15 Costumes That Hinted Something In Movies But Not Many People Realized
Don’t you think that what the characters wear in each shoot is just a minute detail? Indeed, it plays a critical role in putting the entire movie look together, helping build a brand new, unique, world that completely seduces the audience. Sometimes, costume design is integrated with a hidden message that you may not realize until you re-watch the flick several times and end up saying, ‘Oh! I’ve missed such an important detail!’ Directors use the characters’ clothes to represent their current standing, social status, occupation, or personality in their lives.
Today, we’re going to look at 12 costume designs that embody special meanings in the most popular movies. Scroll down, and let’s see if you’ve noticed any!
#1 Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Source: © Maleficent: Mistress of Evil / Walt Disney Pictures
Princess Aurora appears in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil wearing a soft blue gown. Ellen Mirojnick, the costume designer, explained that the design was inspired by nature, which is why her gown is adorned with embroidered leaves and spiderwebs. The film's designers needed to demonstrate that the clothing appeared to have been produced by fairies, which is why all of the decorations were handmade.
#2 Promising Young Woman
Source: © Promising Young Woman / Focus Features
Cassie is a girl who is deeply depressed as a result of the trauma she has experienced. However, she conceals her emotions from others by hiding them beneath her apparel. Delicate girly clothing serves as a mask for resentment and a desire for vengeance.
Cassie's clothing, according to the costume designer, transmits significant messages to others, implying "I’m fine, I am careless and completely harmless." The filmmakers even gave her an impromptu halo in one of the episodes to underline her purity.
Source: © Promising Young Woman / Focus Features
However, it is the friendship pendant, which she rarely removes, that reveals her true state of mind. She has a broken heart because of what happened to her companion, but no one notices.
#3 Hocus Pocus
Source: © Hocus Pocus / Walt Disney Pictures
In a recent interview, the costume designer said that they dyed Max's hoodie in the colors of the Sanderson sisters - red, green, and lilac.
#4 Widows
Source: © Widows / 20th Century Studios
The style of Veronica - the main character, varies because her personality sees significant changes throughout the entire movie. The more she learns about her husband's mysteries, the darker her wardrobe gets.
#5 Bridgerton
Source: © Bridgerton / Netflix
Ellen Mirojnick, who clothed the characters of Maleficent, Basic Instinct, and many other films, was in charge of the costumes in this series. She and her team designed all of the clothes from scratch, concealing various meaningful elements within them.
Daphne, for example, wears powdery blue outfits that speak of her innocence before marriage. When she becomes Duchess, her color palette gets duskier and richer.
Source: © Bridgerton / Netflix, © War and Peace / Paramount Pictures
Marc Pilcher was in charge of the hairstyles and makeup in Bridgeton. He was inspired to develop Daphne's look by cult Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn and her role in War and Peace in particular. These two heroines share elegance, simplicity, and adorable curls on their foreheads.
#6 Pulp Fiction
Source: © Pulp Fiction / Miramax
The character played by Quentin Tarantino is wearing a T-shirt with a smiling globe on it. This is the logo of the Detroit magazine Orbi. Orbit was the first to interview and feature Tarantino on the cover of their magazine. Perhaps this is how Quentin decided to express his gratitude to the publisher who had previously done him great honor.
#7 Jurassic World
Source: © Jurassic World / Universal Pictures, © Jurassic Park / Universal Pictures
When Bryce Dallas Howard wears her shirt the same way Laura Dern did when she says, "I'm ready," rolling up her sleeves and tying it at the bottom.
#8 Back to the Future II
Source: © Back to the Future Part II / Amblin Entertainment
Avid fans of the trilogy will notice that Doc's clothing design in Back to the Future 2 foreshadows the events in the next film. It displays two horses chasing a steam train, but Back to the Future III takes place in the Wild West, with Dr. Emmett and Marty attempting to hijack a train.
#9 Dune
Source: © Dune / Warner Bros.
Jacqueline West, the costume designer, was inspired by the Romanov era and sought to reflect the nobility of the Atreides House through the garments. Perhaps this is also a subliminal warning that the family will face a lot of sadness and trouble in the future.
#10 Game of Thrones
Source: © Game of Thrones / HBO
Game of Thrones is a great example of how clothes can tell a character's story. Cersei is not single in the first season; she is completely reliant on her husband and feels trapped like a bird in a cage.
The embroidery expressed her genuine condition, according to the costume designer: "She is a beautiful woman with a hidden desire for power and a wish to be regarded as an equal in the male-dominated world she inhabits. At that stage, she lives in the shadow of her husband, King Robert Baratheon, who holds power over her and the kingdom." This bird, according to the designer, is also a nod to the planning and twittering she does behind the scenes.
Source: © Game of Thrones / HBO
The clothing also demonstrated the characters' relationship. Let's take a closer look at the Tyrell women. Margaery's attire is reminiscent of her grandmother Olenna's gowns. Their belts are nearly identical. It's only that Olenna has more spikes and stems because she's the family's leader.
#11 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Source: © Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets / Warner Bros.
The details in the film adaptations of the Harry Potter books are worth long-standing applause. The costume designer dressed Ron Weasley in shabby, worn robes to set him apart from his wealthier classmates and pals. He was clearly dressed in clothes passed down from his elder brothers.
#12 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Source: © Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix / Warner Bros., © PA Images / Getty Images
Observant film lovers recognized that Dolores Umbridge's pink wardrobe was very similar to Queen Elizabeth's style. We don't know if the clothing designers did this on purpose, but this detail wonderfully reveals the woman's character. Because she can do whatever she wants, despotic Umbridge feels like a true queen at Hogwarts.