15 Times Movie Costumes Dropped Subtle Hints in Popular Films But Viewers Failed to Notice Them

Jessica Wilson
Jan 27, 2023
Jan 27, 2023

It is said that a good wardrobe department can certainly make a film more enjoyable, but great ones can make it truly iconic and incredibly memorable. It is right, isn't it?
Well, to make a character stand out in a movie, it partly depends on fashion, or more specifically, outfit design. Each costume reveals information about the character wearing it without dialogue. Most of the time, the work of the costume designer is hardly noticeable — the clothes fit the story but are ordinary enough that they fade into the background. But sometimes, if the film is popular enough and the costume is stunning enough, it becomes renowned in its own right and becomes as recognizable and iconic as the character it represents.
So, today we're going to take a look at some of the most famous costumes in cinematic history and the hints that costume designers left for viewers. We hope that you will be interested!

#1 The Grand Budapest Hotel

Source: © The Grand Budapest Hotel / Fox Searchlight Pictures

Madame Céline Villeneuve Desgoffe und Taxis' clothing is a deliberate mash-up of many historical eras. She wears a red coat and hat from the 1920s, a dress from the 1930s, and a La Belle Époque hairstyle. This blending of styles suggests that Madame D. is slightly unhinged and that she can't get past her past.

#2 Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Source: © Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again / Legendary Pictures

The butterfly symbol is used by costume designer Michele Clapton to convey the unique bond between Sophie and Donna. Sophie arrives to the chapel wearing a dress with butterflies on it, and Donna once wore a jewelry in the shape of a butterfly. This is how we understand that the daughter is honoring her mother by donning a dress.

Source: © Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again / Legendary Pictures

#3 Juno

Source: © Juno / Fox Searchlight Pictures

In movies, the characters' striped attire often reveals a lot about their personalities. They are frequently used to highlight how unique or immature a character is in comparison to others. For instance, Juno usually dresses in stripes. They draw attention to the girl's vivacious personality as well as her uncommon musical preferences and style.

#4 The Phantom of the Opera

Source: © The Phantom of the Opera / Warner Bros. Pictures

Christine is dressed like the other dancers at the start of the movie. Her outfit is featured a cream color top with gold details. The character is no more unique than the other girls despite being partially nude.
Christine, however, soon goes through a change. Her new attire conceals less of her body, but it has successfully captured the interest of everyone in the crowd. Christine's standing in the acting group shifts in this way as she changes her clothing. She is now a star, not just another dancer.

#5 Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Source: © Maleficent: Mistress of Evil / Walt Disney Pictures

Ingrith the queen is purely wicked. Ellen Mirojnick, who created the character's costumes, does not, however, utilize color to emphasize this as the figure always wears light attire. The jewelry the Queen adds to her appearance communicates specifics of her personality. For instance, when she initially arrives, she is wearing a white dress and several pearl necklaces. The specifics of Michelle Pfeiffer's attire reveal her character's love of wealth and authority.

#6 (500) Days of Summer

Source: © (500) Days of Summer / Dune Entertainment

A strong connection between Tom and Summer is formed from the outset thanks to the early footage from their formative years. Tom is brown, while Summer is blue. Tom notices a lot of blue around him after Summer enters his life. For instance, at the scene where he is dancing joyfully amidst individuals dressed in blue clothing. At this point, we understand that Tom is now considering his significant other.

#7 Little Women

Source: © Little Women / Columbia Pictures

Laurie and Jo wear the same vests throughout the whole movie. The purpose is to highlight their unique bond.

Source: © Little Women / Columbia Pictures

Additionally, Saoirse Ronan and costume designer Jacqueline Durran created a unique wardrobe for Jo. The girl always wears the green jacket while she is writing a book to emphasize her will and inner fortitude.

#8 Titanic

Source: © Titanic / Paramount Pictures

Deborah Lynn Scott's concept for the costumes was that the colors of the main character's clothing would reveal more about Rose's persona, which was that she was a powerful lady at heart. Her powerful temperament is restrained by social conventions, as seen by the bright red dress with the black lace. The dress Rose is wearing at the beginning and the conclusion of the movie is the same, but the colors are different.
Rose is therefore dressed in the same outfit, but in the movie's closing scene, it is white. The dress is the exact same style as the one she wore when she first met Jack, but the color indicates that there are no longer any barriers standing in the way of Jack and Rose's love.

#9 The Shape of Water

Source: © The Shape of Water / TSG Entertainment

Elisa is introduced as an invisible character who wears pale clothing, avoids eye contact, and doesn't interact with anyone. She also doesn't appear to be able to interact with anyone, it appears. When she meets her love, though, everything changes. We witness how love changes the mute janitor as she falls in love with the monster. As she begins, Elisa wears a black crimson attire to emphasize her fiery personality.

#10 Aladdin

Source: © Aladdin / Walt Disney Pictures

Princess Jasmine wears a lot of vibrant clothing in this new film, which reveals a much about her personality. The princess's traditional vivid turquoise outfit has thus been embellished with beads. There is a purpose for the peacock on the veil. A peacock caught in a trap in the royal garden longs to be free, much like the princess, and this is a metaphor.

The mother of the princess is also revealed to the spectators. Jasmine stands apart from the crowd because of the clothing she chooses to wear. For instance, the garb is a nod to the Southern Asian nations from whence she originally hails.
Costume designer Michael Wilkinson made sure that Jasmine always wore the iconic turquoise that the public associated with Jasmine despite the enormous number of changing ensembles.

#11 The Iron Lady

When Meryl Streep is playing Margaret Thatcher, she dresses elegantly in a two-piece suit, pearls, and a shirt with a bow to convey her strength and her secure place in society. This impact is amplified in the most potent episodes by the use of blue, the character's favorite hue.
Thatcher dons a crimson outfit for the first time when she must resign from her position as prime minister. On the one hand, she's demonstrating her fortitude and readiness to keep fighting by doing this. However, it also implies that she is no longer able to manage the situation.

#12 Twilight

The Cullen family crest is not mentioned by Stephenie Meyer, the author of Twilight. However, the movie's designers chose to use a crest to add a few accessories to the vampires' appearances in order to demonstrate how important family is to these characters. On their right hands, Edward, Jasper, and Emmett all have leather bracelets on. Alice wears a necklace, but Rosalie likes a large pendant. Esme is wearing a silver bracelet, while Carlisle is wearing a silver ring with etching on his left hand.

#13 The Help

The servants in The Help are not even permitted to wear earrings, and they are required to dress in drab uniforms five days a week. They are all the same to their masters. But on the weekends, we get to see them for who they truly are when they go to church or somewhere else.

#14 Knives Out

Ransom is a wealthy, spoiled individual who doesn't even give a damn about his own clothing. He's wearing a beige sweater that has holes in it, and the collar and cuffs also don't look well. They are in really poor condition. Ransom's lack of respect for money and the people who provide it to him, his family, is demonstrated in this way, among others.

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