Pearls of Wisdom: Best Costumes Ever…
Idiosyncratic Style asks a variety of costume professionals and style enthusiasts, “what’s your all-time favorite costume design in in a feature film?”
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Costume Designer: Lala Huete
The creatures are so fantastical!
Michelle Nickolaisen - Style Therapist & Blogger
The Cell (2000)
Costume Designer: Eiko Ishioka
Eiko brought all of her stage, theatre, fantasy work onto the screen. Her costumes are an integral and key part of the storytelling… and they’re stunning to boot!
Adam Smith - Artisan
The Cell
Moulin Rouge (2001)
Costume Designer: Catherine Martin
The costumes are vibrant, add to the energy of the film and compliment the story. I think people under-estimate the power of costuming. I actually had tears in my eyes watching Moulin Rouge because it all looked so beautiful, it was the first time color and movement really struck me first. The film just sparkles.
Emma - Assistant Film Editor & Style Blogger
Brazil (1985)
Costume Designer: James Acheson
The Schiaparelli shoe hat on Sam’s mother was genius!
Melissa Stewart - Costume Designer
Brazil
Funny Face (1957)
Costume Designer: Edith Head
It’s classic Hollywood with beautiful dresses that compliment the storyline.
Kimberly Lyn - Fashion Blogger
The Greay Gatsby (1974)
Costume Designer: Theoni V. Aldredge
Vintage is as vintage does…
Anne Szustek - Fashion Reporter
The Great Gatsby
The Devil Wear Prada (2006)
Costume Designer: Patricia Field
The film has contemporary fashion based costuming, but I love the transition from average girl to fashionista to somewhere “in-between”. I think we can all relate to it.
Hillary - Fashion Blogger
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989)
Costume Designer: Jean-Paul Gaultier
The relationship between the sets and costumes establish a fascinating visual display in which the colors of the characters’ costumes change as they move to different sets. You can see Gaultier’s strong design sense in how Helen Mirren’s costume pieces resonate with how he dressed Madonna on her world tours.
Joanna Syrokomla - Costume Designer
The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover
Belle de Jour (1967)
Costume Designer: Helene Nourry
The costumes featured Yves Saint Laurent and they were just really gorgeous…
Jai Marshall - Fashion Blogger
Titanic (1997)
Costume Designer: Deborah Lynn Scott
The Hats! It is one of my favorite periods and Deborah Scott did it great justice. The division of class is clearly delineated and the sheer volume of bodies to be dressed and accessorized is mind boggling.
Loreen Lightfoot - Costume Cutter and Milliner
Titanic
Nine (2009)
Costume Designer: Colleen Atwood
Atwood accentuates subtle features, like elongating a collar, shortening a tie, loosening or tightening the fit to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. She accentuates color or the lack thereof, further exacting the use of clothing and accessories to tell a story.
Rose Lagace - Production Designer & Blogger
Romeo and Juliet (1996)
Costume Designer: Kym Barrett
At age 16 the costumes blew me away and they still do.
Eyeliah - Personal Style Blogger
Romeo and Juliet
Vanity Fair (2004)
Costume Designer: Beatrix Aruna Pasztor
I love the exotic costumes created with reds, pinks, glamour, pomposity and how the aristocratic wealth in London contrasted with India.
Norakaren - Etsy Fashion Designer
About A Boy (2002)
Costume Designer: Joanna Johnston
It has some of the best contemporary costuming I’ve seen in a long time. The movies I love for costumes are not “costumey” productions at all. The Oscars seem to favor period costume, but contemporary needs to be acknowledged.
Anna Dal Farra - Assistant Costume Designer
About A Boy
Out of Africa (1985)
Costume Designer: Milena Canonero
It’s just my favorite. I still get all warm and fuzzy every time I watch it.
Melonie Rainey - Fashion Blogger
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Costume Designer: Walter Plunkett
I love an epic period piece, the massive construction with all the beautiful designs.
Noelle Raffy - Costume Designer & Stylist
Gone With The Wind
What movie features your favorite costumes ever?
Tags: about a boy, belle de jour, best costumes ever, brazil, costume designs, favorite costume design, funny face, gone with the wind, moulin rouge, Nine, out of africa, pan's labyrinth, romeo and juliet, the cell, the cook the thief wis wide and her lover, the devil wears prada, the great gatsby, titanic, vanity fair
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:39 am
I know this makes me a big nerd, and of course I hated Jar-Jar as much as anyone else, but I really, really loved Amidala’s costumes in the first new Star Wars movie. Especially that white beaded thing on her head. It was made out of an old vintage dance costume. And all the suits in Batman Begins made my mouth water. Even Liam Neeson looked sexy because his suit was cut so well.
March 3rd, 2010 at 2:15 pm
oh my!! the costumes from The cell are powerful and believe it or not “about a boy” is one of my faves movies…I guess I watched it at least 10 times!
March 3rd, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Ahh, I need to put all of these on my Netflix queue! I’ve seen a few - Pan’s Labyrinth (obviously!), Moulin Rouge, Titanic, the Devil Wears Prada - but certainly not all of them. I love watching movies for the costumes
March 3rd, 2010 at 2:42 pm
I know, there are a few on here that I haven’t seen and they are definitely going to be my next ones to watch (especially, The Cell and The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover!) .
Totally agree with Anna that contemporary costuming often gets overlooked and there are some great films with more subtle character costuming that is really quite brilliant.
March 3rd, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Great list, thaks for including me. The Cell was so creepy, I loved it. And About A Boy, the mom dressed so fabulously! Gone with the Wind, Titanic, Moulin Rouge some favorites of mine too, this ‘Brazil’ looks very interesting?!
March 4th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
I also agree with Anna about contemporary costuming… I worked on a film last year which is set in current times (London Boulevard, yet to be released) and some of that costuming is great… one character particularly, played by Anna Friel, is a complete expression of current trends in burlesque meeting elegance. I love About a Boy and agree that the costuming is spot-on. x.
March 6th, 2010 at 2:08 am
Great post idea Kristen! I love the diversity of favourite costumes each blogger has. Some of the films listed surprised me but once I read each bloggers’ excerpt I saw why they chose that movie.
March 7th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
Wow wow wow, and Sandy Powell dedicates her award at the 82nd Annual Academy awards to Contemporary Costuming. Amazing! And it was all written here first. xxx.