Have you seen the new BBC/Starz TV miniseries “The White Queen“? If so, can we talk — about how bad the costumes and hair are?
This is an adaptation of some of Philippa Gregory’s books, and I’m sure they are just the most historically accurate things out there (I got halfway through the first book and then, as usual, got irritated with Gregory’s writing and lack of historical knowledge). And yes, it’s yet another “We’re not trying to be slavishly historically accurate!” in terms of design/costumes/whatnot. Fine. Yawn.
First, let’s look at a few images of some of our key female characters:
Elizabeth Woodville via Wikimedia CommonsElizabeth Woodville via Wikimedia CommonsAnne Neville via Wikimedia CommonsMargaret of Anjou via Wikimedia Commons
Now, let’s talk about the series costumes & hair:
Many of the female characters (here, Anne Neville -- also Elizabeth Woodville does this too) wear elaborate braids that look like they've been slept in for three weeks. Sadly I can't find a good picture -- this is the closest -- but they're frizzy with hair sticking out everywhere. Huh?Jacquetta (Elizabeth Woodville's mom) has some pretty cool hair though!Some of the dresses are reasonably pretty and elegant, like this one on Elizabeth Woodville (who is a dead ringer for a young Trinny of Trinny & Susannah).But then Elizabeth Woodville will spend multiple episodes in something really boring like this. Okay yes, you're showing her in her relaxed clothes, but still -- YAWN.Isabelle Neville's (left) wardrobe was clearly raided from some high school theater department.Margaret Beaufort wears a lot of simple, high necked clothes -- okay, makes sense for someone who is really pious. But they're all suspiciously Star Trek in their cut. And one of the few times she wore something with a lower neck, I swear I saw a bra strap.I don't know what Margaret of Anjou is wearing here, but I know I hate it.And on a side note, I know next to nothing about medieval armor, but all of the leads wander around with this one shoulder in armor, one not thing going on. It doesn't seem very functional to me.
Based on a novel by Emile Zola, this series tells the story of poor, country girl Denise, who comes to London in the 1870s and finds a job at a department store called The Paradise. You follow her transition from country mouse to city girl who turns out to have a flair for the burgeoning world of shopping and selling, plus learn about the various characters whose lives connect through the store. In particular, these include her handsome, charming boss, the older manager of her department who tries to stifle her, and various co-workers, some of whom support her and some who compete. The plot-lines are very interesting and it’s all a great premise, as there’s many different characters and stories to follow.
The costuming is overall really quite good, probably an A-. I LOVE the shopgirl uniforms, which are these stunning black natural form dresses with little Chinese brocade shrugs. The store owner’s love interest (played by Elaine Cassidy), the wealthiest female character, is a mixed bag. Some of her dresses seem too limp, like they need more petticoats/a better bustle, and sometimes the trimming seems too heavy handed. Other times, she wears very chic dresses with cute little waistcoat effects. By mid-season, I was starting to get annoyed that ALL of her dresses were (at base) white, and wondering if they were just retrimming a couple of white dresses; but near the end of the season, her character goes through some changes that are reflected in her costumes, so I now believe it was a conscious, thoughtful choice. They also did a great job creating the department store, which is absolutely gorgeous!
My review: 5 (out of 5)
If you like this era, you might want to check out my other Victorian costume movie reviews. For more bustle prettiness, I specifically recommend The Buccaneers (1995), Daniel Deronda (2002), and Portrait of a Lady (1996).
This is a Canadian TV series (set in Toronto, I believe?) about various women who work at a munitions factory during World War II… and it is complete soap opera, and I love it! The lead character is Gladys, daughter of a wealthy family who wants to get involved in the war effort and rebel against her parents, so she gets a job at the factory. There she meets many working class women, from Lorna (the older supervisor with a difficult home life, played by Meg Tilly) to Vera (the flightly girl who faces a big challenge) to Betty — the strong independent woman, who falls for sheltered Kate, running away from an abusive family. The stories follow them into the factory and out as the war complicates their lives, does a beautiful job showing the many opportunities and challenges that the war caused for women, and has some excellently soap opera-esque storylines to keep you hooked.
Best of all, the costume designer did a BRILLIANT job. Everything from the factory outfits to the street and dress-up wear, hair, makeup, etc. is appropriate to the period. In particular, they either have a stock of vintage rayon prints or a source for making stunning reproductions, because the women wear dress after dress that makes you go, “WHOA, that is SUCH a 1940’s print!”
This TV series, created by French & Saunders (a famous British comedy team; you probably know Jennifer Saunders from Absolutely Fabulous) is COMPLETELY HILARIOUS. It’s set at Versailles in 1782, and Saunders plays the Comtesse de Vache (Countess of Cow), an AbFab version of an aristocrat who spars with her witty maid (Dawn French), hairdresser, and rival Madame de Plonge. If you like historical humor, you will love this. If you like AbFab, you will love this. Nothing makes me howl as much as the opening 6 minutes of the episode “Murder,” when the Comtesse’s attendants leave her alone for two days, and she’s unable to get out of bed because — well, she’s an aristocrat! She can’t get herSELF out of bed!
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Berrington plays a Queenie version of Marie Antoinette, complete with ridiculous Austrian accent.
The costumes are definitely theatrical: I think all of the dresses have fitted backs, some of which are incongruous with the rest of the dress; some of the fabrics are weird; and there are some non-18th c. aesthetics, like skirts of a different color than the bodice. That being said, I really quite liked many of the costumes! The wigs are great, it LOOKS like they used silk for many of the dresses, and sometimes a character will step out in something that will make you say, “Wow, I think they based that on a real historical garment!” See Marie Antoinette’s dress below, and the Comtesse de Vache’s blue & white jacket ensemble (okay the pockets are weird, but otherwise, I quite like it!).
I can’t recommend this highly enough!
My review: 5 (out of 5)
If you like this era, you might also want to check my 18th C. Costume Movie Reviews. For more silly takes on history, check out Casanova (the David Tennant version), Lost in Austen (2008), and The Young Visiters (2004).
Okay, so no doubt you read/heard about this movie when it came out. Strong performances from many of the cast members, a good quality film but definitely made for Oscars, some issues around the fact that it celebrates a fictional strong young white woman for telling the story of African Americans rather than celebrating real historical strong African-American women.
What I want to talk about is hair. Specifically, lead character Skeeter’s hair. Apparently in the book I have not read, Skeeter has curly, frizzy hair that is the bane of her existence (as it is so NOT the mid-1960s beauty ideal). An article quotes Hair Department Head Camille Friend who says, “In the book, she has unruly hair, and it’s a pivotal story point, so we decided on a blonde, curly hair texture for her lace-front wig” (American Salon, July 2011).
Okay kids. In the mid-60s, you did NOT want curly hair.
This was an era when they didn’t know how to deal with natural curl. Artificial, styled curl? Yes. Natural curl? Find ways to smooth it out via brushing, cutting, large rollers, you name it. I can’t even find any images of women with naturally curly hair in this era. If I could, it would look more like this:
Or this:
Or this:
It would NOT look like this:
Emma Stone as Skeeter in The Help
That is all.
My review: 3 (out of 5)
If you like this era, you might also want to check my 20th C. Costume Movie Reviews. If you’re in the mood for better done mid-century, check out An Education (2009), Far From Heaven (2002), and Revolutionary Road (2008).
Elizabeth Woodville via Wikimedia Commons
