Fashion in Films: The Classics -- From the Pages to the Big Screen

     The relationship between books and films has always been symbiotic. When done right in every aspect of the production -- from the screenplay, the casting, the costumes, and the set -- some of the greatest movies of all time usually arise from the stories that were derived from books (with the exception of original screenplays, of course.) With holiday films rolling in and the big summer blockbusters looming ahead, I'm more excited than ever by all of the trailers that are being released each day. And I'm not just excited because they're some of my favorite books that I've read when I was growing up and I love nothing more than watching those movies come to life in film, but mainly because of the clothes (obviously.) Period piece movies have always been awe inspiring because the costume design in such productions have a certain intricateness and grandeur to them. I mean, they kind of have to have grandeur because people didn't particularly lounge around in their jeans and t-shirts in those days. Aside from the fantastic dresses, stunning jewelry, and grand headpieces, I've also noticed a common theme in the plot of all of these movies: Love. I've always believed that the greatest stories of all time are the ones about love. Read these books and watch these movies to see for yourself (or in this case, watch the movie trailers for now) then let's discuss. 

Love, KB

p.s. I think casting Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham in the Great Expectations is the most brilliant beyond brilliant idea. I've always had this image of Miss Havisham in my head when I read the book in middle school and her eccentricity is the perfect match for the role. 

Anna Karenina book written by Leo Tolstoy 

release date: November 10, 2012

director: Joe Wright

costume designer: Jacqueline Durran

Kiera Knightley as Anna Karenina

Jude Law as Karenin

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Vronsky

Les Miserables book written by Victor Hugo

release date: December 25, 2012

director: Tom Hooper

costume designer: Paco Delgado

Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean

Anne Hathaway as Fantine

Russell Crowe as Javert

Amanda Seyfried as Cosette

Eddie Redmayne as Marius

Helena Bonham Carter as Madame Thenardier

Sacha Baron Cohen as Thenardier

Great Expectations book written by Charles Dickens

release date: Winter 2012/2013

director: Mike Newell

costume designer: Beatrix Aruna Pasztor

Jeremy Irvine as Pip

Ralph Fiennes as Magwitch

Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham

Robbie Coltrane as Mr. Jaggers 

Holliday Grainger as Estella

The Great Gatsby book written by F. Scott Fitzgerald

release date: May 10, 2013

director: Baz Luhrmann

costume designer: Catherine Martin

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby 

Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchannan

Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway

Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchannan

Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson

The Wizard of Oz book written by L. Frank Baum

Oz: The Great and Powerful

release date: March 8, 2013

director: Sam Raimi

costume designer: Gary Jones

James Franco as Oz

Mila Kunis as Theodora

Rachel Weisz as Evanora

Michelle Williams as Glinda