Critiquing Costumes

(Please see my post on The Male Gaze  before reading this.)  The Female Gaze can be used to describe two very different but linked theories. In this post, I will look over both of the theories and try my best to describe them and how they impact the costuming community. The Female Gaze: The Reverse of The Male Gaze In response to Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze  theory in film, other feminist critics have responded with the opposite of this coined The Female Gaze.  In this theory, the female gaze represents the view of the stereotypical heterosexual female viewer. Like The Male Gaze , The Female Gaze  places the lead male character as a sexual object for the lead female character and the audience to enjoy. The main place where I have noticed The Female Gaze  is in the Marvel films. (Chris Evans as Captain America - "Captain America: The First Avenger") (Chris Pratt as Star-Lord - "Guardians of the Galaxy") (Chris Hemsworth as Thor - "Thor: Ragnarock") (Hugh J...

The Male Gaze , a theory presented by scholar and filmmaker Laura Mulvey in her now famous 1975 essay, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema outlines the basic idea that women in certain film (and theatre) are sexualised for heterosexual, male desire without real need. This could take shape in many forms, from what the female actor says, wears, acts or any other action that could be deemed as sexual in the eyes of a male audience. The Male Gaze  is seen a lot in superhero movies in particular. As action movies like these are stereotypically geared towards a male audience, these films tend to be filmed in such a way that would attract a stereotypical heterosexual male to view them. This means that often the female leads in these films are dressed in provocative clothing, act in a sexual manner (whether this be flirting, dancing provocatively or being otherwise alluring for the male), or is placed in front of the camera with the intention of being looked at for both the male lead and ...

 Costume Designer: Paul Tazewell Although Hamilton has been on Broadway since January of 2015, the show became available to most of the world through a subscription to Disney+ and was released on that platform in the summer of 2020 (hence that being the date in the title.) Hamilton: An American musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda showcases the life story of the American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Miranda was reportedly inspired to write the musical after reading the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Miranda describes the musical as “America then, as told by America now.” Due to the musical being set in a certain time and place, 18 th century America to be exact, it is obvious that I would choose to critique these costumes based on historical accuracy. But I also think it is important to remember that entirely historically accurate costumes would not be suited to a stage performance, as historically accurate gowns for the Schuyler Sisters and choral members ...

  Costume Designer: Catherine Martin The Great Gatsby was directed by Baz Luhrman, the film adaptation of the F. G. Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel of the same name. The styles utilised in the costume span the entire decade, and this creates a hyper-real fantasy of high-end couture and runway fashion of the time. This creates a link to the 1920s that Fitzgerald encompasses in his novel, as he highlights the themes of money, sex, and class. Daisy Buchanan To aid my review, I will give a character synopsis to highlight key points for them in the film as well as their personality. Originally from Kentucky, Daisy fell in love with Gatsby while he was stationed there during the war. He lies to her about his background, saying he comes from a rich family in an attempt to secure her. They fall in love and Gatsby must leave, and Daisy promises to wait for him. In 1919, however, she chooses to marry Tom Buchanan who came from a solid, aristocratic family. He was also supported by her parents. After...

Costume Designer: Sandy Powell This live-action remake of “Cinderella” by Disney takes the idea of timelessness and invokes it through the costumes portrayed. Because the film, like many others by Disney, is not time or region specific, the idea that the costumes for this film can be critiqued by historical accuracy or regional fashion goes out of the window. In most cases this timeless feel can go wrong, and it falls down to the design team to be imaginative and invoke cohesion between looks to neatly tie the film together. In Cinderella, this works perfectly! The costumes throughout this film are coherent and work together to create a functional wardrobe for each character whilst also drawing inspiration from every time period imaginable.  Cinderella (Cinderella's Day Dress) For most of Cinderella’s costumes, there is the running colour scheme of blue. Not only is this in-keeping with the original Disney’s Cinderella from 1950, but the choice of pastel blue lends itself to the pe...