Power and Prestige
Purple has long been associated with royalty. This is because the dye used to achieve the color was super expensive and thus only those in positions of power and prestige could afford such a decadence.
In addition to feelings of luxury it also evokes feelings of creativity, wisdom, power, ambition and magic. The mix of red and blue also makes it both simulating and soothing. As Purple and be more blue or red it can either cool or warm.
This page ranks shades of purple costume from modern movies that are cooler, shades like Violet, Periwinkle, Indigo and so on. Cooler purple I.E Violet costumes from Fantasy and Period films have separate ranks as well as warmer redder purples costumes. Articles of clothing, like undergarments, cover-ups, sleepwear, outerwear etc. are not included.
The costumes are ranked by aesthetics, memorability and how it suits the character/film. Subjective opinions do influence the order but there was an attempt at objective but subjectivity does keep it interesting.
List is subject to change
10. Rebecca Bloomwood from Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
Designer: Patricia Field
Confessions of a Shopaholic is a brightly colored rom-com that has the under-current of an addictive disorder which is more or less paid for laughs and something that the character gets over quickly plus fashion.
This deep grape purple party dress factors into the plot as a point of contention. Due to Rebecca’s (Isla Fisher) shopping addiction and debt accrued, she has to choice between this dress and her bridesmaids gown to be bought back from a charity shop and she only rebuy one.
The short flirty dress has a wide ruffle collar that goes down to one side of the lower section. It has no other detailing to make it both chic and sophisticated but fun giving the pop of vibrant color which suits Rebecca’s overall sense of style.
9. Ruth Wiley from Elephant Walk (1954)
Designer: Edith Head
The costumes of the 1954 film Elephant Walk are not so much a reflection of the character but made to look glamorous. During a dinner scene, Ruth (Elizabeth Taylor) dons a very fashionable 50’s gown.
The bodice is made from a layer of purple lace that forms cap sleeves over a white strapless gown that has a sweetheart neckline with a cinched in waist and a voluminous full tulle skirt.
The lilac lace component has a nice draped hemline that is ever so short at center front and has more length towards the sides and at the back. She pairs the gown with a swath of long white tulle as an evening shawl.
8. Linda English from Pal Joey (1957)
Designer: Jean Louis
Pal Joey is a comedy musical based on a musical play of the same name. Linda (Kim Novak) is a naïve chorus girl in love with the womanizing main character, Joey. In a scene with Joey, Linda wears a super chic ensemble. It consists of a soft lilac polka-dot blouse with a wide lapel and a plunging v-neckline.
The form fitting high waisted skirt is a a brighter violet color. She wears a thin fabric belt that matches the blouse. It’s very understated yet very sophisticated at the same time.
7. Julianne Potter from My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Designer: Jeffrey Kurland
My Best Friend’s Wedding is a late 90s romantic comedy in the break-up the wedding from the inside variety. Julianne or Jules (Julia Roberts) is trying to break up her best friend’s wedding as she harbors romantic feelings for him. As her luck may or may not have it she get asked to be the maid of honor and thus we have a bridal gown.
The stereotype of the bridesmaid gown is that they are ugly or tacky on purpose to make the bride look more beautiful. There are many bad bridesmaid gowns in movies, there was a whole movie with that as a premise. This one isn’t so bad, it’s rather pretty. The soft violet color gown has minimal details.
Most of the interest comes at the neckline. There is a dual neckline going one with a slightly darker sparkly purple halter neck that goes around the neck and peeks over the draped cowl off shoulder neckline. The gown then extends down to the floor in a mermaid style silhouette as it looks like it flares out just below the knees.
6. Marilla Brown Hagan from Designing Woman (1957)
Designer: Helen Rose
Designing Woman is a 1957 rom-com about a whirlwind romance that results in marriage and the misadventures as the new couple adjusts to each other’s very different lifestyles
During a big scene involving the couple’s clashing friend groups, fashion designer Marilla (Lauren Bacall) wears a very voluminous gown. It is made from a white sheer blouse that resembles a dress shirt however ultra feminine with the sheer fabric, very big puffed sleeves with pintucks. The blouse is worn over a strapless white under-layer.
The high waisted full floor length skirt tones of mid-violet with thick vertical stripes of darker purple and thinner strips of white. It also has a wide matching waistband. Like the sleeves of the puff it is a statement skirt.
As Marilla is a fashion designer this costume reflects her sense of style. It is in keeping with the look of the late 50s but it just pushes things just enough to be cutting edge too.
5. Anna Coleman from Freaky Friday (2003)
Designer: Mandalay in collaboration with the film’s costume designer, Genevieve Tyrrell
Freaky Friday is a teen comedy body-swap movie. Teenage Anna (Lindsay Lohan) with a punk rock aesthetics who gets body swapped with her mother. The swap allows them to see each other perspective and come to a better understanding which allows them to swap back.
At the end of the movie Anna preforms with her band “Pink Slip” at her mother’s wedding reception. Anna’s outfit is a two-piece lavender silk ensemble. The top is a cami which were very in fashion for the early 2000s. Both the cami and long skirt have lace appliqués with beading.
The floor length skirt is sheer are the bottom which perfect shows off her bare feet which adds to the feeling of ease and cool effortless chic of the outfit.
This look is a perfect blend of youthfulness, rebellious spirit and chic coolness.
4. Anita from West Side Story (1961)
Designer: Irene Sharaff
West Side Story is a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet using street gangs in the late 50s as the means of conflict. As the film was released in 1961 and was set in 1957 so it fits the “modern” categorization.
Anita (Rita Moreno) wears this dress during the famous “In America” song number. It’s a dress that is perfect for dancing. It is a lilac shade dress with a dropped full knee length skirt. The fullness of the skirt gives it the ease of movement along with the playful darker purple petticoat that is trimmed in red for more pop of color.
Also added to the sense of moment is sewn at the waist line. It is just a fun vibrant costume that adds to a fun yet insightful song. It’s iconic.
3. Nisha Choudhury from Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994)
Designer: Anna Singh
Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! is a very beloved Bollywood movie and one of the most enduring and memorable parts of it
is the musical number “Didi Tera Devar Deewana,” which translates to “Sister, your brother-in-law is crazy. ” The song is performed for Nisha’s sister’s baby shower and has a little skit about the brother-in-law. The song is playful, cute and silly.
During this scene Nisha (Madhuri Dixit) wears a stunning deep rich cool purple saree. It is decorated with a gold repeating pattern and it was the most expensive outfit in the movie. The bright jewel tone of this garment was more on trend in the early 90s and while purple doesn’t have the same connotation of meaning in India as it does in the west, the color could reflect that Nisha is a fun and modern young lady.
2. Lorelei Lee from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
Designer: Travilla
At its heart Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a buddy comedy about two friends with differing ideas about what they look for in a relationship. Lorelei (Marilyn Monroe), while a great lover of diamonds, maintains a pragmatic approach that it’s easier to be in love and focus on love when money isn’t a concern.
Meanwhile, her friend Dorothy (Jane Russell), just goes for looks and doesn’t care about finances. However, despite their differences they go to great lengths for each other. Their friendship is a highlight of this movie.
Another highlight of the movie are the costumes. Of course we think of the legendary pink gown but this movie is full of gorgeous 1950s glamor. Lorelei wears this purple outfit for a few scenes in the movie, most notably when she tries on the tiara which is a later plot point. It is a high-necked medium orchid shade with an angular pointed insert detail at the front. The sleeves are long though they are pushed up to the elbow and have wide gold metallic cuffs.
The fitted knee length skirt is a french-violet color with a darker purple vertical stripe. There is a pointed overlapping detail at the waist back with a dark purple belt. It’s a perfect combination of sophistication, cool, flirty, alluring and reflected of her character with its touches of gold with a regal air of purple
1. Gracie Hart from Miss Congeniality (2000)
Designer: Susie DeSanto
Miss Congeniality is a 2000 romantic comedy about a FBI special agent, Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) going under cover when a there is a bomb threat on the Miss United States beauty pageant and thus she needs a make-over so she can enter the contest effectively to save the day.
When the results from her all night make-over session is revealed, she is wearing a halter neck purple-periwinkle bandage dress thus completing her transformation from unassuming agent to deadly bombshell. As it is a tight body-con dress it has less is more aesthetic. It doesn’t need bells and whistles to communicate its cool allure.
It is one of the most iconic looks of the movie and one of Sandra Bullock’s most iconic looks of her career.
