They Belong In A Museum
There are a number of reasons why film took off as a popular medium, and one of those is clothing. Glance at this list and you’ll see that the mediums of fashion and film have been closely intertwined for decades.
Titanic
There are a number of reasons why Titanic was such an iconic film, and usually Leonardo DiCaprio at his peak heartthrob is cited amongst them. But what about the Kate Winslet factor?
Titanic • My Heart Will Go On • Celine Dion, HD Film Tributes
Titanic
She wears many iconic outfits in Titanic, but chief amongst them is the black dress, worn in the “third class dance” sequence. It’s associated with the film’s peak depiction of the joy of romance.
Titanic • My Heart Will Go On • Celine Dion, HD Film Tributes
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is generally considered a landmark in film color, and one of those reasons is the costuming. The costuming of star Marilyn Monroe, in particular.
Gentlemen Prefer Blonds - Scene hd moneyless marriage, Iconic Movies
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Monroe’s iconic bright pink dress made an instant splash and has been referenced in multiple pieces of media since. The most notable being Madonna’s “Material Girl” video.
20th Century Fox, Wikimedia Commons
Mahogany
The 1975 film Mahogany hasn’t particularly endeared itself in the popular imagination. That being said, it did have one iconic element to boast about.
Mahogany
Worn by the film’s star, Diana Ross, the light orange dress shows off a strong Asian influence. The film is full of great fits, being that it’s about fashion in the first place.
House Of Flying Daggers
Mainland Chinese cinema started to have a renaissance in the 2000s after the British handover of Hong Kong. What brought the national cinema to attention were lavish period films like Hero, or in this case, House of Flying Daggers.
House Of Flying Daggers (The Echo Game Scene), Super Ravel
House Of Flying Daggers
Zhang Ziyi’s bright blue dress showed that China wasn’t playing around when it came to rivaling Hollywood production values. The same team would try to top it a couple of years later in Curse of the Golden Flower.
Zhang Ziyi - The Beauty Song (The Beauty Song) (House of Flying Daggers, 2004), Music Video Vault
Gone With The Wind
Gone With the Wind blew away audiences in the late 30s due to its unprecedented level of spectacle. The spectacle didn’t just entail large-scale set-pieces but also lavish sets and especially, costumes.
Scarlett O'Hara's best lines (Gone with the Wind), huldr rrr
Gone With The Wind
The character of Scarlett O’Hara gets a number of stunning gowns to wear throughout the film. The particular highlight is her green and gold dress, which stands out for its bold contrasting of colours.
Gone with the Wind-Scene with Rhett borrowing 300 dollars for Tara.avi, weiminc38
Breakfast At Tiffany's
The placement of this one on the list is justified just by the number of Halloween costumes it inspired alone. Of course, I’m referring to Holly Golightly’s getup in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Breakfast At Tiffany's
Designed by Givenchy, the black dress has remained popular for multiple generations at this point. If doing the costume though, you need to make sure to have the cig lighter to go with it.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1080p) - Opening Intro Scene - Audrey Hepburn, EverythingAudrey.com
Moulin Rouge
As a film, Moulin Rouge! was so special at the time because of how it smashed together so many different aesthetics and influences. This is, of course, reflected in the film’s Oscar-winning costume design.
Moulin Rouge | #TBT Trailer | 20th Century FOX, 20th Century Studios
Moulin Rouge
Not just a white dress, the costume, which comes in the film’s “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” sequence, features much in the way of shiny jewelry. And to think it’s just one of probably a dozen iconic costumes from the movie.
Moulin Rouge! (4/5) Movie CLIP - Come What May (2001) HD, MovieclipsHook
Hook was somewhat of a controversial film when it launched in December 1991—well, controversial for being shockingly bad for a Spielberg film. That being said, it did have elements that people latched onto.
Hook: Lovely little bug Scene (HD CLIP), Binge Society
Hook
One of these was Julia Roberts’ dress as Tinker Bell, which likely gave women in the audience something to look at amidst all the screaming males in the film. You don’t usually think of Spielberg films in regard to fashion, but this was a rare instance.
Peter Pan and Tinkerbell kiss 😍 | Hook | CLIP 🔥 4K, Boxoffice Movie Scenes
Mary Poppins
The bloated 139-minute runtime of Mary Poppins managed to hold people’s attention via the amount of eye candy on screen. That points to a lot of things, but the costumes were certainly amongst them.
Disney trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
Mary Poppins
The titular character’s white lace dress certainly caught people’s attention due to the intricacy of its design. It’s possible it got children in the crowd interested in fashion for the first time.
Mary Poppins Chalk Drawing Scene, Ikenna Mokwe
Cleopatra
Cleopatra was a notorious film, particularly for being such an expensive boondoggle representative of the end of classical Hollywood. But when that much money is on screen, you’re bound to have some impressive production value.
Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
Cleopatra
One of these impressive production values was, of course, the costume design, which provided an iconic gold dress worn by Elizabeth Taylor. Just looking at it, you can see the level of thought that went into the film, even if it’s not very good overall.
Cleopatra (1963 ) Elizabeth Taylor Entrance into Rome Scene (HD), Astrotema
Legally Blonde
The character of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde became a fashion icon to millennial girls for a number of reasons. One of them is the bright pink dress she wears in the film’s opening scene.
Legally Blonde (2001) | Official Trailer | MGM Studios, Amazon MGM Studios
Legally Blonde
Featured on the poster, people probably found the dress iconic before they’d even seen the film. And it’s just one of many great outfits she wears throughout the film.
Legally Blonde 2 (5/11) Movie CLIP - Capitol Barbie (2003) HD, Movieclips
Black Swan
Natalie Portman really went through the ringer for her Academy Award-winning performance in Black Swan. That being said, it doesn’t mean she didn’t have some great looks doing it.
BLACK SWAN | Official Trailer | FOX Searchlight, SearchlightPictures
Black Swan
The black dress she wears during the film’s climax is, of course, important narratively, signalling her character’s turn. But frankly, it’s also just a beautifully designed ballet dress!
Black Swan (2010) 4K HDR 60fps, Motion Picture Reel
The Wizard Of Oz
The dress Dorothy wears in The Wizard of Oz is maybe something you wouldn’t instantly think of as iconic, since it’s seemingly so simple. Yet think otherwise, as it’s one of the most enduring costumes in film history.
The Wizard Of Oz
Dorothy’s Kansas farm girl outfit was iconic partly because it stood out against the fantastical settings of the film. It rooted everything in normalcy, making her a relatable character you root for.
Scarface
Scarface is strongly associated with brutal violence and Al Pacino’s yelling, but don’t forget about the fashion. Michelle Pfeiffer’s dress in particular being the standout.
Scarface: Tony flirts with Elvira, Binge Society
Scarface
The emerald green color and plunging neckline make the dress an instant eye-catcher. Thanks has to go to iconic costume designer Patricia Norris for coming up with it.
Elvira introduction, Elvira Hancock
Star Wars
Perhaps Queen Amidala’s looks throughout The Phantom Menace were more intricately designed, but one look from the original Star Wars has possibly had more impact. We, of course, are referring to Princess Leia’s white dress.
Princess Leia Ending Scene - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) (HD), theryaney
Star Wars
Contrasts are important, and that’s why the gown landed so strongly. The uniform white colour stood out against Darth Vader’s oppressive look, symbolizing the rebels’ quest for peace in the galaxy.
Basic Instinct
One scene from film history proved that the 90s could still produce screen sirens on par with the Golden Age of Hollywood. This was, of course, from 1992’s steamy thriller Basic Instinct.
Sharon Stone in BASIC INSTINCT - Interrogation Clip, StudiocanalUK
Basic Instinct
The scene in question became famous for nudity, but Sharon Stone’s sharp attire went about making the character so iconic, in equal fashion. The short, white, sleeveless dress instantly communicates 90s chic.
Sharon Stone in BASIC INSTINCT - Interrogation Clip, StudiocanalUK
Grease
Costuming and character development can often go hand-in-hand. Just look at the classic musical Grease as an example of that.
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John - Grease - BluRay 720p (HD 6:19), Sergey Sergeev
Grease
Olivia Newton-John’s white dress represented her character’s transformation into a rebel. The film took two acts to develop it, and came into full bloom during the climax.
Summer Nights | Grease | CLIP, Boxoffice Movie Scenes
Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion
In this case, you get two great dresses in one list entry. What Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino wore certainly qualifies as among the best of 90s fashion.
"Um, I invented Post-Its.', Phil Laird
Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion
Featuring bright colors, the dresses worn by the characters are instant show-stoppers. They’re kind of like the actually stylish versions of the comical high society function suits worn by Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels in Dumb & Dumber.
"Um, I invented Post-Its.', Phil Laird
High Society
Doing this list, you’re not just going to come across a lot of iconic dresses, but also stars. This is the case with 1956’s High Society, as we’re talking about nobody other than Grace Kelly, of course.
High Society (1956) - CLIP (2/6) - with Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby - 1080p Full HD, ULTIMATE CLIPS
High Society
The white dress Grace Kelly wore in High Society turned heads. The dress introduced what was considered a new kind of feminine fashion during the 1950s.
High Society (1956) - CLIP (6/6) - with Grace Kelly, John Lund - 1080p HD, ULTIMATE CLIPS
The Seven Year Itch
Is it the dress, or is it the moment onscreen? This is the question with Marilyn Monroe’s white dress in The Seven Year Itch, which provided a highly iconic moment in film history.
The Seven Year Itch
The moment, of course, is her dress being blown upwards by a subway grate, which sent men across the world into a tizzy. It also sent Monroe's husband, Joe DiMaggio, into a tizzy—but not in a good way. Reportedly, DiMaggio was furious with the scene and stormed off the set. Later that night, he and Monroe got into a horrible fight, and she would later file for divorce on the grounds of "mental cruelty".
The Seven Year Itch (4/5) Movie CLIP - A Delicious Breeze (1955) HD, Movieclips
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