Three top clothing rules from fashionable films.
Fashion in films has always been admired, and the most fashionable movies can teach some important clothing lessons. Here’s what knowledge the following chic films impart…
Keep It Simple
Now, Voyager (1942): Bette Davis wears some of the most beautiful dresses in this romantic drama. The gowns are by Orry Kelly, a costume designer who also created the gowns for other Davis films such as Dark Victory and Mr. Skeffington, as well as a huge list of classic films including Casablanca. Davis is at her most stunning when she puts on her outfit for a family dinner party – a simple long-sleeved gown accented with a single camellia that she pins to it (proving that flowers-as-accessories have been in vogue since long before Carrie Bradshaw). Later in the film, a busy printed dress doesn’t do her as much justice. “Less is more” really proves to be striking.
Sabrina (1954): Audrey Hepburn goes from lovesick girl to lovesick woman… and gets a Givenchy wardrobe makeover. But even at her most dolled up – whether in a suit on her way home from the train station or dressed for a party – her outfits refrain from any frilliness. The clothes are utterly sophisticated, and the film also shows her in the signature “Audrey” look: boatneck top, fitted pants and flats.
Fit Is Key
Clueless (1995): The fashion go-to film for millions of teenage girls, Clueless brought back the schoolgirl look, along with other trends such as layering tanks over tees and furry backpacks. Anyone who’s seen the movie knows that It-Girls Cher and Dionne (Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash) give Tai (Brittany Murphy) a makeover, and switch her baggy clothes to more form-fitting ones. The girls in Clueless are thin, but not super-skinny, and it shows that clothes do look better when they fit well. Say goodbye to pants and shirts that swamp – oversized does not equal flattering.
Don’t Be Afraid of Designer Clothes
Working Girl (1988): Some people seem to be “scared” of designer clothing, as if a special permission is needed to wear it. Remember, they're just clothes, and with the argument of price aside, everyone deserves to wear what they want. Melanie Griffith’s Tess “borrows” her boss’s clothes and gains newfound confidence (okay, the two may be mutually exclusive, but she still looks nice!)
The Devil Wears Prada (2006): Andrea (Anne Hathaway) refers to fashion as “this stuff” and reluctantly takes a job at a fashion magazine. Soon she realizes that an interest in clothing isn’t superficial. She trades her generic outfits (that belong at a “hideous skirt convention” according to her fellow assistant) for skirts, pants and Chanel right out of the magazine’s closet. It doesn’t take her long to realize the beauty and, yes, the fun of fashion.
