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 1970s,  Guys in Films

    Richard Burton is The Dandy Villain

    3 Apr ’20 /

    How Richard Burton’s character in Villain (1971) dresses to impress and intimidate.

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    Favourite Fashions From Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

    4 Oct ’10

    Star Wars Corsets: Force Needed to Get into Them

    8 Jun ’10

    The Conjuring 2: Costume Q&A with Kristin Burke

    19 Jul ’16
  • Clothes from 1960s,  Clothes on Film Video,  Girls in Films,  Guys in Films

    A Look at the Style of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

    9 Sep ’19 /

    A brief video dip into the costume design of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

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    Sandra Dee in If A Man Answers: A Salmon Run Up Beacon Hill

    9 Nov ’12

    X-Men: Days of Future Past Pics – 1973 Xavier, Hank & Logan

    10 May ’13

    Review: Moonrise Kingdom

    29 May ’12
  • Clothes from 1960s,  Clothes on Film Video,  Guys in Films

    The Suits of Lee Marvin in Point Blank (1967)

    2 Sep ’19 /

    Actually that title is a tad misleading – it’s all the clothes worn by Lee Marvin as kick-ass-tough-guy-on-a-mission Walker in Point Blank. This is the second video in a new Clothes on Film feature breaking down costume design in sartorially interesting (or just way cool) movies and, in some cases, television.  Costumed by Margo Weintz, Point Blank is stone-cold neo-noir thriller, one of the best of its kind, focusing on Marvin’s Walker and his score settling against those who double crossed and left him for dead on an abandoned Alcatraz island. The film is known for its sharp suits, which are all covered in the video, but also for some…

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    Shifting Trends: Claire Foy in First Man

    25 Oct ’18

    Sandra Dee in If A Man Answers: A Salmon Run Up Beacon Hill

    9 Nov ’12

    The Look of Love: Q&A with Costume Designer Stephanie Collie

    29 Aug ’13
  • Clothes from 1950s,  Clothes from 1960s,  Girls in Films,  Premium

    Shifting Trends: Claire Foy in First Man

    25 Oct ’18 /

    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…

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    Phantom Thread: An Insight into Autism and Relationships

    23 Mar ’18

    Win a Grease Sing-a-Long Goodie Bag!

    16 Sep ’10

    Rear Window: Grace Kelly’s Green Suit

    1 Jun ’09
  • Clothes from 1960s,  Clothes from 1970s,  Clothes from 2000-10,  Interviews

    Deena Appel on the Costume Design of Austin Powers: Goldmember

    9 Oct ’18 /

    Goldmember (2002, directed by Jay Roach), the final film (so far) in the Austin Powers series again shifts its timeline. However, rather than a negligible, though comparatively significant, jump from late to very late 1960s, here we dive into that most raucous of decades – the 1970s. And then back to 2002 (do keep up). For costume designer Deena Appel (pictured above, bottom left with Jay Roach) it was a wildly ambitious undertaking. Not to mention the film also features a well-known music and movie star, just about to launch into the stratosphere: Beyoncé. Speaking exclusively to Clothes on Film and closing out our epic in-depth look at the Austin…

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    X-Men: First Class Costumes

    20 Jan ’11

    Deo Veritas: Creating the James Bond Cocktail Cuff Shirt

    25 Oct ’13

    The Look of Love: Dressing the No-Body Body

    14 Aug ’13
  • Clothes from 1960s,  Clothes from 1990s,  Girls in Films,  Guys in Films,  Interviews

    Deena Appel on Creating the Costume World of The Spy Who Shagged Me

    2 Oct ’18 /

    The second installment (part one HERE) of our extensive interview with Austin Powers trilogy costume designer Deena Appel, this time focusing on The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999, again directed by Jay Roach). Things change up in The Spy Who Shagged Me, for in addition to costuming the modern and swinging sixties world of Austin Powers, his character also travels to 1969, i.e. the ‘hippie era’. The first film was a tremendous success and Appel’s contribution solidified her as the only person who could return to costume this fabulous, vibrant landscape. Speaking exclusively to Clothes on Film, and providing never before seen or published costume sketches from the movie, Deena…

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    How to Steal a Million, or £60k for an Audrey Givenchy

    9 Dec ’09

    Black Caesar: Blaxploitation Gangster

    1 Nov ’13

    Review: Norwegian Wood

    27 May ’11
  • Clothes from 1960s,  Clothes from 1990s,  Clothes from Fantasy & Sci-fi,  Girls in Films,  Guys in Films,  Interviews,  Premium

    Deena Appel on the Costume Design of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

    25 Sep ’18 /

    With Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), costume designer Deena Appel created one of the most iconic screen looks of all time. That is no overstatement; Austin Powers has been copied and homaged and wheeled out every year as a Halloween costume, with very little credit put Appel’s way. It is a rather sad indictment of how the industry works that, despite its importance, especially in a film such as Austin Powers, a costume designer will rarely see any kudos come their way. Awards? Well, you might have a chance if your film is set in Victorian England or Disney-verse, but other than that not so much. With this…

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    The Look of Love: Q&A with Costume Designer Stephanie Collie

    29 Aug ’13

    Review: Breakfast at Tiffany’s

    8 Dec ’09

    Deena Appel on Creating the Costume World of The Spy Who Shagged Me

    2 Oct ’18
  • Clothes from 1960s,  Girls in Films,  Guys in Films,  Interviews

    Legend: Interview with Costume Designer Caroline Harris

    25 Sep ’15 /

    Director Brian Helgeland’s Legend (2015) tells the based-on true story of Ronald and Reggie Kray: twins (both played by Tom Hardy), East End boys, racketeers, murderers, icons. The Krays were shaped during the 1960s, a post World War II boom for England. They came to symbolise the smartly dressed gangster for a new youth-orientated generation. They had money and they wanted to flaunt it – and that meant suits and a lot of jewellery. Costume designer for Legend, Caroline Harris, boasting over 20 years experience in both film and television with credits such as Mr Nice (2010), Red Riding (2009) and Fleming (2014), here chats exclusively to Clothes on Film…

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    Quadrophenia: Mod Girl Wearing Stockings

    20 May ’09

    Costume Designer Theadora Van Runkle Dies Aged 83

    8 Nov ’11

    Review: Moonrise Kingdom

    29 May ’12
  • Clothes from 1960s,  Clothes from 2000-10,  Girls in Films,  Premium

    Beautiful Oppression: Tilda Swinton in I am Love

    5 Jun ’15 /

    From stills of this film alone you could easily be forgiven in thinking that I am Love (Io sono l’amore, 2009) was set during the 1960s. The designer clothes draped worn by lead members of the Recchi family, as selected by costumer Antonella Cannarozzi, are generally minimalist, in plain colours with little embellishment. I am Love is actually set in Europe around 2000, but its central characters are trapped as the well-heeled repressed of the sixties. Just as sexual, artistic and cultural expression was blossoming, the old guard struggled to make sense of this new world so regressed even more vehemently into their old one. The Recchi’s seem to live…

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    Rosemary’s Baby: Chris and KB Chat About the Film

    4 Jan ’10

    Review: Breakfast at Tiffany’s

    8 Dec ’09

    X-Men: Days of Future Past Pics – 1973 Xavier, Hank & Logan

    10 May ’13
  • Clothes from 1960s,  Guys in Films,  Premium

    Michael Caine in The Italian Job: Part 2

    20 Feb ’14 /

    This is part 2 (part 1 HERE) of an expanded article Clothes on Film editor Christopher Laverty wrote for men’s style resource MR PORTER analysing Michael Caine’s suits in The Italian Job. This post covers all the costumes he wore during the film. We rejoin Charlie and his ragtag crew at the big meeting when the gang are all introduced to each other. It had to be a Doug Hayward moment and thankfully does not disappoint. In actual fact it is probably Michael Caine’s best fitting suit in the whole movie: Dark blue worsted wool suit; double breasted jacket, wide peaked lapels, 6 on 2 fastening, slanted hip pockets, ticket…

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    Norwegian Wood: Hipsters Unmaxed

    8 Jul ’11

    Costume Designer Theadora Van Runkle Dies Aged 83

    8 Nov ’11

    Shifting Trends: Claire Foy in First Man

    25 Oct ’18
  • Clothes from 1960s,  Guys in Films,  Premium

    Take Me to my Tailor: Michael Caine in The Italian Job

    28 Jan ’14 /

    The following is an expanded article Clothes on Film editor Christopher Laverty wrote for men’s style resource MR PORTER analysing Michael Caine’s suits in The Italian Job. This post covers all the costumes he wore during the film. If The Italian Job (1969) needs any introduction at all it might be possible you’ve been in a coma for the past 40 years. It’s so well known and so well loved that were it not for the fact that no-one has really delved into the sartorial details of Michael Caine’s suits there would be nothing left to talk about. As it happens we have spent time studying and researching The Italian…

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    Sean Connery in Dr. No: The Template For 007

    10 Dec ’10

    Rosemary’s Baby: Mia Farrow’s Red Trouser Suit

    18 May ’09

    Two For the Road: Audrey Hepburn in Denim

    9 Aug ’10
  • Clothes from 1960s,  Girls in Films,  Guys in Films

    Saving Mr. Banks: Costume Design Featurette

    12 Dec ’13 /

    A slight but worth watching video about the costume and production design for frothy Walt Disney biography Saving Mr. Banks. If you have not seen the film it won’t spoil anything, and will probably get you wanting to dress in sixties suits and dresses again, like Mad Men did in the early days.

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    Quadrophenia: Mod Girl Wearing Stockings

    20 May ’09

    Janie Bryant Talks Mad Men Season 4: “Glitzy, not so glitzy”

    1 Jul ’10

    Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing: Baby Grows Up

    17 Jun ’10
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