The world is dark and full of terrors, so why not fall down a distraction hole for awhile? Since April, we& #39;ve been devoting our time to a series examining the semiotics of iconic female movie costumes: "One Iconic Look." Let& #39;s get lost for a while!
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Keira Knightley& #39;s unforgettable green gown in "Atonement" rendered her as a figure of life-destroying desire, envy and magic. https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/05/one-look-keira-knightley-in-atonement-the-movie-costume-design-analysis-fashion/">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/05/o...
Marilyn Monroe& #39;s pink "Diamond& #39;s Are a Girl& #39;s Best Friend" gown from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" became a symbol of female sex as a weapon or a tool that resonated for generations, over and over again. https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/05/one-iconic-look-marilyn-monroes-pink-diamonds-are-a-girls-best-friend-gown-in-gentlemen-prefer-blondes/#.X0vmNMhKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/05/o...
"Are you wearing the --"
"The Chanel boots? Yeah, I am."
Anne Hathaway& #39;s head-to-toe Chanel in "The Devil Wears Prada" indulged in the very classism and shallowness the film attempted to decry: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/05/one-iconic-look-anne-hathaway-in-chanel-in-the-devil-wears-prada/#.X0vmqchKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/05/o...
"The Chanel boots? Yeah, I am."
Anne Hathaway& #39;s head-to-toe Chanel in "The Devil Wears Prada" indulged in the very classism and shallowness the film attempted to decry: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/05/one-iconic-look-anne-hathaway-in-chanel-in-the-devil-wears-prada/#.X0vmqchKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/05/o...
Carrie Fisher& #39;s white Princess Leia gown in "Star Wars: A New Hope" drew on women of import in history and fiction: goddess figures, revolutionaries, queens, abbesses and fairytale princesses https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/one-iconic-look-princess-leias-white-gown-in-star-wars-episode-iv-a-new-hope/#.X0vni8hKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/o...
Gabrielle Union& #39;s Clover& #39;s uniform in "Bring It On" highlighted the differences in the cheer styles between her team and the Toros, dominated the screen with bold colors and body displays, and become an iconic symbol of Black female athleticism onscreen: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/one-iconic-look-gabrielle-unions-clovers-uniform-in-bring-it-on/#.X0vn68hKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/o...
Michelle Pfeiffer& #39;s latex Catwoman costume in "Batman Returns" turned a former sex kitten character into both a fetish symbol and a tragically unraveling patchwork monster: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/one-iconic-look-michelle-pfeiffer-as-cat-woman-in-batman-returns/#.X0vo1chKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/o...
Vivien Leigh& #39;s white lace gown in "Gone With the Wind" inadvertently spotlighted the white supremacist system she benefited from and was largely oblivious to: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/one-iconic-look-vivien-leigh-as-scarlett-ohara-in-gone-with-the-wind-movie-costume-analysis/#.X0vqtshKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/o...
Margaret Avery& #39;s "Miss Celie& #39;s Blues" costume from "The Color Purple" underlined themes of sisterhood, queer desire, Black theatrical traditions, and the bond of two women who& #39;ve seen a lot of suns going down: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/one-iconic-look-shug-averys-miss-celies-blues-dress-and-headpiece-in-the-color-purple-1985/#.X0vrKshKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/o...
Madonna& #39;s jacket in "Desperately Seeking Susan" was the visual metaphor for Rosanna Arquette& #39;s desire, loaded with Illuminati-style symbolism & the MacGuffin that drives the whole plot but in true & #39;80s fashion it had no deeper meaning. It just looked cool. https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/one-iconic-look-madonnas-jacket-in-desperately-seeking-susan-1985/#.X0vr2MhKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/o...
Liza Minnelli& #39;s "Mein Herr" costume in "Cabaret" was a very & #39;70s take on an iconic costume from German cinema of the film& #39;s period and underlined Sally& #39;s never-was, never-gonna-be status: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/one-iconic-look-liza-minnellis-mein-herr-costume-in-cabaret-1972/#.X0vtBMhKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/06/o...
Judy Garland& #39;s "The Wizard of Oz" costume has a hidden history about the bond she shared with her gay fans, depicts her as a classic "Hero& #39;s Journey" character, and can be seen as a reaction to fears of a darkening Europe in 1939: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/07/one-iconic-look-judy-garland-in-the-wizard-of-oz-1939/#.X0vt6MhKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/07/o...
Alicia Silverstone& #39;s bright yellow plaid schoolgirl outfit in "Clueless" played on her "sexy schoolgirl" image from her Aerosmith video, positioned her as the sun around which all the characters revolved, and might inadvertently reveal Cher as a wannabe https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/07/one-iconic-look-alicia-silverstone-in-clueless-1995-movies-costume-analysis/#.X0vujMhKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/07/o...
Audrey Hepburn& #39;s Givenchy dress and jewels in "Breakfast at Tiffany& #39;s" played on her skill as a model and her reputation for high Parisian style in order to get the 1961 audience to look past her profession: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/07/one-iconic-look-audrey-hepburns-little-black-dress-in-breakfast-at-tiffanys-1961/#.X0vvpchKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/07/o...
Sissy Spacek& #39;s dirty-pillow-baring pink prom gown in "Carrie" was the height of mid-seventies aspirational teen style, a statement she was making about her sexual awakening, and a daintily pale backdrop for the river of blood that would unleash her: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/07/one-iconic-look-sissy-spaceks-pink-prom-gown-in-carrie-1976/#.X0vwnshKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/07/o...
Reese Witherspoon& #39;s pink courtroom ensemble in "Legally Blonde" was a rebuke to the idea that traditional femininity was innately frivolous and unprofessional, which is partly why Elle Woods has become a generational icon: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/07/one-iconic-look-reese-witherspoons-pink-courtroom-dress-in-legally-blonde-2001/#.X0vxoMhKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/07/o...
Tippi Hedren& #39;s pale green wool sheath dress and matching jacket in "The Birds" portrayed her as an unsettlingly perfect outsider upon whom every other character projected their suspicions or shortcomings: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/08/one-iconic-look-tippi-hedrens-green-suit-in-the-birds-1963/#.X0vyOMhKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/08/o...
"Hello, Gorgeous."
Barbra Streisand& #39;s leopard coat and hat in "Funny Girl" makes a perfect launching point to talk about how she played Fanny Brice her own way, often at odds with the script and lyrics. https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/08/one-iconic-look-barbra-streisands-leopard-coat-and-hat-in-funny-girl-1968/#.X0vy0shKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/08/o...
Barbra Streisand& #39;s leopard coat and hat in "Funny Girl" makes a perfect launching point to talk about how she played Fanny Brice her own way, often at odds with the script and lyrics. https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/08/one-iconic-look-barbra-streisands-leopard-coat-and-hat-in-funny-girl-1968/#.X0vy0shKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/08/o...
Whitney Houston& #39;s "Queen of the Night" costume from "The Bodyguard" referenced a classic of German Expressionist cinema, rendering her as more machine than woman, a figure to enthrall but never to feel: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/08/one-iconic-look-whitney-houston-in-the-bodyguard-1992-costume-analysis-fashion/#.X0vzTchKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/08/o...
Olivia Newton-John& #39;s "You& #39;re the One That I Want" costume from "Grease" upended the classic cinematic makeover in a very & #39;70s way, sending a message that only makes sense in the context of the times and Baby Boomer post-sexual revolution beliefs: https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/08/one-iconic-look-olivia-newton-johns-youre-the-one-that-i-want-ensemble-in-grease-1978/#.X0vzs8hKhPY">https://tomandlorenzo.com/2020/08/o...