Film’s Embodiment of Fashion & Our Embodiment of Film

Before fashion influencers, there was Carrie Bradshaw.

Before bustling upper-east-side fashion journalists, we were imagining our “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” with Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn), wearing little black dresses. Film builds on how we view ourselves by dissecting the way we see others. Actor and actress icons influenced this ideal. Iconic fashion moments in movies can directly inspire real-world trends, with audiences seeking to emulate the looks worn by their favorite characters; meaning there is an aspirational value to the character developments in shows and movies. One film can cause one to question their entire persona in spite of (or in ode to) a fictional one. In this potential Vanity Fair piece, evaluating how film has influenced the everyday individual in how they walk, talk--and, of course--dress. There are huge and notable movie moments in The Matrix, Burlesque, The Devil Wears Prada, and even shows like the early 2000s Gossip Girl. 

Hollywood’s influence: 

Blogger Francesca Sterlacci noticed that for “decades, films have given us that ‘I must have it’ fashion moment.” Iconic scenes will marinate in our minds at times; like Julia Robert’s diamond necklace accessorized with Marilyn Vance’s off-the-shoulder red gown in “Pretty Woman.” I was inspired by a more recently risen character, Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), in “The Penguin.” Her platform pumps, baby-doll slips and intricate stockings were unbelievable in helping to personify her distinctive qualities as a crime family head. And who can forget Sandy & the “Pink Ladies” love-hate feud with Danny Zuko and his band of leather jacket high-school rebels. Grease featured poodle skirts, cropped pants, cat-eyed sunglasses, curly hairspray updos, and signature pink bomber jackets; all of this we saw in everyday ‘80s lives, spruced up after the films release. Hollywood's reputation as a place of opulence has attracted high-end fashion designers.The clothing worn by characters in movies and TV shows can inspire fashion trends that last for years. What happens in Hollywood can have a ripple effect across the fashion industry, affecting both high-end and everyday fashion.

Physical & Psychological Transformation in Movies

Costumes can convey a character's personal transformation, or the era or society they live in. For example, in Pretty Woman, the heroine's transformation is visually represented by her wardrobe changes. Costuming also turns to us, the audience as we wish to lead adjacent roles to our lives, even just for Halloween night or Comic-Cons. Stepping out of ones’ self into another is not only a physically transformative experience, but allows us to press pause on our own obstacles. 

Fashion in movies significantly impacts our psychology by acting as a visual language that instantly conveys a character's personality, social status, and emotional state, allowing viewers to better understand the narrative and connect with the characters on a deeper level through their clothing choices, often triggering subconscious associations and emotions in the audience; essentially, costume design serves as a tool to reveal character psychology and enhance the overall storytelling experience.

Even with culture mentions, we see a psychological shift. The symbolic arts of fashion and film are interdependent and have a link. Our way of life is greatly influenced by almost every aspect of our culture, taste, preferences, surroundings, and social status. For both fashion and film to survive, they must support one another. All this to say, fashion in film is highly influenced by culture, especially in the melting pot of America. Designers create unique styles that reflect the varied world we live in by drawing inspiration from a variety of cultural symbols, materials, colors, and patterns. In addition to celebrating various heritages, embracing cultural diversity in fashion encourages innovation and inclusivity within the industry. This makes their audience feel seen, respected, and looked up to. It is even more a reason why we feed off of film fashion. We are inspired by what inspired them; us.

To realize how much film has inspired the way they, design, paint, photograph, write, direct, model, act, style, or sing is crucial. How artists are consciously or subconsciously responding to tv media is especially significant, let alone non-artists that are still impacted by the screen. Below are a few questions I would like to ask my interviewee:

Me: "What scene or character references have you sampled from?"

Jenkins: "Characters in “Kids Next Door” have an oversized type of look. That was a big thing for me; just like getting oversized stuff, I was obsessed with sleeves with the thumb holes at one point."

Me: "What was one item that made you say 'I need that'?"

Jenkins: "I would say anything striped. I would see a lot of TV shows where people have these striped shirts and they're just very basic but I almost feel like it's timeless for that in a sense you know what I mean? In Little Rascals, they would always be in those baseball teams and then like growing up and made me want to get a baseball team so bad even though I didn't play baseball. I just looked tough; I liked the embroidery that I had around the collar and the shoulders."

Me: "If you had to handle one day as an on-set costume stylist or designer, what media would it be for?"

Jenkins: "If I had to pick a genre for a costume style, it would most likely be a show like “How I Met Your Mother.” Something like a sitcom would be really cool. Either a sitcom or maybe something like, I don't know, Iron Man; doing the suits and stuff."

Follow up: "What do you think their greatest challenge is during production?"

Jenkins: “Getting the ergonomics correct for everybody and having all the right metrics for the stunt doubles. If something happens to somebody and they're filling in, what if the size is incorrect?"

Me: "What was your favorite film character costume that you wore?"

Jenkins: “I haven't dressed up in a minute. My favorite one is when I wore a Batman mask in all black.”

Follow up: "What are you looking forward to becoming next Halloween?"

Jenkins: "I would be what's his name from the future from Futurama. The show Futurama there is a kid who kind of looks like me in the show. And I have the dreads to to go with it. Dwight Conrad is a pretty fun character to be.”

Me: "Did you ever change your views or attitude on something fashion-wise after watching a movie?"

Jenkins:  "I would say Kilts. I didn't really know how I felt about them at first, I still wouldn't see myself wearing one, but like I think I was watching it had to be like a war movie or something; I think maybe those gladiator movies, but it seemed like the long I kind of killed someone wear sometimes they actually look really cool if they're done correctly.”

End.

Through its role as a visual medium, fashion in the movie scene conveys details about an individual or individuals prior to them even interacting with others. Costume styling has a significant impact on society by influencing perceptions of identity, social status, and cultural trends. It also influences broader fashion trends through the stage, shows and film, frequently influencing everyday wardrobe decisions based on timeless costumes. In movies, clothing helps with judging a book by its cover, benefitting the character portrayal. The fashionable embodiment of a character brings about trendsetting, historical & social awareness, and empowers self expression. 

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Works Cited

Wiki, Contributors to Heroes. “Ali Rose (Burlesque).” Heroes Wiki, Fandom, Inc., hero.fandom.com/wiki/Ali_Rose_(Burlesque). Accessed 10 Dec. 2024. 

Williams, Spencer. “Wagon Wheel Watusi: Ten Years of Burlesque Costumes.” The Art of Costume, 22 Oct. 2021, theartofcostume.com/2020/11/24/wagon-wheel-watusi-ten-years-of-burlesque-costumes/. 

Witteman, Carly. “All of Audrey Hepburn’s Iconic Looks in Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Cr Fashion Book.” CR Fashion Book, 5 Oct. 2023, crfashionbook.com/all-of-audrey-hepburns-best-looks-in-breakfast-at-tiffanys/. 

MovieClips. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s (3/9) Movie CLIP - Moon River (1961) HD.” YouTube, youtu.be/uirBWk-qd9A?si=HiP6OkWLtGyRYuNk. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024. 

Luna, Javier. “Blair Waldorf Aesthetic: Her Lasting Legacy, Her Clothing Strategies and Political Fashion: Celebrities + Fashion: Political Fashion Blog.” Celebrities + Fashion | Political Fashion Blog, www.political.fashion/posts/blair-waldorf-aesthetic-her-lasting-legacy-her-clothing-strategies-and-political-fashion. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024. 

Sterlacci, Francesca. “Hollywood’s Influence on Fashion.” University of Fashion Blog, 12 June 2023, www.universityoffashion.com/blog/hollywoods-influence-on-fashion/. 

John CaryJohn Cary has been a fashion enthusiast for quite some time. With over a decade of experience working as a marketing specialist at Steve Apparel. “How Movies Changed The Way We Dress.” Raindance, 7 Dec. 2021, raindance.org/how-movies-changed-the-way-we-dress/.