter half of season 5, aspiring actress Megan’s (Jessica Paré) capri pants and sweater audition wear, while not exactly beatnik were avant-garde enough to suggest the growing exuberance of her character. The times they are a-changin’. For season 6, costume designer Janie Bryant looks to be channelling the same ideal as season 1, but whereas…