One Dress a Day Challenge

November: Grey Redux

The Millionairess / Maggie Smith as Epifania Ognisanti di Parerga

Maggie Smith is the ultimate in 1930s chic in head-to-toe grey with extravagant furs on top of a fur-trimmed cape. She even has grey hose, shoes, gloves, and purse. A side-of-the-head hat with a filmy veil and flower-shaped metallic ornament finishes off the outfit.

One Dress a Day Challenge

November: Grey Redux

Crazy Rich Asians / Gemma Chan as Astrid Young

The designer, Mary E. Vogt, commented about this dress in an interview: "I had some beautiful dresses that Ralph Russo very generously lent us. They were gorgeous, and the director was excited about them, too. I showed them to Gemma and for that particular scene — the one where she finds out her husband is cheating on her — she said, 'I want to be really vulnerable and I don’t want to wear anything too fabulous.'

"At first, I was disappointed. I said, 'Are you sure?' But when I thought about it, yes, of course it makes more sense for this scene. It’s about her vulnerability, not some outfit. I had an elegant, gray 1930’s Ralph Lauren dress. It was very simple, yet it worked. You looked at her — at her face and her expression. You weren’t distracted by three-dimensional butterflies or anything wild on the dress."

One Dress a Day Challenge

November: Grey Redux

Working Girl / Sigourney Weaver as Katharine Parker and Melanie Griffith as Tess McGill

When Tess decides to impersonate her boss, she also helps herself to Katharine's wardrobe, including this classic grey two-piece suit. It's like the next-generation iteration of Maggie's suit from Funny Face, which started the month of grey (revisited)--so this seems like an appropriate way to close.

One Dress a Day Challenge

November: Grey Redux

License to Kill / Carey Lowell as Pam Bouvier

One Dress a Day Challenge

November: Grey Redux

Original Sin / Angelina Jolie as Julia Russell Vargas

I didn't know about this movie until I went looking for costumes, but the designer was none other than Donna Zakowska, who went on to design The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel! The film is set in the 1870s, and this gown, which appears in a couple of brief scenes near the middle, features a beautifully draped bustle. Also note the stiff pleats at the neck and cuffs, as well as the button accents on the sleeves.

One Dress a Day Challenge

November: Grey Redux

The House of Mirth / Gillian Anderson as Lily Bart

One Dress a Day Challenge

November: Grey Redux

King Kong (2005) / Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow

One Dress a Day Challenge

November: Grey Redux

My Fair Lady / Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle

A real classic today. The three tiers on the collar mirror the three-tiered skirt, and both feature similar scalloped edges with floral embroidered decoration. I'm struck by the weight of the fabric, which can be seen in the close-up photo: it has some real heft and looks as if it might be wool. A white lace collar peeks out at the top. The outfit is completed with a rather schoolgirlish black hair bow and pointy black boots, which are mostly not visible under the skirt.

The signature on the sketch reveals that this costume was designed by Cecil Beaton, although Michael Neuwirth also worked on the film, according to IMDB.