STYLE ON SCREEN
5 films to watch for unexpected sartorial inspiration

Priscilla, for dreamy femininityEven those not striving for the attention of an unreconstructed rock’n’roll star, will find looks to swoon over here. Sofia Coppola’s film about Priscilla Presley’s complicated relationship with Elvis is full of brilliant period detail. Costume designer Stacy Battat captures all the youthful femininity of fashion in the 1950s and ‘60s and tracks Priscilla’s journey from teen ingenue to bored, disillusioned housewife. Star pieces worn by Cailee Spaeny include a 1950s-style rose-pink dress with ribbon belt by Anna Sui; a screen siren glam ice-blue floor-length gown, and a custom Chanel lace wedding dress – as well as many flimsy and fun lingerie and nightwear sets. Yes, you will cheer when Priscilla finally liberates herself from her marriage (while wearing 1970’s kick-ass flares and boots), you also can’t help falling in love with the innocent and optimistic prettiness of young Priscilla’s wardrobe. Dreamy stuff. 

Image: Cailee Spaeny in Priscilla, A24
 

Past Lives, for working-from-home styleThis melancholic romance centres on the relationship between writer Nora (Greta Lee) and her husband during an unexpected visit from Nora’s childhood sweetheart. The film flashes back to a childhood spent in Korea (where Nora wears bright cute knits), speeds through the slogan t-shirt years of university, and settles in present day New York to reveal her to have found her style. Clad in relaxed silhouettes, Nora dresses down rather than up: loose button-ups, slouchy wool trousers, flat shoes, chore jackets and easy tote bags, all in shades of navy, cream, greys and earth tones. Her chic blunt bob adds the sole sharp element. There’s absolutely nothing flash about this look and that’s why it’s such a useful one. Nora favours the kind of easy-feeling clothes so many of us like to wear for work (home or office) but she does it with such panache. Norm-core with Greta Lee levels of chic? I’m in.

Image: Greta Lee and John Magaro in Past Lives, A24

The Fall Guy, for the creative work wardrobeThe Fall Guy, this year’s most overlooked rom-com, starring Ryan Gosling as stuntman Colt Seavers and Emily Blunt as his film director, Jody Moreno, is wall-to-wall fun – amusing gender fisticuffs, irresistible chemistry and rapid-fire repartee. Plus, Jody’s wardrobe rocks. It’s a cool take on what a successful female director might wear to work. Or in fact does wear to work. Costume designer Sarah Evelyn researched the fashion choices of female directors like Kathryn Bigelow and Greta Gerwig – known for wearing a bubblegum pink jumpsuit on the set of Barbie. For most of The Fall Guy, Jody is working out on location for her sci-fi action film and lo and behold, her go-to is a pink denim jumpsuit, worn with a leather belt, sometimes a Hawaiian shirt, and work boots. Embracing utility and personality, it’s everyday power dressing with a rom-com sense of humour.

Image: Emily Blunt in The Fall Guy, Universal Pictures
 

Poor Things, for fantasy event dressingDesigner Holly Waddington won an Oscar for her costume work on this Frankenstein-meets-My Fair Lady story of Bella Baxter and rightly so. It’s a feat to create a surreal, fantastical and gothic sensibility that you really, really want in your wardrobe. Waddington says she felt liberated by director Yorgos Lanthimos’ references to different periods of time. So within a broadly Victorian silhouette Emma Stone as Bella also wears 1960s space-agey white boots and homages to 1930s fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. As she attempts to form her identity, Bella’s clothes go from babyish quilting and ruffles to look-at-me mini shorts and more sober academic uniform. Her experiments in self-expression are never not surprising. If you’re feeling like exploring your avant-garde side, or just a spot of attention-seeking down Starbucks, take notes from Bella Baxter.

Image: Emma Stone in Poor Things, Searchlight Pictures 
 

The Batman, for feline super glamourZoe Kravitz’ character in The Batman is the most recent in a long line of fantastic felines (miaow-out to Earth Kitt and Michelle Pfeiffer). In the hands of Oscar winning costume designer Jacqueline Durand, Kravitz is a kitty for our times. Take her mask – a neat woollen riff on the pink Pussy hats worn by protestors at the 2017 Women’s March. Her high necked leather body suits are worn with a black rucksack and knee-high chunky boots – more action hero than sex kitten, although being Zoe Kravitz, she is also, of course, 100 percent hot. As is her alter-ego, Selina Kyle, who has a penchant for a shiny trench and lace-up boots, or on more casual moments, white singlets and tiny patent corset dresses. Looking for purrfectly high-octane glamour this winter? Send a signal to Catwoman.

Image: Zoë Kravitz in The Batman, Warner Bros via Alamy.