Enthusiasm, Happiness & Optimism
Yellow has positive happy associations as the color has been long linked with the sun. Other meanings of the yellow are happiness, optimism, youth, warmth, energy, and enthusiasm.
This is a ranked list of yellow costumes from period movies. This list does not include Gold as in metallic or reflective. Gold costumes have their own rankings. And sometimes a costume can be “gold” but appear more yellow in the film, it’s a perception and your mileage may vary so you can agree or disagree if you see a costume as more gold than sunny yellow.
Modern and Fantasy/Sci-fi movie costumes also have their own ranking list too.
Undergarments, cover-ups, sleepwear, outerwear, swimwear etc are not included but in some instances, especially on this list a matching outerwear was added.
The costumes are ranked by aesthetics, memorability and how well it suits the character/film.
The List is subject to change
10. Christine from The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
Designer: James Acheson
The 1998 movie The Man in the Iron Mask is very loosely based on two of Alexander Dumas’ novels however the plot more closely follows the 1929 Fairbanks version as well as the 1939 movie than the novels.
The movie is more or less a sequel to The Three Musketeers however instead of stopping plots against the King they try to stop an unworthy king, Louis by replacing him with his twin brother, Philippe.
In addition to bankrupting France, King Louis is philandering and he has his sights set on Christine Bellefort (Judith Godrèche.) Christine is in love with Athos’s only son.
We first see her in a yellow gown that is in the style of the 1660s. As was standard in the 1660s, Christine’s bright yellow silk jacquard gown is off-shoulder with a long waisted bodice with long point and full cartridge pleated elbow length sleeves. White lace is used along the neckline and at the cuffs.
It is a very pretty and sweet representation of the period and the color suits the innocent ingenue character of Christine.
9. Empress Elizabeth from Sissi – Fateful years of an Empress (1956)
(1956)
Designer: Leo Bei & Gerdago
In the third movie of the Sissi trilogy from 1956, Sissi (Romy Schneider) contracts tuberculosis that is near fatal. Her health improves after being cared for by her mother. In this period to improve her health she goes for many idyllic walks far from her restrictive life at the Austrian Royal Court.
On one of these idyllic walks, Sissi wears a pale buttery yellow gown. It does seem more like an evening ball gown than would have been susceptible for daywear but it is still beautiful.
The sleeves are small, puffed and off-the shoulder while the neckline dips into a subtle sweetheart neckline. The bodice has a gathered effect and it’s trimmed with brown trim. This brown is also used as a waist sash and on the skirt over some pleated overlay detail on the lower portion.
This costume was used in the film’s promotion.
8. Victoria of Kent from The Young Victoria (2009)
Designer: Sandy Powell
The Young Victoria covers the start of her reign and the early years of her marriage to Prince Albert.
Very early in the film prior to her becoming the Queen, Victoria (Emily Blunt) attends the birthday dinner for her uncle, the King.
As she is very young in these scenes, her color palette reflects her youth by her wearing a lot of pastels. Also to add to a feeling of youth are rounded bodices and sashes with bows at the waist.
All these points come together for her costume for the dinner scene when she wears a pastel yellow dress with white lace.
The sleeves are voluminous puffs with lace trimming the sleeves and the rounded collar. As at the collar are some yellow flowers.
The skirt has a floral white sheer overlay with a scallop hem further achieving the youth appearance.
It is a very sweet look for the future queen.
7. Edith Cushing from Crimson Peak (2015)
Designer: Kate Hawley
While Crimson Peak is a gothic horror with ghosts it feels more like gothic style romance with ghosts peppered in for effect. In this way it’s more of a period piece just with dramatic enhancement to the style and tone. It’s a true “Gothic Romance” (Honestly some movies are harder to categories than others)
Edith (Mia Wasikowska) is a wealthy American heiress living in Buffalo, New York. She has dreams of becoming an author. However she meets with some impoverished siblings, Tom and Lucille who are members of the British aristocracy. They are vying to make a match with her to Tom for her money.
Edith is very much a foil to Lucille. Edith is the butterfly, lightness, warmth, the day, the sun, and the summer while Lucille is the moth, darkness, coldness, the night, the moon, and winter. While Edith is ambitious and modern Lucille is not, she is content in the old decaying manor with its ghosts and her brother.
Edith’s color palette of golds and yellows not only reflect her wealth but as to be likened to a canary in a coal mine, as a form of caution.
So while Edith has a good number of yellow tone costumes it’s the costume that the designer dubbed “The Nancy Drew” gown that makes this humble ranking. It is the gown she wears while exploring.
The gown is a silk gown and the color is somewhere between a canary and mustard yellow as it takes on different sheens pending on the lighting. It has a high neckline with large puffed sleeves that have flower appliqués on them and on the bodice. Down the front of the bodice and on the tiger fitting part of the sleeves are matching fabric covered shank buttons. At the back of the neck black moire bow with a long cascading down to the floor.
This costume is the perfect blend of all the stylistic components of Edith’s character.
6. Rose DeWitt Bukater from Titanic (1997)
Designer: Deborah L Scott
Young Rose (Kate Winslet) starts off the movie by boarding Titanic to return home to America and once she is back home she will have to marry for money to save her and her mother from ruin. As she is a member of the social elite in the gilded age she just had her grand tour of Europe. As a result of her grand tour her garments are the height of 1912 style.
Rose is very dissatisfied with her life as she is more of an artistic free spirit than her inner-circle allows. She wants to be noticed for her vibrant personality and she wants to be seen. This leads her to attempt to jump off of the Titanic, she is saved by Jack, who as a third class passenger has a sort of freedom to life that Rose envies.
After saving her Rose seeks him out to thank him for what he did and they walk around the first deck getting to know each other. She wears in the scenes a lovely canary yellow day dress that has a floral pattern. The top portion is white with yellow embroidery at the collar, the shoulders and the cuffs. The dress has a matching belt with a gold oval buckle.
Shout-out to Rose’s yellow dress she wears when she eats breakfast. Though there some indication that it was dressing gown possible a tea gown which is likely.
5. Marie Antionette from Marie Antionette (2006)
Designer: Milena Canonero
The 2006 movie Marie Antoinette is for many people it’s their go to fashion, costume flick. It takes the over-the-top grandeur of Rococo Versailles style and modernize it to be bright, cool, and more akin to current high fashion style.
To say that all of Marie Antoinette’s (Kirsten Dunst) costumes were gorgeous would be an understatement. They are all well-composed for her place in the narrative with regards to cut, style and color palette.
At the start of the movie she is a teenager so her costumes are all bright and cheerful, reflecting her youth and optimism. This gown, which is a robe a la l’anglaise, is a two for one costume as it appears to have been used twice in the film and was re-trimmed.
The fabric is made from most likely silk in a soft yellow with a dotted pattern. One of the trims is a pleated sheer white with a fabric bow at the center front of the bodice. While other trim is green and a slightly darker yellow. She wears a hat that was previously used in the 1975 costume drama Barry Lyndon.
Both versions have the same white ruffled cuffs that have a hint of yellow ribbon trim at the edge.
4. Anita from West Side Story (2012)
Designer: Paul Tazewell
Based on the 1957 stage musical, West Side Story is set in 1957 New York City in the San Juan Hill neighborhood in the upper west side of Manhattan. There is a rivalry between two gangs for control.
Anita (Ariana DeBose) is the leader of Shark’s girlfriend. She is at the center of her community and filled with energy much like the sun. Invoking the bright warm image of the sun is the reason why she wears a yellow dress for the “America” number.
The style of the dress has the 50s new look, look with a fitted bodice, cinched-in waist and full skirt which is great for the dance choreography. The neckline is a sweetheart that is gathered at the center front to help keep its shape.
There is also a halter strap around the neck with off-shoulder knotted straps around the upper arms.
3. Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil from Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
Designer: James Acheson
The 1988 movie adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons was based on a play which was an adaptation of the 1782 novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.
The story was meant to show the corruption and cruelty of the French nobility prior to the revolution. Vapid, self- obsessed people who ruin others out of vanity and boredom. However while the two center characters are horrible people the costumes are gorgeous.
The costumes in the movie are more 1760s in style than the 1780s. The fashion style of the 1760s is the iconic look for the 18th century so it’s more accessible for audiences.
Marquise de Merteuil (Glenn Close) and Valmont are the two center characters. Both are trying to ruin two people; one for sport and the other for revenge. The Marquise de Merteuil is doing it for revenge as she has been spurred by a lover who is about to marry Cécile, a young lady who has been educated at a convent. The Marquise is playing the role of her confidant and friend as she plots her downfall.
The Marquise visits Cécile in a scene and to travel to Cécile’s residence she wears a traveling gown that is composed of a caraco, which is a fitted back jacket with a matching skirt.
The bright yellow of the caraco and skirt looks to be made from a silk jacquard. The caraco has a floral motif. The yellow of the fabric has a striking contrast with the black buttons down the center front, on the cuffs and down the sides of the jacket. There is also some black piping along the edge of the lapel.
The skirt is a shade or so darker than the jacket and does not have the same floral design. It is a wide pannier silhouette as was the style.
In keeping with the black details that add a hint of edge she wears a black hat with yellow flowers on the brim, black leather gloves, and black reticule or handbag.
2. Danielle de Barbarac from Ever After (1998)
Designer: Jenny Beaven
Ever After is a 1998 modern retelling of the Cinderella story set in 16th century France.
The rags-to-riches archetypal Cinderella character is Danielle (Drew Barrymore.) She is very dedicated to the running and upkeep of her manor home, the people who live and work there as well as trying to get the love of her step- mother, the only mother she has ever known.
Her step-mother however is more interested in getting her pretty daughter married to the prince and doesn’t mind ruining the manor in the process. To clear some debts she has racked up she sells one the manor’s servant.
After Danielle has a run in with the Prince whom she mistakes for a horse thief and pelts in the head with rock. He buys her silence. She then uses the money to pay the debt thus freeing her servant. To do this she poses as a member the nobility to get into the court.
She dresses the part with a gown that she borrows from her friend and it is a late 15th early/16th century Italian style gown. The outer layer of the gown is a soft golden-yellow color that is most likely a brocade with a leaf-like motif. It has a wide v-neckline that dips down to reveal the under layer. The waist is high and billows out behind her as she walks. The waistline has some corded trim. The outer sleeves are made from muted teal velvet. The sleeves are detachable and the under-layer is shown though
The under layer is made from a soft silvery white brocade. The sleeves are long and have a lacy cuff. She does not wear jewelry but she wears a pearl snood.
She completely looks the part of a noble lady, a noble lady that can quote Thomas More’s Utopia and has a good throwing arm.
1. Jodhaa from Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
Designer: Neeta Lulla
Jodhaa Akbar is a 2008 lavish epic historical drama set in the 16th century. It is about the marriage of the Mughal emperor marrying a Hindu princess for a political alliance which turned into a love affair and religious tolerance. While that did occur the movie took liberties with the narrative and characters to make it more romantic.
After Jodhaa (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) marries Akbar, she is taken to the palace. As she makes her entrance she wears a stunning and opulent bright yellow outfit.
Like many of Jodhaa costumes throughout the film she wears a sheer dupatta, a shawl with a choli, a midriff blouse and a lehenga, a flared skirt.
The sheer dupatta is a bright yellow with a maroon border. On the dupatta and on the border there is Zardozi Kundan. Zardozi is a type of metallic embroidery and Kundan is a gem setting which consists of inserting gold foil between the stone and the mount and embedding stones into embroidery.
The choli is maroon and is heavily embroidered. The lehenga is the same yellow as the dupatta and has maroon embroidery.
She wears a lot of magnificent jewelry made up of red stones and pearls. Her grand five strand necklace makes for a splendid focal point.
This costume was used in the film’s promotion
More of Yellow Movie Costumes
- The 10 Best Yellow Costumes from Modern Movies
- The 10 Best Yellow Costumes from Fantasy/Sci-fi Movies
