WATCH WHAT YOU WEAR
Film And Fashion: Together Forever
No other medium has influenced the world of fashion more than film (and probably vice versa). From the retro-70’s crazes to the flapper phenomenon, film has helped move fashion to the forefront and jumpstart long-dormant fashion trends. Here are five films that changed the way we dressed, from rocker chic to art deco glitz.
THE GREAT GATSBY
We were already in the middle of an early-20th-century revival when Baz Luhrman’s 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby exploded onto screens and won the Oscar for Best Costume Design. We were just coming out of a 50s/60s coma, and designers were going crazy for art deco fashion. Lots of fringe, beading, and gold tones flooded the red carpets. Gucci, Marc Jacobs, and Marchesa all produced heavily beaded, fringed, and drop-waisted dresses for their Spring 2012 collections. That year in fact, the same Gucci flapper dress appeared on Zoe Saldana, Evan Rachel Wood, and Camilla Belle.
BONNIE AND CLYDE
1967’s Bonnie and Clyde set off a 1930s fashion revival, putting a contemporary swagger into knit turtlenecks and plaid trench coats. Life magazine even declared that star Faye Dunaway “had already done for the beret what [Brigitte] Bardot had done for the bikini.” The film’s rebellious attitude entered the zeitgeist perfectly at a time when fashion and culture were having rebellious moments of their own. Dunaway’s modern bobbed hairdo and militant moxy helped usher in a new wave of fashion to a hard-to-reach audience: the young counter-culture.
ALMOST FAMOUS
When Almost Famous came out in 2000, it launched an absolute mania for 70s-era low-slung bell bottoms (see: literally everything Britney Spears wore at the time). Kate Hudson’s Penny Lane inspired scores of young girls with her portrayal of the glamorous groupie, and pretty soon, lace-up tops and other assorted boho-chicness were everywhere. 2001 saw designers Dolce & Gabbana and Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent send fringed skirts and flared jeans down the runway. What made this film so successful from a fashion standpoint is that it narrowed the looks down to the best pieces from that era (Penny’s ubiquitous long shearling coat, for example). This gave designers something narrow and focused to run with, and the result was low-rise, high impact.
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S
Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly might just be one of the most iconically fashionable roles in movie history. Literally every outfit worn by Hepburn caused a fashion craze, but none more so than the “little black dress.” Breakfast at Tiffany’s introduced women to the LBD as a closet staple, rather than just a special occasion piece. Now, women everywhere probably have at least one in their closet.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Not just a fashion movie, but the fashion movie to many, The Devil Wears Prada is one of those movies that we can watch no matter how many times it happens to be on TV. We can thank author Lauren Weisberger’s account of her grueling stint as a fashion assistant, Meryl Streep’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of Miranda Priestly, and TONS of fashion-world cameos (hello, Giselle Bündchen!) for giving this film its fashion clout. This movie didn’t particularly inspire a specific look or trend per se, rather it got people interested in fashion again in general – namely people who hadn’t previously given it a second thought.
ANNIE HALL
Aside from being the movie that won the Oscar for Best Picture instead of Star Wars that year, Woody Allen’s 1977 film Annie Hall ushered in a new era of women in menswear. Diane Keaton’s title character made women feel not just ok about wearing men’s clothes, but powerful as well. Around this time, menswear staples like ties, vests, wide-leg pants, and slouchy jackets started showing up in women’s ensembles everywhere.
LITTLE WOMEN
Greta Gerwig’s 2019 remake of Little Women may just be one of the biggest fashion moments of last year. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran (the brains behind Atonement’s iconic green dress) brought the sisters’ looks to fruition, and she probably had no idea just how relevant her costumes would be. The prairie dress trend has again taken off with a vengeance thanks to Durran, and almost every 2019 fashion trend shows up in this film: eyelet collars, long hemlines, lace-up boots, and basket bags. It’s not just the women’s looks here that inspire, either. Timothée Chalamet’s tailored suiting would also fit right in with today’s aesthetic.
