30 YEARS OF MEMORABLE DRESSES IN FILM

EXTRA DRESSING ON TOP
Never underestimate the power of a dress—especially in Hollywood. It can reflect a trend, cause a new craze and even inspire a yet-to-be-created designer collection. In an effort to track the best racks coming out of movieland's hautest wardrobe departments, we've rounded up 15 of the most stylish frocks from films made in the past 30 years.

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The Scandalista
Before Lindsay and Britney did it, Sharon stone went commando in her now-famous white turtleneck dress in 1992's Basic Instinct, scandalizing the world before wearing GAP on the red carpet

The Big Entrance
A tulle masked Kirsten Dunst hitting an 18th century dance floor in a frock of champions during Sophia Coppola's hipster 2006 version of Marie-Antoinette was a fashion revolution of its own.

The Last Impression
Celine Dion's biggest hit should have been renamed "My Dress Will Go On" since Kate Winslet's epic indigo eveningwear ensemble worn in her last scene in Titanic (designed by Deborah L. Rose) has marked popular culture forever.

The Beautiful Nightmare
Winona Ryder's blood-coloured boudoir dress in Bram Stoker's Dracula had red lingerie back in demand (again!). Sales for Victoria Secret's vampy sleepwear felt the bite and most lingerie retailers carrying ruby, scarlet and crimson skivvies started seeing a whole lot of green in 1992.

The Supernaturalist
If there is one outfit that touches on the Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh aesthetic to an avant-garde T, it is Tilda Swinton's White Witch gown in the Chronicles of Narnia. Mixing medieval with modern, the dress borders touches on both designers' eccentric tastes and crosses the bridge of fashion and art.

The Starving Artiste
Salma Hayek channels Frida Kahlo's posh peasant look in 2002's Frida and street-sweeping style becomes all the rage on Chloe and Stella McCartney's runways. Mere coincidence? We think not.

The Fashion Victim
Alicia Silverstone's wacky yellow and plaid skirt in 1995's Clueless reflected the clichéd more-is-more/less is bogus Beverly Hills fashion sense coming from the daughters of Hollywood's richest. Although it looked very Britney Spears, the popster was still a mousketeer when this flick was getting filmed.

The Seductress
In 1998's Great Expectations, Gwyneth Paltrow's sultriest piece of eveningwear – a black and chrome number designed by Donna Karen – met our expectations – and then some.

The Quiet Riot
Kimono dresses were touted as the investment piece of the year in 2000 after Ziyi Zang rocked her petal-printed costumes in Memoirs of A Geisha.

The Royal Flush
Using Balenciaga's vast archive of fashion as a visual cue, costumer Alexander Byrne brought cinema couture to new heights while designing Cate Blanchett's lavishly embellished yellow dress in Elizabeth. The result of such finery? An Oscar and a sequel.

The Grande Finale
Gwen Stefani's moment as Jean Harlow in 2004's The Aviator had her radiating a full-on return to 50s Hollywood Glam in an eye-catching ensemble made out of white satin custom created by John Galliano

The Collegiate
When costumer Patricia Field styled Anne Hathaway in a Kristina T brown mini-dress in 2006's The Devil Wears Prada and covered it with a wool crepe jacket by Chanel, the 1940s private school look exploded into a new age. Known as the Vassar (a prestigious New York school Hathaway previously attended) trend, Tuleh's Fall '06 runway further emphasized the scholarly V-look with a collections filled with muted wools and knee-length pencil skirts.

The Man Magnet
Nothing can top Marilyn Monroe's white-hot dress from The Seven Year Itch but Cameron Diaz's film debut in The Mask came close as guys went steamy over her notably short, tight, gold get-up in the 1994 action comedy.

The Slacker Chic
Winona Ryder's retro 50s, floral summer dress worn in 2004's Reality Bites exuded the vintage grunge vibe that was still permeating from Marc Jacob's 2002 fall runway. Plus, Jacobs geniusly casting Ryder in his ads a year before the film was released didn't hurt the unkempt trend from going global.

The Show Stopper
Glitzy looks from two of Chicago's murdering mavens – Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones (aka Roxie and Trixie) – had us razzled and dazzled. You can thank the glorious sequin work in the twosome's stage wardrobe (an aesthetic which trickled down into D&G and Cavalli's runways a year later) all hands sewn by costume designer Colleen Atwood. What a way to bring the roaring 20s into the roving 2000s!

"30 Years of Memorable Dresses in Film" has been edited for FLARE.com; more memorable dresses appear in the April 2009 issue of FLARE.

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