All about period costume!
Amadeus
year: 1984
rating: ★★★★★
erm... this is my favorite movie- like ever of all time. It's like a core part of my personality at this point. Chances are if you know me you know this film. It's a Stin classic. I actually saw a few bits of this when I was like 11 (weird long story for another day) and I thought it was a fever dream until I picked it up again - I was OBSEESED with how this movie looked as a kid. I wanted to live in it and I still do. It's one of my biggest inspirations.
I'm actually so in love with the costumes in this film I DON'T EVEN JOKE... Stanzi's swan dress is quite literally my favorite costume of all time from anything ever it's genuinely so tuff. Kinda reminds me of Bj⍥rk's swan dress. Swans are one of my favorite animals too it's like it's made for me... these two matching costumes are a dream cosplay for me and my boyfriend :D
Everything in this movie is so ornate and beautiful and all of the women are so pretty like I wanted to look just like these girls when I first saw them as a kid :)) I also really wanted to go to the party this picture is from like it just looked fun tbh. I was so dissapointed when I got into uni and actual parties were super lame and nothing like this. Also Tom Hulce purple fit is iconic to me... like I immediately recognize this THAT'S MY GUY!!
This might sound oddly specific but I love the hats in this movie. They're so big and silly I love them and I want my own... fun fact about the outfit on the left: It's supposed to be a Turkish-style dress. People in the 18th century in Europe were basically huge weebs for Turkey, lol.
Dangerous Liasons
year: 1988
rating: ★★★★★
This film is really messy and hard to watch sometimes, but it's definitley worth the watch because the ending is very satisfying. I won't spoil it here though bc I think you should go watch it yourself. I jokingly call it a "ragebait movie" sometimes because it made me SO angry while watcching... but in a good way though. If you like the "drama" part of "period drama" you'll enjoy this one. XD
interesring fact about this one: a lot of the costumes in this movie were reused for other films and performances, including Madonna's VMA performance from 1990!! (This is probably my favorite live performace oat...) I'm a big fan of Madonna so this was huge news to me when I first found out about it.
Another one that was reused in "Hocus Pocus" for Allison. "Hocus Pocus" might actually be the movie that introduced me to period costume. I loved Allison as a kid, she was the first girl I ever saw in a movie with an interest in history like me. I wanted this dress when I first saw it as a kid and I still want it today.
Every dress is literally gorgeous I love them sm. I love how Marie is always dressed in light, muted colors. It fits her character so well.
oh this is also one of many films in this list where I'm in love with Keanu Reeves. I mean... just look at him o_O
Bram Stoker's Dracula
year: 1992
rating: ★★★★☆
this one is... interesting. It's kinda corny and over the top (like most 90s gothic horror is) but I like it that way. It's absolutely NOTHING like the book btw if you're wondering, but I don't think that makes it bad. Just different :)
There are a lot of good outfits in this film, but I think Elizabeth's red dress is my favorite
Elizabeth also wears this blue dress occasionally, but I don't like it nearly as much. The girl vampires, however, have some of the coolest costumes is *any* movie. These are basically iconic now, I love them. Love the choice of white instead of the typical darker colors- gives them a sort of fallen angel vibe.
oh, and also, this is another movie where I am, once again, in love with Keanu Reeves. Self explanatory.
There is also awesome vampire yuri in this movie. Absolute cinema.
Interview With The Vampire
year: 1994
rating: ★★★★★
I am not normal about this movie at all XD... I'm a big fan of the books and they are my fav, but I still enjoy the film even if it leaves out a few things. This is also the only Tom Cruise character that I have found myself attracted to. I don't know what that says about me. I love Lestat you have to trust me he's way nicer in the books!! jk he's kinda evil. But I like him that way.
one thing I immedietley noticed about this movie is how everyone is wearing the most immaculate fits possible... like LOOK AT THIS... the aura... and they're so accurate too. I've seen 18th century costume irl that looks exactly like these. Look at the happy (?) couple on the right... Lestat always looks so perfect... I see why Louis liked him lol...
The 19th century costumes aren't as memorable to me, (probably because 17th-18th century is my favorite) but I still love them. I think this movie is the reason I permanently associate these characters with these colors- if you look at my art you'll notice I always draw Lestat and Claudia in blue and Louis in green. Theyre's probably a deeper meaning to the colors but I'm not really sure what it is, tbh it just makes me think of magical girl anime giving each character a signature color. Also, I love the performance of Claudia in this film. Legendary stuff.
The VVitch
year: 2015
rating: ★★★★★
This was an interesting watch... I grew up obsessed with witches and witch trials (I read "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" like 3 times as a child, and loved the movie "Hocus Pocus", as mentioned earlier) so of course I had a soft spot for this when I saw it the first time. I know a lot of people tend to dislike dull and colorless historical costume, but I think it actually works quite well in Robert Eggers' films (Also, English puritans weren't particularly flashy in real life).
While I liked all the costumes in "The VVitch," I think that Thomasin's stand out the most. I love how comitted to accuracy this film is, and it takes no shortcuts. I love how her clothes were attached with pins and her cap was attached to her head with a string (these details are typically left out from most generic "pilgrim" type costumes)
Another detail about Thomasin's clothes that I really liked was the fact that her shift (undergarments) are a lot more visible than they are on the other women in the family. It works well as foreshadowing and enhances the theme of sexual repression... pls go watch this movie. It's awesome and actually scared me :0
Crimson Peak
year: 2015
rating: ★★★★☆
Another great one. I like how this movie kinda combines the aesthetic of a few different time periods, but not in a jarring way. Honestly the best part about this one in my opinon is the sets, not the costumes, but I still like the outfits that the main character wears so I thought I'd include it anyway. To be honest, most of the other costumes in this movie are kinda forgettable to me, so I'll only include a few here. Also it's a good movie with a cool spooky atmosphere. I mean I wouldn't include it otherwise lol.
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Frankenstien
year: 2025
rating: ★★★★☆
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Marie Antoinette
year: 2006
rating: ★★★★★
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Sleepy Hollow
year: 1999
rating: ★★★★☆
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