The Best Dressed Movie Vampires

Werewolves. Monsters. Mummies. Vampires. Which do you think has an upper hand when it comes to their sartorial mark on cinema? More than any other type of movie "monsters," vampires have style. They're glamorous. They're cool. They live forever, they can shape-shift, and for the most part, they look fabulous. Here are a few noteworthy and very fashionable movie vampires for your enjoyment and appreciation.

Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula, Dracula (1931)

Let's give it up for the original debonair vampire! Even without his signature cape, that's one dapper fellow. 

Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt as Lestat and Louis, Interview With The Vampire (1994)

Let me take a minute to clarify that this list is purely about fashion, as this movie is kinda silly. But those vests! Those coats! The costumes in this are to die for.

Gary Oldman as Count Dracula, Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

I actually hate this movie, but I absolutely adore Oldman's costume in this scene. It takes talent to work an all-grey ensemble, and the details of his top hat and tinted glasses really complete the look. His red robe as old heart-headed Dracula is pretty awesome too.

Catherine Deneuve as Miriam, The Hunger (1983)

Look at that picture. No explanation necessary.

Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston as Eve and Adam, Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

The robe above is actually what inspired this post. Swinton and Hiddleston look so COOL in this movie. We're used to vampires looking like they belong to the distant past, but these costumes take the rock and roll vibe of The Lost Boys (who I didn't feature here because they all look like a bunch of damn fools) and chic-it-the-hell-up. Who wouldn't want to be these two?

Top-5: Filmmaking For Fashion

With New York Fashion Week still fresh in our memory, I decided that now would be a great time to reflect on the interesting work a few renowned directors have done in the service of promoting fashion lines and fragrances.

Even more than a music video, fashion promos are an exercise in pure aesthetics. Unencumbered by narrative, these filmmakers are free to indulge some of their most "out there" and experimental impulses. It's a world where image truly is king and there aren't any pesky screenwriters to get in the way. Established directors get the opportunity to try something new and maverick outsiders get the chance to make paychecks when Hollywood gigs become few and far between. These promos I've listed here are truly, "haute couture". Did I use that term right? Perhaps I should leave the fashion stuff to 'Becca'lise...

Lady Blue Shanghai by David Lynch

Missoni by Kenneth Anger

Blue de Chanel by Martin Scorsese

Miss Dior Cherie by Sofia Coppola

Coco Mademoiselle by Joe Wright

Gift Idea: Hollywood Sketchbook: A Century of Costume Illustration

I first spotted this book at a bookstore in Hollywood when we were up there for the TCM Film Festival. I immediately added it to my Amazon wishlist and crossed my fingers. Just received it as an early birthday present, and I loooove it. It's a huge and gorgeous coffee table book chock-full of stunning costume illustrations by a talented array of illustrators and designers. Any film fan who's especially drawn to costuming should pick this up! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I took a few! Enjoy!

"Living In" on Design*Sponge

Design and lifestyle blog Design*Sponge has a regular series called "Living In..." that takes beloved films and finds clothes and products that you can buy for a taste of that film's style in your own life. Check some of them out in the links below! I absolutely adore this series!

That Thing You Do!
Behind the Candelabra
Now and Then
Volver
Funny Face
Mary Poppins
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Tuck Everlasting
Mona Lisa Smile
Monsoon Wedding
Best in Show
Leap Year
Bill Cunningham New York
2 Days in Paris
Coffee & Cigarettes
Harriet the Spy
Vertigo
Grease
The Talented Mr. Ripley

Such a creative idea...wish I'd thought of it first!
(Image credit to Design*Sponge)

Spring Fashion at the Movies

Tomorrow is the first day of spring! As I stated in my fall fashion post, I think films are a great source of inspiration when it comes to my wardrobe. Spring to me means lots of brights and pastels, florals, and vintage silhouettes. Here are some of my favorite spring-ish looks from the silver screen!

Renee Zellweger as Barbara Novak in Down With Love (2003)

I love the costumes in this movie. When we first meet Miss Novak, she's wearing a pink and white dress with matching coat and hat, and it's so very 60s. Pink and white just makes you think of an Easter bunny in the best possible way!

Best Dressed Animated Disney Characters

This post was inspired by a list I saw on another website. Their 10 Best Dressed Disney Characters list left a lot to be desired, in my opinion, so I decided to make my own! So here they are, in no particular order.

Basil of Baker Street, The Great Mouse Detective

Easily the best dressed male character on this list, he showed us that he knows how to lounge, solve cases, AND hit up bars, all in style!

Fall Fashion at the Movies

After a sweltering summer in southern California, the weather is finally cooling down. Naturally, as a cinema-lovin' fashion-conscious gal, I turn to the movies to inspire my cool weather wardrobe. Lots of classics, coats, browns and blacks, and a touch of quirk. Here are 6 of my favorite fall looks from some of my favorite films.

Audrey Hepburn as Jo Stockton in Funny Face (1957)

What's a fashion list without Miss Hepburn? As a beatnik-bookworm-turned-model, she dons a lot of fabulous couture outfits. It's her pre-makeover clothes, however, that have me inspired. In a black turtleneck, black pants, black flats, trench coat, and simple ponytail, she is the very definition of gamine-chic!