11 Historical Goofs That Snuck Into Our Favorite Movies

Even the highest-budget movies, claiming historical accuracy, don’t go without blunders. You can spot Mozart with zipper fasteners, Robin Hood with a yet-to-be-invented telescope, and spandex gloves in the Regency era. We put together 11 of the most noticeable mistakes that found their way to movies and series.

Bridgerton (2020–2026)

The series Bridgerton is incredibly rich with a variety of costumes, dresses, and other elements of attire. Although the creators focused heavily on the costumes, there were inaccuracies. For example, the gloves fit very tightly and are likely made of spandex, which appeared in 1958. In reality, they should be made of cotton or leather and be much longer than Penelope’s gloves in the picture above.

The Mummy (1999)

In the movie The Mummy, Evelyn is getting ready to cross the desert on a camel. However, she’s dressed as if she’s about to perform a belly dance. No sun hat, no thick scarf to wrap her face in case of a sandstorm. It’s odd that her companions didn’t warn her about how she should be dressed.

Titanic (1997)

The costumes in Titanic are renowned for their historical accuracy in details, materials, and colors. However, the creators deliberately made some concessions for artistic purposes.

A striking example of this is the scene where the mother laces Rose into a corset. Even though that corsets had evolved toward softer and more comfortable forms by 1912, the film chose a more archaic and rigid version. This decision serves 2 purposes: an aesthetic effect and a symbolic contrast between the old Victorian order and the new, free-spirited trends of the era.

Nevertheless, even within the fashion of that era, Rose’s corset is more of an artistic metaphor than an exact reconstruction. The realities of 1912 involved longer corsets that gently draped over the hips and formed the “pigeon” silhouette, instead of aggressively lifting the bust.

Apparently, the costume designers simply chose a recognizable Victorian look that was most comprehensible to the audience. This was a conscious compromise: sacrificing historical accuracy for a powerful visual image that looked striking on screen.

Gladiator (2000)

In the Oscar-winning movie, Lucilla and Maximus wear fur-trimmed cloaks in scenes set in the forests of Germany. The logic seems clear — it should be colder there than in their Roman homeland. However, the ancient world was somewhat different.

Wearing fur back then was considered the prerogative of none other than the crude barbarians, against whom the Romans so fervently fought. Thus, it is extremely unlikely that the emperor’s daughter or the high-ranking Roman general would ever wear something like that.

Little Women (2019)

The story of the 4 March sisters unfolds during the reign of Queen Victoria. At that time, essential parts of a woman’s costume included a corset, petticoat, bloomers, and hoop skirt. However, in order to better convey the individuality of each heroine, the costume designers omitted certain elements from the looks of Beth and Jo. Jo prefers a vest over a corset, and Beth comfortably does without a crinoline.

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

The movie was based on the 1811 novel of the same name by Jane Austen. And yes, diapers did exist even in the early 19th century. They were made from cloth and towels. In the movie, however, the director and costume designers decided that this detail wasn’t particularly significant and opted for quite modern materials instead.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice was published in 1813. In the Hollywood adaptation, Lizzie wears Wellington boots. The only problem is, they weren’t produced until 40 years later.

Matilda (2017)

There was a small mishap with the ballerinas in the movie. On screen, they flaunt sheer tights, whereas in reality, at that time, dancers performed in quite thick tights. However, costume designer Nadezhda Vasilyeva admitted that she consciously made this choice because the thick tights would not have looked very graceful on camera.

Aviator (2004)

In one of the scenes, Robert Gross appears in thin rimless glasses, which look too modern for the 1920s. At that time, small round lenses in a metal frame were widespread.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Robin Hood appeared in English folklore, literature, and ballads as early as 1377. In the movie starring Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, Robin uses a telescope. This device was only invented in the 17th century.

Amadeus (1984)

Throughout the movie, zippers appear here and there in many outfits. A very convenient device. However, zippers were invented only 120 years after the death of the great composer.

And here are movie and TV mistakes that have yet to be explained.