How Costumes in Historical Films Tell the Story and Share Insights into Our Past and Present
By Nicole O’Connell
History of Costuming for Film
[1] When viewing films set in the past, audiences must feel as though they have been transported to another time. Audiences watch films to temporarily escape their own lives and learn about the lives of others; they want to be immersed in the story whether it be an ancient battle, a medieval court scandal, or, in the case of 12 Years a Slave, fraudulent enslavement on a Southern plantation. While many elements contribute to this immersion in the past, the use of costumes is an essential one. Unlike architecture and furniture styles that can also provide clues to the timeframe, fashion changes much more frequently, so it holds more significance when attempting to recreate a historical atmosphere. Owing to many different reasons, nevertheless, period costumes are not always correct. What effect do these inaccuracies have on our understanding of history?
[2] Sometimes the setting of a film is so significant that it is referred to as its own character; the same can be said about costumes. Since the 1920s, the costume industry has been a very important part of the film-making process (Maeder). Previously, actors usually wore their own clothing unless the film was set in a historical time period. When costuming is done correctly, costumes can intrigue, mesmerize, or even terrify an audience. Costumes have become so significant that awards shows for films often have award categories for costumes.
[3] Historical films have shaped the historical memory of the viewing public. In these mental “mise-en-scenes†created when imagining the past, what most noticeably makes the people different from current times are their outfits. Thus, making connections between costumes and history provides assistance when picturing the broad timeline of history and its events. When thinking about the 1920s in America, for example, it is easy to picture the extravagance present in The Great Gatsby, but just a decade later, in the 1930s, simpler commodities are present in The Grapes of Wrath. When one makes connections between the costumes and time for these two films, one can draw conclusions about how the Great Depression impacted people. Dazzling sparkles and art deco styles turned into practical necessities, like overalls and sensible shoes.
[4] While artwork and photographs can document period dress, films remain more memorable because the outfits come alive. Fabrics wave in the breeze or sway as someone walks; the passing shadows and light over them create something a still image cannot produce. Additionally, in 12 Years a Slave, the frequent shredding of the slaves’ white shirts by being whipped is not easy to forget. In other films, one might even be able to hear materials brushing up against a chair, the sound of high heels walking down a hallway, or the chiming of bracelets. The viewer sees and hears these costumes, and thus the film produces a more prominent presence than a portrait or photograph of the past.
[5] Are these mental images stirred up from movie memories accurate? Creative license allows directors to make their own creative decisions that could affect authenticity, which means that an actor could wear a twentieth-century hat during a movie set in the nineteenth century. Costumes are often glamorized to be more appealing to the audience. When watching current films, it is not odd to think that the characters’ outfits are too fancy for any average person to wear in the same situation; shouts of “take off your heels!†can often be heard in response to female stars in action movies. In the 1916 film Intolerance, lavish costumes involving beaded robes, lace, and velvet were used to depict ancient Babylon (Maeder). No one would connect these luxurious fabrics with “ancient Babylon,†but one might be reminded of the early twentieth century, the time the film was made.
[6] Other than just making the movie more visually appealing, there are other reasons costumes in a film may be historically inaccurate. A lack of available information about a certain time or event would certainly prove to have its challenges. And even when designers have the information they need, it can be difficult to recreate fashions. For example, wartime restrictions could limit materials needed to construct a costume; a replacement material would be legal, but authenticity would be sacrificed in the process. Another reason for anachronisms in costuming is that the idea of what is considered risqué fluctuates throughout the years, so some costumes may be altered to be more modest and conform to current appropriate standards. In the 1953 film The President’s Lady, which takes place in the early nineteenth century, necklines were raised from their actual level that showed flagrant décolletage, to a more modest level that conformed with 1950s ideals (Maeder).
[7] Contemporary ideals greatly influence historical costumes. This bias usually remains unnoticed until years later, once fashion ideals have evolved even more. When Gone with the Wind came out in 1939, people were amazed by the outfits used and believed the costumes were historically accurate. Looking back, however, one can see that there are plenty of 1930s influences on the film’s Civil War and Reconstruction period clothes. The asymmetrical style of the hats, as well as the cut of the bodices of women’s dresses and men’s suits were all popular styles of the 1930s (Maeder).
[8] Even in films in which the historical outfits may be accurate, the hairstyles and makeup of the actors may resemble styles of the time when the film was created. The historic clothing indicates to the viewers that the characters are situated the past, but the familiar hair and makeup assures the viewers that the characters are not too distant and that they will be able to relate to them (Maeder). By the 1930s, movies relied on their “starsâ€; viewers came to see the actors rather than the characters they played. If the stars looked too different from their usual selves, audiences could be deterred (Maeder). Familiar hairstyles and makeup allowed these stars to remain recognizable no matter what the setting of the film.
[9] However, there were instances in which makeup was used to disguise stars of the time. Actors, including Shirley Temple and Judy Garland, donned blackface, usually burnt cork or greasepaint, to portray absurd stereotypes of African Americans. These harmful representations began with minstrelsy shows which had been popular since the 1830s. Many films of the past utilized blackface, including Birth of a Nation which came out in 1915, as well as a multitude of films based on Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. While many viewers realized the destructive social implications of blackface, it was not until the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s that blackface was widely recognized as inappropriate.
Enslavement as a Subject for Film
[10] While there is an abundance of films set in America in the 1840s and 1850s, few focus on slavery. The 1938 film Jezebel takes place in New Orleans in the early 1850s, and while slaves are present in the film, the story is mostly focused on a high-society woman. The 1962 film How the West Was Won encompasses America and the years from 1839 to 1889; however, slavery receives no mention in the almost three-hour story. There are multiple reasons why enslavement is an unlikely choice for a subject. The cruelties and violence of slavery might be seen as too unappealing for audiences, and people may not want to be reminded of the horrors of America’s past. For How the West Was Won, filmmakers perhaps did not want to bring up the shameful events of America in the film that celebrates the American spirit. Additionally, slavery offers fewer opportunities for stunning costume designs. An important plot point in Jezebel is the main character wearing the wrong color dress to a party; it would be difficult to set this plotline on a slave plantation. Viewers seek out movies with glorious visuals, and so the absence of an enchanting spectacle might push viewers away.
Costuming in 12 Years a Slave
[11] Patricia Norris was the costume designer for 12 Years a Slave, and she toiled to make the costumes look as real as possible, which provided some challenges because of the limited information about slaves’ clothing at that time. Etchings of enslaved people from the time were available but did not provide much help to her because the slaves depicted appeared happy and were usually enjoying a relaxing lunch at the base of a tree. As a result, Norris assumed that the artists of the etchings had never even been to the South. She did research that showed that slaves received hand-me-down clothes from their masters and mistresses (Van Syckle). This means that in 12 Years a Slave, the slaves wear clothes that date back around twenty years. This is why Patsey wears dresses with an empire waist style. Another way that the slaves’ clothing is shown to be handed down is how the clothes do not fit them well; Northup’s clothes are often rather large for him.
[12] Norris’s realism extended to the dirt on the field slaves’ costumes. Because the setting included different plantations, Norris and her team took dirt from each plantation and matched it to the clothes that were to be worn on each plantation. Other than dirt, the slaves’ clothing was also aged by being dyed, pulled, washed frequently, and then left to dry in the sun. Because the filming locations were so hot, the sweat of the actors also added to the aging process (Van Syckle). Like Norris, Walter Plunkett, the costume designer for Gone with the Wind also visited plantations when doing research; however, because Gone with the Wind was filmed in the 1930s, Plunkett was able to interview survivors of the Civil War period (Maeder). When the subject is further away from the present, it becomes more difficult to obtain accuracy.
[13] Norris seems to have done an accurate job in making the costumes feel as if they are from the 1840s and 1850s. In the film, the field worker slaves wear similar outfits: all nondescript clothing. In real life, the plain clothes of field worker slaves were similar to one another. Advertisements for runaways would sometimes mention that the slave was wearing the “common dress†of field slaves (Gruber). Cotton was a common material for slaves’ clothing, but Norris also utilized it because it kept the actors cool as they worked through the high temperatures (Miller). If one searches for portraits created in the 1840s, one will find that Mistress Epps resembles many wealthy ladies of this time with the middle part of her hair and the dropped shoulders style of her dress.
[14] There were decisions Norris made that were based on artistic goals rather than historical research. Because of a note by Steve McQueen who wanted Epps to be a romantic, Epps’ shirt is longer and flowy at the sleeves (Harris). Additionally, Norris used a lot of beige in the slaves’ clothing because it felt right to her. She did not want 12 Years a Slave to present a happy image like the etchings she found while doing research (Harris).
[15] Procuring the costumes was an additional challenge. Norris found masks for the Mardi Gras scene in Los Angeles and New York, rented some women’s dresses from London, and also made many shirts and trousers (Van Syckle). What is the difference between clothes from the actual period and recreations of period clothes? Actual clothing from the time is over 150 years old, which means that the clothing cannot be in pristine condition. However, the clothing must not appear to be as old as it actually is because in the setting of the film, the clothes are new. In contrast, the recreations cannot be completely accurate to the time, but in relation to the story, they would have more authenticity because they would be of a similar condition and age.
[16] While costumes help the viewer understand the setting of the film, the costumes also help tell the story. Most notably, clothing represents status. There is a clear disparity in clothing between the free and enslaved people. The slaves wear dirty, damaged, simple clothing while the free usually wear clean, crisp, accessorized ensembles. This is especially present in the Mardi Gras party scene in the film, which showed how over-the-top the rich were compared to the slaves (Harris). In the scene, the free people wear extraordinary outfits with excessive ornamentation. Northup is hired to play the fiddle, and even though he is dressed nicer than usual because he wears a coat, he is still nowhere near as extravagant as the guests at the party.
[17] Another example of disparity between the free and enslaved can be seen in the scene where Patsey and Mistress Shaw are having tea. Mistress Shaw was once a slave and has formed a friendship with Patsey even though they are now of different classes. Since it is the Sabbath day, Patsey is not working out in the field and wears a nicer dress than usual. However, Mistress Shaw’s outfit, including her hat, is much fancier than Patsey’s, and she even wears earrings and a necklace. Even on a “dress-up†day, slaves cannot resemble the free who were not even always free.
[18] Other costuming choices also help tell the story. When Northup lives as a free man in New York, he wears an expensive-looking outfit. When his free status is taken from him, so are his clothes, and he succumbs to wearing simple white, ill-fitting shirts. After twelve years, he reenters the world of the free and goes back to wearing his distinguished clothing, but he seems uncomfortable wearing it. Even though Northup had those simple white shirts whipped into his back and stuck to him with blood and sweat, he feels uncomfortable not wearing them. This shows how much being trapped in enslavement has affected him.
[19] Nuances in costuming among the free population also help the viewer interpret the story. For example, the kidnappers Hamilton and Brown wear pieces of clothing with clashing patterns. This lack of elegance shows that they are not as well put together and are not to be trusted. In between different masters, Ford’s clothing is more distinguished than Epps’, so the viewer has an easier time agreeing with Northup that Ford is a more moral man than Epps. Ford is put together in his clothing and his life, while Epps’ disheveled look shows he is a loose cannon.
The Impact of Costuming
[20] Just as costumes affect how people view characters, films affect how people view history. Costuming choices affect the mental mise-en-scenes that are brought to mind when picturing the past. These recollections of film can be of great assistance illuminating history, but they can also be riddled with errors and provide deceptive views of the past. This is the reason why one must be aware of costuming inaccuracies when watching historical films. Directorial preferences and contemporary biases contribute to anachronisms. By realizing that what one sees in a film has influences from the time when the film was made, one can learn more about both time periods and how things have changed in the interim. By examining Birth of a Nation and 12 Years a Slave one can realize the progress of Civil Rights in erasing blackface and hurtful stereotypes. Films focusing on slavery were a rarity in the twentieth century, and none presented the atrocities like 12 Years a Slave; this can show that the early twenty-first century is ready to face the horrors of the past. Although historical films are meant to give an insight into the past, they can also present a snapshot of current times.
Works Cited
Gruber, Katherine Egner. "Slave Clothing and Adornment in Virginia." Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, 4 Feb. 2016. Web. 26 Apr. 2016. http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Slave_Clothing_and_Adornment_in_Virginia#start_entry
Harris, Rachel Lee. "Clothes and Character: '12 Years a Slave'" The Carpetbagger. N.p., 11 Dec. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2016. http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/11/clothes-and-character-12-years-a-slave/?_r=0
Maeder, Edward. Hollywood and History: Costume Design in Film. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1987. Print.
Miller, Julie. "Patricia Norris, *12 Years a Slave*'s 82-Year-Old Costume Designer, on Inventing History From Whole Cloth." Vanity Fair. N.p., 3 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2016. http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/01/12-years-a-slave-costume-design
Van Syckle, Katie. "Q&A: 12 Years a Slave Costume Designer Patricia Norris." The Cut. N.p., 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/01/qa-12-years-a-slave-costumer-patricia-norris.html#
