Ten Movies To Watch If You Love Costume Design

In the following movies, costume is a mode of storytelling. Each outfit and accessory convey characterisation and foreshadowing through colour, fabric, texture and structure. There are, of course, some movies so iconic that they must be mentioned. Marilyn Monroe’s pink dress and matching gloves in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) has been replicated across popular culture, cementing its identity as one of the most influential pieces of costume design ever created. Similarly, designer Walter Plunkett created over 5,500 costume pieces for the 1939 film adaptation of Gone with the Wind, many of which have become cultural phenomena, including Vivien Leigh’s infamous slinky feathered red dress.

It is no coincidence that there are so many historical and mythical dramas on this list – costuming is at its best when it is allowed to become spectacle, as seen from Kate Hawley’s recent designs in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein (2025). If you love costume design, her filmography is a great place to start.

Rian Johnson’s Knives Out (2019) is another film which is not afraid of spectacle. The vibrant and hilarious murder mystery captured fans for its flamboyant dialogue and characters. However, amongst the film’s elaborate style, costume designer Jenny Eagan’s best work is subtle. Take the film’s villain, Ransom (played by Chris Evans), who wears expensive woollen jumpers littered with holes. Eagan uses this detail to evidence Ransom’s arrogant flippancy towards his familial wealth, offering a striking example of how designers communicate character through costume.

Similarly, Loredana Buscemi’s designs for La Chimera (2024) are beautifully understated. In a country caught in the throes of modernisation, the film’s protagonist Arthur (played by Josh O’Connor) stands out in his shabby cream vintage suit – the perfect canvas for the dirty evidence of his job as a tombarolo (grave-robber). When Arthur later changes into dark trousers and a casual pink t-shirt, Buscemi’s costuming offers the audience the silent hope that the protagonist has decided to give up his profession, let the ghosts of the past lie, and live in the present. This unspoken narrative detail enhances the tragic and bittersweet effect of the film’s ending - Buscemi offers a masterclass in deliberately misleading your audience.

For a more theatrical version of Arthur’s white suit, take a look at Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s immaculate white military uniform in Anna Karenina (2012). Staged across from Keira Knightley’s blood-red ball gown, designer Jacqueline Durran foreshadows tragedy through the theatricality of her costumes. Throughout her filmography, Durran’s work walks the line between gothic extravagance and historical believability. From her pared-back, cutting medieval silhouettes in Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth (2015), to Keira Knightley’s green silk dress in Atonement (2007), Durran practises a disciplined creative craft. It is one she is constantly expanding and innovating through, promising even more exciting work in the future.

Costume designer Malgosia Turzanska’s recent work on Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet (2026) is also worth watching with careful detail. However, the designer’s most stunning work to date was for the lesser known A24 film called The Green Knight (2021), starring Dev Patel. In this slow-paced, moody and eerie medieval drama, Turzanska’s vibrant costumes break apart director David Lowery’s dark frames. It's undeniably some of the most thoughtful costuming in recent cinema. Each costume balances historical and mythical design, creating twisted versions of recognisably medieval silhouettes in order to enhance the film’s surreal effect. In every design, Turzanska’s technical ability is obvious: her pleating mimics the texture of tree bark and intricate embroidery decorates vibrant layered fabrics. The result is completely unmissable – a must-watch for all costume design fans.