Natalie Portman as Padme Amidala in "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith" (2005) Best Violet Purple Costume, Gowns, & Dresses from Fantasy & Sci-fi Movies
Natalie Portman as Padme Amidala appears twice on this list of the 10 best violet costumes in the history of fantasy, sci-fi, comic book, and superhero movies.


Wealth, Power, and Magic

Due to the huge expense of producing purple dyes the color was reserved for royalty or the excessively wealthy. This is why purple has connotations with royalty and luxury. It also has meaning involving creativity, wisdom, power, ambition as well as fantasy and magic. Because it combines red and blue, the color is both simulating and serene or warm or cool depending on the amount of pigments used.

This list is for shades of purple costume from fantasy/sci-fi/etc. movies that appear cooler. These shades include colors like Violet, Periwinkle, Indigo and so on. Violet costumes from period and modern movies have their ranking as do costumes that are warmer redder-purples. 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. My own subjective opinions do influence the order as it’s my list. I do try and be objective as I can but it’s hard


List subject to change.

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Emily Blunt as Queen Victoria in "The Young Victoria" (2009) Best Violet Purple Costume, Gowns, & Dresses from Period Piece Dramas Movies
Emily Blunt as Queen Victoria I in 2009’s “The Young Victoria.” This periwinkle dress was designer Sandy Powell’s favorite
costume in the movie.


Royalty, Creativity, and Wisdom

In ancient times, the color purple was so expensive to produce that only the super elite, like royalty, could afford such a decadent dye for their clothing. This linked the color purple with royalty. In addition to luxury, purple has associations with creativity, wisdom, power, ambition, and even magic.

Purple can be both stimulating and calming because it’s a mix of red and blue, making it either cool or warm depending on the amount of either pigment. Cooler shades of purple are violet, periwinkle, indigo, and so on. It’s also based somewhat on my perception of the color since purple can be tricky to tell it’s temperatures sometimes.

This list ranks cooler purple costumes from period movies. Costumes from Modern set and Fantasy/Sci-Fi movies have separate lists, as do warmer purple costumes. Articles of clothing, like undergarments, cover-ups, sleepwear, and outerwear are not included.

Costumes are ranked by aesthetics, memorability and how they suit the character/film.

List is subject to change.

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Best Violet Purple Costume, Gowns, & Dresses from Modern Set Movies
Marilyn Monroe wearing a high-necked purple outfit and tiara in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953), the best purple or violet costume in modern movies.


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

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Keira Knightley as Elizabeth, "The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curses of the Black Pearl" (2003) Best Purple Costume, Gowns, & Dresses from Fantasy & Sci-fi Movies
A Ranking of the 10 best purple costumes in Fantasy/Scifi movies has to include Keira Knightley as Elizabeth, “The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curses of the Black Pearl” (2003)


Best 10 Purple Costumes in Fantasy/Sci-Fi Movies

In times past, purple was a color of royalty. This was because making the dye was expensive so only the ruling class could afford such a luxury.

In addition to its royal and luxury associations, purple can mean creatively, wisdom, power, ambition and a touch of fantasy/magic. It can also be both simulating and calming because it mixes the energy of red with the serenity of blue.

The combination of red and blue does create an interesting issue: is purple warm or cool? It’s both depending on the combination of amount pigment used so purple colors are all about shades and tones.

This page looks at warmer purples from Fantasy/Sci-fi/Superhero/supernatural/etc movies. The shades include that has a a higher combination of red values to blue like magenta, fuchsia, eggplant, some lilac, some lavenders, jam, boysenberry and so on.

Period and Modern movie costumes have their own list and so cooler shades of purple.

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.

List is subject to change

Spoilers

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Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater in "Titanic" (1997) Swim Dress Best Purple Costume, Gowns, & Dresses from Period Piece Dramas Movies
A Ranking of the 10 best purple costumes in period movies has to include Kate Winslet’s iconic performance as Rose DeWitt
Bukater in “Titanic” (1997)


Royal Ambition and Wisdom

In times past, purple was a color of royalty. This was because dye was expensive to produce thus only the ruling class could afford it. Purple still holds its royal and luxury status as meaning creatively, wisdom, power, ambition and magic. It also has the appeal of being both simulating and calming.

The combination of red and blue creates an interesting issue: does the shade of purple look more red or blue? Warm or cool? This list is for shades of purple appear warmer with more red in the mix. Shades like magenta, fuchsia, eggplant, some lilac, some lavenders, jam, boysenberry etc.

Purple movie costumes that have more blue tones or shades that just appear cooler like violets, periwinkles and other shades of the blue/red combo will have their own lists. This list ranks warm purple costumes from Period Movies. Modern and Fantasy/Sci-Fi costumes have separate rankings.

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.

Enjoy!

List Subject to Change

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Amy Adams as Giselle in "Enchanted" (2007) Best Purple Costume, Gowns, & Dresses from Modern Set Movies
Amy Adams as Giselle in “Enchanted” (2007) wears a simple, strapless gown to the ball to show her growth as a
character.


Luxury, Power, and Ambition

Purple has many meanings and associations, including royalty and luxury. In fact, purple used to be a color for the ruling class because it was an expensive color dye. Purple is also associated with creativity, wisdom, power, ambition, and magic.

As a combination of both red and blue, purple can be warmer or cooler depending on the mix of red to blue. This list is for the warmer shades of purple, like magenta, fuchsia, eggplant, some lilac, some lavenders, jam, boysenberry and so on. It’s not totally precise, color values and hex codes were checked, but mostly it’s just based on how the costume looks as a whole and what tone stands out.

Purple movie costumes that have more blue tones or shades or that appear cooler like violets, periwinkles and other shades of the blue/red combo have their own lists. This list ranks warm purple costumes from Modern movies. Period and fantasy/sci-fi costumes have separate rankings.

List Subject to Change.

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Vivien Leigh as Cleopatra (1945,) Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra (1963,) and Leonor Varela as Cleopatra (1999) The Many Depictions of Queen Cleopatra VII
The Many Depictions of Queen Cleopatra VII

Playing Cleopatra

For centuries, Cleopatra has captured the imagination of many artists, musicians, authors, and filmmakers. Her story contains no shortage of drama, romance, and tragedy, so it’s not surprising that many artists have created works that imagine what she was really like. In so doing, each artist has put their own spin on her story and legend.

This post is dedicated to those actresses who over the years have brought the fabulous Queen of the Nile to life from notable adaptations. Though I more than missed some.

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Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina (2012)
Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina (2012)


Actresses who have played Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina is widely considered one of the most romantic stories in literature. It was written in 1877 by Leo Tolstoy. It’s an example of Realism fiction.

It tells the story of the beautiful Anna who is married with a child, falls into a passionate love affair with the dashing Count Vronsky. Her affair ultimately leads to her downfall and her suicide.

Anna’s story runs parallel to the pure love story of Levin and Kitty. The contrast between the two highlights the thesis of the book, that happy families are all alike but unhappy families are unhappy in their own way. In Anna’s case, she didn’t even know she was unhappy till Vronsky.

Anna Karenina has been remade into numerous versions and this lens looks at some the women who have depicted Anna in TV and movies. I more than likely have forgotten some versions because there are many. So no this is not a definitive list of all the actresses who have ever Anna Karenina.

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Léa Seydoux as Belle "La Belle et la Bête" (2014) Best Blue-Green (Teal, Turquoise, Aqua, Cyan) Costume, Gowns, & Dresses from Fantasy & Sci-fi Movies
Léa Seydoux as Belle wearing a majestic and magical dark teal blue gown in an iconic scene from 2014’s “La Belle et la Bête”


Cyan Colored Costumes

When blues and green are mixed together they color takes on the meanings of both colors as well of some yellow. What result is a color that has connotations of renewal and open mindedness. Of the sea and sky. And of Good luck, youthfulness and dreams. These blue-green colors belong to the Cyan family and includes color like turquoise, teal and aqua.

This page a ranked list of 10 best Blue-green costumes worn by women from Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Comic book/etc films. Period and Modern set movies have their own unique lists. As well as costumes that appear more decidedly green and blue. Green and blue movie costumes have their own ranked lists as well.

Clothing items, like undergarments, cover-ups, sleepwear, outerwear, swimwear etc are not included.

The costumes are ranked by aesthetics, memorability and how it suits the character/film.

The List is subject to change

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Lesley Ann Warren as Miss Scarlet, "Clue" (1985) Best Blue-Green (Teal, Turquoise, Aqua, Cyan) Costume, Gowns, & Dresses from Period Piece Dramas Movies
In 1985’s Cult classic “Clue” Lesley Ann Warren plays Miss Scarlet who wears a glamorous and chic cocktail dress in a sumptuous dark teal with aqua accessories.



Blue-Green – Cyan Family of Costumes

When blue and green are combined they form the cyan family of color. Depending on the mix of blue and green you can have teal, turquoise, and aqua, to name a few.

These colors have attributes of both green and blue: renewal and open mindedness, trust, and good luck. Also, given the amount of yellow they can have feelings of happiness, calmness, and energy. They are the colors of the sky and the ocean.

This page ranks the 10 best blue-green costumes from period movies worn by women. Modern movies and fantasy/sci-fi costumes have their own unique rankings. Clothing, like undergarments, cover-ups, sleepwear, outerwear, swimwear, etc. are not included.

The costumes are ranked by aesthetics, memorability and how they suit the character/film.

Blue and Green movie costumes each have their own ranked list.

This list is subject to change.

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