Controversial Movie Costumes That Had Us Talking
When watching movies, it’s hard not to notice the costumes. Sure, most of the time the costumes make sense, but other times, we can’t help but wonder, what were the characters wearing? Well, these costumes were not only out of place, but they were also historically inaccurate and extremely risqué. Not surprisingly, they had fans talking long after the movies premiered. You’re not going to believe these movie costumes ever existed and the even wilder explanations behind them.
"Jurassic World": Bryce Dallas Howard
One of the biggest criticisms of 2015’s Jurassic World was why was Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) wearing heels during the movie? She ran through the jungle and from terrifying dinosaurs, without once taking off her high heels, which seemed completely unrealistic.
Even the controversy didn’t stop the heels from appearing in the other movies in the franchise. Howard stood by the decision to keep the heels on, sticking to the fact that it fit with her character. “I always saw it as a really fun thing that she runs through the jungle in heels and the outfit gets totally demolished,” she shared with USA Today.
"The Shape of Water": Doug Jones
Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water won four Oscars including Best Picture, but even still, people found one thing a bit odd—Doug Jones’ Amphibian Man’s costume. A combination of real and digital effects were used for the fantastical elements of the movie. Jones wore a fish-man costume and heavy makeup with prosthetics and they animated the fish creature’s eyes and built upon Jones’ performance in postproduction.
Trey Harell, the film’s special effect supervisor, said it best to CNET when he called the special effect technique “digital prosthetics” or “makeup augmentation”.
"One Million Years B.C.": Raquel Welch
Even though Raquel Welch only had three lines in One Million Years B.C., the movie turned her into an international sex symbol. In the movie, Welch wore a bikini made of fur and hide and the photoshoot from it became a best-selling pinup poster and a cultural phenomenon.
We bet you didn’t know that Welch almost died while filming because of the costume. She developed tonsilitis because the costume was so skimpy and the weather conditions were severe. Even still, the actress was shocked at how famous she became after the movie. “I don’t do much in this movie except run around in this outfit!”, she shared with Fox News.
"SATC: Sarah Jessica Parker
We mentioned that fans weren’t thrilled with Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw’s outfits in the SATC movie because they weren’t as iconic as the ones in the TV show, but that’s not the only thing that surprised us.
While Carrie was a fashionista, we were shocked to see outfits repeated—she recycled looks including wearing bold accessories like leather belts and Manolo Blahnik pumps with many different outfits. But hey—we guess even Bradshaw couldn’t keep up with buying designer clothes.
"The Ten Commandments": Anne Baxter
The costumes in The Ten Commandments were extravagant and lush, especially Anne Baxter’s Nefretiri. Her outfits were very risqué, leaving little to the imagination, and they weren’t all that historically accurate.
Not only was her costume extremely provocative, but it was also turquoise and had underwire—both of which didn’t exist in biblical times. Baxter even revealed in her autobiography Intermission: A True Story, that she wore a “skin-dyed bra” and a “skin-dyed G-string” underneath the most revealing outfits.
"The Fifth Element": Milla Jovovich
We bet you didn’t know that Milla Jovovich beat out over 3,000 women when she landed the role of Leeloo in The Fifth Element. But it’s her costume that had people talking—the white one-piece, which was designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier, was so skimpy and it looked like it was made out of medical bandages.
However, Jovovich didn’t mind that it was revealing, “It was like wearing a bikini, you know? Especially at that point, I was 19, and tiny. I just really got into character and I definitely didn’t feel constraints,” she told Vogue.
"Suicide Squad": Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn’s costume is one of the most iconic costumes in the DC Universe and since the Suicide Squad’s release, many people have dressed up as the character for Halloween. While her costume was skimpy, the original costume was even more revealing.
Even still, Robbie didn’t love Harley’s hot pants and white T-shirt—she felt self-conscious in them. “As Margot, no, I don’t like wearing that. I’m eating burgers at lunchtime, and then you go do a scene where you’re hosed down and soaking wet in a white T-shirt, it’s so clingy and you’re self-conscious about it,” she shared with the New York Times.
"Harry Potter" Films: Matthew Lewis
When it comes to glow-ups, most don’t come anywhere close to Matthew Lewis who played Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter. The actor even inspired the term longbottomed, which is when a nerdy or unattractive person suddenly becomes very attractive. But the actor’s transformation happened before Longbottom’s, so to still be the awkward character, Lewis had to wear a fat suit.
“Being 15 years old in the middle of puberty, having to wear a fat suit … I’ve got this fat suit on every day. No one knows I’m wearing this damn thing, they all just think I’m fat,” he shared with People.
"Catwoman": Halle Berry
Catwoman’s skin-tight black leotard was already very sensual, but when Halle Berry played the comic book character, the costume was perhaps too revealing. Berry’s costume featured a leather strappy bra and leather pants with claw marks all over them, revealing her skin.
However, Berry didn’t mind the look, “[The suit was] the highlight of the whole movie experience. It was empowering. Besides the obvious sex appeal, it really takes a certain level of confidence to pull it off,” she told Contact Music.
