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 1930s,  Clothes from 1940s,  Clothes from 1950s,  Clothes from 1960s,  Clothes in Films,  Girls in Films,  Premium

    Costuming Hitchcock: An Extract from Hitchcock’s Heroines by Caroline Young

    6 Jun ’18 /

    Author Caroline Young has just released a fascinating new book entitled Hitchcock’s Heroines (published by Insight Editions). It celebrates and studies the women in Hitchcock movies; their influence, semblance and iconography. What’s more, Young also examines the role costume design plays with these women, both the characters and the actresses who played them, and how they can be interpreted as far more than just ‘icy blondes’. Here we have an extract of the book exclusively for Clothes on Film: Kim Novak’s grey suit the colour of San Francisco fog in Vertigo, Grace Kelly as the too-perfect woman in Rear Window, and Janet Leigh’s black and white sets of underwear to…

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    Changeling: Angelina Jolie’s Fur Trimmed Coat

    5 May ’10

    Review: Water for Elephants

    10 May ’11

    Film Review: Chinatown

    19 Oct ’09
  • Costume Stories and Links

    Costume Stories, This Week: The Oscars and House of Cards

    1 Mar ’14 /

    Costume’s big week. Every dress worn by Best Actress Academy Award Winners We featured this lovely infographic by Mediarun on our Facebook page. Roll on Sunday! Funny Face Good article on the classic film by Pamela Hutchinson, including a telling quote summing up just how little Audrey Hepburn really understood about costume design: “His (Givenchy) are the only clothes on which I am myself.” Bobi Garland Bobi Garland is Director of the Research Library and Costume Archive at Western Costume. You are about to find out why she is indispensible to the industry. Costume Designers Guild Awards Ladies and gentlemen, the winners. Toy Story An enthralling theory on the true…

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    Costume Round Up: Villains

    6 Apr ’13

    Costume Stories: This Week, Gatsby and Capitol Couture

    20 Apr ’13

    Costume Stories: This Week, A Field in England and Doctor Who

    6 Jul ’13
  • Clothes from Fantasy & Sci-fi,  Clothes from now,  Girls in Films,  Interviews

    Why is Miss Piggy Wearing a Vivienne Westwood Wedding Dress?

    11 Feb ’14 /

    When Clothes on Film visited The Muppets Most Wanted set back in March of 2013, we were given a tour of the bustling ‘wardrobe’ (their words) department, as overseen by costume designer Rahel Afiley. You can read more about that HERE, but after chasing Ms. Afiley around the room while she was trying to work, we managed to get a bit more out of her about using designer fashion, i.e. Vivienne Westwood, in the film. As always we are pushing the same old costume/fashion debate, though in this instance hearing from a costume designer on the front line is rather enlightening. Focusing specifically on Miss Piggy, for she is the…

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    Doctor Who: A Contemporary Costume Evolution

    21 Aug ’14

    Star Wars Corsets: Force Needed to Get into Them

    8 Jun ’10

    A Colourful Tale: The Costume Canvas of Dick Tracy

    27 Feb ’15
  • Costume Stories and Links

    Costume Stories, This Week: Edith Head and Ender’s Game

    2 Nov ’13 /

    Costume news you may have missed. Edith Head Google’s delightful doodle to celebrate the birth of Edith Head on 28th October 1897, showcasing illustrations of her work from A Place in the Sun, White Christmas, Sex and the Single Girl, To Catch a Thief, The Birds and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Costume preview via Trish Summerville and The New York Times – no spoilers. Look out for our own coverage soon. Julien’s Auctions The estate of William Travilla. Get your credit card(s) ready. Columbo New costume Tumblr by Nicolas Magand. Mark this as essential reading forever. Duck Dynasty Well what did YOU wear for…

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    Costume Round Up: Villains

    6 Apr ’13

    Costume Stories: This Week, Catching Fire and Gatsby Again

    27 Apr ’13

    Costume Stories: This Week, Burton & Taylor and Scandal

    27 Jul ’13
  • Costume Stories and Links

    Costume Stories: This Week, Downton Abbey & Breaking Bad

    28 Sep ’13 /

    This week’s costume biggies. The Great Race Karen Noske analyses the exceptional work of Edith Head for Natalie Wood. Breaking Bad Emma Fraser looks at Lydia’s blue coat (and her influence on Todd’s clothing) in recent episodes. Downton Abbey Caroline McCall keeps the Downton ladies covered up. Kristin M. Burke The veteran costume designer tackles the increasing problem of internet haters critiquing work they do not understand. Cinema and Clothes By Dal Chodha, with a teeny contribution by yours truly. Rush Much better interview with costume designer Julian Day than the last one we linked to. Masters of Sex Ane Crabtree on her late 1950s designs for the Showtime drama.…

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    Costume Stories, This Week: Sandy Powell and Bad Grandpa

    16 Nov ’13

    Costume Stories, This Week: The Oscars and House of Cards

    1 Mar ’14

    Costume Stories: This Week, Gatsby and Capitol Couture

    20 Apr ’13
  • Clothes from 1960s,  Girls in Films,  Premium

    The Birds: Tippi Hedren in the Green Suit

    7 Aug ’13 /

    Why does Tippi Hedren wear a green suit in The Birds, and what does it mean?

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    Mad Men: Christina Hendricks’ Scarf & Bag Combo (S1)

    14 Jul ’09

    Saving Mr. Banks: Costume Design Featurette

    12 Dec ’13

    Review: Moonrise Kingdom

    29 May ’12
  • Girls in Films,  Girls on TV,  Guys in Films,  Guys on TV,  Premium

    Costume Design and Fashion: A Multi-Million Dollar Industry

    14 May ’13 /

    Analysing the sometimes tense relationship between fashion and costume design.

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    Contributor 5 Comments

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    The Dark Knight Rises: Costume Q&A with Lindy Hemming

    1 Aug ’12

    A Peep inside Amber Jane Butchart’s Fashion Miscellany

    10 Feb ’14

    Ocean’s 8: Fashioning Costume

    10 Jul ’18
  • Costume Stories and Links

    Costume Round Up: Any Colour so long as it’s Black

    30 Mar ’13 /

    In honour of the The Wolverine and his black on black Yakuza uniform, a round up of posts featuring memorable black costumes at Clothes on Film.

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    Costume Stories: This Week, Clueless and The Newsroom

    22 Jul ’13

    Costume Stories, This Week: Edith Head and Ender’s Game

    2 Nov ’13

    Costume Stories, This Week: Game of Thrones and Spider-Man 2

    26 Apr ’14
  • Clothes from 1970s,  Clothes from 1980s,  Premium

    Argo: Interview with Costume Designer Jacqueline West

    16 Feb ’13 /

    Costume designer Jacqueline West talks exclusively to Clothes on Film about her period recreation work on Ben Affleck’s Oscar favourite Argo.

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    Lord Christopher Laverty 8 Comments

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    Lovelace Trailer: Lovely Dresses

    9 Jul ’13

    Boogie Nights Costume: Dirty Time

    11 Nov ’11

    Rush Trailer: Olivia Wilde Looks Sensational in 70’s Costume

    26 Apr ’13
  • Clothes from 1960s,  Girls in Films,  Premium

    A Cat of a Certain Breed: Breakfast at Tiffany’s

    11 Aug ’12 /

    Armour and indecisiveness: Audrey Hepburn is more than a little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

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    Contributor 2 Comments

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    Mad Men: Maggie Siff’s Tweed Suit (S1)

    5 Jul ’10

    Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing: Baby Grows Up

    17 Jun ’10

    Sean Connery in Dr. No: The Template For 007

    10 Dec ’10
  • Clothes from 1950s,  Girls in Films

    Costume & Identity in Hitchcock’s Vertigo

    10 Apr ’12 /

    Edith Head’s costume design for Vertigo demonstrates the power of clothes in forming identities on-screen.

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    Contributor 6 Comments

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    Grease: The ‘Pink Ladies’ Wear it Well

    22 Sep ’09

    The Iron Lady: Costume as Distinction, Gender and Protection

    4 May ’13

    Rear Window: Grace Kelly in Jeans

    8 Jul ’09
  • Girls in Films,  Guys in Films,  News

    Hollywood Costume Exhibition Coming to V&A

    20 Jan ’12 /

    Hollywood costume comes to London’s Victoria & Albert Museum in the most exciting exhibition of its type ever announced.

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    Lord Christopher Laverty 2 Comments

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    Tron Legacy: Light Suit Costume – Part 2

    16 Nov ’10

    The Last Airbender: New Trailer, Lots To See

    26 Apr ’10

    Sole a Catinelle: Q&A with Costume Designer Marina Roberti

    28 Feb ’14
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