There are a lot of ways to look at celebrity fashion in the movies. There are iconic standout moments that will stick in popular culture forever a la The Dude’s famous Pendleton sweater in The Big Lebowski or Uma Thurman’s slim black outfit and choker in Pulp Fiction. Or, there are plenty of movies with looks and aesthetics that are so lush and so timeless they’ll stand out as exciting for decades and decades after a movie premieres.
As a vintage clothing lover, I spend a lot of time thinking about fashion in the movies. Here are some of the films that have influenced my wardrobe the most. (And hopefully will give you a creative spark too!)
Pretty Woman (Especially That Red Gown)
While one of Julia Roberts‘ iconic looks in Pretty Woman is the one she sports as a woman about the town, one thing I love about this movie is how Vivian’s style changes as time goes on. This peak for me is the red dress that is one for the ages.
Clueless (The Matching Plaid Sets!)
Amy Heckerling’s cinematic masterpiece is not only a very quotable movie, it has some of the most memorable looks I’ve seen. Dionne’s hats. Cher’s many schoolgirl looks in tweed and plaid. The matching sets. It’s all iconic and holds up (for the most part) years and years later.
The Devil Wears Prada (All The Looks)
After Andy goes to work at Runway Magazine, she enters a world just chock full of some of the most intriguing fashion I’ve seen in a movie. Andy’s style evolves, but looks from Meryl Streep‘s Miranda Priestly to outfits worn by Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci‘s characters are standouts too.
Purple Rain (The Frilly Shirt)
Prince’s fashion and career as a whole was notable outside of Purple Rain, the 1984 film that spotlighted Minneapolis and spawned hits like “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy.” Mostly I wish this frilly shirt look would make a comeback. Things have gotten too casual in fashion.
Breakfast At Tiffany’s (The Perfect Outfit For Hanging Out On A Chilly New York Night)
I think when most people think of Breakfast At Tiffany’s they think of the opening scene of the 1961 film with the black dress, the sunglasses and the pearls. For me, there are so many lovely outfits in this movie, but the one I always turn back to is Holly Golightly’s sweet and casual “Moon River” look. Anyone who can make a hair wrap look that iconic is a fashionista in my book.
Barbie (Can We Bring Back Rollerblades, Please?)
Barbie‘s fashion moment in history is so iconic it actually coined its own term: Barbicore fashion. It’s not just Margot Robbie with the cute looks, however, as Ken’s own choices also sometimes had me rethinking the way I dress. What a movie moment.
The Royal Tenenbaums (Thank Margot)
Wes Anderson has an aesthetic all his own, which extends into the fashion choices for each of his films. One of the best examples of this is The Royal Tenenbaums, which showcases lead actress Gwyneth Paltrow in furs, hair clips and dark eyeliner. The tweeds and more favored by her character’s family are no slouches, either.
Sean Connery’s Bond Era (Impeccable Tailoring)
I think a case could be made that any and every Bond era has its epic moments when it comes to fashion (entire essays have been written about Daniel Craig‘s suit cuts, for example), but there’s something wonderful about the 1960s Sean Connery Bond era. It’s something that makes me want to go out and get every piece of clothing I own tailored just to be exactly right.
Moulin Rouge (Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend)
Corset trends come and go in Hollywood, but what I like most about Moulin Rouge‘s fashion choices is not its many nods to the “Can-Can” era, but its use of jewelry, glitz and sparkles. Nicole Kidman’s costumes are the best, of course, and no place is that clearer than in her rendition of “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.”
Downton Abbey (The Jazz Era evening attire)
Choosing to highlight Downton Abbey fashion feels so obvious, I’m a little surprised I didn’t put it higher on this list. One great thing about the franchise is it has spanned multiple decades, but its movies set in the 1920s (1927 for the first film and 1928 for A New Era) are the real highlight for me. The costumes were particularly “challenging” to create thanks to the scale of the movies, but the attention to detail pays off so handsomely.
Memoirs Of A Geisha (The Silk Kimonos)
Famous costume designer Colleen Atwood crafted kimonos made of real silk for the 2005 film adapting the novel of the same name. The looks were handcrafted to convey the personalities of the characters in the movie, and ultimately helps with the overall look of the film. It’s no wonder why, despite mixed reviews, the movie won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. It also proves silk (and cheaper satin) will always have staying power.
The Birds (More Great ’60s Vibes Here)
Tippi Hedren’s fur coats might be a little gauche these days, but everything about the styling in The Birds is superb. The baby doll dresses, mini skirts and hair all stand out as products of their time, but I’d still rock many of these looks out in public today.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (Tailored Men’s Fashion Is Superb)
Given The Kingsman organization literally fronts as a tailor shop in 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service, it’s no surprise the fashion in the franchise films is superb. Understated palates but with cool, modern colors are speckled throughout the movies as Ariane Phillips shares her take on what a Savile Row gentleman (or perhaps gentle lady) should look like.
Poetic Justice (Janet Jackson’s Movie Set Trends)
Every time I think of 1993’s Poetic Justice, I think of the hat worn by Janet Jackson’s character in the movie. John Singleton’s movie starring Jackson and Tupac Shakur feels very LA and very of its time. It’s quintessential ’90s, but the look is one that has come back time and time again.
Almost Famous (It’s All About Penny Lane)
While some members of Stillwater were worried about being the “out of focus” guys, when it came to the fashion all eyes were pretty much on Penny Lane and her gaggle of “band-aides.” Cool, sunglasses, meshy material and more were all hallmarks of the seventies look, but the movie also helped shearling-collared coats make a comeback. Need one in my closet.
Crazy Rich Asians (More Like Crazy Luxe)
We’ve talked quite a bit about impeccable tailoring in this piece, but one thing that stands out in Crazy Rich Asians is the luxe fabric and expensive-looking costuming, from ephemeral wedding looks to vintage vibes. There’s more color once the cast hits Singapore, and that’s by design. It’s no wonder Mary E. Vogt won a Costume Designer Guild award for these looks.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (In Hot Pink)
Long before Margot Robbie and other celebs made Barbicore a household name, Marilyn Monroe rocked a famous pink dress in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The movie as a whole has a lot of standout fashion moments, but this is the one that would go on to be spoofed by Gossip Girl and even Robbie herself while playing Harley Quinn.
Romeo + Juliet (It’s The Costume Party That Really Takes Things Over The Edge)
Baz Luhrmann’s always been one to put his casts into memorable looks, and 1996’s Romeo + Juliet is no exception. It helps the wearers in question are often Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio here, but from brightly colored button-ups to the airy wings Juliet wears to a costume party, there’s a lot to really take in with the fashion in this film.
Foxy Brown (That Leather Jacket Isn’t Even Getting Into The Awesome Satins and Florals)
Foxy Brown’s sartorial palette is of the moment, or at least it was when the 1974 blaxploitation movie came out. The satins, leathers, and polyesters that adorn our main characters would still look cool in any street fashion spread and are a great example of an era of (now) vintage I still love to rock today.
All About Eve (For Anytime It’s Gonna Be A Bumpy Night)
Bette Davis’ famed “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night” dress was actually a last-minute addition to the movie, brought on by Claudette Colbert exiting the movie in the eleventh hour and Davis requesting famed costume designer Edith Head come with her when she signed. The resulting collaboration led Head to an Oscar award, and the costumes in the movie to make history. Who wouldn’t kill for a dress with that waistline? … But I guess you need the waist first.
Knives Out (It’s All About The Cable Knit)
While poor Ana de Armas isn’t the best-dressed in this movie, there’s a lot of old-school money looks thrown around in the first Knives out. Think tweeds and dark colors in perfectly fashionable cuts. The most notable example of this has to be Chris Evans’ character’s cable knit sweater, a look that lives rent-free in my head and will be classic for decades to come.
Atomic Blonde (Fighting In Heels)
I honestly feel like Atomic Blonde may be the most underrated fashion movie on this list. Somehow, David Leitch has Charlize Theron’s Lorraine Broughton fighting in cool turtlenecks and timeless coats and boots, all of which I would love to add as a staple in my own wardrobe. She manages to kick butt without ripping anything to boot.
10 Things I Hate About You (I Like My Skechers)
Listen there are myriad teen movies that are zeitgeists of their times when it comes to fashion, but the one that still stands out with the most looks I’ve always envied is 10 Things I Hate About You. Set in the era of poofy skirts and crop tops, scene kids, and the first time mini backpacks were popular in my lifetime, any movie that spawns the quote, “There’s a difference between like and love. Because, “I like my Skechers, but I love my Prada backpack,” was absolutely written with my wardrobe in mind.
Marie Antoinette (Petticoats And Ruffles Galore!)
Sofia Coppola movies are always a sartorial delight, but never was her fashion more confectionary-feeling than in Marie Antoinette. The Kirsten Dunst-starrer used frills and pastels to show us the over-the-top world of the doomed aristocrat. My world could use a little more formal dressing.
Sabrina (The Givenchy Dress)
Audrey Hepburn wore a lot of beautiful gowns during the course of her movie career, but none may be more striking than the Givenchy gown she wore playing Sabrina. The story goes the then-newcomer designer thought he was dressing Katherine Hepburn and got Audrey instead. A partnership was formed, and the rest is fashion history. If only one of these looks would find its way into my wardrobe.
Challengers (The Tenniscore)
Of course, Zendaya was giving serves on the Challengers press tour but a lot of her looks in the movie were great as well. I particularly love some of her classic tennis dresses, but that look we get of her on the sidelines during the final match of the movie will stick with me forever as well.
The Great Gatsby (Daisy Buchanan, Fashion Heroine)
Baz Luhrmann knows how to make a look happen, and the one thing I love about his Great Gatsby is that both the men’s and women’s fashion are standouts. Of course, Buchanan’s outfits are the ones I’m still swooning over years later in stripes and pastels and dreamy silhouettes. ‘You can’t repeat the past’ but you can repeat the looks from other eras, I say.
Dazed And Confused (Vintage Tees Galore)
Dazed and Confused went pretty much fully vintage when it was coming together back in 1993. That includes the Ted Nugent tee worn by Matthew McConaughey’s David Wooderson that is more than alright, alright, alright in my own closet.
Practical Magic (Great Inspo, Maybe Not-So-Great Movie)
Deep down there’s a lot to love about Practical Magic, despite its ludicrous story. I love its winks at magic, its ’90s vibes, and mostly I love the fashion and hairstyles rocked by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. The aunt’s clothes are pretty fun to boot.
Peggy Sue Got Married (Those Volumous ’50s Skirts)
An eighties movie that’s also a throwback, Peggy Sue Got Married was well-liked, well-reviewed and even landed an Academy Award nomination for costume design. Time hopping between cool eighties looks and cool sixties looks obviously helps. Thanks, time travel.
Phantom Thread (All The Gorgeous, Impractical Ballgowns)
High fashion is not something I’m pulling out of my closet every day, but Phantom Thread‘s costumes are the pursuit of perfection. I think about the silhouettes almost as often as I think of the P.T. Anderson film’s wild plotline, which is to say a lot. Now, I just need someplace to wear a look like this.
House Of Gucci (Nothing Like A Luxury Fashion Biopic)
There’s nothing like a luxury fashion movie to show off looks that only a few can afford. House of Gucci is one movie that just has look after look after look, many of them propelled by Lady Gaga, but also Adam Driver and Reeve Carney. I don’t have the wallet for them all, but I’d love ’em.