Horror films have always used clothing as more than mere costume — it is a tool to build atmosphere, reveal character, and transform fear into visual identity. The tension between beauty and violence gives rise to some of cinema’s most striking looks. Below, a selection of outfits that shaped the aesthetic memory of the genre.
1. Drew Barrymore’s Cream Sweater — Scream (1996)
Before the film’s first scream, there was a beige cable-knit sweater, light-wash jeans, and a cordless phone. In the opening scene of Scream, Casey Becker, played by Drew Barrymore, embodies suburban normality just moments before horror strikes. The look’s simplicity and warmth contrast with the brutality that follows, cementing it as one of the most recognizable images in horror cinema.
2. Carrie White’s Prom Dress — Carrie (1976)
Satin pink, a corsage, and soft curls: the visual markers of innocence that turn tragic within seconds. Brian De Palma’s Carrie transforms its title character’s prom night into a symbol of humiliation and revenge. The blood-soaked gown became a defining image of horror and continues to influence fashion editorials that explore femininity, rage, and transformation.
3. Pearl’s Red Dress — Pearl (2022)
In Ti West’s Pearl, Mia Goth wears a vivid red dress that becomes a visual extension of the character’s psychological breakdown. With puffed sleeves and a vintage silhouette, it evokes classic Hollywood glamour while contrasting with the film’s rural decay. As her dreams of fame collapse, the dress turns from a symbol of desire into one of madness.
4. Jennifer Check’s Heart Hoodie — Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Megan Fox’s portrayal of Jennifer Check turned a high school hallway into a horror runway. Her pink hoodie covered in red hearts, paired with a matching top, low-rise jeans, and heart-shaped jewelry, defined a new kind of femme fatale: glossy, seductive, and deadly. The look’s sweetness makes her violence even more disturbing, a visual metaphor for how Jennifer’s Body weaponized femininity itself.
5. Patrick Bateman’s Clear Raincoat — American Psycho (2000)
Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman is never more terrifyingly composed than when he murders while wearing a transparent raincoat over a Valentino suit. The sterile perfection of his outfit reflects his obsession with control, image, and consumerist identity. The look encapsulates the horror of aestheticized violence and remains a reference point in discussions about fashion and capitalism.
6. Frank-N-Furter’s Corset and Fishnets — The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter embodies gender fluidity and performative excess. His black corset, pearls, and fishnets challenge heteronormative expectations and redefine what horror can look like. The film’s blend of camp, glam rock, and horror continues to influence both fashion and performance art nearly five decades later.
7. Lucy Westenra’s White Burial Gown — Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Sadie Frost’s Lucy Westenra rises from her coffin in an opulent white burial gown designed by Eiko Ishioka. The sculpted ruff, layered lace, and bridal silhouette turn death into spectacle, blurring the line between purity and decay. The costume’s theatrical excess embodies the film’s gothic sensuality, transforming Lucy into a vision both divine and monstrous.
8. Dani Ardor’s Floral Gown — Midsommar (2019)
Florence Pugh’s final appearance in Midsommar, crowned in flowers and swallowed by fabric, turns grief into spectacle. The oversized, suffocating gown mirrors her descent into madness and rebirth within the cult. The visual excess of the costume contrasts the bright daylight setting, proving that horror can be both beautiful and devastatingly calm.
9. Lydia Deetz’s Red Wedding Dress — (Beetlejuice, 1988)
Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz redefined the gothic bride archetype with her crimson tulle wedding gown. Designed by Aggie Guerard Rodgers, the dress contrasts sharply with Lydia’s pale skin and dark hair, turning innocence into theatrical rebellion. Its vivid color breaks from traditional white bridal imagery, embodying Beetlejuice’s balance of macabre humor and romantic surrealism, a look that made goth style cinematic.
In horror cinema, fashion operates as narrative. It reveals fragility, conceals violence, and transforms characters into archetypes that transcend the screen. From cable knits to corsets, these garments prove that the most terrifying images often begin with the most deliberate choices in fabric and form.
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The article above was edited by Larissa Buzon.
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