Part 5: Wait For the Opportune Moment

Around the same time as the recent Asian movie collection post, things in Europe were quite interesting, to say the least.  Between life at court, jousting, solving murder mysteries, performing for phantoms, and cavorting with pirates, a lot was going on, and a lot of cool clothing was being worn.

Long ago, when knighthood was in flower and noble youths rode forth adventuring, a young Heath Ledger jousted for the heart of Jocelin, an edgy royal who liked to dance and watch men take part in the joust, but not win tournaments for her.  What I like about this movie is that they stuck with the outline of the style at the time, but took lots of liberties.  I'm pretty sure if a woman actually wore this in public in the 13-1400's, she would be beheaded for indecency; but in movie-land, it's perfectly acceptable.

Next in chronological order, during the 1780s, is the most well-known royal of all time: the tragically misunderstood Marie Antoinette.  Fashion's It-Girl of the aristocratic world knew how to take a risk, and she had all the resources to do so.  Sophia Coppola's vision of life in Versailles is a treat for the eyes and a guilty pleasure for the mind.

And the last, somewhat eclectic set, displays the victorian turn that the billowing dresses of old transformed into.  Pirates of the Caribbean, taking place in the early 1700s, used the pirate version of layering to its fullest potential, and even employed the trend to Elizabeth's look.  The little number that the Phantom of the Opera designed for Christine in 1861 in his creepy play goes past the point of no return in its obvious spanish influences and plethora of beautiful textures and colors.  And finally, the lady lead in the Sherlock Holms' 1880s universe kept conservative in the front, with her subtle floral navy coat, but threw a cascading party in the back with her fuscia pink satin bustle and matching gloves of course.

(photos collected from googleimages)