Best Wardrobe of the Century

I’ve seen dozens of lists of the best movies to watch simply for the wardrobe. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Rear Window, The Women (1939), and other classics make the list. I’m going to break with tradition and name a film made this century - and it isn’t The Devil Wears Prada or Sex in the City. I adore Heather Graham’s wardrobe in Killing Me Softly. The movie gets terrible ratings from reviewers, but I give costume designer Phoebe De Gaye two thumbs up.

Alice’s first ensemble is a sheer, long-sleeved, robin’s egg blue blouse under a pinstriped, sleeveless sheath. For out of doors, she adds a matching blue scarf and black coat. Ahead of her time, she’s wearing black booties on her feet. I love the contrast of masculine and feminine in this outfit. The blue looks gorgeous with her eyes.


The next day (and after a torrid afternoon with Joseph Fiennes’ character), she again wears a vibrant blouse with a dark skirt and coat. The poppy color accentuates her flushed cheeks as she looks for her lover in the bookstore. (Check out the romantic side bun!) The only good shot I could get of her open-weave tights was as she was doing something rather private in the cab. Don’t click if you’re prudish.


Love (or obsession) is in full bloom and Alice meets a friend to talk about her new relationship and ask about her ex. She exclaims about the way her tastes have changed. Her bright cheongsam reflects her new zest for life. Again, she’s wearing sassy shoes – red ankle boots, this time. Outside, she keeps warm with a olive green shearling jacket.


This is my absolute favorite outfit of the movie: a knitted wedding dress. Some day Mike and I are going to renew our vows in the mountains of New Zealand so I can wear this dress in June. I’d better learn to knit now – because I don’t know where I’d find anything like it! It has a funnel neck and a heart stitched to the bodice. When Alice runs, streamers of yarn fly from the arms and skirt. She must have been a bit itchy, though, because when Alice changes in the graveyard, you see that she’s wearing nothing underneath. (Sorry, guys, no naked pictures on my blog. You'll have to rent the movie to see Heather Graham's boobs.)


After the wedding, the new Alice Tallis attends a party with her husband’s mountain climbing set. She finds she’s totally overdressed in a velvet wrap dress, mohair shawl, and feathered hair piece. I don’t have a good picture of her feet, but she’s wearing white fishnets and bronze pumps.


Aside from a hot pink leather skirt and red sweater combo, we don’t see much more of Alice’s innerwear for the rest of the movie. The story takes place during the winter and Alice wears a different coat on almost every day. This coat is my favorite. I love the drapey collar (which resembles an uneven, attached scarf when unbuttoned) and the asymmetrical closure.

I apologize for the rather poor quality of the photos. We don’t have a high definition TV and photographing a screen never comes out well. If I had it to do over again, I’d play the DVD on a computer and take screen captures instead. If you’d like a better look at the wardrobe, rent a copy of Killing Me Softly. The sets, camera work, and other leads (Joseph Fiennes and Natascha McElhone) are gorgeous as well. And even when the story is lacking, the time between steamy sex scenes is short. I nominate Killing Me Softly for Best Wardrobe of the Century - even though we're only eight years in.