18. What is your biggest costuming pet peeve?

Wrong hair. This can take a few forms. There's the "I refuse to get a period hairstyle" attitude that was common in the 1970s and 80s, for example. (And its immediate predecessor, the "I don't care what century it is, I'm going to have a beehive" from the 1960s.) Like, this hair is not making even a token effort to be 1930s:

These two are supposedly from the 1950s, and they're not fooling anyone.

Men get it too, of course.

And then there's hair flowing loose when it shouldn't be. For example, French hoods with no hoods:

Another manifestation is what Frock Flicks calls the Great Bobby Pin Shortage. I mean, compare these two wearings of the same dress:

I just think the look on the left (Maximilian) is so much more interesting, and immersive. The one on the right (The White Princess) also loses points for obviously trying to "sexy it up"--although I do like the necklace.

19. What is your costuming guilty pleasure?

Oh, that's easy: the 1982 Ivanhoe. As I've said elsewhere, the costuming is solidly Ren Faire level. The synthetic fabrics!

The glass gems from the hobby shop!

I can practically smell the hot glue gun that was clearly used to construct this headdress.

Then there's whatever this thing is...

Actually, his costume's not bad, but her pink polyester veil ... oof.

And yet, I love it all out of proportion to what it deserves. It seems clear the costumers actually knew which rules they were breaking: the silhouettes are broadly right for the late 12th century, and at least the women wear veils, even if they're synthetic and improbably colored! I get the feeling they did the best they could with the budget and materials available. And I can respect them for that.

23. What's your favorite black and white costume movie?

Definitely Roberta. The whole thing is about a fashion house. You've got Ginger Rogers, Irene Dunne, and numerous models swanning about in the height of mid-1930s glamor, plus Fred Astaire being his usual sartorial powerhouse self in the menswear department. The finale is even a fashion show!

I love this number especially because this was one of the few times for a film that Fred and Ginger tap danced on a wooden floor. They enjoyed the experience much more because their tap sounds were louder and more rhythmic with the music, the way they are when practicing in the studio.

One Dress a Day Challenge

Monochrome July

Roberta / Irene Dunne as Stephanie