The Fashion of Film

Fashion plays a huge role in film, and not just aesthetically – a simple outfit can etch itself into the viewer’s psyche, often becoming synonymous with the film itself. So, let’s investigate the use of clothes in cinema and explore some of film’s most iconic fashion statements, with a dose of nostalgia along the way.

Pretty Woman

We’re starting out strong with the white dress in Pretty Woman (1990). Throughout the film, the protagonist Vivian wears white when she’s being her natural, vulnerable self as opposed to embodying the nonchalant call-girl persona. When going shopping for new clothes, she even wears a white shirt on top of her ‘working’ outfit. The following scene is a montage in which she finds the perfect dress, and goes from fragile to empowered; dressed to the nines, she returns to the Rodeo Drive store and verbally obliterates the snooty woman who refused to wait on her the previous day, and walks elegantly through the hotel lobby like she owns the place. This article of clothing serves as a turning point for Vivian – the way she carries herself here signals her newfound self-confidence.

Clueless

In Clueless (1995), sixteen-year-old Cher possesses a true eye for style (as well as full access to Daddy’s credit card) and always dresses for the occasion. The yellow plaid two-piece featured in the opening scene is undoubtedly her most memorable outfit for a host of reasons. Costume designer Mona May wanted to firmly establish Cher’s vibrancy and optimism through employing bright yellow. Additionally, by wearing a suit to school, Cher asserts herself as a sophisticated fashionista while also alluding to a sort of uniform. One could also argue the yellow and black is a reference to her Queen Bee status. There is, however, a barely noticeable safety pin on her skirt – a subtle nod to ‘90s grunge culture. This could allude to the fact that while Cher is popular and at times snobby, she’s never a bully, and appreciates people’s differences. Many a Halloween party has seen someone rocking up in some imagining of this, and it features in the video for the 2014 hit single ‘Fancy’, an homage to the film.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Continuing the yellow theme, our final outfit is Andie Anderson’s low-back satin dress in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003). The film’s lovers, Andie and Benjamin, both embark on the relationship with ulterior motives, but (in true romcom fashion) inevitably fall in love for real by the end. Later in the film, they attend a function together. Andie greets Benjamin in the simple, butter yellow number, and upon seeing her, he clutches his chest, mesmerised, and tells her she’s beautiful. This perfectly illustrates the romcom trope of a formal, figure-hugging dress arousing a newfound admiration, where a male character suddenly “sees” his female counterpart for the first time. This look is timeless, and we’re still on the lookout for dupes over twenty years later.

So, it’s evident that fashion choices are vital to a film’s success – clothes can say a lot about a character, steer the narrative, or just provide inspiration for future looks! Which one of these three is your favorite?