(1790–1820).
Wools, Cheetahs, and Furs
It is very much common knowledge at this point that costumes play a big part in expressing characters. They signify a character’s personality, social status, moods alignments, and other facets.
Coats are yet another way for costume designers to express the character in an article of clothing. Coats, unlike a shirt or a dress can conceal or reveal much about the inner workings of characters. Like actually using it to hide or protecting them from some kind of external threat.
This page ranks the ten best coats worn by women in period movies. These coats are ranked on aesthetics, memorability and how they reflect the character. And by coat, I mean it has sleeves and is worn for some layer of protection from the elements. Coats from Modern and Fantasy/Sci-fi movies have their own lists.
A jacket-like garment that comes down to at least the waist is fine, but items like the Spencer—a short coat popular in the Regency period (1790–1820)—are not considered. But having arms is a must. Basically, outwear with sleeves is the theme of this ranked list.
List is subject to change.
10. Tilly Dunnage from The Dressmarker (2015)
WRITDesigner: Margot Wilson
After being trained as a courtier-fashion dressmaker in Europe, Tilly (Kate Winslet) returns to her outback hometown after a traumatic childhood event.
As Tilly dresses in the most fashionable looks of the 50s her tan wool swing with its black lining is utterly chic and very effortless.
9. Velma Kelly from Chicago (2002)
Designer: Colleen Atwood
Chicago is one of those musicals that brilliantly weaves the musical numbers in the plot through hyper stylized scenes to draw a separation between the fantastical nature of the singing and dancing against the gritty “realism” that film goers enjoy, at least at the time.
During the trail scene, Velma (Catherine Zeta-Jones) wears a glamorous 20s style coat. It’s a loose fitting black coat with gray fur on the collar and it extends to the shoulders. There are three buttons that fasten at the hips, which is on point for the time period. The neckline is rather plunging which is more of an exaggeration but it does suit Velma’s cool cunning persona.
8. Edith Cushing from Crimson Peaks (2015)
Designer: Kate Hawley
Crimson Peaks is another movie that could be classified under Fantasy banner since it’s a horror with ghosts but in the context of the film the “ghosts’ are a “metaphor” and the movie feels more akin to a gothic romance.
Edith (Mia Wasikowska) wears two traveling coats that are very similar to each as they have some shape with a large cape-like frill skirting and similar embroidery pattern. The pattern looks like an abstract butterfly which is evocative of Edith symbolism throughout the movie.
One of the coats is a lavender with fabric floral detail along the upper part of the cape with a scarlet velvet bow at the collar. She wears this coat arriving at Allerdale Hall. The other version of this coat is a pale blue with no other adornment for a teal velvet bow at the collar. She wears this when she and Thomas come from the depot after getting snowed in and Edith also arrives to an unhinged Lucille.
These coats are so very similar that it is a tie.
7. Su Li-zhen from In the Mood for Love (2000)
Designer: William Chang
In the Mood for Love is a bittersweet love story about two neighbors who find solace in each other when they learn that their spouses are having an affair. Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) wears many glamorous cheongsams throughout the film. They sometimes blend into the surrounding and sometimes stand out to enhance her mental state.
Though with regards to her simple red coat it can conceal a cheongsam that stands out in the space while the coat blends in highlighting her contradictions about being in that hotel room. It is really just a simple red coat with a very sharp angled lapel collar but it very much works within the visual storytelling of the film.
6. Emma Woodhouse from Emma (2020)
Designer: Alexandra Byrne
The 2020 adaptation of Emma had amazing costumes that captured a side of Regency fashion we don’t often see in films. Typically Regency looks are very soft, muted and pastels in their colors and Emma went with bold strong colors.
One look that was used in the film’s promotion was a bright yellow pelisse that Emma (Anya Taylor-Joy) wears to a shop and walking with Harriet. Like many of the costumes from this version the design of the pelisse was lifted from a fashion plate from the period.
This pelisse is made from a bright yellow fabric that has a slight texture. There is a double row of shank buttons at the front of the bodice. The bodice has three darts on either side and a long thin tie comes to bow at the high waist. The sleeves have a capped over-sleeve at the upper part with a small ruffle in between the layers. The cuffs are long and there is a button tab detail at the seam.
The collar is higher in the back and the back is pleated in the back with a button tab much like at the cuff. It’s a very striking bold color which suits Emma’s handsome, clever, and rich character.
5. Margot Tenenbaum from The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Designer: Karen Patch & Fendi
Set in the 1970s, The Royal Tenenbaums is a Wes Anderson film about a deeply dysfunctional family whose children were brilliant in adolescence, only to become disappointing adults. Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) is the middle child, the only female, and adopted. She was a successful playwright by the time she was in ninth grade.
Throughout the movie wears Margot a tan mink fur coat which in essence is her signature look. Despite being made from a material that is perceived to denote luxury, the coat has little embellishments. Just a collar and tie. It’s no-frills, to the point, yet polished aesthetic suits Margot’s secretive yet beautiful artist personality.
4. Fanny Brice from Funny Girl (1968)
Designer: Irene Sharaff
When you hear, “Hello Gorgeous,” you think of Barbra Streisand uttering that line in Funny Girl as she walks into the theater wearing this cheetah coat. It’s an iconic moment.
The coat has a high standing collar that is edged with a solid black and goes along the opening as well at the back. The rounded solid black detail at the back is at the hips and back along the neck. The length of the coat is knee length.
A matching hat very much completes this look. The coat and hat shape do make this look more 1960s than Edwardian, but it is so iconic
3. Hatsumono from Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
Designer: Colleen Atwood
Memories of a Geisha is a cinderella-type story set against the backdrop of the seemingly unknown inner-workings and daily lives of Geisha. The wicked step-mother-like character is Hatsumono (Gong Li) who is the star of the Geisha resident and rival for the protagonist, Sayuri.
On her way out for an evening Hatsumono dons a black coat over her Kimono. There are definitely traditional outerwear for Kimono and they do not look like Hatsumono’s coat. For one thing the traditional outerwear pieces are short. This one by contrast is long and is pure fantasy on the part of the costume designer.
With its length, an abstract pattern mixed with a fur collar the design mingles the kimono silhouette with a Western style women’s coat. The combo is strange, striking and very pretty which ultimately suits Hatsumono perfectly.
2. Rose Dewitt Bukater from Titanic (1997)
Designer: Deborah L Scott
As the Titanic sinks into the frigid depth, the passengers are told to wear warm coats and other articles against the elements. Rose (Kate Winslet) puts on a very pretty coat though she does not look very warm. Commonly referred to as “The Sink Coat,” the production made it in a larger size than Kate Winslet wore in order to make her look vulnerable.
Many copies of the coat were made for the production as the coat had to get wet. Once the filming wrapped, the coats were sold. Tuck Everlasting, a movie from 2002, got one of the coats and modified it to be double-breasted. So one coat design, two movies. For the sake of this we’ll just look at Titanic.
Sink Coat
The coat is made from a light pink wool. It has a large lapel collar with black abstract scroll pattern. The cuffs have the same embroidery pattern. There are three black buttons at both sides of the front that she never fastens in fact she abandons the coat not long after putting it on.
1. Penny Lane from Almost Famous (2000)
Designer: Betsy Heimann
The world of fashion and costume often influence each other. You will have period costumes reflecting the times the movie came out in and you will see a garment from the past catch on with modern audiences, The coat from Almost Famous is an example of the latter. As this style of coat became popular in the early 2000s
Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) is a veteran groupie character who cares more for music than the rockers themselves. She is more like a muse. Her signature look is an Afghan coat.
The Afghan Coat began the trademark coat of Hippies in the west in the later part of the 1960s. However it is based on traditional outwear from Afghanistan.
Penny’s coat is made from brown suede and lined with white shaggy fur that makes up a wide collar. The bottom has a double ruffle and there is a floral motif pattern on the coat in a lighter tan.
The coat gives her a cool otherworldly vibe which works for rocker muse persona.
Honorable Mention: Emma Lady Hamilton from That Hamilton Woman (1941)
Designer: Marjorie Best
That Hamilton Woman tells the story of the love affair between British Naval hero Lord Horatio Nelson and Emma Lady Hamilton, wife of the British ambassador to Naples in the late 18th century.
In a scene where Emma Lady Hamilton (Vivien Leigh) boards Nelson’s battleship to deliver some news that will aid his mission to stop Napoleon in Egypt. This means that this scene takes place right before The Battle of The Nile which places it in 1798.
Emma wears a green long coat which is often called a Carrick Coat. Sometimes called a Garrick or Coachmen Coat it was used for riding or traveling. It is categorized by having three to five cape collars. Emma’s coat has three of these collars.
These coats were very popular in the 19th century which puts this a little early or Emma was a trend setter. Her coat also has a waistline which is positioned at the natural waistline which is also inaccurate for the time but it’s better for the film. It has large black buttons and large cuffs at the wrist.
This look suits the scene as being pragmatic for a battleship at night. She still looks feminine but in a slightly casual and militaristic manner.
More Movie Coats
