Costumes make a film and, with the right costume designer, can convey so much about a character to the audience before they even utter a word. It’s not just the clothes on their back that make it either, it all comes from the accessories too, hats included! Every little detail of a character’s wardrobe can tell us so much about them and who they are. Here are 5 of the most iconic hats from movie history!
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One of the most fashionable characters in film history has got to be Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The image of Audrey Hepburn standing outside of Tiffany’s in a long black dress decked out in pearls is one of the most iconic scenes in film history and is the definition of the perfect “little black dress”. But nothing beats the wide brimmed black hat with a cream colored silk bow.
The costumes for the film were designed by French fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey looks beautiful in every one. Her elegant wardrobe throughout the film shows how Holly wants to escape her pervious county girl life for the upscale New York life. |
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Another one of film’s most fashionable characters hands down has got to be Scarlett O’Hara. The film spans 12 years from 1861 to 1873 and sees Scarlett’s life go through many changes. From privileged young Southern belle, to struggling to feed herself and her family, to fabulously wealthy business woman. Her costumes through the film highlight her struggle and changes in life. From the fluffy white dress in beginning showing her childhood and innocence to her calico dress that she wears through a good course of the film because she has no money, and then the beautiful gowns she wears when she has money from the lumber mill and marriage to rich Rhett Butler. With many of her outfits she wears hats or head pieces that perfectly match with her dresses.
There are so many to choose from but I have to go with the hat she wears with the iconic green curtain dress. While not necessarily the most outrages of her dresses, it is certainly the most memorable. It was even parodied by comedian Carol Burnett in the 90s on her show. She wears the dress to meet Rhett in jail in Atlanta to get money to save Tara showing how dedicated she is to saving her beloved Tara. |
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Does Audrey Hepburn make two appearances on this list? Yes, yes she does. Because she is just that fabulous. But I mean look at this hat! How could it not make the list? The insane hat is from the film My Fair Lady. The movie came out in 1964 and had a budget of 17 million. It was the most expensive film made in the US at the time. Costume designer Cecil Beaton designed more than 1,000 costumes for the film and won the Academy Award for Costume Design.
This hat is worn by Eliza when she attends the Royal Ascot after her makeover to become a high class society girl. The hat, along with the dress, were auctioned off for $3.7 million dollars! |
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Time to show the fashionable men some love! While this is not the most crazy or interesting hat by any means, it certainly has left its mark. Once the first Indiana Jones movie came out many men wanted to sport this iconic brown fedora to be like star Harrison Ford. Indy wears a simple white button down with brown slacks, leather jacket and the hat just makes the look forever memorable. People just see the hat and his whip alone and they will know what character you are talking about even if they haven’t seen the movies. The hat adds to this rugged adventurer look (and it doesn’t hurt that a younger Harrison Ford looks amazing in it).
Designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis designed the costumes for the iconic Steven Spielberg franchise. Though Harrison himself wasn’t in love with the look as he once stated, “whoever decided that Indiana Jones should wear a felt hat and a leather jacket in the jungles should be shot,” While an exaggeration, it’s understandable that the outfit was more than likely not the most comfortable for the actor. But I think designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis knew what she was doing when she designed this iconic wardrobe. |
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Last, but most certainly not least, is what I think is the most iconic hat in film history. It goes to the black pointy witch hat worn by the green Wicked Witch of the West in the most iconic film of all time The Wizard of Oz. Designed by Adrian Adolph Greenberg, the Wizard of Oz costumes are remember by people of all ages. While Dorothy’s blue and white checkered dress with the incredible red ruby heels might be the most iconic piece of movie history, the witch hat is a close second.
The black pointy witch hat has become the staple for any Halloween witch costume. All you have to do is put on the hat and people atomically know what character you’re trying to be. That says so much about the iconic status of the hat! |
