Dressed to impress

Does the costume make the man or the man the costume? Well, a little bit of both if the Hollywood Costume exhibition at the V&A is to be believed. Five years in the making, this collection of more than 100 of the most iconic outfits in movie history, from Scarlett O’Hara’s green ‘curtain’ gown to Darth Vader’s suit, is a bold undertaking. The very nature of motion pictures means that there is something a little ghoulish about seeing static ensembles, with the clothes divorced from their character and digital images of famous faces floating above them.

But movie-goers have an insatiable appetite for anything that gets them closer to their idols and there is something thrilling about being in such close proximity to items we know so well. To be within touching distance of Marilyn Monroe’s The Seven Year Itch dress or the much-publicised ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz (reunited with Dorothy’s gingham dress for the first time since the film’s production) is enough to give one goose bumps.