FASHIONABLE MOVIES 2.

1. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
Setting: Geneva, 1960s
Synopsis: When Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) pulls off the perfect crime, Viki Anderson (Faye Dunaway) is called in to investigate.
Style: Smart and seductive.
Watch for: Her nails, her (inch-long) eyelashes, her skirts, the perfectly structured, perfectly accessorized mini-suits, and that white pleated halter-neck mini in the “chess seduction scene.” Every scene could make a magazine layout.

 

2. Love Story (1970)
Setting: Cambridge and New York, 1970s
Synopsis: After graduation, a rich Harvard law jock (Ryan O’Neal) marries a poor Radcliffe music student (Ali MacGraw).
Style: Preppy collegiate.
Watch for: The coats, cosy sweaters, and the notable hat and scarf sets – Ali MacGraw’s knit stocking cap became an instant craze.
 

3. The Great Gatsby (1974)
Setting: Long Island, summer 1922
Synopsis: A film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic, in which Jay Gatsby (Robert Redford) falls for the flighty Daisy Buchanan (Mia Farrow).
Style: WASP American style and the return of the twenties flapper.
Watch for: Mia Farrow’s cream and white flapper dresses, her long beads, wide-brim hats, the pin-curl bob. Redford’s Ralph Lauren-designed three-piece suits, driving caps, and gloves.

 

4. Mahogany (1975)
Setting: Chicago, 1970s
Synopsis: Tracy (Diana Ross) tries to leave the ghetto and become a fashion designer and a top model.
Style: Outlandishly retro. Diana Ross designed some of the costumes herself. Marc Jacobs based his fall 2007 collection on this film.
Watch for: The retro designs, the colour, and the glitter. The ombre evening dress. White pantsuits. Seventies turtlenecks. The hair.

5. Annie Hall (1977)
Setting: New York, 1970s
Synopsis: A neurotic comedian (Woody Allen) falls in love with the neurotic and ditzy Annie Hall (Diane Keaton).
Style: Androgynous chic. The masculine/feminine. Tutorial in how to wear our boyfriend’s clothes.
Watch for: Keaton’s hat, man’s tie, shirts, waistcoats, and wide-leg pants.

6. American Gigolo (1980)
Setting: Beverly Hills, 1980s
Synopsis: Julian Kaye (Richard Gere) is the highest-paid male prostitute in LA (naturally). He falls in love with the wife of a local politician (Lauren Hutton) and is framed for the murder of one of his clients.
Style: American chic at its best. This is the film that put Armani on the style map. Lauren Hutton epitomizes effortless American sportswear. And Richard Gere becomes the first Hollywood actor to appear full-frontal nude on screen (just FYI).

 

7. Scarface (1983)
Setting: Miami, 1980
Synopsis: Tony Montana (Al Pacino), a young Cuban refugee, is drawn into Miami’s underworld of crime, cocaine and Elvira Hancock (Michelle Pfeiffer).
Style: The look of unadulterated debauchery. Long before the rebirth of South Beach, there was the glamazonian beauty of Elvira. Gucci’s spring/summer 2006 advertising campaign was based on Elvira’s look.
Watch for: The slinky, shiny dresses, the huge coke-head sunglasses, the blond hair.
 

8. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Setting: Los Angeles, early 1990s
Synopsis: The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster’s wife (Uma Thurman), and a pair of diner bandits intertwine.
Style: Hip simplicity. Uma Thurman in the dancing scene is amazing. Her capri pants, her crisp white shirt with the black bra underneath, her severe bangs, and black hair. Amazing.
Watch for: The black capri pants, the white shirt, and the hair.

 

9. In the Mood for Love (2000)
Setting: Hong Kong, 1962
Synopsis: Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) form a close friendship when they discover their spouses are each having an affair.
Style: Everything in the movie is styled to perfection.
Watch for: The colour of her dresses, the 1950s heels, the quiet sexiness of the fit. A prime example of the international women.