Leather, Wool, and Wicked Coats
We all know that costumes play a big part in expressing characters. They signify a character’s personality, social status, moods alignments, and so much more. Coats are yet another way for costume designers to express the character in an article of clothing.
Coats, unlike a shirt or 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 fantasy and sci-fi. Sorry Indiana Jones and Han Solo. 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.
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. Coats from Modern set movies and Period Dramas have their own lists.
List is subject to change.
10. Penelope Whilern from Penelope (2006)
Designer: Jill Taylor
The 2006 movie, Penelope, is a modern fairy tale about a generational family curse, self-discovery and self-love. Penelope (Christina Ricci) is a rich girl from a wealthy family who is cursed with a pig nose. To break the curse she must find love from “one of her own kind.”
The look of the costume and especially the coat has a shabby-chic aesthetic. Her coat is dark purple with a slight wave texture pattern. Set against the dark tone of the purple is bright red trim at the opening of the collar and at the seams. The coat is long and has some volume toward the bottom and the hem is higher in the front than the back. All the buttons mismatch adding to the DIY shabby chic look.
The sleeves have a long angler cut. The lining of the coat is a black and white floral print. She pairs the look with a geometric green and purple scarf which hides her cursed face, green leather gloves along with green tights and shoes. It’s a whimsical yet modern look, which fits the tone of Penelope, the movie and character.
9. Mary Poppins from Mary Poppins (1964)
Designers: Tom Walton, Chuck Keehne, Gertrude Casey, & Bill Thomas
Sure, It’s a basic black coat, but when a singing, magical, practically perfect nanny descending from the clouds is wearing it the coat becomes part of the iconic look of Mary Poppins.
Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) is a beloved icon and her look while very simple is very well known. The basic utilitarian coat is the perfect anchoring point for her more whimsical accessories, such as her knitted pink tone scarf, hat, and her umbrella. It also anchors her no nonsense personality as the perfect nanny.
It maybe not be the most interesting coat, but it works so well to establish Mary Poppin’s look and icon factor.
8. Mrs. Coulter from The Golden Compass (2007)
Designer: Ruth Myers
Based on Philip Pullman’s His Dark Material trilogy of fantasy novels, The Golden Compass was meant to be the first movie in a franchise, but only the first film was made as it was commercial and critical disappoint. however while the movie was considered a flop the costumes were not the disappointing.
The antagonist of the movie, Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman,) is a very fashionable yet mysterious woman. The look of the movie costume design mixes Victoran and Edwardian style with the 1920s and 1930s. This creates a unique yet timeless look.
As the movie takes place in some colder climates Mrs. Coulter dresses warmly in more than a few scenes. One of her coat is a warm beige jacket that has a ticked fur collar that extends down the opening to make a trim.
Her coat is refined and elegant which is perfect for Mrs. Coulter’s character.
7. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015)
Designer: Kurt and Bart
In the final installment of The Hunger Games, Mockingjay – Part 2, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) has to infiltrated the capital.
Aspart of this she conceals her identity with a long teal robe-like coat-like garment. It’s hooded and quilted. One side is draped so it almost looks like cape. It’s also belted and the center piece was made from resin.
All these elements work within the insane over-the-top style of the capital and yet it’s more to Katniss’ sensible sense of style. It makes for a very unique outerwear garment.
6. Lizzie Bennet from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)
Designer: Julian Day
This adaptation based on the novel adaptation of Austen’ classic mixes the polite gentility of the Regency period and slasher action of a zombie movie. The juxtaposition of the two makes for great comedy.
This version sees Lizzie (Lily James) and sisters as trained zombie slashers who, in addition to destroying zombies, must acquire proper matches. One of Lizzie’s most iconic looks from the movie is her blue pelisse, which is also her battle costume at the climax of the film.
It’s a dark muted blue color with a double row of buttons as closure at the center-front. The collar is rather feminine as it has a swirl floral pattern in the same blue tones. This provides a lovely contrast against the action scene. The sleeves have a button detail and a long slit up the cuff.
With the neckline and the waistline both being straight across, this gives the impression of a square. This makes the pelisse look powerful—exactly what Lizzie needs.
5. Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket’s a Series of
Unfortunate Events (2004)
Designer: Colleen Atwood
The film adaptation of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events was released in 2004. It adapted the first three books in the series. The movie set out to have a timeless and sophisticated aesthetic, especially with the design of the costumes, which helps add a layer of fantasy to the looks.
Violet Baudelaire (Emily Browning), who is the eldest, wears this coat when the Baudelaire children meet Aunt Josephine. The coat looks like it is made from a mute light blue wool. The sleeves have a slight puff at the shoulder giving them a leg-o-mutton look.
The closure are tabs with a button and give off a militaristic look. The closures are only at the upper portion of the coats. The collar is proportionally larger and has black insert fabric. There are also some interesting darts or seams that make up a triangular look at the side fronts, which gives this seemingly simple coat more complexity.
Incidentally, this coat was repurposed for Alice in the live-action movie.
4. Irene Adler from Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows (2011)
Designer: Jenny Beavan
This might a bit of cheat as Sherlock Holmes movies 1 and 2 is not a “Fantasy movie” however one could categorize it as movie that leans into “the steampunk” genre which is sub-genre of Sci-Fi so it fits this list.
Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) is a clever femme-fatal type thief who is a romantic foil to Sherlock. Early in the sequel Irene meets with Moriarty at her favorite restaurant thinking the public space who make her safer, it did not.
She wears a blue velvet floor lenght mantle that has long flowing sleeves. It has a narrow v-neck opening and is fastens at the waist.
It’s has no adornments but the velvet and flowing silhoutte are gorgeous.
3. Elphaba from Wicked Part 1 (2024)
Designer: Paul Tazewell
Based on the musical based on the book based off the 1939 movie based off the series books from the early1900s, Wicked Part 1 is the original story of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (Cynthia Enrivo.)
As Elphaba companies her little sister to Shiz university she wears a stunning dramatic high-necked collared black frock coat. The coat has decidedly Victorian flair with slightly pointed leg-of-mutton sleeves. The opening is off-center the comes to point at the top. The opening is secured with matching fabric covered buttons. At the front and at the top of the sleeves there is are black trim designs.
The sharp angles of the coat communicates Elphaba’s eventual turned to “wickedness.”
2. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games (2012)
Designer: Judiana Makosky
When we first meet Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) in the first installment of the Hunger Games franchise she is being deviant as she is hunting. This is one of the few times in the film series that she wears garments that are not part of a façade or battle grab; this is her at her most genuine.
As Katniss’ first look is her being true to herself, this makes this brown leather coat very memorable. It’s a very simple coat but it suits Katniss’ strong and power-to-earth personality. Leather is also soft which suit her strength and compassionate nature.
This coat shows up in other scenes in the franchise as well. Also shout-out to Katniss’ asymmetrical black coat from Catching Fire.
1. Trinity from The Matrix (1999)
Designer: Kym Barrett
It is not an exaggeration to state that The Matrix changed the film landscape. Even if you haven’t seen the movie you know the shots, the effects, the quotes, and the overall vibe and style. It is just one of those movies.
In keeping with the look of the movie Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) is the picture of minimalist sci-fi. Effortlessly cool.
Trinity’s iconic look is a black pleather trench coat. It just oozes sci-fi cool. Aside from the shiny futuristic fabric, the coat is sparse on details adding to the vibe. You don’t get much more iconic than this.
