Clothes on Film

The study of costume design in cinema and television. Featuring exclusive articles, news, interviews, videos, podcasts, essays and competitions.

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  • Clothes from now,  Guys in Films

    The Essential Nature of Simple Costume in Locke

    1 Sep ’15 /

    Locke (2013, costume design by Nigel Egerton) is a film unique in its restrictions – it takes place in real time, has only one character and only one setting. Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) is driving somewhere important, and over the course of the film’s 85 minute running time, his life gradually begins to crumble around him as he desperately tries to salvage it. The controlled environment – the inside of his car – and the fact that the only character we actually see is Ivan himself means that interest in him is the only way of maintaining an audience’s attention with such limited visual stimulation. Ivan is the only character…

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    Oscars 2020: Red Carpet Livestream

    8 Feb ’20

    The Muppets Most Wanted: Set and Costume Visit

    9 Jan ’14

    Arthur: Trailer No. 2. Brace Yourself

    3 Mar ’11
  • Clothes from 1940s,  Clothes from 1950s,  Clothes from 1980s

    Cinema Paradiso: Invisible Costume

    9 Feb ’15 /

    Cinema Paradiso is a beautiful examination of the relationship human beings have with film. This connection is explored through the story of a young boy and his friendship with the projectionist at the town’s local cinema. The strength of this friendship is only surpassed in intensity by the boy’s deep desire to become a part of the world of movie making. This is a story not about the medium of film in itself, but about the real people whose lives are illuminated by the stories it relates. As a tale primarily of ordinary Roma people, the costumes in Cinema Paradiso, as designed by Beatrice Bordone, help create a 1940s/50’s period…

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    Dunkirk: Interview with Costume Designer Jeffrey Kurland

    31 Jul ’17

    Captain America: The First Trailer

    24 Mar ’11

    Florence Foster Jenkins: Exclusive Costume Sketches

    4 May ’16
  • Clothes from 1970s,  Girls in Films,  Guys in Films,  Premium

    From Bum to Italian Stallion: Sylvester Stallone as Rocky

    22 Apr ’14 /

    In the very opening scene of Rocky (1976, costume designer Robert Cambel), we see the title character in the ring, bare chested, hands encased in boxing gloves, the picture of sporting violence and masculinity. But this is no more than a surface assumption. Not two minutes later, we see Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) shrug on his faded brown towelling dressing gown, with “The Italian Stallion” embroidered on the back, and things start to shift. This is not a macho film concerned with the fight alone, but an exploration of masculinity in all its guises – the assumptions, the pretence and the reality. Clothes play an important part in this, both…

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    Behind the Candelabra: Wearing Liberace On Stage and Off

    31 May ’13

    The Royal Tenenbaums: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Tennis Dress

    1 Feb ’10

    Live and Let Die: Roger Moore’s Chesterfield Coat

    4 Jul ’09
  • Clothes from 1980s,  Guys in Films,  Premium

    The Bloody Sartorialist: Christian Bale in American Psycho

    16 Jan ’14 /

    American Psycho (2000, costume designer Isis Mussenden) is a late 1980s set film that highlights the importance placed on external appearance and the disparity that can lie between this and the true nature of a person. The ‘Psycho’ of the title, Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale) is outwardly flawless. He has an extreme and involved personal beauty regime, consisting of special shampoos, body washes, face masks and scrubs, complemented by a strict diet and exercise plan that he completes daily and without fail. He believes in looking after himself – or at least his external self. Beneath this perfectly glossy exterior is emptiness – a lack of humanity, of…

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    Argo Buy a Sports Jacket: The Thinking Man’s Hero Attire

    16 Nov ’12

    Ellen Mirojnick Describes Costumes for Behind the Candelabra

    7 Jun ’13

    Cinema Paradiso: Invisible Costume

    9 Feb ’15
  • Clothes from 1950s,  Clothes from 1980s,  Girls in Films,  Premium

    The Iron Lady: Costume as Distinction, Gender and Protection

    4 May ’13 /

    A look at late Margaret Thatcher’s colour specific wardrobe as represented in the film The Iron Lady.

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    To Catch a Thief: Grace Kelly in Blue Chiffon

    2 Mar ’11

    Edith Head Sketches for Grace Kelly Costumes to be Auctioned

    11 Nov ’10

    Grease: Olivia Newton-John is Squeaky Clean, Jellybean

    2 Apr ’10
  • Clothes from 1980s,  Girls in Films,  Guys in Films,  Premium

    Reading Costume Design in No Country for Old Men

    5 Apr ’13 /

    The colours and codes of the costume design in No Country for Old Men.

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    Working Girl: The Culture of Power Dressing

    27 Sep ’13

    Wall Street: Michael Douglas’ Gekko Shirt

    6 Apr ’10

    Alien Anthology: A Revolution in Sci-Fi Costume Design – PT2

    26 Oct ’10
  • Clothes from 1837-1919,  Girls in Films,  Premium

    The Phantom of the Opera: Colour, Character and Costume

    5 Dec ’12 /

    The Phantom of the opera demonstrates that the colour, size and shape of a character’s costumes can communicate on a subliminal level.

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    Contributor 3 Comments

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    Costume Designer Joanna Johnston Talks Lincoln & Jack

    8 Feb ’13

    First Trailer for Sherlock Holmes Online – No Deerstalker! No Mac Farlane!

    19 May ’09

    Les Aventures Extraordinaires d’Adele Blanc-Sec: Full Trailer

    23 Mar ’10