15 Movie Costumes That Gave Viewers a Bunch of Hints but Only a Few People Noticed

When a person watches a movie or series for the first time, they enjoy the narration and try not to miss important plot twists. It’s only when re-watching the flick for the second time, that attentive people start to notice the tiniest details in the images of the characters, which helps them to understand both the characters and the plot better.

We at Bright Side studied popular movies and series once again and found out what important little details were hidden in the costumes by the creators.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The details in the onscreen versions of Harry Potter books deserve a special bunch of praise. The costume designer was intentionally dressing Ron Weasley in shabby, faded robes that distinguished him from his wealthier friends and classmates. It was clear that he was wearing clothes handed down from his elder brothers.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Smart internet users noticed that the pink wardrobe of Dolores Umbridge was pretty similar to the style of Queen Elizabeth. We don’t know whether costume designers did this intentionally but this detail perfectly unfolds the character of the woman. Despotic Umbridge feels like a true queen at Hogwarts because she can do whatever she wants.

Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is a perfect example of how costumes can tell the stories of the characters. Cersei is not single in the first season, she is fully dependent on her husband and feels like a bird locked in a cage.

According to the costume designer, the embroidery reflected her true situation, “She is a beautiful woman with a hidden desire for power and a wish to be regarded as an equal in the male-dominated world she inhabits. At that stage, she lives in the shadow of her husband, King Robert Baratheon, who holds power over her and the kingdom.” Also, according to the designer’s idea, this bird is a reference to the twittering and scheming she is involved in behind the scenes.

Also, the costumes showed the connection between the characters. Let’s look closer at the women of the Tyrell house. Margaery’s outfits have a lot in common with her grandmother Olenna’s dresses. Even their belts are almost identical. It’s just that Olenna has more spikes and stems because she is the head of the family.

Back to the Future II

Attentive fans of the trilogy noticed that in Back to the Future 2, Doc’s shirt design foreshadows the events in the next film. It depicts 2 horses chasing a steam train, while in Back to the Future III we are shown the times of Wild West where Dr. Emmett and Marty are trying to hijack a train.

Dune

The costume designer Jacqueline West got inspired by the Romanovs’ epoch and wanted to show the nobility of the Atreides House through the costumes. Perhaps this is also a subtle hint that a lot of grief and trouble is awaiting the family in the future.

Jurassic World

The movie creators left a funny reference to the first movie — Jurassic Park. When Bryce Dallas Howard rolls up her sleeves and ties her shirt at the bottom to say “I’m ready,” she’s wearing it the same way Laura Dern did.

Bridgerton

It was the famous Ellen Mirojnick, who dressed the characters of Basic Instinct, Maleficent, and many other movies, who was responsible for costumes in this series. She and her team created all the outfits from scratch and hid many symbolic aspects in them.

For example, before marriage, Daphne is mostly wearing powdery blue dresses that speak of her innocence. But when she becomes the duchess, her color palette becomes richer and duskier.

It was Marc Pilcher who was responsible for the hairstyles and makeup in Bridgeton. To create Daphne’s image, he got inspired by the cult Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn and her role in War and Peace, in particular. Elegance, simplicity, and cute curls on the forehead are the things that these 2 heroines have in common.

Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino’s character is wearing a T-shirt with a smiling globe. This is the logo of the Detroit magazine Orbit. Orbit was the first to interview Tarantino about his directorial career and put him on the cover. Perhaps this is how Quentin decided to show his gratitude to the publisher that did him great honor in the past.

Widows

Throughout the entire movie, the style of the main character, Veronica, changes as her personality evolves. The more mysteries about her husband she learns, the darker her wardrobe becomes.

Hocus Pocus

Recently the costume designer shared in an interview that they intentionally dyed Max’s sweatshirt in the colors of Sanderson sisters — red, green, and lilac.

Promising Young Woman

Cassie is a girl who is in a deep depression because of the trauma she had to face. But she hides her emotions from others behind her clothing. Delicate girly outfits act as a façade that hides bitterness and a thirst for revenge.

According to the costume designer, Cassie is sending important signals to others through her outfits, saying: “I’m fine, I am careless and completely harmless.” In one of the episodes, the filmmakers even provided her with an impromptu halo to emphasize her innocence.

However, it’s the pendant of friendship, which she practically never removes, that indicates her real state of mind. She has a broken heart over what happened to her friend, but no one around her notices it.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

In Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, princess Aurora appears in a tender blue dress. As the costume designer, Ellen Mirojnick, shared, the design got its inspiration from nature, that’s why her gown is decorated with embroidered leaves and spiderwebs. It was important for movie creators to show that the dress was seemingly created by the fairies and that that’s why all the decorations were handmade.

In what movies or series have you noticed interesting details in the costumes of the characters?

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