Film can inspire personal fashion

Film and fashion share an inseparable bond. Costumes are vitally important when it comes to delineating character, setting the mood, and creating those glorious cinematic spectacles we all love. Whether the film is a low-budget independent movie, or a Hollywood blockbuster, what an actor or actress wears is a visual guide; a map if you will of his or her personality. The same is true off the silver screen. The clothing you choose to wear speaks volumes-intentionally or otherwise about who you are. What kind of messages are you sending? Are these messages the types of things you want to send?

Costume designers send messages to the audience by selecting clothing that can compliment an actor's performance and the director's overall vision for the film. Oftentimes, this involves elaborate historical recreations that capture the flavor of a bygone era. Such films are affectionately known as "costume dramas." While such films are far too numerous to count, I've selected three of my personal favorites. Films you might be familiar with for discussion. While we explore how film costuming can effect our perception of fictional characters, you may want to think about what you have to say through your own personal style.

Frances Ford Coppola's 1992 re-make of Bram Stoker's Dracula features remarkable costumes. Say what you will about the acting, but the actors look marvelous! Although the clothing is not entirely historically accurate, it embraces the opulent Gothicism of the original story while skillfully incorporating a distinctly Victorian look. Corseted waists and elaborately bustled skirts are lavishly exaggerated. As far as character is concerned, symbolism is felt throughout. Lucy (Sadie Frost), eerily beautiful and flirtatious sports plunging necklines as she entertains gentlemen callers while the modest Mina (Winona Ryder) wears high-necked gowns. Lucy's wedding dress is a departure from Victorian styles with a neck ruff that looks quite Elizabethan. This is perhaps meant to draw parallels between the supposedly "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth and Lucy, whose supposed purity has in fact been tainted by Dracula's fangs. Ryder appears at the beginning of the film as Dracula's love in a deep emerald gown with gold leaves-recalling the lush hues of unspoiled nature. Watch for the same color and leaf motif when she later appears as Mina.

2002's Far From Heaven features subtly symbolic costumes, as well. In this film, a housewife (Julianne Moore) must deal with a broken marriage and an impossible love affair. The trademark silhouettes of the 1950s are accurately recreated in every costume. Color and line are used to chart character development-one sequence features a highly improbable, yet stunning, image of a group of women standing under bright fall foliage all wearing similar colors to those of the leaves above them. This extremely controlled color palette creates a lovely picture and establishes the tone. Moore's character wears the full A-line skirt typical of the era, until the very end when she trades it for a more somber tailored ensemble. This transformation mirrors her transition from the idealized housewife into a wiser, heartbroken woman who has traded her frilly illusions for practical utility.

Angels and Insects the most striking and symbolic of the three films, draws a behavioral comparison between the Victorians and the insect world. Some argue that the film becomes annoyingly pedantic in this comparison, but it still looks cool. Perhaps the costuming is a bit overly obvious in its direct correlation between insects and humans, but it is certainly interesting to observe how the designer embellishes Victorian gowns to become clearly insect-related. The first scenes show a ball in which many gowns are colored like exotic butterflies or are decorated with those fruits and flowers eaten by insects. In another scene, a day dress is done in black and bright yellow with horizontal detailing on the bodice. This suggests that the women wearing it figuratively "stings like a bee." Another highlight is the sequence in which a woman appears in an ethereal silvery gown amidst a flurry of equally ethereal moths. The point is as clear as if the women were wearing a moth body-suit and superbly links back to the director's underlying theme.

While costumes are ultimately limited by the director's vision for the film as a whole, there are no limits on your personal wardrobe. Sure, your fashion choices may not be as symbolically complex as those in the movies, but they still are an important part of who you are. Embrace fashion as a tool for self-expression. Whether you are making a bold statement or just having fun, there is no denying the empowering effects of a great outfit. You're sure to give a performance that isn't easily forgotten.