in fantasy/sci-fi.
A Color as Bright & Warm as the Sun
Yellow has positive happy associations, especially since it is a color long linked with the sun. Other meanings attributed to yellow are happiness, optimism, youth, warmth, energy, and enthusiasm. It also stimulates the logic areas of brain, so it aids with learning, clarity and perception.
This is a ranked list of yellow costumes from fantasy and sci-fi movies, which are ranked by aesthetics, memorability and how well they suit the character/film. Undergarments, cover-ups, sleepwear, outerwear, swimwear etc are not included.
This list does not include gold, as in metallic or reflective. Gold costumes have their own rankings (coming soon). And sometimes a costume can be “gold,” but appear more yellow in the film. It’s a perception thing, so you can agree or disagree if you see a costume as more gold than sunny yellow. Yellow costumers from period and modern movies are also not included, as they have their own respective ranking lists.
One more thing some notable yellow costume will get recategorized for an upcoming list, I did not forget them as the movies they are from have other costumes on this list, it’s a weird unspoken rule I have but they will get their moment in the sun.
List is subject to change.
10. Princess Lili from Legend (1985)
Designer: Charles Knode
1985’s Legend is an interesting movie, to say the least. The film’s highlights is the bad guy Darkness, a demon, who falls in love with the main’s character’s romantic interest, Princess Lili (Mia Sara.) There are also unicorns as a major factor of the plot. But of the dark fantasy of the 80s genre it does get a forgotten.
Princess Lili only gets two costumes in the movie, and they are night and day. One is black, evil and possibly sentient, and the other is the one she wears at the start of the film which is closer to her own style.
Her main costume is a pale cream color surcoat with a white long sleeved chemise underneath. The surcoat’s sleeves are long and flowing. The upper portion is tighter and the bottom part is left unsewn and falls to the ground starting around the elbows. There is gold beaded embroidery trim at the point where the sleeves hang open to the ground. There are gold details at the shoulders.
The surcoat has corded tie closure. Floral embroidery flanks the opening. Also flanking the opening is a belt-like trim that hangs down at the side of the center front at the opening.
9. Stereotypical Barbie from Barbie (2023)
Designer: Jacqueline Durran
Barbie is a wild, anarchic campy movie based off the fashion doll and her group of friends.
Stereotypical Barbie’s (Margot Robbie) character arc starts with her questioning mortality and transforming from plastic perfection to something more human. This transformation leads to the “real world” and as she becomes more self-aware her costume transition from bright color to more subtle tones.
One her last looks in the movie is a pale yellow dress. The color represent change and contrast with the pinks she wore throughout the movie. The silk dress has a very soft floral pattern that form fitting with loose flutter sleeves.
8. Lady Van Tassel from Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Designer: Colleen Atwood
Sleepy Hollow is a fantasy horror based on the short-story by Washington Irving. The style of the film is an homage to horror movies of the ’50s and ’70s and features a very tight monochromatic palette that makes it looks like a black and white movie with just subtle accents of colors.
While the story is set in 1799, the denizens of Sleepy Hollow are dressed in fashions that are dated for the period. They are dressed more like the style of the 1780s, adding to the sense of fantasy.
Lady Van Tassels is the richest woman in town and she dresses for her position. When we first meet her in the movie, she is wearing a mustard yellow gown that has a bright yellow floral jacquard skirt. The overlay is made from a sheer netting that has strips of black pleated or ruched taffeta sewn on netting in a serpentine shape. Black lace is used at the cuff and on the stomacher.
The contrast between the bright yellow with the black detail is very in keeping with her duplicitous character especially as she wears a similar costume of black and white during the film’s climax.
7. Bella Baxter from Poor Things (2013)
Designer: Holly Waddington
Loosely based on the 1993 novel of the same name, Poor Things is a Victorian sci-fi movie with a different taken on Frankenstein’s monster.
While not expressly set in one period the costumes are based in the late 1880s and 90s. The large voluminous sleeves and the silhouette match the off-kilter experimental tone of the film.
Bella (Emma Stone) wears a lot of strong yellows in the film as she is a “very light filled person.” During a dinner scene Bella wears a mango colored gown. The sleeves ate huge and from the back look like bows before tapering in at the elbows. The bodice, sleeves, and v-neckline are trimmed with a sheer ruffled trim with a large sheer ruffle at the hem to give it an off-kilter childlike essence.
The costumes of Poor Things are other-worldly, utterly bizarre and at the same time on trend.
6. Eowyn from The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Designer: Ngila Dickson
The Lord of the Rings trilogy has a grand finale that wraps everything up in a very satisfying way. And part of that grand ending is Aragon’s coronation which is grand and heartfelt.
For the coronation, Eowyn (Miranda Otto) dons gold, the color of her country Rohan. The fabric is a pale buttery gold that reads more yellow than bright metallic. The fabric is a silk bagatelle with a satin lining.
The neckline is a wide boat neck. The outer layer of sleeves are long and flowing at the elbow while the upper portion has a braid trim wrapped around. The inner sleeve is fitted and made from metallic gold. There is subtle embroidery and beading details.
She wears with this gown a matching mantle and belt with the flowers of Rohan on it. For jewelry she has a gold circlet and a necklace.
It’s a shame that this costume is not showcased more in the film and we also see it in close ups. But also it’s Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings so all the costumes, not matter how much scene time they are given are gorgeous and memorable.
5. Frigga from Thor (2011)
Designer: Alexandra Byrne
At the start of the first Thor movie in the Marvel line-up in 2011, Thor is about to ascend the Asgard throne. Among the on-lookers is his loving mother, Frigga (Rene Russo.)
She wears a goldenrod gown with a matching mantle. The gown has a high neckline that is covered with white crystals on a sheer fabric. This element extends down and is suspended over the center front of the bodice. The gown is a column silhouette that is floor length. The sleeves are long and made from silver white silk-like fabric.
The mantle is made from the same goldenrod fabric. It has a high neck and only covers the upper chest and the sides cross over each. The neckline is edged with large rectangular crystals in a spaced out double row. At the bottom of the hem of the mantle is a braided sewn cut detail that is complex in its construction. The mantle is lined in white.
She wears long drop earrings with yellow and clear crystals. This costume looks regal, queenly and otherworldly which is just the right combination for a Queen of Asgard.
4. Katniss from The Hunger Games (2012)
Designer: Judianna Makovsky
At the end of the first film in The Hunger Games series, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta do a victors’ interview and are crowned. For these scenes Katniss wears a very pretty, romantic, soft dress. The costume is a two piece pale yellow tulle dress. The top is wrapped. It is sleeveless with wide straps with swags of fabric over the upper arms adorned with bows.
The skirt is full with the hemline coming to just below the knee. At the waist is a matching sash. She wears the mocking jay pin on one of her shoulder straps which is obscure by her hair.
3. Queen Clementianna from Mirror Mirror (2012)
Designer: Eiki Ishioka
2012 was a banner year for Snow White because we got not one but two theatrical movies. And they were dramatically different in tone. One was a grim dark take on the tale and the other very bright and comedic. However, both of these versions had amazing costumes.
Mirror Mirror was the happier, more jovial fun take on the story. The Evil Queen Clementianna (Julia Roberts,) gets some very large dramatic costumes. And she wears a fair bit of yellow.
This costume has a very Elizabethean-inspired look. She has a large white lace ruff at her neck. The same lace makes up the cuffs of the inner sleeves. The bodice and the inner sleeves are pleated and both come to sharp points.
The bodice point is also extended far below the waistline.
The outer sleeves are long and lined in white. The fabric looks like it is a heavier weight satin or silk. The skirt is full and voluminous with pleats at the waistline.
Side-note – Snow White’s pink and yellow dress was not forgotten/omited but will appear on an upcoming list coming in May.
2. Padme Amidala from Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
Clones” (2002)
Designer: Trisha Biggar
One of the many plot-lines of Attack of the Clones is the assassination attempts made on Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman.) She is forced to go back to her homeworld to hide along with her jedi bodyguard, Anakin who has been in love with her since he was a child.
This brings the two to the idyllic lake country and the Varykino Villa. When they arrive at the villa, Padme is dressed in the “The Lakeside Gown” or sometimes called “The Lake Gown.”
The gown is made in two parts: a bias cut silk chiffon overlay with detached gathered sleeves that start at the elbow and attached with silver arm bands. Under this layer is a sand-washed silk satin gown. Both are ombre dyed with yellow to orange to pink and finally a muted lilac at the end. The gown is backless with a halter neckline which is covered with a silver hand-cut abalone neck piece which has a vintage beaded tassel clasp.
The inspiration of the gown was a seashell which can be seen in materials, color and her headpiece and hair style which was meant to resemble a conch. It was also meant to be romantic, diaphanous and barley there. The gown has been seen in other Star Wars media such as the novel, Queen’s Shadow, and in the Poe Dameron 21 comic.
Shout-out to Padme’s romantic meadow yellow costume in Episode II which will appear on that aforementioned upcoming list.
1. Lady Jessica from Dune (2021)
Designers: Jaqueline West and Bob Morgan
The 2021 adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi series Dune, is based on the first part of the first book in the series. The only design concept isn’t the traditional sci-fi look but one that references medieval aesthetics with a futuristic spin. The inspiration references in addition to medieval were ancient tarot card decks, specifically the Marseilles tarot and alchemy.
Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) is the mother of the main character and concubine of Duke Leto. She is not his wife and that is a distinction made with her costumes. She wears regal garments but she is still in chains so to speak. Her costumes were inspired by painters like Goya, Caravaggio and Giotto.
When the Duke and his family arrive at their new seat, the desert planet of Arrakis, Lady Jessica wears a resplendent costume. It’s meant to look sun-kissed and the only bit of color in the ensemble’s palette. The costume is a sleeveless, dark muted goldenrod gown and veil combination with detached sleeves.
The silhouette is a column with two darts at the center-sides giving it shape. The neckline is high, but with cut-outs on the shoulder, similar to a cold-shoulder. The lower sleeves are detached and made a lighter weight lighter goldenrod fabric that flows behind her like the veil covering her face.
Under the lighter weight sleeves-like part as well as the collar and on her face are netted chain beaded components. These elements denote her station as not the wife to the duke. She is his concubine. These beaded elements give the costume an ancient layered look that is both regal and refined yet austere.
This costume captures her mix of strength and fragility which is further highlighted by the image of fabric blowing in the wind.
