The Captain’s suit is a take on a Austrian Tracht suit. He wears several trachten during the film which tie his character directly to the love of Austria. Primarily wool, contrasting color on collars and trim, every region has their own style. Still worn, especially at weddings! https://twitter.com/rachelwilbury/status/1253396066902454272

And as fabulous and chic as the Baroness’ clothing is, it contrasts her as a cosmopolitan character with Fraulein Maria, who wears her traditional Austrian dirndls.

Really good costume design adds so, so much to a film. Costume designers tell the story of the character with dress.

The iconic Fleabag jumpsuit: dangerous, even reckless for a *family dinner*

Jo’s mens-inspired blazers, even the vest she stole from Laurie.

Rachel Wu in the red dress. The character is rightly called out for putting on a red dress bc it’s an American’s idea of what Chinese would think is lucky, but more importantly, the dress doesn’t fit. It’s the wrong proportions on her. Symbolizes how Rachel doesn’t fit.

One of my recent favorites is The Favourite. Sandy Powell is a freaking genius. The closer women are to the power and favour of the Queen, the more intricate, and graphic black and white their clothing. The men are fops in their unserious pastel colors https://www.variety.com/2019/artisans/awards/the-favourite-mary-poppins-returns-contenders-artisans-costumes-xyzz-1203138014/

(An aside: the men wear a ton of makeup and the women none, which is a comment on the gender-reversed power structure in The Favourite.)

Ruth Carter’s stunning Black Panther costumes, a fantasy of a pan-African futurism. Costumes rep specific regions and peoples, as well as character-defining. Danai Gurira’s Maasai-inspired costume tells us she’s a warrior, unafraid to be at the center. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/movies/black-panther-afrofuturism-costumes-ruth-carter.html

One of my all time favs is Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, by Milena Canonero. Marie in her modest Madonna-virgin blue on her way to be married, moves into intricate, candy-colored, baroque—excessive, ornate, totally separate from the people—a real fantasy. http://costumevault.blogspot.com/2016/02/marie-antoinette-working-with.html

But then Marie grows up. It’s not all fantasy anymore. She’s a mother. Things don’t go well. The pastels get restrictive. She mourns.

But just to wrap up...
here is Marie Antoinette, before she was sent to Versailles and became Queen of France, when she was still Maria Antonia, Austrian princess, in her tracht-inspired gown.

Tschüß!!