Six movies that launched fashion trends

From pop stars to social media and television, we get many of our ideas for the way we want to dress from the surrounding culture.

And when it comes to movies, they have always been a big influence on fashion. From elegant gowns to jeans and a t-shirt, BBC Bitesize looks at fashion trends that were inspired by the big screen.

The ‘Little Black Dress’ (Breakfast At Tiffany's)

Audrey Hepburn was one of the greatest movie stars of the 1950s and 1960s, and also one of the eras biggest fashion icons.

Hepburn and the designer Hubert de Givenchy had a strong association, with Givenchy often deg outfits for her. Hepburn wore Givenchy’s ‘Little Black Dress’ when she played the social butterfly Holly Golightly in Blake Edwards’ movie Breakfast At Tiffany’s in 1961.

The dress was striking because of its simplicity and because it took a colour usually associated with mourning, and gave it a glamorous twist. It soon became a staple in sophisticated women’s wardrobes.

Three of the original dresses survive. One is in a museum in Madrid, another in Givenchy’s archive, while the third was sold for £467,200 in 2006.

Bomber jackets and shades (Top Gun)

The original Top Gun, released in 1986, starred Tom Cruise as US Navy pilot Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell.

It was a huge hit, and as well as thrilling audiences with its displays of aerial combat, it launched a major fashion trend with people keen to emulate Maverick’s cool outfit of a bomber jacket (complete with lots of patches) and ‘aviator’-style sunglasses.

In fact sales of aviator-style shades were reported to have jumped 40% after the movie was released.

Jeans, jacket and t-shirt (Rebel Without a Cause)

Back in the 1950s, the ‘teenager’ was a relatively new concept and the way they would come to dress was heavily influenced by Hollywood movies of the period, and one film in particular.

Rebel Without a Cause, released in 1955, starred James Dean as a disaffected young man who moves to a new town and takes on violent gang .

Until then young people, had generally dressed like mini-versions of their parents but Dean’s iconic costume in the film - blue jeans, a white t-shirt and blouson jacket - soon became the unofficial uniform for teenagers around the world.

Plaid (Clueless)

Clueless, directed by Amy Heckerling, was a surprise smash-hit when it was released back in 1995, and its bold fashions have remained a big influence on clothes designers to this day.

Set among the wealthy teens of Los Angeles, its costumes, designed by Mona May, launched a trend for ‘preppy minimalism’. The plaid jackets and skirts, worn by actresses Alicia Silverstone and Stacey Dash, became particularly popular. The look was a reaction against the ‘grunge’ style popular with young people at the time.

“When we went scouting on the film to high schools, it was Kurt Cobain, it was Nirvana, girls were looking like boys, it was baggy shirts, baggy pants,” said May of her revolutionary style.

Off-the-shoulder sweatshirt (Flashdance)

Flashdance, released in 1983, starred Jennifer Beals as a working-class welder who aspires to be a ballerina, but who also dances in the evenings in cabaret bars.

Flashdance popularised a look defined by gym-wear including leggings, leotards, leg-warmers and baggy tops.

But the film’s most iconic garment, the sweatshirt with the oversized neck, was an accident. “I had left my sweatshirt in the dryer too long, and so I couldn’t get my head through the hole. So I cut out the hole to make it bigger. And then [costume designer] Michael Kaplan just made it cooler and better” said Beals.

Edwardian chic (Picnic at Hanging Rock)

Picnic At Hanging Rock was an Australian film directed by Peter Weir, who later also directed Dead Poets’ Society and The Truman Show.

Set in the early 1900s and adapted from the novel by Joan Lindsay, it told the story of a group of schoolgirls who went missing.

The film’s costumes, which featured puffy, frilled white, dresses, pointed leather boots, straw boaters and lots of ribbons, became a huge influence on fashion and still is today.

The ethereal, vintage look continues to inspire designers with names such as Alexander McQueen, Raf Simons and Erdem, all being influenced by the film’s costumes.

This article was published in December 2024