5 Fashion Trends Found In Movies

by Kevin Gardner

People enjoy seeing new movies for the exciting character-driven plots and the unexpected twists that the stories take. Viewers also appreciate the sets and costumes that the actors wear while portraying their roles on screen. You may find inspiration for your wardrobe from five of the fashion trends seen in movies.

1. Halter Dress 

Women looked to movie icon Marilyn Monroe for clues about favored clothing styles in the 1950s. Although she wore many fabulous designs on-camera, moviegoers remember her for the white cocktail halter dress that swooped upward when she stood over a subway grate in the 1955 classic film The Seven Year Itch. The film, directed by Billy Wilder, utilized the talents of costume designer William Travilla, who designed movie apparel not only for Marilyn Monroe but also for other screen stars, including Ann Sheridan, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich and Loretta Young. The white dress played a part in beginning a style trend toward a sexier look in women's clothing than that found in previous decades in America.

2. Bomber Jacket 

Men and women wore bomber jackets if they flew airplanes in the early years of air flight. For instance, during World War Two, those working in the Air Force often wore bomber jackets with fleece fabric collars to provide warmth and protection from the weather when flying airplanes with open cockpits. The makers of the 1986 popular movie Top Gun brought this earlier fashion trend back into the spotlight when it became a significant costume piece for the lead character, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, portrayed by actor Tom Cruise. Bomber jackets have come back into vogue with their appearance in the release of the sequel to Top Gun, called Top Gun: Maverick. Additionally, the clothing trade journal Women's Wear Daily, known for reporting on changes in fashion trends, says that bomber jackets rank among the top outerwear trends for the upcoming cold-weather months.

3. Menswear for Women 

The character of Annie Hall in Woody Allen's successful movie helped make menswear for women wildly sought-after during the 1970s after the film's release. Although costume designer Ruth Morley created outfits for the other Annie Hall characters, actor Diane Keaton, who played Annie Hall, chose her own clothing for the movie and made style history. Her menswear apparel included layered clothes beginning with baggy pants topped with button-down shirts and vests worn with boxy oversized blazers. Her fashion-forward look also featured calf-reaching skirts and dresses, various men's hats, large round glasses and scarves. Moreover, menswear for women continues to influence design houses, such as Armani and Brooks Brothers, which offer popular styles of menswear geared toward women shoppers.

4. Little Black Dress 

In the fashion world of the 1920s, designer Coco Chanel received credit for originating the clothing staple known as the little black dress. However, actor Audrey Hepburn, in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's, made the little black dress an iconic wardrobe piece and fashion trend for many American women. Customer Givenchy created the dress she wore in the movie. Made of figure-hugging black satin, the designer paired the glamorous dress with pearls, black opera-length gloves and a rhinestone tiara in her hair. Furthermore, Chanel and Givenchy's trend-setting black dresses have never gone out of style but remain clothing staples in many women's wardrobes.

5. Avant-Garde Street Style 

The 1980s movie Desperately Seeking Susan brought a different fashion sensibility by focusing on an eclectic blending of sexy and punk apparel. The color black features prominently in the skirts, nylons and jackets worn by lead characters performed by Madonna and Rosanna Arquette. The clothing that popularized this street-savvy look often included multiple necklaces and pairing blazers with bustiers, capri pants and headscarves. Later trends also found inspiration from the film with updated pairings of slim pants with sheer tops and sexy lingerie underlayers.

Fashion trends constantly change. However, movies often provide the creativity and impetus to impact consumers' clothing options from their favorite retailers substantially.