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The little black dress. Aviator shades. Red leather jacket. Movies have always inspired trends over the years, and these iconic fashion pieces attest to that. Fashion and costumes in films go beyond the clothes itself—they have etched themselves into mainstream consciousness because they tell a particular story about the characters who wear them. This is the reason we never forget them. We’ve listed here as our top picks for the best-dressed movie characters of all time:
Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (played by Audrey Hepburn)
Any similar list would never be complete without Holly, who, even now, continues to inspire elegance and gamine charm with her now classic ensemble—little black dress, pearls, beehive hairdo, wayfarers, kitten heels and black cigarette holder. In fact, many films have since tried to replicate the same spirit, vive, character and most especially, look. What’s ironic is that Holly, with all her finery and style, and considered to be Audrey Hepburn’s most famous and identifiable role, peddles her affections to the highest bidder. Marilyn Monroe was initially handpicked play the starring the role, but when she was advised that playing a prostitute would be bad for her image, Paramount pictures cast Hepburn instead—an almost exact physical opposite of the blonde and buxom Monroe. Holly Golightly in the 1961 movie is easily one of the memorable icons of style, and who knows if Marilyn Monroe ever regretted that decision? Then again, there are still many who doubt if she would have brought the same sense of winsomeness and charm to the role that Hepburn did.
Cleopatra (played by Elizabeth Taylor)
Perhaps the only person able to play one of the most celebrated fashion icons in history is Elizabeth Taylor—even if Cleopatra’s reputation for style in modern times may be largely attributed to the 1963 movie itself. The film is infamous for nearly cleaning out the vaults of 20th Century Fox, and the money that was spent on wardrobe alone makes it understandable. Sumptuous gowns and heavy adornments, which included a 24-carat gold cloth, made for cinematic history: Taylor earned herself a Guiness World Record for most number of costume changes made in a movie (65 in all) and held the title until Evita in 1996.
Scarlett O’Hara, Gone with the Wind (played by Vivien Leigh)
Gone with the Wind is undoubtedly one of the greatest American films ever made. It’s one of the most memorable as well, with then little known English actress named Vivien Leigh dazzling the audience with her stunning good looks and a wide array of enviable frocks. Though Leigh would probably still look good in a sackcloth, her iconic dresses (and 18-inch waistline) as Scarlett O’Hara have certified her screen goddess persona even more. The white and green dress with a wide-brimmed floppy hat tied with a green ribbon is one of the most familiar costumes in the film world (and perhaps one of the most remade costume for dolls). And who could forget the sapphire-colored dress she wore in a painting that hung in Rhett Butler’s room? Of course, there’s that velvet green dress made out of Scarlett’s mother’s curtains and that feathery red number that she wore to a simple birthday party.
Su Li Zhen, In the Mood for Love (played by Maggie Cheung)
When Su Li Zhen first appears in the film, she was so stylish in her carefully made up hair, simple red lips and elegant qi pao or cheongsam that the audience could hardly believe she was merely a lowly secretary from a shipping company. What was amazing was the fact that she never appeared in anything else, as remarked upon even by her neighbors. She would run simple errands such as buying noodles in her delicate kitten heels and cheongsam with a gorgeous print—the epitome of chic in 60s Hong Kong.
The cast of The Matrix Trilogy (Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss)
Black has always been the most stylish color of contemporary fashion. Heavy leather jackets, trench coats and dark sunglasses have always been the epitome of cool. But no one else did it like The Matrix. When Neo, Trinity and Morpheus trudged out in their all-black finery, moving in bullet time, it seemed for a while that no action film would ever impress audiences again if the characters didn’t look exactly the same.
Tyler Durden, Fight Club (played by Brad Pitt)
The ultimate bad-ass rocked outfits that nobody else would or could: distressed vintage shirts in clashing color combinations, ostentatious red leather jacket and women’s faux fur coats. His style is all at once rebel, pimp and alpha male. Then again if you looked as hot as a psychotic, rugged Brad Pitt, there’s a whole lot more you can get away with.
Arthur, Inception (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)
When Joseph Gordon-Levitt first appeared in this film, he didn’t just steal the scene. Everyone wondered what happened to the sweet though somewhat dorky and awkward character he was usually known for. As Arthur, Gordon-Levitt dressed as sharply as his mind worked during inceptions—well-tailored vests, suits and trousers made him a favorite among the female viewers. Couple that with the mind-blowing fight scene in the hotel corridor—now even guys are dubbing him the new cool.
Maverick Mitchell, Top Gun (played by Tom Cruise)
The allure of men in uniform can be briefly described as Maverick in Top Gun. Army duds, naval whites, leather jackets and aviator shades (which has never gone out of style since that movie) made for one hell of a good-looking pilot and a classic reckless, bad boy-good boy charm that most women are helpless against.
The cast of The Devil Wears Prada (Emily Blunt, Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep)
Since most of the scenes involve the fictitious Runway magazine (inspired by no less than the fashion bible itself, Vogue) and its staff, there’s no surprise that most characters here are impressively dressed in designer duds: Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Valentino, Gucci, Rick Owens and of course, Prada, among many other labels. Most notable wardrobes were those of Emily Charlton, the haughty first assistant played by Emily Blunt; Andrea Sachs as the newly hired assistant played by Anne Hathaway; and Miranda Priestly, dubbed “The Dragon Lady” and editor-in-chief of Runway magazine, played by Meryl Streep. (For in-depth information on costume design for these characters, read our article on Patricia Field who worked as stylist on the movie).
Clips and videos from YouTube.
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