so, late last night when insomnia had gotten the best of me i started watching fear, with reese witherspoon, mark wahlberg & alyssa milano. i remember the first time i saw this movie - i think i was waaaay too young to be watching, it completely creeped me out. the scene where he beats his chest over & over again? eek! but it got me thinking... scary thought i know.
movies are obviously such an integral part of pop culture: just think of the dedication shown recently by fan's of kiera knightley's green dress in atonement. i haven't even seen that movie yet (i'm a little slow when it comes to movies... not a fan of the $12 ticket price. that's two drinks at a bar!) but i know precisely what the green dress looks like, and i can completely understand the devotion being afforded to it! sigh.
so what movies have shaped my mind, clothing wise? there have been many. reese witherspoon had a huge variety of plaid mini skirts: mini alana thought they were soo cool. but how did i know plaid minis were cool? because i was an impressionable 7 year old when clueless came out! although now it certainly isn't the epitome of all that is fashionable, without clueless i may not have even developed such a loooove for the whole fashion thing. alicia silverstone had my dream life: a computer (wow! at my school we had a boulder-like ibm in the library) that picked her outfits for her. she had a cellphone! she wore plaid minis with knee high socks and cropped t-shirts!! i couldn't wait to be 16. sex, clothes, popularity, whatever. i think basically any & every girl around my age, any girl who can simultaneously remember how jealous they were of cher horowitz and can also credit a mild to severe obsession with fashion, was influenced by the film. current trend alert - knee high socks anyone? and the resurgance in the popularity of plaid? thankfully these days we are a little more restrained.
no fashionable movie list would be complete without breakfast at tiffanys - think fashion, think movies, and the image of audrey hepburn in givenchy springs to mind immediately. how cliche is the phrase LBD? yep, and every woman's quest to attain the perfect LBD stemmed from this film. every time i see it, i want to slip into something sleek and chic, put on some pearls and don huge sunglasses and a chignon. the appeal stems from the sheer timelessness of it all: the perfect, if not cliched, example of stylish and classical dressing. thank god for holly golightly.
julie christie in dr zhivago? i've only ever seen it once: i watched it late one night with my mum, a looong time ago. i loved it, i loved the clothes, i loved how classy julie christie managed to be in siberia; it's no wonder i am so enarmoured with the girls on facehunter & the sartorialist who get snapped wearing those beautiful big fur hats.
titanic is not only one of the most well-known movies among my generation; it also left me in love with the fashion of the early 1900s. kate winslet had the most amazing costumes, resplendant and extravagant, complete with elbow-length gloves. her corseted figure, in that beaded red gown, is one of the most iconic moments i can remember when it comes to fashion in movies.
i had to watch his girl friday for a film paper in 1st year, and despite it's many attributes in other areas i really dug hildy's masculine take on the new look. the 1940s is a favourite era of mine: all those itty bitty waists and the bright red lipstick. i'm a sucker for practically anything set in this era: try the aviator, pearl harbour, yadda yadda yadda.
the devil wears prada is another one of those movies, cliche or not, that you just can't leave off a list like this. andy goes from drab to fab (could i be a corny voiceover chick or what?) and is a walking montage of amazing designer outfits. i especially love the old school chanel look she channels.
my favourite movie of all favourite movies is hairspray: a grin was permanantly plastered across my face right from the opening scene. despite my intense dislike for movie ticket prices (rarrrgh!) i went to this movie 4 times: the 4th time, i shouted my flatmates a trip too. and it wasn't just the musical numbers i adored, although i loved them so much that i bought the soundtrack the day after i saw h.s for the first time; i loved the outfits, especially those of queen bee amber von tussle. i daydream about dancing round, doing the stricken chicken, in those poufy big skirts. every time i watch it - and i've watched it a lot - i'm just mesmerised.
so, these were just some movies that hold a place in my fashion consciousness... i've no doubt included movies that people have been like HUH about, and ommitted films that to others probably seem like the most obvious of choices. there are still a heap of movies that i would like to see, that i have a feeling will probably make me swoon the same way: love story, for one. so i guess you could say this is really just a work in progress.
ps: how do you like my budget-ass montage? who needs photoshop when you have paint?!
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