Fashion In Film Friday - "Pretty Woman"

The 1990 romantic comedy 'Pretty Woman' starring Julia Roberts opposite leading man, Richard Gere was a box office hit being one of the highest grossing films for that year.  The movie was originally intended to be a dark drama about prostitution in New York in the 1980's, having Roberts character, Vivian addicted to drugs.  Although not given credit for it, Pretty Woman's story line, in my opinion, was kind of jocked from the vintage 1963 comedy 'Irma La Douce' starring Shirley MacLaine & Jack Lemmon.

Personally, I don't fancy this film for it's overtly glorifying attitude towards prostitution as a career choice, although it's considered to be the oldest profession, if you want to call it that ah ha?!  O.k. now onto where fashion plays a part of today's blurb...  So of course, the hooker chic Julia wears for most of the beginning of this film is not what we're referring to when suggesting this is a movie that inspired fashion but rather the haute couture she wore at dinner with edward and at the polo match with him as well...  From the thigh high patent hooker boots to the floor sweeping, off the shoulder red evening gown, all credit for every single piece Roberts wore in 'Pretty Woman' goes to Marilyn Vance, a Brooklyn native who resides in Los Angeles to date.  Vance has been a member of the 'Costume Designers Guild' 30 years & had worked on the sets of Fast Times At Ridgemont High & Pretty In Pink.  Her clothing designs that transformed Roberts character Vivian from street walker to prima donna had everyone wondering..."Who designed that?"

The movie 'Pretty Woman' had an underlying sense of charm appeal from the get go, because the idea of the knight in shining armor coming to rescue the damsel in distress is always going to be every girls favorite fairy tale... 


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Fashion In Film Friday

The 1959 movie 'Some Like It Hot' starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and the legendary Marilyn Monroe was a controversial film for it's time due to the fact that it ended up being banned in several states, Kansas, Memphis & Tennessee.  This was due to the lead male characters played by Lemmon & Curtis, wearing women's clothing which in turn sparked an 'adult entertainment' restriction because of the idea that it was promoting cross dressing.  That was not the case at all as the plot centered around two struggling musicians in the 1920's, on the run from the mob hiding out with an all girl band, disguising themselves as women to fit in...

The movie showcased an amazing costume wardrobe of styles beyond befitting the vintage days of the roaring 20's.  One dress in particular worn by Marilyn pushed the boundaries of that prudish era of what was allowable on screen, when in one scene she wore a dress considered so 'barely there' that it was said to have been her first on screen nude scene!  The dress was made of sheer chiffon and the bust was adorned with two appliques placed appropriately to hide certain parts of her anatomy.  Isn't it amazing to think this was considered risque?  

Besides Marilyn's questionable fashions in this film, 'Some Like It Hot' was said to have been a movie that inspired or promoted rather, cross dressing.  If you look back in history, cross dressing in film as they refer to it, or rather men dressing as women and vice versa, goes back to the early 1900's with silent films.  Truth is, there is always going to be an air of taboo where the subject of gender bending on any level is concerned but I don't really think that movies or music for that matter really has anything to do with promoting that degree of change in anyone and the idea that it can or does, is pretty much ridiculous!  What do you think?...   

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