THE WATCHLIST
The Best Wardrobes in Cinema
Costume design rarely announces itself. It works underneath the story, dressing a character until the clothes become inseparable from who she is. From Edith Head's Riviera blues to Jil Sander on a Milanese staircase, these five films built wardrobes that outlived their plots.
By Ina Eliska
To Catch a Thief
1955
If you needed one film to understand why Grace Kelly became a style icon, this would be it. Edith Head builds a wardrobe full of soft color, beautiful evening dresses and polished daywear. Set on the French Riviera, Hitchcock’s story follows a retired jewel thief forced to prove he isn’t behind a new string of robberies.
SHOP OUR SELECTION
Purchases through these links may earn RENATA a commission.
Rear Window
1954
Grace Kelly only appears in a handful of scenes, yet nearly every look has become a part of fashion history. Edith Head gives Lisa Fremont a wardrobe that’s feminine, glamorous and impossible to forget. The film follows a photographer convinced he’s witnessed a murder while watching his neighbors from his apartment window.
SHOP OUR SELECTION
Funny Face
1957
Watching Funny Face is like flipping through the pages of a fashion magazine from the 1950s. Audrey Hepburn wears designs by Hubert de Givenchy, while Edith Head creates the film’s costumes, making it one of cinema’s most celebrated fashion collaborations. The story begins when a bookstore employee is unexpectedly discovered and taken to Paris to become a model.
SHOP THE SELECTION
La Piscine
1969
There’s something incredibly satisfying about how everyone gets dressed in this film. White shirts, oversized sunglasses and simple silhouettes are all it takes. Designed by André Courrèges, the wardrobe feels completely at home in the South of France. The story follows four people spending the summer at a villa, where old feelings and new attractions slowly begin to change the atmosphere.
SHOP THE SELECTION
I am Love
2009
Fashion doesn’t lead the film, but it shapes every scene. Costume designer Antonella Cannarozzi worked with pieces from Jil Sander by Raf Simons to create a wardrobe that changes alongside the main character. Set within a powerful Milanese family, the story follows a woman whose new relationship begins to transform her life.
SHOP THE LOOK
