15 Times Moviemakers Put Subtle Details In Costume That We’re Pretty Sure You Went Unnoticed

Jessica Wilson
Apr 04, 2023
Apr 04, 2023

People assume that they know their favorite films like the back of their hand, but there's a possibility that they've overlooked a lot of minute details. To make the production process go more smoothly, everything from the cast to the crew to the food must be spot-on with the script. Besides that, we can't ignore the associated costumes.
Costumes in movies can be more important than you might think. It simply draws the audience's attention or helps define who the character is in the context of the film — especially in period pieces and superhero films, where seemingly minor errors can make a huge difference.
The designers create such brilliant work at times that they hide numerous Easter eggs for the fans to discover. We've discovered a few as well and would like to share them with you below.

#1 Back to the Future — Marty’s badge

Source: © Back to the Future / Universal Pictures, © ebay

In Back to the Future, Marty wears an unusual badge, which is a logo from a Soviet art and design exhibition held at London's Hayward Gallery from February to April 1971.
The thing is, many directors at the time, including Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, appreciated the freedom of expression in Soviet cinema. Perhaps they used the badge to express themselves, even though they were restricted by the genre's constraints.

#2 Enola Holmes — Helena Bonham Carter’s jacket

Source: © Enola Holmes / Netflix

Helena Bonham Carter wears a pansy-patterned jacket in Enola Holmes. In the Victorian language of flowers, pansies represent loving feelings or symbolize "think of me."

#3 Game of Thrones — Daenerys’ robes

Source: © Game of Thrones/Warner Bros. Television Studios

Daenerys' costumes involve subtleties. Before the episode 'Spoils of War,' Daenerys is always seen wearing a red cape, which is the color of Targaryen's sigil. But then we notice her wearing a silvery-grey cape, the color of Stark's sigil. It represents her closeness to Jon Snow. Even the costume designer noted that such details show how characters feel or think.

#4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 — Harry and Neville’s outfits

Source: © Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, © Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

“In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, Harry, and Neville wore similar clothes during the Battle of Hogwarts to their fathers in an old picture.” — © agentma / Reddit

#5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — Umbridge’s Pink Dress

Source: © Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix / Warner Bros., © PA Images / Getty Images

Many fans pointed out that Umbridge's style in the film was similar to Queen Elizabeth's. Such details, if you pay close attention, reveal the former's personality subtly. Umbridge took control of Hogwarts and felt like a true queen, able to do whatever she wanted.

#6 Marilyn Monroe’s subtle outfit details

Source: Cinema Legacy Collection / East News, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation / East News

Marilyn Monroe's iconic white dress moment was featured in the film The Seven Year Itch. She is wearing two sets of underwear in that scene. The shot became famous, but her husband, Joe DiMaggio, didn't like it. They split up because of this dress.
Marilyn Monroe wore the orange dress in the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The dress was made of chiffon that was boned around the waist and hips and finished under the arm. It was beaded down the center and the bustline had a zip in the front and came with a beaded stole.

#7 Moulin Rouge! — Satine’s look

Source: © Moulin Rouge!/20th Century Fox

Nicole Kidman's character in Moulin Rouge! wears a wig throughout the film. Women wore hair extensions because wavy hair was popular at the time. The actress's brows and the perfect matte color of her face became fashionable at the turn of the twentieth century. The film takes place between 1899 and 1900.

#8 Pirates of the Caribbean — the pirate’s eye

Source: © Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest / The Walt Disney Studios

Mackenzie Crook, who played the one-eyed pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean, struggled during filming. To portray his character's wooden eye, he had to wear two contact lenses on top of each other. “It’s uncomfortable but not painful. And it helps the character because, without it, I’m just any other pirate,” he described.

#9 Pulp Fiction — Mia’s pants

Source: © Pulp Fiction / Miramax

Uma Thurman wears extremely short pants in the film Pulp Fiction. This was done to minimize expenses. All of the black pants that the costume designer liked and could afford were too short for Uma Thurman. As a result, they decided to shorten the pants even more, although capri pants were not popular. They became popular again after the film was released.

#10 Sleepy Hollow — Katrina’s dress

Source: © Sleepy Hollow / Paramount Pictures, © Beetlejuice / Warner Bros.

At the end of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow (1999), Christina Ricci's dress is designed to resemble the suit worn by Beetlejuice in Beetlejuice (1988), another Tim Burton film.

#11 The Dark Knight Rises — the mask

Bruce did not wear a mask during the masked ball scene in The Dark Knight Rises (2012). This is because he considers Batman to be his true identity and "Bruce Wayne" to be his public persona. When Selina asked him, "Who are you pretending to be?" he replied, "Bruce Wayne, eccentric billionaire."

#12 The Phantom of the Opera — Christine’s dress and hair

Christine wears the same hairstyle and hair decorations as Empress Elisabeth of Austria in a famous portrait in The Phantom of the Opera (2004). Her outfit is similar as well.

#13 The Queen’s Gambit — Elizabeth’s last look

In the final scene, Elizabeth is dressed in white and walking around Moscow. Looking closely, you will notice that she resembles a chess queen. Her beret is even shaped like a chess piece.

#14 The Truman Show — the robe

Because everything in The Truman Show (1998) is for sale, the old ladies watching the show wear the same robe as Meryl.

#15 Titanic — Rose’s dress

Rose is dressed in a red dress covered in black lace at the beginning of the movie. This reflects her personality: she is fierce but has to hide it due to societal norms. When she wears the same design but in white, this means that Jack and Rose are no longer having problems.

Share this article