Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design

by Deborah Nadoolman Landis

From the lavish productions of Hollywood's Golden Age through the high-tech blockbusters of today, the most memorable movies all have one thing in they rely on the magical transformations rendered by the costume designer. Whether spectacular or subtle, elaborate or barely there, a movie costume must be more than merely a perfect fit. Each costume speaks a language all its own, communicating mood, personality, and setting, and propelling the action of the movie as much as a scripted line or synthetic clap of thunder. More than a few acting careers have been launched on the basis of an unforgettable costume, and many an era defined by the intuition of a costume designer—think curvy Mae West in I'm No Angel (Travis Banton, costume designer), Judy Garland in A Star is Born (Jean Louis and Irene Sharaff, costume designers), Diane Keaton in Annie Hall (Ruth Morley, costume designer), or Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (Deborah Nadoolman Landis, costume designer). In A Century of Hollywood Costume Design , Academy Award-nominated costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis showcases one hundred years of Hollywood's most tantalizing costumes and the characters they helped bring to life. Drawing on years of extraordinary research, Landis has uncovered both a treasure trove of costume sketches and photographs—many of them previously unpublished—and a dazzling array of first-person anecdotes that inform and enhance the images. Along the way she also provides and eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of the costume designer's art, from its emergence as a key element of cinematic collaboration to its limitless future in the era of CGI. A lavish tribute that mingles words and images of equal luster, Dressed is one book no film and fashion lover should be without.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Film, Art, History, Reference, Media Tie In

592 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Lilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great big wedding cake of a book, recommended to me by a friend who knows well my love for extravagant fashion and old movies of the diva-driven variety. (Thanks Claud!) I just couldn't help myself, wolfing down the pics first, leaving the actual reading for later. And such pics – 800+ of them. Almost all of them captioned with anecdotes, costuming philosophies, and details, details, details, culled from over 10 years' worth of research.

Anjelica Huston wrote the forward, which is awesome right there, but right alongside Vivien Leigh's Scarlett O'Hara dresses and Al Pacino's Scarface suit - Tim Curry's Rocky Horror getup! Which, as I always expected, was a corset turned backwards.

This book is more about costuming characters than Perfect Hollywood Glamour – although there's plenty of that – so there's trashed denim and thrift-shop pickings mixed in with the expected drop-dead evening gowns. Many of the pics were chosen for being the moment when the actor became the character – so it's not just pretteh pretteh fashions, it's Serious Actor Craaaahft. Lots of sketches, too, sometimes covered in scrawled notes, to my utter fashion-geek delight.

Everything's arranged chronologically, from the silents through the 2000's, each era presenting a new clothing-related problem: shoes clacking on the floor with the advent of sound, fabrics being rationed during wartime, the ever-present Hays Office Cleavage Patrol. Amusing to read that Erte and Coco Chanel didn't have such a great time in LA, although letting a haute couture designer handle everything has resurfaced as an often-unworkable solution, in this age of relentless red carpet worship.

It's a fascinating record of how fashion evolved through the decades, presented with the history of costume departments - originally coming from the actors' own wardrobes and rising to prominence with George Hurrell's publicity portraits and crashing again with 60's/70's realism. It notes where a lot of trends first sparked – Clark Cable's appearance in It Happened One Night apparently caused a big drop in undershirt sales - and how each era interpreted “period.” The 70's idea of European aristocracy is a lot different than the 30's! Practically speaking, it offers a lot of advice on how to dress a cast, particularly in regards to character development, continuity, and the overall shooting schedule. It's an inspiring reference for prom gowns, evening dress, and other high glamour situations that call for an evocation of the proper screen goddess. Something to come back to again and again.

This is one of those books where everybody's going to have a pet omission – for me, where's David Lynch? Besides Dune? - but the author's intro noted that besides the space issue, some pics just weren't available to be blown up and still look good, among other constraints. Considering the sheer tidal wave of imagery she's presented, it's forgivable.

Best quotes:
“It was terrifying putting actors in those sexy outfits, because once they felt that polyester rubbing against their skin, the tendency was to get carried away. These actors are all great, but they have their quirks and the story obviously has great camp potential, so my job was to keep it simple and stop them from camping it up.”
-- Mark Bridges, costume designer for Boogie Nights

“I didn't want it to look like a costume party – I wanted to express that these were people who just wore these things all the time and lived this very odd existence. The idea always was to express the sense from the cartoons that these people were almost like royalty, people of endless wealth and taste. In that sense, what I tried to do was make them look so beautiful that you feel they're right, and the rest of the world is wrong.”
-- Ruth Myers, costume designer for The Addams Family

“One of the first film studios in America was the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company (later known simply as the Biograph), founded in 1896. On sunny days, the Biograph moviemakers shot their films on the rooftop of the company's New York office. Audiences were enthralled. Store owners converted shops into nickelodeons – simple theaters with a screen and a few seats – where people could see the first films. One early movie viewer, upon seeing a film, remarked, “All that trouble, just for me.”
-- Deborah Nadoolman Landis, describing Hollywood's early years

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first encountered Deborah Nadoolman Landis's Dressed in a cozy bookstore in the Paddington, New South Wales. I was waiting for David to be done looking at something, and I casually picked it up, thinking it would be a pleasant way to while away a few minutes. Two hours later, David had forcibly to interrupt my delighted retelling of costume-related old Hollywood anecdotes, and remind me that three o'clock was getting on past lunchtime and we still hadn't eaten. Reluctantly, as I didn't have the cash in my pocket or room in my suitcase to bring the book home with me, I left it on the shelf, adding it to my mental list of books to be checked out of the library. Imagine my surprise when, six months later, it appeared in my pile of birthday presents, waiting to be perused at my leisure! David is a very canny gift-giver, people. Very canny indeed.

I think Dressed is so captivating to me because it moves beyond the standard conceptions of Hollywood "glamor" to examine clothes as an integral element of storytelling. As someone who has always been fascinated by stories explicitly involving clothes, and by the more subtle narratives evoked by what we wear, I can't resist poring over the accumulated experience of a century of American costume designers who get paid to think about these issues in an intense and systematic way. Despite its low text-to-image ratio (this is an art book par excellence - not something to tote to the bus stop or the doctor's office), I found some of the ideas in Dressed to be quite thought-provoking. Here, for example, is Edith Head talking about designing for Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress:

Olivia's character, Catherine Sloper, was slightly clumsy and awkward. You had the feeling that she wasn't quite put together...I had to get across how uncomfortable she was with herself in whatever image she projected. I could not do it by giving her inexpensive or ugly clothes, because her father was a wealthy man and everything she wore was of the finest quality. No matter how much money she had, she never looked soignée because she was insecure. Rather than give Olivia a perfect fit, I made things purposely gap or wrinkle in the wrong place. I would put a collar too high or a sleeve a bit too short. If her dress had ruffles, it had a few too many ruffles combined with too much robbon and a bit too much lace, reflecting her unsophisticated taste.

As Landis points out, so much of the effect that costumes produce in films are perceived by audiences only unconsciously, as part of the larger effect. I think a lot of what Head is describing here - Catherine's maladroitness, despite her father's wealth - would be perceived as de Havilland's acting job, but it's interesting to realize how subtleties in the costumes contribute to the whole.

Numerous actors talk about how the costumes helped them to "find" the characters in the first place. In one of the most extreme examples, costume designer Anthony Powell recalls Glenn Close's instructions to him about her outfit for Cruella de Vil: "When I asked her for her thoughts on the character, she said, 'You just design it, and at the end I shall look at myself in the mirror and then I shall decide how to play the part.'" Kim Novak describes a subtler moment of transformation regarding the costumes for Vertigo (designed by Head, but minutely supervised by Hitchcock):

When I played Judy, I never wore a bra. It killed me having to wear a bra as Madeleine but you had to because they had built the suit so that you had to stand very erect or you suddenly were not 'in position.' They made that suit very stiff. You constantly had to hold your shoulders back and stand erect. But, oh that was perfect. That suit helped me find the tools for playing the role. It was wonderful for Judy because then I got to be without a bra and felt so good again, I just felt natural.

As someone trying, in my own modest way, to tell stories about character through clothes, detailed revelations like this are so interesting. I could have predicted that a bra (or lack thereof) would affect someone's silhouette, but I would never have thought that it could have such an affect on the final interpretation of a character.

Plus, whoa Nellie, the book is BEAUTIFUL. The layout and presentation are truly stunning. It's full of fascinating sketch-to-garment layouts like this one, of Faye Dunaway's pink Bonnie and Clyde suit:



I loved getting a glimpse of the original costume sketches for Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis's outfits in one of my all-time favorite films, Some Like It Hot:



I think it's worth remarking that this original version of Jack Lemmon's costume was even more outrageous than the one actually used in the film.

Many costume designers talk about adapting their original ideas, or adapting period costume, so that it not only fits the actor but expresses the truth of the character or creates a desired response in the audience. Rita Ryack, costume designer on Casino, was lucky enough to have access to the entire closet of the real person on whom Robert De Niro's character is based, and used his clothes as points of creative departure. But she altered the styles and color schemes to be more in keeping with story they were trying to tell: "Lefty's own clothes, which were, in fact, mint and lavender and all these crazy colors, were a little too conservative for De Niro's Ace Rothstein." Similarly, Edith Head talks about costuming Paul Newman and Robert Redford in The Sting:

Both Newman and Redford look extremely sophisticated in suits. To keep Bob from looking too worldly, I gave him a newsboy's cap and a garish wide-patterned tie. Coupled with his impish grin, they made him look rather naive. When I wanted Paul to come across as a tough guy, I made sure his undershirt was showing.

Dressed is full of luscious little tidbits like this, but there are also, of course, the times when it's just plain eye candy. And I have no problem with those times, no problem at all. Occasionally the preparatory sketches are as beautiful as the finished stills; check out this gorgeous spread from Gigi, designed by Cecil Beaton:



I could go on and on about this book, but I won't. I do highly recommend it to anyone interested in the history of Hollywood, or in the narrative potential of clothes. I'm now off to the video store, to rent a few of the films alluded to within its pages!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deborah Landis gave a talk for JASNA recently about costuming, and while it's not at all my thing, she seemed fun and articulate, so when they said she had written a book, I promptly reserved it from the library with zero questions asked. "Why not?" seems to be my reading motto of the year.

I expected a history, and I got a giant, oh-so-very-heavy coffee-table book of photos. So, mis-matched expectations meant I was a bit disappointed from the get-go. Feel free to place blame for the only three star review on those expectations, plus the fact that I am not in any way the author's ideal or intended audience.

Landis divvies up the costumes by decades, and gives a couple pages of introduction to each decade, accompanying each photo with a quote about the movie or the costume by the actor, costume designer, or other related person. The photos were fun to glance through, though I was much more interested in the earliest costumes and much less entranced by the 1970s onward.

Overall, a fun book to flip through, though I wouldn't have checked it out if I had any idea what it was. I like the idea of coffee table books much, much more than I like the reality of them. (This is almost certainly through no fault of their own--I'm a sit-down-and-read-it-all-the-way-through sort of person, which means coffee table books make my wrists ache, no matter what position I wiggle into. Clearly the fault is mine for not consuming the books in the way they are meant to.)

[Brittaney Borman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well organized book with wonderful pictorial examples from famous films. Though it is an enormous book, it wasn't at all hard to read, thanks to the essays at the beginning of each chapter. I enjoyed learning how film costume design has changed over the years. It was fascinating to learn what trends, current events and other circumstances influenced film costumes and how those same costumes influenced fashion trends themselves.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book coffee table book, four hundred-plus pages long, not the best choice for an airplane ride. That said, it hits all the marks. It is lavishly illustrated; the text is informative and the author interviews someone from the movies or era she is displaying. If it has a fault it is printed on shiny paper which makes it unreadable under certain lighting conditions. The solution, get up and move.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title says, costume design from US film-making's beginnings in New York, until the early 2000s. Organized by decade, there are photographs and sketches, and commentary from designers, actors, directors, and producers. Delightful and enlightening.

[Carolyn Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly what the title says. A survey of Hollywood movie costume design, and oh how glamorous it is! I now have a tingle of recognition when I watch the film credits for costume design.

[Madame Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

LUMINOUS and MAGNIFICENT.

[Jacqui Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how huge this book was when I ordered it from the library. It was the perfect thing to curl up in bed with though. It was nice to see familiar beauties like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot wearing costumes that they’ve made iconic. It was also really interesting seeing little anecdotes from more modern movies like Grease, Pulpfiction, and Moulin Rouge. I’ll admit that while I read every caption, I skimmed the pages looking for the movies I recognized to learn more. This is the sort of book you see people buy more for its collector’s quality than anything else. This is the perfect book for a living room end table or a coffee table to add a little bit of class. And like I said, there’s some real joy in looking back throughout the history of movies told by as told by the clothing.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of my pop-culture diversions, the book discusses cultural and social impacts on costuming in movies and how the pendulum has swung back and forth from ornate to austere over time. It's interesting to learn how wartime shortages affected work in wardrobe departments as well as how the hippie years led to a decline in the industry. There's no shortage of photos; the author made sure that each decade presented is well-documented with pictures. The only downside to my public-library copy was that someone had marked up and cut out certain pages (for a research project, no doubt) and other parts of the book had page omissions that looked like a publishing error.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't rave about this book enough. It's beautifully produced, with high quality sketches and photographs throughout. It's probably my favourite of all my books on Hollywood costume design, as it's so diverse (and large!). It's fascinating to see how influential costume designers were, especially in the thirties and forties, with designers such as Adrian making Hollywood another Paris in terms of inspiring trends. It's hard to convey how wonderful this book is, only to say that if I was going to recommend one book on this topic, for enthusiasts and students alike, it would be this one.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another great reference book, or simply one that you will want to glance over time and time again. I was fortunate to have ment Deborah Landis at the pre-opening of the sci-fi costume exibit at Henry Ford Museum and hear her speak on her idea of designing. I thoughly enjoyed her and her book. Being a seamstress/designer myself it was nice to hear how someone in a connecfted line of work approaches her designing. THANKS DEBORAH, your lecture was well received.

[Baseballs4me · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for a movie buff. It is organized by decade and features photos of the movie stars in their costumes w/ commentary by the the actor/actress, designer or director. Just a lot of fun.

I learned that you can make "chain mail" from hemp rope and painting it silver. A chance to put those macreme skills to use for halloween ;).

[Alisa Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only critique of this book is that since it does cover a century of costume design, everything is barely glossed over, and there are no details about anything. But it IS a spectacular book, containing tons of photographs - each with a brief commentary and often interesting comments from the actors who wore actually these costumes.

[Kathy]

I paged through this and can't wait to start reading pieces. I don't think it's a book to read from cover to cover. Although, from someone who used to design and make clothes, (and started out as a fashion design major), it may get read that way.

[Lenette Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE this book! I am crazy about fashion and beauty! I love the Hollywood of old, from Max Factor to Yves Saint Laurent! I have to thank my former boss Brian E. for giving this book to me!!

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'll need a wheelbarrow to cart this tome home, but if you're interested in the history of Hollywood or costume design, do it! Amazing collection of photos, sketches, and quotations from the very early years to present.

[Melody Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely stunning and inspiring. As a costume design student, I find this book extremely informative without being overwhelming with information. The pictures are beautiful. Unfortunately, I borrowed this book from the library but it is definitely worth purchasing!

[Roro · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the best picture book i ever bought , it provides essential information about cinema and costume desgins , a great book ,each fashion and cinema lovor shouldhave a copy .

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book for movie & fashion lovers alike!!

[louisa]

Beautifully book with tons of the original hand drawn illustrations. Like Women in Pants, I can in no way vouch for the writing as I just looked at the pictures.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous.

[ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great design layout. A lovely way to learn the behind the scenes of some of Hollywood's costume choices. Some of the costumes became more iconic than the movies themselves.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I contributed to this volume through considerable photo, sketch and text research for the author.