In film, fabric becomes a canvas, and every stitch tells a story. When you are deeply immersed in a TV. show or movie, it’s because they have taken all the right steps to do so. This means the mood and feeling are set perfectly. Kind of when there was a Starbucks cup in a scene of Game of Thrones. That threw everybody off. Not the same right? Would you still be just as immersed, binge-watching at 2 A.M. if the whole show included the normal outside world? Think about your own life; we are all protagonists in our own stories and what we choose to wear is a reflection of our character. Think about the most iconic characters in film. Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Charlie Chaplin, etc. All of these people are especially memorable because of their unique and specific looks. Each of these people has a specific look which identifies them. Costume design is especially important in period pieces. Think ‘Little Women’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’. The costumes and looks from those movies create a mood and feeling that you think of when you think of each film. Each fabric choice, silhouette, and accessory contributes to an immersive experience, shaping the mood and feeling associated with these films. When you really think about it, costume design is its own art form that goes beyond the superficial. It is like a language that communicates character, era, and emotion without saying a word. So, the next time you find yourself captivated by a character’s wardrobe or transported to a different time through a film’s costumes, remember that every thread, every button, and every choice is a conscious brushstroke on the canvas of storytelling, enriching everything that unfolds on screen.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FIU chapter.