Clothes on film

Contributor Birdie McAra explores the fantabulously non-male gazey world of Birds of Prey. Lord Christopher Laverty Comments Off on Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of Just About Everyone) 8 Jul ’11 24 Apr ’13 4 Feb ’11

Finally the Costume Designers Guild (CDG) nominations have been announced, and while they right some of the wrongs made by Oscar and chiefly BAFTA, ample opportunity to reward some really creative and effective costume design has once again been overlooked. We have indicated at length our views on the Academy and BAFTA’s nominations (HERE and HERE) so in the interests of not sounding like a broken record we shall stick to the facts. Well, perhaps just the odd observation… Nominations below: Excellence in Contemporary Film Beasts of the Southern Wild – Stephani Lewis The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – Louise Stjernsward Silver Linings Playbook – Mark Bridges Skyfall – Jany…

Man of Steel recently hit cinema screens amidst a blaze of controversy, with many questioning director Zach Snyder’s dark and humourless take on the Superman legend. Conversely some have praised his approach as the breath of fresh air the character needed. If the film itself has been splitting audiences so too has the costume design. Principally this stems from Superman’s overhauled hero suit. Depending on who you ask it is either bravely innovative or missing a pair of red underpants. We speculated that this revamped suit is actually underwear, a foundation garment worn by all Krypton men beneath their armour or robes. However, even though this was our interpretation, it…

Outfits worn specifically by female actors on film Filmmaker Nic Fforde discusses how he come to realise the importance of costume design in his projects. Stories in films are all familiar to us in some way, no matter how remote the setting. The hell that unfolds aboard the Nostromo in Alien, LA’s icy criminal underworld in Heat or Rope’s Ivy League dinner party – a good story well told will whisk you away to its own self–contained world. All the tools of filmmaking are there to help create these worlds. What part does costume play in all this? My day job is to make films for advertising. We work on…

After her flimsy pink slip on Skull Island, this is the second most significant outfit Naomi Watts wears as Ann Darrow in King Kong (2005). As simple as evening wear gets (though strictly in the context of the film it is stage wear), Ann’s white gown is authentically period accurate; 1930s was the couture decade to introduce evening dresses in their now familiar form. That a plain cut-on-the-bias dress such as Ann’s could be worn at any formal party function today without raising so much as a martini glass demonstrates the far-reaching influence of thirties designers; major names such as Gilbert Adrian and Edward Molyneux; those who prioritised simplicity and…

Levi’s® Spring Bottom pants are a most fascinating garment. Introduced in 1889 they are essentially jean trousers intended for Victorian (and later Edwardian) gentlemen. This is the first time Levi’s had focused their products on such an audience. Previously their stock in trade was miners and loggers, but this was a very early attempt by the company to branch out. Spring Bottom pants are a classic item of denim history, yet most folk have probably never heard of them. With this in mind we contacted costume designer Jenny Beavan recently and asked if she would consider putting them in the next Sherlock Holmes film. No-one was paying us to do…

Interviews with directors and costume designers A new VLOG looking back over the still stunning costume design on of Inception. We revisit sci-fi classic Inception a decade after its release with MVP, costume designer Jeffrey Kurland. Join Clothes on Film editor Christopher Laverty for a special Oscars Red Carpet Livestream. You better believe he’s wearing a custom made crown. We chat about why James Bond wearing a Tom Ford suit is almost a waste of time for the From Tailors with Love podcast. We chat to costume designer Caroline Eselin-Schaefer about her work on terrific new Amazon comedy, Troop Zero. Goldmember (2002, directed by Jay Roach), the final film (so…

The final trailer for The Rhythm Section features more costume changes than a Lady Gaga concert. Lord Christopher Laverty Comments Off on The Rhythm Section Trailer: An Assassin’s Lookbook 27 Jan ’12 8 Nov ’13 25 Oct ’13

A few costume related stories you may have missed this week. Costume Designers Guild Video: concealing and simulating pregnancy with costume. Last Night Lucie Goulet analyses the use of a very specific navy blue dress worn by Keira Knightley in Last Night. Behind the Candelabra Cannot wait for this one. Ellen Mirojnick opens Liberace’s closet. Game of Thrones Visions of Westeros: Michele Clapton talks about costuming Game of Thrones – “I try to indicate the emotional state of the characters.” Star Trek Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, aka Hello Tailor, analyses all the Star Trek uniforms, including Into Darkness, so you don’t have to. Essential reading. The Great Gatsby My goodness, Vogue can…

MINOR SPOILERS First Man (2018) is not a movie overly preoccupied with fashion, And why would it be? The focus of the story is astronaut Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) and his journey to become the first person to ever walk on the surface of the moon. Armstrong wears a lot of button down shirts, short sleeve checks, neutral slacks, the odd dark single breasted suit for formal occasions – largely dour attire for a dour man. He also wears a space suit, several of them. However, outside of Emilio Pucci’s involvement in designing the logo for the Apollo 15 flight in 1971, fashion rarely intersects with the requirements of surviving……