There’s something fascinating about movies being used as means of letting us glimpse our past, whether it’s depicted authentically or not. Either you’re intrigued to see how the society functioned in Jane Eyre or you just enjoy historical humor such as in King’s Man, or you’re a hopeless romantic and love the story of Pride and Prejudice – whatever the case, period movies offer it all.
Period movies offer us the chance to escape into times when it wasn’t necessarily better or easier, but the movies romanticize the struggles for us. On top of everything, the fact that the people in period movies dressed differently than us now, create an opportunity for us to detach ourselves from our, sometimes gruesome, shared history. In this manner, let’s take a look at the ten best costumes in period movies from the 2010s, ranked.
10 Harriet (2019)
Harriet is a biographical movie based on the incredible story of former slave turned abolitionist political activist Harriet Tubman. There's a strong sense of character development and, thankfully, there is no white saviour character. Set in the 1860s, it was hard for the costume designers to do the outfits justice, since they worked with little to no imagery. The designer Paul Tazewell explained they "wanted to underscore how her role was heroic and mythic, to elevate the energy of her persona", so they decided to make Harriet (Cynthia Erivo) wear blue to set her apart from the other slaves.
9 Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Mary Poppins Returns will certainly make you miss traditional animation. It was very surprising when Emily Blunt was snubbed a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards for the portrayal of Mary Poppins. That said, the movie did receive a nomination for Best Costume Design and rightfully so. A musical fantasy movie set in London during the Great Depression unquestionably gives the designer a wide range of possibilities to make the costumes stand out. The colorful costumes shine throughout the whole movie. All it takes is to watch the scene where they first go into the artwork on the Royal Doulton Bowl, and you'll see what we mean.
8 Hidden Figures (2016)
We're met with yet another biographical hit blockbuster, which tells the story of three Black women mathematicians (Vaughan, Johnson, Jackson), who made countless contributions to America’s early space program. Not only was Hidden Figures well-researched by talking to the mathematicians that were still alive, but the narrative is well paced and the aesthetics take you fully back into the 1960s era. The one costume that particularly stands out in the movie is Mary Jackson's (Janelle Monáe) pastel stripped blue dress with a light colored hat.
7 The Danish Girl (2015)
Despite the criticism The Danish Girl received for the inaccurate portrayal of historic events and for casting a cisgender man in the role of a transgender woman, the movie still earned critical acclaim and global recognition. The story follows the lives of two painters, one of whom (Eddie Redmayne) received one of the first sex reassignment surgeries ever. Paco Delgado outdid himself with the unique costume designs, which earned him a nomination for Best Costume Design at the Academy Awards.
6 The Greatest Showman (2017)
The Greatest Showman is yet another biographical movie, this time a musical based on the life of P.T. Barnum, who was arguably the father of showbiz, as he created the Barnum & Bailey Circus. It's important to note that most of the lovers of this movie are highly aware that Barnum was a problematic man and the movie version of him is completely fictionalized. As for the costumes, each of them, from Jenny Lind’s (Rebecca Ferguson) white & silver dress to the Ringmaster's crop-top coat with intricate detailing on the accoutrements, scream perfection.
5 The Great Gatsby (2013)
Upon hearing that something is set during the Roaring Twenties, everyone knows that, if done well, the costumes will be top-notch. And The Great Gatsby did not let down the audience, nor the Academy Awards, as it brought home an award for Best Costume Design. The plot is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name, telling the story of the millionaire Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his neighbor Nick Carraway (Toby Maguire). Yes, the costumes may be inaccurate for the period, but nevertheless heavily stylized.
4 Belle (2013)
One of the best movies directed by a Black woman, Amma Asante's British period drama Belle tells the partly real and partly fictionalized story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, whose great-uncle was the Lord Chief Justice of England William Murray, who contributed to the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act of 1807. It could be argued that Belle is the predecessor for Bridgerton with is neon-glow colors. Not only is the romance absolutely swoon-inducing, all the costumes are incredibly beautiful. Anushia Nieradzik excelled in making the designs, from the purple gown worn by Lady Mansfield to the light purple gown worn by Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw).
3 Anna Karenina (2012)
Adapted from Leo Tolstoy's 1877 novel, Anna Karenina tells the story of the affair between a Russian socialite (Kiera Knightley) and a cavalry officer Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Knightley yet again starred in a popular period romance drama directed by Joe Wright, after her powerful performances in Pride & Prejudice and Atonement. Jacqueline Durran put an extra care to the details, especially to the pearl designs worn by Knightley. The stylistic choices add a sense of extravagance and luxury.
2 The Handmaiden (2016)
If you haven't seen this South Korean erotic psychological thriller, make sure to watch it as soon as possible. The Handmaiden is based on a Victorian era novel by Sarah Waters, but it was changed to the era of when Korea was under Japanese imperial rule. A maid (Kim Tae-ri) is hired to serve a Japanese heiress (Kim Min-hee) as she plans to fraud her. But what they both don't expect is to fall in love with each other. It's a phenomenal movie that will leave you surprised and shocked with its many twists and turns. The fantastic traditional costumes are truly a sensory overload.
1 Little Women (2019)
The chronicles of the March sisters directed by Greta Gerwig garnered six Academy Award nominations and indeed won one for Best Costume Design. The movie took inherently romantic gestures and completely turned them into a universal experience of a platonic friendship. It's true that Little Women followed the stereotypical trope of dressing their progressive feminist female character into more masculine clothes, but other than that, the aesthetic design is pleasing to the eye. The costuming choices are mesmerizing despite them not being completely appropriate for the period, as with many other period movies mentioned above.