Apr 19, 2026 10:30am IST
Iconic Fashion That Outlasted Films That Featured Them
Fashion in films doesn’t just belong to the characters who sport outfits and accessories, but to pop-culture moments. The red heels in “The Devil Wears Prada 2” are not just shoes; they are a statement. As the sequel arrives next month, it is a reminder that fashion in film has always done more than dress a character. At its best, it tells the whole story. Here are the pieces that proved it.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)
Starring Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly and Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs, “The Devil Wears Prada” turns a pair of red Valentino heels into one of cinema’s most enduring symbols of power. Before Miranda Priestly utters a single word, the red Valentino shoes tell you everything you need to know. Sharp, uncompromising, and very difficult to ignore. The cerulean sweater monologue may also have your attention, but it is the pumps that draw attention. With the film arriving May 1, 2026, what Miranda wears on screen is already all the buzz.
Legally Blonde (2001)
The all-pink suit Elle Woods wears to Harvard is never just a fashion choice. Starring Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, “Legally Blonde” builds its entire argument on a wardrobe. From the all-pink power suit to sequined outfits at the salon, Elle’s wardrobe is designed by Sophie de Rakoff Carbonell. To date, it remains one of the most intentional uses of color pink in costume design history.
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Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Starring Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” gave the world what is arguably the most referenced fashion image in cinema history. Hubert de Givenchy designed the black gown. Audrey Hepburn made it iconic. Holly Golightly’s opening sequence, black gown, oversized sunglasses, pearl rope necklace, coffee and pastry in hand outside Tiffany’s at dawn, did not just define a character but an era.
Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
“Confessions of a Shopaholic” opens with a green scarf in a shop window. Starring Isla Fisher as Becky Bloomwood, the film shows how she could not afford that green scarf, and buys it anyway. And with that single, impulsive, completely irrational purchase, one of cinema’s most beloved shopping addicts is born. The scarf is not just a mere prop; it is the film’s entire argument about the emotional relationship between women and clothes. Costume designer Patrica Field, who also dressed “Sex and the City,” built Becky’s maximalist wardrobe.
13 Going on 30 (2004)
Starring Jennifer Garner as Jenna Rink, “13 Going on 30” has attached an emotional core to the multicolored Versace minidress, which Garner wears while leading an entire party in a Thriller dance routine in the film. The dress, from Versace’s Spring/Summer 2003 collection, featuring a green bust, blue straps, cutout detailing and a sheer skirt which is striped, had to be flown in from Italy. Costume designer Susie DeSanto accessorized it with a blue butterfly Swarovski crystal necklace. The original dress has since been lost. De Santo believes it ended up in a landfill, which only adds to its legend.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
Starring Kate Hudson as Andie Anderson, alongside Matthew McConaughey as Ben Barry, “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” gave the world a yellow dress that became one of the most iconic dresses in the early rom-com era. Andie wears it to a gala event, a floor-grazing, backless, canary-yellow silk gown with a confident, luminous elegance. The dress is the moment the film tips from comedy into something closer to romance, and costume designer Karen Patch knew exactly what she was doing. The color, the look, is still recreated two decades later.
La La Land (2016)
“La La Land” gave each of the seasons a different color. But it is the yellow A-line dress at the Griffith Observatory, worn as Mia and Sebastian float through a planetarium dance sequence that became the film’s visual signature. Starring Emma Stone as Mia, alongside Ryan Gosling as Sebastian, the costume designer was Mary Zophres, who said that the yellow was chosen because it reads as joy. It does. And it breaks your heart at the end of the film for the same reason.
Barbie (2023)
Starring Margot Robbie as “Barbie” alongside Ryan Gosling as Ken, Barbie did something that almost no film has managed before: it turned its costume department into a global marketing machine. Before a single frame of the film was out, the pink gingham picnic set Margot wore in the first paparazzi photos from the set had gone viral. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran created over 100 looks referencing six decades of the doll’s history. Durran was not just dressing a character; she was dressing an idea, a childhood memory, making the audience feel both nostalgic and fresh.
Clueless (1995)
“Clueless” gave the world a wardrobe that fashion is still catching up to. Cher used a digital wardrobe computer to put her outfits together in 1995. The film starred Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz. The yellow plaid co-ord set, blazer and miniskirt, knee socks and loafers are the most recreated outfits in the film’s legacy, referenced by designers, worn at Halloween and talked about non-stop. Costume designer Mona May built a wardrobe so specific that it became iconic.
Fashion elements in film are never just decoration. At its best, it is character, it is story, it is the thing you remember long after the plot has faded.
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