We’re all used to lists of top action moments or the best ever heroic denouncements so we thought we’d offer up something different – our round-up of the best clothing-centric movie moments:
Pretty Woman
No list could possibly start with any other film. Garry Marshall’s 1990 hit offers some of cinema’s definitive clothing-related scenes.
First we have the heart breaking moment where Vivian’s (Julia Roberts) efforts to buy a dress suitable for her date with Edward (Richard Gere) are scuppered by the deliberate and callous snobbery of her chosen store, followed by the Barney’s (Héctor Elizondo) heroic rescuing of the evening by setting her up with his tame shopkeeper, Bridget.
And then we get the crowning moment where Vivian, arms full of the clothes Edward’s bought for her, returns to the original store and shows the unhelpful staff member what a “big mistake” she made in passing up all the commission the shopping spree would’ve netted her.
Accompanied by Roy Orbison’s ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ track, the denouncement is one of the film’s true signature moments ands thrilled a generation of movie fans.
The Devil Wears Prada
A close second, this adaption of Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel of the same name features a glorious moment between Meryl Streep’s fashion magazine editor, Miranda Priestly, and her new and tragically hapless assistant, Andrea (Anne Hathaway).
Disdainful of the world of fashion and those who care about their daily look, Andrea has been rocking up to work in a series of ‘thrown on’ outfits and treats a job that “a million girls would die for” as nothing more than a temporary berth on her path into journalism.
This attitude prompts Priestly, famously never one to hold her tongue, to finally snap – giving us this gem of a scene:
Given that the scene is one of the film’s most memorable, viewers are often surprised to discover it doesn’t exist in the source novel.
Its origins offer an interesting insight into the film’s production and it’s just one of a series of changes made to shape the story for the screen.
The novel’s original ending is also substantially re-written, creating a more up-beat finale than Weisberger served up to her readers.
While the author has since written a sequel – 2013’s Revenge Wears Prada – both Streep and Hathaway have been clear they have no interest in working on a movie adaption.
Given the novel didn’t get exactly get a great response from critics thanks to its lacklustre prose and blatantly telegraphed plot, we should consider it a mercy that the usually sequel-loving Hollywood isn’t likely to inflict this one on us.
Kinky Boots
Third on our list is the 2005 British feel-good comedy about a struggling shoe factory owner (Joel Edgerton’s Charlie Price) who finds a new business opportunity in drag queen Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor).
Very loosely based on the plight of a real Northamptonshire business showcased in the BBC Two documentary series Trouble at the Top, the film was produced by BBC Films and its success resulted in a top-selling soundtrack CD and smash-hit West End and Broadway musical.
The movie is packed with great scenes, including this one where Charlie’s efforts to make boots capable of supporting Lola during her act aren’t exactly met with the rapturous joy he was hoping for:
and of course the finale where Charlie, for the second time in the film, is rescued by Lola after finding himself flat-out on the floor:
Edgerton and Ejiofor have enjoyed considerable success in the years since Kinky Boots was released, and both have several films – Red Sparrow, Gringo and Boy Erased (Edgerton) and Come Sunday, Mary Magdalene and Sherlock Gnomes (Ejiofor) – out this year.
By the way, if you’re looking to dazzle, boots similar to Lola’s show-stopping pair are available from Uppersole Shoes.
The Intern
Bringing us up to date, this 2015 film gives Anne Hathaway a second appearance in our list.
Pairing her with acting legend Robert De Niro, the movie stars Hathaway as Jules Ostin, the likeable and youthful founder and CEO of online fashion retailer About the Fit who is under mounting investor pressure to bring in a more experienced pair of hands.
The first time we meet Jules, she’s manning the phones, dealing with a customer whose order for bridesmaid dresses has gone hideously wrong. In a single scene, Director Nancy Meyers deftly establishes our heroine’s very hands-on approach to work and shows us why the firm’s backers are seeking a more ‘big picture’ overseer for the venture.
Taking second billing, De Niro plays retired widower Ben Whittaker – part of an older persons intern programme. Assigned to work with Jules, he quickly becomes a valued confident to her, before being revealed as a former executive at the phonebook firm which used to be based in About the Fit’s offices.
While some in the audience might expect this to result in Ben’s eventual hiring as the CEO, the film avoids the obvious plot lines and instead treats us to a multi-generational tale about finding a place in a rapidly changing world.
In Collaboration With Uppersole Shoes.
