Imagine if Indiana Jones wore jeans, a white v-neck T-shirt and baseball cap instead of a tan button-down shirt, fedora and brown bomber jacket with slacks. That simple yet staple look, often mimicked during Halloween, would not be as iconic.
Or what if Marty McFly in Back to the Future swapped his orange bubble vest and denim jacket combo for a plain, boring cardigan?
Those characters would not be the same. Their outfits played an important part in their popularity and personality — Jones as the cool archaeological professor and adventurer and McFly as the laid-back man of the '80s.
The detail in choosing costumes frequently goes unnoticed because it's an obvious fact that characters need clothes on, right? Audiences don’t want to see a whole bunch of naked people on their screen, especially for teenagers watching it with with their parents — talk about an awkward family dinner in front of the TV. But costumes add another layer of interpretation and have the ability to bring together the style of a whole movie.
Take the 2017 Oscar-winning musical La La Land as an example. Damien Chazelle’s retro, cinemascope masterpiece contained a lot of vibrancy. Mary Zophres, the costume designer for the film, added to the whimsical and vibrant dynamics of the movie by creating brightly-colored dresses for Emma Stone and her friends and a more subdued look for Ryan Gosling’s classy jazz fanatic. Not only did the music and dancing take people back to the era of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but the dresses and suits supplemented its retro vibes.
The costume department also plays an important role in biographical pictures — movies about real-life people. For instance, Jackie was nominated for an Oscar for remaking Jackie Kennedy’s signature wardrobe. For Jackie, it was imperative to nail down the costumes because it was an important aspect of the former first lady’s persona.
The film lost to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a spin-off of the Harry Potter franchise. That movie succeeded in a similar vein as The Great Gatsby, where both of those executed the creation of notable styles from the 1920s.
Whether the costumes add to the theme of the movie or are just a way to make sure a it is accurate, the designs are an essential part of putting together a great film.
Georgia Davis is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Tell Georgia about your favorite movie costumes by tweeting her at @georgiadee35.
