10 Best Burgundy Costumes in Modern Movies
Dark Red Tones – Burgundy, Wins, Red-Browns & Purpley-Reds
Much like brighter shades of Red, Burgundy and darker shades of red enjoy the same passionate energy but because there is a mix of other colors, like blues or blacks, the darker red colors have a timeless sophistication. Burgundy also has connotations of wealth and power.
The Rankings…
This ranking is all about costumes that are darker mixed red colors that are not Purple. These colors include Burgundy, Maroon, Oxblood, Claret, Crimson, red-magenta etc. Think wines and not tomatoes. Bright red costumes have their own rankings.
This ranking only considers costumes from Modern movies. Meaning movies that depict the time in which they were made and released ie. current fashions. Dark Reds/ Burgundy costumes from Fantasy/Sci-Fi and Period movies are on their separate rankings.
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. Some subjective opinions are always a thing with any ranked list.
List subject to change
Spoilers
10. Louisa from What a Way to Go! (1964)
Designer: Edith Head
What a Way to Go! is a fashionable screwball comedy with a crazy premise involving the insanity of wealth and success and the idyllic nature of poverty and failure.
Louisa (Shirley MacLaine) is a simple girl who believes herself cursed. All she has ever wanted is a simple life filled with love but every time she gets married her husband finds wealth and dies leaving her a broken hearted rich widow.
Her second husband starts off as a starving artist, which she just adores but he too finds success, wealth and death. However before he finds his success, Louisa wears a short maroon little dress as she enjoys her life as a bohemian in Paris.
The dress has long sleeves with a deep-v neck. At the bust there are darts for some structure. Though the dress is short it has two high slits up the sides. She wears matching hosiery for some modesty.
It’s a cool, effortless look with just a touch of sensuality which suits her well at this point in the movie.
9. Daphne from Ocean’s Eight (2018)
Designer: Sarah Edwards
Part of the heist Ocean’s franchise, Ocean’s Eight sees an all female cast who are stealing a priceless diamond necklace during the MET gala. To aid the operation they enlist a seemingly witless actress, Daphne (Anne Hathaway.)
To ensure her help Daphne is set up with a fashion designer for a lunch so the Ocean’s team can dress her for the gala.
To this lunch Daphne wears a body-con dress with a wide off-the-shoulder neckline with short sleeves. The hem is knee-length.
While this look is very sophisticated she pairs it with a purple leather jacket draped over her shoulder giving her a cool Hollywood vibe.
8. Adaline from The Age of Adeline (2015)
Designer: Angus Strathie
The Age of Adaline is a romantic movie that focuses on magical realism for its center conflict. Due to an accident paired with weather anomalies in 1935, Adaline (Blake Lively) cannot age past twenty-nine and therefore can’t die. She spends her life lonely and constantly running from romantic relationships as she takes on assumed aliases.
To the New Year’s party which coincides with her 107th birthday she wears a stunning burgundy velvet gown. The gown is reminiscent of a gown she wore in pictures from the 40s at the same hotel but this look is modernized.
It has a narrow keyhole neckline which is trimmed with two rows of black bugle beads. The sleeves are short and slightly puffed. Black bugle beads in a diamond shape that trims the waist and the cut-outs at the side that extend to the back in a diamond cut-out shape. The cut-outs and the shape of the back makes this gown modern. The silhouette is a mermaid and goes to the floor.
She wears gold earring a bracelet with the look and a side swept hairstyle.
7. Sévérine from Skyfall (2012)
Designers: Jany Temine & Timothy Everest
The 2012 James Bond movie Skyfall introduces Sévérine (Bérénice Marhole) who is a tragic femme fatale character. She is working with the villain and then betrays him to help Bond though that does not go well for her.
At the end of the movie when she and Bond are on her yacht she wears a softer outfit than her previous costumes in the movie. It is a romantic deep garnet color. The bodice is asymmetrically draped. The neckline is a plunging v-neck with capped sleeves.
It’s just sensual enough but in a more effortless casual way.
6. Louisa from Rhapsody (1954)
Designer: Helen Rose
1954’s Rhapsody sees a debutante, Louisa, (Elizabeth Taylor) leaving her home to follow her lover and then picks more lovers all of whom are musicians.
After a performance she and one of her lovers have an argument backstage. She is accused of being a distraction and possessive. Her lover might have a point as she wears a gorgeous burgundy velvet gown.
The gown is strapless with a sweetheart neckline. It’s very structured and yet is draped to add some softness in the bodice and in the skirt.
She wears a diamond brooch center front of the neckline, opera length white gloves and drop earrings. She also has a matching mantle which used to try to get her lover’s attention during his performance as she tried to expose her shoulder to him.
5. Cher from Clueless (1995)
Designer: Mona May
A mid-90s reworking of Austen’s Emma, Clueless is a highly memorable teen rom-com that set a standard for fashion
at the time. Cher (Alicia Silverstone) has certain standards when it comes to fashion and after befriending the new girl, Cher gives her a make-over, which was a very 90s thing. During this scene prior and during the make-over montage Cher wears a deep burgundy dress.
It is very prim and elegant which suits Cher’s school clothes. It has a high rounded neckline with short sleeves. The hemline hits at the mid-thighs.
At the waist there is a matching satin sash which is the only bit of embellishment making this look suits the 90s sense of minimalism.
She wears a matching headband, silver stud earrings and chunky matching heels.
4. Faith from Only You (1994)
Designer: Milena Canonero
When Faith (Marisa Tomei) was teenager learners that she will fall in love with a man named Daemon Bradley. Right before she marries someone else she hears from the man himself, who is actually a former classmate’s of her fiancé and that he will be in Venice. So faith follows to full-fill her romantic destiny.
She tracks down with an American man in Venice who says his name is Daemon Bradley. As they spend an evening together faith wears a lovely deep red dress. The dress sleeveless and is very minimal is its detailing which is very on tread for the early 90s.
The length is goes down to around the ankles. It has two slits one at the slid of the front and one at the center back. The slits adds some vey graceful movement.
She style it with gold hoop earring and a lovely matching shawl that looks like it could be made from velvet.
3. Dionne from Clueless (1995)
Designer: Mona May
Another outfit from Clueless but this one is from Cher’s best friend Dionne (Stacey Dash.)
Dionne wears this maroon dress post Tai’s make-over. Unlike Cher, Dionne has a more expressive creative sense of style that is still in keeping with the social rules of style that both friends adhere to.
Her dress is made from velvet and the hem goes to the mid thigh. It had a high neckline with white collar and matching flounce cuffs at the wrist.
She wears a white knee high stockings with a white headband and silver hoop earrings.
The collar, the contrast of the white against the dark maroon as well as the length give this look a preppy, gamine and fun vibe.
2. Eleanor Young from Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Designer: Valentino and sourced by Mary E Vogt
The main couple in Crazy Rich Asians go to Singapore to attend a wedding. This also gives the protagonist a chance to meet her boyfriend’s family which includes his indomitable mother, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh.)
At an annual party Eleanor looks regal in a Valentino gown. The gown is a deep brown-ish dark burgundy with a cape. The fabric is a silk chiffon. The front of the gown is made up of pleats with smaller ones around the waistline.
The neckline is straight across to give Eleanor a harsh angularity that contrasts with the softness of the fabric. This reflects that even though she can be imposing she deeply cares for her family.
For a pop of a color she wears a green stone brooch and matching earrings which could be jade.
1. Pola from How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
Designer: William Travilla
How to Marry a Millionaire is a screwball comedy that follows three models living in New York City who are all money-hungry gold diggers who want to bag a rich husband. Things go awry for them.
Pola (Marilyn Monroe) is myopic and ditzy. She refuses to wear her glasses around men as she thinks she looks less attractive. Of course she can’t see without them but she can’t take any chances.
On a dinner date with a phony oil tycoon she wears a glamorous deep reddish-magenta color satin gown.
It’s a sheath silhouette and is strapless. There is a decorative strap that goes across her collarbone at an angle. This strap is embellished with silver beading. The same beading is used at the waistline.
The bodice is beautifully draped and extends down into an asymmetrical train which gives the look movement and drama.
It is a great mix of glamorous and timeless elegance. And it still works with her cat-eye glasses no matter what she says about girls in glasses.
