10 underrated movies with FABULOUS costume design 

A good costume doesn't always mean a good movie, but it does mean that there's something worth watching.

I have always said Mirror Mirror is just Lily Collins, Julia Roberts and Eiko Ishioka's costumes doing their best against a terrible script and I stand by that

My dad was in The Fifth Element, whose costumes were designed by Gautier. He’s the dude that says “helm to 108”! Anyway Gautier came on set and would affectionately shout “hello sailors!” and flirt shamelessly with Dad, “I’ll let you steer my ship anytime” - Dad played the helmsmen. Anyway, love everything about that film. Ruby Wax androgyny is just 👌👌👌

I always liked in Mirror Mirror when the queen dismisses her looks by saying “she’s 18 and she’s never seen the sun” as if she didn’t imprison Snow where she can’t see the sun herself 😂

“Armie Hammer plays the Prince unfortunately” my thoughts exactly 😩

The fifth element's costuming was just iconic, it was a cultural reset.

"The Fifth Element" isn't "underrated" in a sense that no one knows about the costumes, it's underrated in the sense that people treat them like action figure costumes. People don't appreciate it as fashion, they appreciate it as what the characters wear. So I thought it was great that you added it to this list. I do think the costumes are under appreciated in that movie.

I would love to see Mina cover Cinderella and the anti-feminist argument against the Disney movie, as well as how stereotypically feminine strengths have been recently seen as "unprogressive" or "old-fashioned" in modern society in favor of stereotypically masculine strengths, and the secret sexism behind this logic.

Mina and Micarah both posting within 24 hours?! What have we done to deserve this 😍😩

it’s ✨misogyny✨ had me CRYING

Would be interesting your review on "Hotel Del Luna" and "It's Okay to Not Be Okay". Lead woman characters in both dramas have amazing fairytale looks... ^^ Maybe I have addiction to Korean visuals, but I think they have another level of fashion, all of them is masterpiece

Wish you would have included the movie "Death Becomes Her" the fashion in that flick is total bliss!

TASTE

Crimson Peak’s costuming is criminally underrated, as is the entire movie.

I love how you included Troop Beverly Hills! I loved that movie so much growing up. Also, the year the Met Gala theme was "Camp" I told people that if I went that year I would've worn her couture troop leader uniform because it would've been considered both literally and figuratively camp.

Eiko Ishioka is my favourite costume designer of all time!! If you haven't seen Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), The Cell (2000) and The Fall (2006) I'd highly recommend doing so, absolutely stunning work

A lot of Hindi (bollywood) films have amazing costumes, I would really recommend Devdas in particular for that!

In the fifth element ruby rhod was originally supposed to be Prince but he passed on the movie. A moment of silence for Prince in rubys rose collared outfit

For me my love and interest for fashion sparked with the series of Anne of Green Gables. The way the outfits change as Anne gets older really gives you a delightful visual of a young girl really coming into her own and it also serves as a visual representation of the different style eras throughout her life. Then I saw Marie Antoinette and Mirror, Mirror and there was no going back. These 3 key movies/series have made me absolutely love the fashion from the Victorian and and 18th century French /Rococo eras. I’ve found that the costuming in a movie can really make or break the viewing experience for me so I’m excited to see some of these movies that I was not aware of. I’m glad I’ve found creators like you that make me appreciate fashion even more. 💜

🌻🍄🪴time stamps🌷🌳🌼 1:41 mirror, mirror 4:27 high society 7:06 wish upon a star 9:43 orlando 12:11 the fifth element 15:09 baby face 17:34 troop beverly hills 20:25 top hat 23:04 barbarella 25:53 what a way to go!

Tilda wears the hell out of anything and everything, an absolute icon

A great film for costumes is ‘The Dressmaker’ with Kate Winslet. The clothes are everything! It’s also hilarious, whacky and also quite heart-breaking. Thank you for this video, I loved it, and am so glad for the introduction to new films. Will definitely be adding some of these to my watchlist!

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion has awesome costumes, so fun and campy and over the top, so many iconic looks! 😍😍

I always thought that Ever After with Drew Barrymore was so magical and mystical. The dresses are gorgeous, I can't speak to their accuracy but I loved them as a kid and now.

that light blue is SO PRETTY on you

Despite the goofiness, leaps of logic, and sometimes cringe, I still love "Mirror, Mirror". It just was so extra, and fun, and mostly not taking itself seriously at all but still had a couple of emotional bits that really rang true.. Add to it the amazing mix of practical and CG effects, and I really couldn't not like it.

I love that you mentioned Top Hat. Though those films are very cheesy, all of those dance numbers created the most beautiful costumes for Ginger. Even Freds tuxedos! Fun fact - Ginger (and her mom) would sew pennies into the hems of her gowns so that when she spun, the gowns would fall immediately after. Always loved that.

I love anything from the costume designer Eiko Ishioka, may she rest in peace. Ever since Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1992, I've been in love with that woman's talent. Highly recommend you watch more of her films she was the costume designer for - totally worth it. Definitely recommend The Fall (2006).

When you have both of your faves Mina and Tessa talking about Mirror Mirror

I love how she can love a movie and share that love, while still acknowledging it's shortcomings and not feeling the need to sweep them under the rug.

The only thing I’d add to this amazing list is The Love Witch! I’d consider it somewhat underrated as it was a limited indie release, and the fact that writer/director/producer Anna Biller was also responsible for handmaking and sourcing the entire (stunning) wardrobe for the film is SO impressive.

It’s not even two minutes and she already have likes, yk just queen things 😩💗✨

I wish I could have half of Grace Kelly’s gentle elegance

I'm so happy you added What a Way to Go! I became obsessed with Edith Head because of that movie. You're absolutely right that Luisa's black bikini is out of this world (as is her white one), but my favorite costume is probably either the diamond dress or the green dress from the Lush Budgett sequence. It just screams "Opulence! You own everything!"😍😍😍😍😍😍

You have to watch The Handmaiden! It’s one of my all time favourite movies. directed by Park Chan-wook, and takes place in the early 1900s in Japanese-occupied Korea. The costumes and visuals are stunning! And it’s a great story.

I saw 5th Element as a kid and it’s definitely one of my favorite movies visually and definitely shaped the aesthetics I’m drawn to as an adult. Especially the more gender bending elements.

the engineering of some of ginger rogers’ outfits is next level- famously she danced until her feet bled in uncomfortable shoes but other interesting details include really heavy weights in dress hems to make them flow and move just so. she was a real professional!

just here to say that Orlando is such a great movie and SUCH a great book. its a deep exploration of gender, style, poetry and the passing of time. it may not line up one to one with our understanding of gender today but seeing some of the groundwork being placed nearly 100 years ago is kinda mindblowing. and as far as the movie there has never been better casting than Tilda Swinton as Orlando, absolutely iconic

The costuming in Mirror Mirror is just so stunning, I really wish the story writing gave it more justice

i would DIE if you made a video talking about the costum design in the handmaiden

I love the costumes in Marie Antoinette and crimson peak as well

My favorite movies for fashion are “the love witch”, “crimson peak”, and “sleepy hollow” whether or not it’s accurate for it’s time is something I’m not an expert on but I still love it

Thank you for mentioning Mirror Mirror. I adore Snow's final dress especially. The orange and blue together is just gorgeous how it pops on the screen!

Mirror mirror is literally so nostalgic to me. I remember finding it on youtube as a child and just being amazed by costumes, colors, Julia Robers as this iconic queen. I remember how dark it felt, but yet funny. Though i totally had a crush on Lily Collins as Snow white and hated prince XD

I really hope that one day Mina talk about the costumes in "Penny dreadful", Eva Green looks so stunning in every dress on the show.

Any film with costumes by Eiko were automatically improved by her contributions. She even designed for one of Cirque du Soleil's shows. I absolutely love the book Eiko on Stage, it's a must own.

Absolutely love the costumes in Orlando as well! Just a nitpick, the blue gown she runs through the hedge maze in is a Robe a l'Anglais, not a la Francaise, due to its fitted bodice back. The white gown is a Robe a la Francaise, with the Watteau pleats.

A film I think is incredibly underrated, along with its costume design: Death Becomes Her (1992), starring Meryl Streep; Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis. The costumes of this movie is very much like The Devil Wears Prada, where the costumes could so easily work for contemporary fashion/ fashion taste in 2021. I absolutely love how the costume designer Joanna Johnston showed the two different women in different colours (,Madeline in blue and white and Helen in red), along with colours to signify something (black whenever something bad would happen to that character, blue to represent youth and beauty, red to represent a femme fatale, and white to represent a 'pure' woman or the idea of the true love). Isabella Rossellini looks beautiful in her main outfit, the bejewelled breast plate is so well constructed and the fact that the pin's/ brooches come from the breastplate is brilliant. And the makeup too is so brilliant, as it helps to show the idea of the two ladies being other worldly without being too much, from the intense blush and highlighter. My one critique would be Isabella Rossellini's final costume, which I feel is just too much and too weird for her character. Also I would have had the final dresses for Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn in white dresses instead of black; as this would show a symbolic comical idea of both being 'the wives' of Ernest, and also a different to both of them wearing black at the funeral in the final scene. And the theme of the party be black and white specifically. Its odd that the majority of the extra's wear black in this scene and yet a couple don't, so having it be black and white would have been more professional and would work for the joke of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. A truly marvellous movie and so very underrated. Goldie Hawn's red dress is so stunning and gorgeous. And all the outfits of Meryl Streep are so effortlessly chic and sophisticated. Also, a amazing movie to quote! Definitely worth a watch if you haven't seen it!

Costume design is so under appreciated. Ultimately it’s one of the strongest forms of characterization, and the purest form of show don’t tell. When done correctly, the costume will portray not just the characters personality, but also their wants and their shortcomings, the effects of the plot and character development through the movie. The costume designer has so much power over the movie’s narrative. I’m so glad that your channel caused me to fall in love with costume design , and pay attention to its impact in the movie. It also has impacted how I view dressing myself.

I recently rewatched Cabaret (1972) and the costumes are absolutely gorgeous and iconic. They probably aren’t underrated but I haven’t researched enough to find out. Highly recommend if only for the fashion but if you like campy musical numbers and a movie with a lot of heart and depth that I recommend it for that too! Love your channel Mina!❤️

I remember growing up with Fifth Element!! UGH ever since I was little I remember seeing the air hostesses and the opera singer and being absolutely ENTHRALLED to say the least. There's just something about pre-2000s future sci-fi fashion that's so nostalgicly-modern, like it in no way follows modern fashion trends yet always looks so stylish. This and Barbarella are my favs in sci Fi fashion

I highly highly recommend "Penelope" with Christina Ricci. It's a modern fairy tale and i absolutely love the world and the costumes they made for this movie, especially Penelope's clothes and her room, they are very whimsical but i think it works for her and doesn't stick out weirdly you know? Also if you haven't seen it : Pushing Daisies. Very fun and the sets and clothes are so colourful and pretty.

Mirror mirror is sooooooooo underrated I LOVE all the costumes

Wish Upon a Star was my fave as a kid!! I literally taped it so I could watch it whenever (yes, it was like that.) The wardrobe was critical to the storytelling - when they couldn’t switch back, the sisters started using the clothes to degrade the other personalities. One of them came to school in Dominatrix leather!! Ahhhhn good times. So glad it got a mention. Disney doesn’t have the guts to make a movie like this anymore.

the costumes in mirror mirror are so whimsical and outrageous. i love them almost as much as i love the costume design in both paddington 1 and 2!

Fred Astaire also hated Ginger's dress with the weights sewn into the hem from another movie because they kept hitting him in the shins 🤣

The dresses Grace Kelly wears are always perfect

I loved Ruby Rods entire wardrobe, his flair, his entire being! He reminds me of a JJBA character

idk if youve ever talked about “but i’m a cheerleader” but the costume and the rest of the production design is to die for

I can highly recommend ‘born sexy yesterday’ also here in yt regarding an even more in depth analysis of everything messed up (misogyny) with fifth element. P.s fantastic video Mina! Love your videos every single time!

I got hype as hell when you mentioned Wish Upon a Star because that blue and white outfit was really IT!!!! Like...who was fuckin with that?!?! Nobody! One of the best costuming choices Disney has ever seen! 😂😂😂😂

i love mirror mirror so much for some reason. the characters, the music, and the acting just hit a certain spot (but i’d be lying in nostalgia didnt affect my thoughts either). the and now that i’m older i think the costuming plays a big part. i don’t think the movie would feel as whimsical or nostalgic without Eiko Ishioka’s talent.

The fifth element costumes are, in my eyes, the most mind-blowing costume ensemble ever

OMFG THE FIFTH ELEMENT YES!!!!! Korbins tank top is so fucking cool. Leeloo’s suspenders and tights are awesome too. Ruby Rod has the best wardrobe is great. The set design is one of the best ever put to film

i've literally never hear anyone talk about troop beverly hills! as problematic as many aspects of the movie are, it has a lot of nostalgia value for me, and i've always looooved the costumes!!! beyond phyllis' costumes being amazing, i've always liked how the costumes for each girl reflect their backgrounds and personalities!

The last thing you said about Mirror Mirror, the swan's elegance and the peacock's power, reminds me of the Crimson Peak, in which Edith represents a cute, innocent, harmless, little butterfly and Lady Lucille is more like a dark, also powerful, cruel moth Beautifully made video, by the way!

This list is overwhelming. I watch so many movies and yet I have never heard of these films. Thank you! I think "The Stepford Wives" with Nicole Kidman is really underrated. The costume design is so lovely. Its also a good movie in my opinion. The plot is a little bit crazy, but i love it!

Since you are planning on watching foreign movies, I'd suggest the belle et la bette (2014), the classic French story of beauty and the beast with a gorgeous costume and set design. Its occasionally on netflix

I'm obsessed with the (1977 version) of susperia. Not especially for the costuming, more so for the color use and interiors and i love the soundtrack. It's an European move made by an Italian director so if you want to watch something "not American" i would really recommend! And also all around awesome aesthetic and awesome custume movie is 1992 bram stokers dracula!

I’m so glad you talked about the outfits in wish upon a star - Katherine Heigl’s outfits and makeup are stunning!!

To catch a thief has incredible costume design as well, Edith Head was talented, also I absolutely LOVE the outfits in clueless, and the 60s inspired outfits in The Man From UNCLE

Fifth Element always had STUNNING costumes and it’s not talked about nearly enough

The way Wish Upon a Star and Troop Beverly Hills have subconsciously influenced my fashion sense

I have a soft spot for Mirror Mirror and half of it is from the visuals because not just the costumes but the set and everything is just visually stunning.

Grace Kelly is always *stunning*, she literally makes everything look good. You should watch To Catch A Thief, she wears such great costumes in that!!!!

If you enjoyed Mirror Mirror I’d recommend the film “The Fall” by the same director. Beautiful design and costumes!

I remember when the met gala theme was camp all I could think about was how someone should’ve done one of Phyllis’ troop leader outfits

I’m so glad to see someone talk about Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, they are so beautifully made and wonderful to watch (apart from some obvious generational problems). I love their chemistry, nothing can beat that pairing for me in movies! I love how you break down the information, makes for such compelling statements! Your videos are so informative and entertaining!

I would love to see a video about the 1963 Cleopatra film with Liz Taylor talking both about how fabulous the outfits are and about how historically inaccurate most of them are xD. (Or hell, there have been so many Cleopatra films, one could make a video that talks about all of them - how they've been influenced by each other, how their approaches to costuming differ from one another, how the trends of the time they were made in influenced the costumes, etc.)

Orlando is one of my personal favorites for underrated costume designs. Favorite scene is the maze, when it transitions to the Rococo period to the Victorian era. Thank you for sharing!

I'm a simple human, I see a Fifth Element hostess I click💙

The Secret of Moonacre has incredibly underrated and wonderful costume design!!!!

When it comes to costume design my mind goes straight to Peau d'âne by Jacques Demy! It's a french movie retelling the donkey skin fairytale and the costume design for it is soooo so so breathtaking! I've had the chance to see the three dresses (a dress the color of the weather, a dress the color of the moon and a dress the color of the sun) they used in the movie during an exhibition and it was a dream come true, as it's been such an inspiration for many years! They used a really fun mix of costume design and light engineering to make the dresses look completely surreal on screen. I highly recommend you give it a watch! Also many chinese movies have great costumes but my personal favorite is House of Flying Daggers by Zhang Yimou, simply incredible! The colors, the textures, the fabrics! Ughhh!! AND the movie is genuinely beautiful :°)

"The Cell" has a bunch of great costumes!

YES the fifth element is so underrated costume-wise they're so sci-fi without being tacky and so pretty and ahead of their time?? it's the kind of stuff u see on the runways todaY

The fifth element is still one of my favourite movies and I remember being so in awe of the costume design even when I was a kid. Same goes for lotr honestly. It's not talked about too much in fashion / costume videos, maybe because they're not too exciting, but they shaped the world, and my love of fantasy so well. I think that's what originally sparked my love for flowly Femine boho dresses and hoods, because of the elven ladies in that movie 🖤

The Fifth Element is one of my favorite movies. One of my favorite memories is having the opportunity to see the costumes of the film such as the flight attendant outfit, Leeloo's bandage dress, Ruby's cheetah suit and a few others, as well as other iconic JPG creations.

i get so cozy just from her calling us doves in the beginning of every video, also i HAVE to see that last movie she mentioned asap

I watched What A Way To Go with my mom over the holiday break, and i was absolutely stunned by the costume design. such a lovely surprise to see you gush over it like i do!!!

OMG IM SO GLAD YOU PUT ORLANDO IN THIS!!! So underrated 😭😭

Stargate has had some very iconic moments with costume design.

I re-watched Top Hat with my partner recently because he’d never seen it and I really couldn’t stop staring at Ginger’s wardrobe. I also, of course, had to pause for the infamous Feather Dress anecdote (he wasn’t as fascinated by it as I am lol),

i would love for u to talk abt nana (an anime) their fashion is so cool, and i think it has rly influenced a lot of fashion in asia, a lot of ppl r inspired by the fashion. ex: model, sora choi

So glad you included Wish Upon A Star on this list! This was one of my favorite movies as a kid (I literally had my mom tape it so I could watch it over and over again), and Alexia’s wardrobe is everything 😍

omg i just LOVED that you included "what a way to go!" because its one of the best costume designs i've ever seen (i love campy stuff) and people hardly ever talk about it!!! amazing video!

grace kelly will forever be my no.1 fashion icon

Eiko ishioka’s costumes for cirque du soleil are how I got into her! Oh and the ones from The Cell. I think her costumes in The Fall are cooler than the ones in Mirror mirror.

Your videos have been a source of joy for many months. They reignite my interest in fashion and film. I haven't had the energy to read academic/non-fiction texts since I graduated uni but your clear passion, enthusiasm and well-researched videos have made me motivated to try again and have a go at the books you recommend in each video. Thank you Mina!

girl I'm LIVING for this thread/list of underrated movies PLUS costumes designs YOU KILL IT THANKS FOR THAT BYE

Troop Beverly Hills! As a little girl in the 80’s obsessed with fashion, this movie just did it for me. I thought Phyllis was the height of glamour and sophistication in the pastel ruffled dress she wears when she hosts her party, I nearly cried when she fell in the pool and ruined it 😭