Top 10 best dresses from film
By Emilee Benos
Fashion on the big screen has both reflected the trends of the time and inspired them. Take a look at our top ten favorites.
Illustrations by Effie Guenther
10. Kate Hudson as Andie Anderson
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
Hudson once described her character Andie Anderson as “the girl that everyone wants to be,” and girls everywhere felt that sentiment when Andie first stepped out at the Warner Advertising Gala in the yellow floor-length satin cocktail gown.
9. Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan
The Great Gatsby (2013)
Designer Catherine Martin succeeded at creating a modern 1920s look in her fashions for The Great Gatsby. The dress that stands out most is Daisy’s chandelier dress, a custom Prada design, which she wears the first time she attends one of Gatsby’s parties.
8. Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Gone With the Wind is known for its ornate period fashions, but perhaps the most recognized dress in the film is Scarlett O’Hara’s green curtain dress—a symbol of Scarlett’s resiliency. Costume designer Walter Plunkett even designed the dress to look faded, reflecting what real curtains would look like from sun exposure.
7. Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Inspiring many Halloween costumes for years to come, Audrey Hepburn’s black gown is one of the the most widely recognizable dresses in film, and for good reason.
6. Julia Roberts as Vivian Ward
Pretty Woman (1990)
Costume designer Marilyn Vance created this stunning, red off-the-shoulder gown for the scene where Robert’s character goes to the opera.
5. Marilyn Monroe as The Girl
The Seven Year Itch (1955)
Perhaps the most iconic dress in cinematic history, Monroe’s famous white halter dress makes its debut in The Seven Year Itch, creating an image that defined pop culture for years to come.
4. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
Although there are many impressive designs throughout The Hunger Games franchise, the most stand-out dress is Katniss’s mockingjay dress that she wears in Catching Fire. What begins as her wedding dress transforms into a beautiful black mockingjay dress when she twirls—fashion and a social statement.
3. Kiera Knightly as Cecilia Tallis
Atonement (2007)
The crowning jewel of this visually stunning film is the emerald green silk floor-length gown Knightly’s character wears during the dinner party—and that library scene—at the Tallis’s house.
2. Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette (2006)
It is hard to choose just one dress that stands out (Dunst wears over 60 gowns throughout the film), but the gown Marie Antoinette wears at her wedding typifies the lavish French fashions found at Versailles in the 18th century.
1. Lily James as Cinderella
Cinderella (2015)
It’s hard to think of Cinderella without thinking of her famous blue ball gown, and costume designer Sandy Powell did an excellent job of bringing it to life in the 2015 film. Claiming the spot as one of the most breathtaking movie gowns ever made, the dress required a team of over 20 people to create the eight different versions, as well as the complicated structural engineering underneath.
