Red – Joy, Passion, Danger, & Energy
Red is a primary color that comes from a variety of popular shades and tones. It’s a color of joy, passion, danger and energy. It’s a bold color that stands out and can make the heart beat faster.
It is also an auspicious color and is used as a bridal color in many cultures.
This ranking is all about costumes that are bright and vivid reds. Think Cherries and Victory Red lipstick and not wine.
So that primary red shades and not burgundies or scarlets or darker shades of reds, those shades have separate rankings.
This ranking only considers costumes that are from Period Movies. Modern and Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Superhero/etc costumes have their own separate ranked lists.
Undergarments, cover-ups, sleepwear, outerwear, swimwear etc are not included.
The costumes are ranked by aesthetics, memorability and how well it suits the character/film. This list aims for objectivity but no list truly is.
The List is subject to change
10. Margot from La Reine Margot (1994)
Designer: Moidele Bickel
Based on Alexander Dumas’ 1845 novel, La Reine Margot is about a young princess, Margot (Isabelle Idjani) who is forced to marry the Huguenot King of Navarre. Which is an act of goodwill by her mother Catherine de Medici who then overturns it resulting in the St. Bartholomew’s day massacre of 1572.
This dramatic red gown is the reluctant Margot’s wedding gown. The color foreshadows what will come later in the movie. The pattern silver-gray damask pattern is actually painted on the fabric.
The neckline is a high neckline with a flat whisk ruff. The sleeves are long with double puffs at the upper part.
Adding to the drama is a long cape.
She wears a very long three-strand pearl necklace, a gold crown with ruby and pearls and matching earrings.
9. Tilly from The Dressmaker (2015)
Designer: Margot Wilson
Based on a novel, The Dressmaker is a comedy-drama set in 1951.
After a traumatic event in her childhood, Tilly (Kate Winslet) returns to her outback hometown after being trained as a courtier-fashion dressmaker. Her presence as well as her glamorous style are a distraction for the small community. She revels in her distracting ways during a football game where she wears a chic red dress.The dress is a pencil dress made of moiré silk. It’s sleeveless with a soft wide v-neck. At the center-back there are two long tab that comes off
The hemline is knee-length.
She wears matching red opera gloves for some added drama along with red heels. She also wears diamond earrings and sunglasses.
She looks out of place and she owns it.
8. Cruella (2021)
Designer: Jenny Beavan
The 2021 live action version of Cruella is reimagining of the character to make her less of a villain and gives her an origin story. While some might argue that this was a story that wasn’t needed, one thing that many do agree on is that the costumes were delightful.
Cruella’s (Emma Stone) first big fashion scene comes when she attends the Baroness’ Black & White ball which she goes to in disguise to get back a necklace.
To this ball she wears red, which goes against the dress code making her both stand out and setting her in opposition to the Baroness.
Within the narrative the red dress is one of the Baroness’ designs that Cruella reworked. The dress has an asymmetrical halter that has been artfully slashed. At the neck there is a long flame-like ruffle.
The neckline of the bodice is a curved sweetheart. The bodice is form fitting with ruching. The silhouette is a full, very exaggerated trumpet that also has a flame-like appearance. It also has cuts up to reveal a tan layer underneath.
She wears a black mask with white feathers and darker red gloves.
The inspired behind this was fashion designer Charles James.
This look sets up Cruella’s chic yet punk aesthetic.
7. 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 Pierre Choderlos
de Laclos’ 1782 novel.
The story is about how the French nobility were all vapid, cruel and self-obsessed people who take joy in the ruin of others. Basically the main characters are terrible but they look oh so fashionable being terrible
The costumes are more in the style of the 1760s rather than the 1780s as the 1760s have the more recognizable 18th century look.
The chief antagonist Marquise de Merteuil (Glenn Close) wears the most fabulous costumes. Her robe à la francaise red gown looks to be made from a bright red damask. The stomacher is a darker red. The trim along the stomacher gold-green.
She looks as fabulous as she is scathing.
6. Danielle from Ever After (1998)
Designer: Jenny Beavan
Ever After is a historical take on Cinderella with a late 90s viewpoint.
Danielle (Drew Barrymore) is the Cinderella character and in a more classic modern approach, she gets to deliver her revenge to her step-mother in a very satisfying way.
After she is married to the prince she passes the servitude mantle to her step-mother and step-sister, which was the nicer option levied against them.
In this scene Danielle wears a regal outfit that represents her place as part of the royal family. The gown has two parts: the inner layer is a darker red with gold detailing and makes up the long sleeves whereas the outer-dress is bright red with a gold pattern.
The waist is high and has a gold trim. The neckline is a wide v-neck which show the under-dress.
She wears a crown and the necklace that her step-mother had used to get on the Queen’s good side.
5. Shosanna from Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Designer: Anna B. Sheppard
2009’s Inglourious Basterds is alternative historical black comedy about two converning schemes to assassinate Nazi Germany’s leadership at a Paris cinema.
One of these plot is being carried out by Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent.) Shosanna is a French Jewish cinema proprietor who seeks to avenge her murdered family.
Her stunning red dress is commonly referred to as “A Revenge Dress.” The color red was choice for her to use their color agisnst them as she carries out her revenge. It’s also the only time in the movie that she is not trying to blend in.
The dress itself it very stylish and yet looks like it could easily be worn now. It’s a length dress with a tired skirt. The neckline is squared with long sleeves that have angular cuffs.
The black veiled pillbox hat adds a sense of a black widow out for her prey. Dressing for Revenge often looks so chic.
4. Countess Ellen Olenska from The Age of Innocence (1993)
Designer: Gabriella Pescucci
The Age of Innocence depicts a period of time that is often romanticized but didn’t really exist through the lens of nostalgia. This romanticizing of past age within the narrative comes in the form of Ellen (Michelle Pfeiffer) who views the New York of her past as a place that will protect after she flees Europe and a bad marriage.
Ellen is often wearing the opposition of her younger cousin as she wears bright jewel tones whereas her cousin wears frothy whites.
In the dinner scene Ellen wears a stunning red evening gown offsetting the dour formality of the party. It looks to be made of silk. It has an off-the-shoulder wide v-neck with a bow at the center-front as well as some bead strands dangling off the wide neckline. The structural arm puffs with flat bow details.
The center-front panel of the bodice is heavily beaded. The back of the bodice forms the bustle and resembles a bow.
The skirt is the same red fabric but with what looks like a lace overlay and the skirt is gathered and pleated at the hem.
She wears a red jewelry set and white gloves.
While she does look out of place at the party this dinner is very similar to May’s purple gown later in the film.
3. Juliet from Romeo and Juliet (1968)
Designer: Danilo Donati
One of the most well known movies of Romeo and Juliet is the 1968 version. This is because of the casting of leads that were the same ages as the characters in the play. As a result this makes Juliet’s (Olivia Hussey) costume that she wears when she first meets her Romeo very memorable.
Traditionally red is the color of the Capulets. Juliet’s gown is peak 15th Italian fashion. The outer layer of the gown is made from a red velvet with some panels of orange. Velvet is often associated with wealth and power.
The detached sleeves are orange with some black detail, pearl beading and red velvet trim. The center-front panel matches the sleeves.
The skirt is full but not voluminous.
2. Satine from Moulin Rouge (2001)
Designer: Catherine Martin and Angus Strathie
Loosely based on La Traviata, Moulin Rouge is a jukebox musical that was a surprise hit. Everything about this movie is lush and over-the-top including the costume.
The beautiful and tragic courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman) has many iconic looks but one of her costumes that is widely remembered is her red bustle dress from the “Elephant Love Medley.”
The gown is made from a red silk that was dyed to compliment Satine’s red locks. The silhouette has a very similar look of the late 1890s as its bodice is very fitted. Though the shape appeals to modern audiences than the more accurate “pigeon breasted” look.
The only real details on the bodice are the seams. The gown is sleeveless with a wide-v-neckline.
The skirt has the late 19th century bell shape with the aforementioned bustle at the back. The bustle is flat and fan- like.
Though this costume combines the look of the late 1890s with a modern aesthetic the overall look harkens to classic Hollywood bombshells.
1. Rose DeWitt Bukater from Titanic (1997)
Designer: Deborah L. Scott
Even without the aid of hindsight, Titanic was a massively popular and successful movie on its release and it still maintains its popularity decades later. Many of the details of the production were so ornate and considered and that attention went into all the costumes.
As Rose (Kate Winslet) makes her way back home with a wedding looming over her, she is very dissatisfied with her life as a lady of upper society. She really just wants to be understood, appreciated and noticed. This could be why she wears red before breaking down one final attempt to get those in her life to see her for who she is and not an ornament or a bartering chip.
Often referred to as “The Jump Dress,” Rose’s red evening gown is one of the most popular costumes in the movie. She wears when she tries to commit suicide off the bow of the ship and is saved by Jack.
It is a perfect example of Edwardian high fashion with a lot of right detailing. The neckline is softly squared with a high waistline. The bodice and short sleeves are beaded with jet black beading along with a beaded fringe trim. Over the bodice is layer black netting. Under the bodice there looks to be a black lace under-layer.
Attached at the waistline are three layers of beaded black chiffon.One layer makes up the train and the two are tiered. The tiered layers have circle beaded appliques near the hem. The tiers also have the black bead fringe trim at the edge.
She wears a diamond and emerald necklace with matching dangle earrings.
If she was wearing this to get someone to notice her it worked.
Honorable Mention: Su Li-zhen from In the Mood for Love (2000)
Designer: William Chang
Set in 1962, In the Mood for Love is about two neighbors who seek comfort in each other as their own spouses are having an affair with each other. They in turn fall in love but due several missed opportunities they do not end up together.
Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) wears a lot very fashionable cheongsams. Though they differ in colors and patterns, the collars are always higher with more defined shoulders than typically seen on cheongsams. These details reflects her sense of feeling trapped.
In a pivotal scene in a hotel room Su Li-zhen wears this scarlet cheongsams however it’s barely seen in the movie though it was in a cut scene. Still it’s gorgeous.
More of Red Movie Costume Rankings
- 10 Best Red Costumes from Movies with Modern Settings
- 10 Best Red Costumes from Fantasy/Sci-fi Movies
