History Main / HollywoodCostuming

Due to factors ranging from budget to ArtisticLicense, period costuming in shows and movies is just downright inaccurate half the time -- and that's not even counting instances of RealityIsUnrealistic where there's a [[JustifiedTrope justification]] for the anachronistic elements[[note]]For example, many historical makeups included lead, arsenic or worse as ingredients[[/note]]:. This extends well beyond clothing and accessories: period-accuraten hair and makeup are even harder to find in Hollywood.

* ''Comicbook/{{Asterix}}'':
** The Gaulish women conform more to 1950s expectations of gender roles, with feminine bias-cut and fishtail skirts (with some teenage girl background characters wearing circle skirts), than to relatively unisex historical Gaulish dress, where the main difference between the genders was that women's tunics were a bit longer. One story hinges on a StrawFeminist liberating the village women by persuading them to wear trousers rather than skirts -- historically, Armorican women and men both wore trousers under layers of tunics for maximum warmth and comfort in a cold, damp climate. This is lampshaded in a strip drawn by Uderzo for ''Elle'' magazine in which the narration describes historically accurate Gaulish fashion while Geriatrix's wife is posing about looking like a 1950s movie star. She even has a beehive hairstyle, while all the other Gaulish women have historically accurate (but timeless) long or plaited hair.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'' John Smith's haircut screams "90's boyband", while the native ladies wore what were basically mini dresses with fringe. On the accurate side, Powhatan's cloak was based on something the historical figure actually owned.

* ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' is a fairly good example of ShownTheirWork in terms of costuming (especially by 1930s standards), but Vivien Leigh's makeup as Scarlett O'Hara is obviously mid-20th century with the thick cream foundation and high arched eyebrows.

Due to factors ranging from budget to ArtisticLicense, period costuming in shows and movies is just downright inaccurate half the time -- and that's not even counting instances of RealityIsUnrealistic where there's a [[JustifiedTrope justification]] for the anachronistic elements. This extends well beyond clothing and accessories: period-accurate hair and makeup are even harder to find in Hollywood.

* Mostly averted in Film/DoctorZhivago, but all the women have very 60sHair.

* ''Film/AKnightsTale'' throws period accuracy out the window, as Jocelyn has many outfits and hairstyles that are modelled after punk rock. The entire film is an AnachronismStew running on RuleOfFunny.

* ''Film/BeautyAndTheBeast2017'' thanks to Emma Watson's insistence that Belle would not wear a corset with any of her dresses - as she felt she wouldn't want to be restricted and move freely. But the film is set in 18th century France, when stays were designed to support the bust rather than reduce the waist, and had to be easy to move in. Going without one back then would be the equivalent of going braless today; stays were pretty much the ancestor of the bra.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' would occasionally handwave this by claiming that a certain style was simply local to the area, however some outfits genuinely stand out at beings unusual for a pseudo-medieval fantasy, as seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzYkkBIr_Gc here]]:

* The ''Franchise/{{Frozen}}'' series is supposedly set sometime in the early to mid 19th century, yet the skirts of both female leads' costumes don't even show a hint of crinoline. They either fall in tight folds that flounce nicely when moving, like Anna's ball gown, or straight down, like Elsa's coronation dress. A cut scene from an earlier draft of [[WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}} the first movie]] showed the sisters together in a dressing room where Anna tries on a tight laced corset (as fashion standards of the actual time period dictated), possibly lampshading the [[ImpossibleHourglassFigure physical features]] both Elsa and Anna display. Arguably, the fact that both sisters were shut inside the castle for 13 years with minimal contact to the outside world (ostensibly to hide Elsa's powers) may somewhat explain where their clothing styles seem out of touch with everyone else.

* Mostly averted in Film/DoctorZhivago, but all the women have very 60s hair.

* [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wish-homage-to-classic-disney-films-1235667010/ Invoked]] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Wish}}''. Asha's costume is from the 16th or 17th century, but her braided hair is evocative of the 21st century.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' is set in Agrabah, [[ArabianNightsDays a fantasy version of the Ancient Middle East]], however Jasmine's [[IconicOutfit signature]] [[TrueBlueFemininity sky blue]] [[BedlahBabe bandeau top and pants combo]] looks more 90s Southern California than 9th century Persia, as it shows off a [[BareMidriffsAreFeminine LOT of skin]] than would be appropriate for the time period.

* [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image21_9.jpg This picture]] of Rose Hobart as Anne Neville (with Creator/BasilRathbone as [[UsefulNotes/RichardIII Richard III]]) in 1939's ''Tower of London''. Mostly it's that nice hat. Heart shaped headresses are known as Mary Stuart caps for a reason and Mary wasn't even born until after Anne was dead and buried.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Flashbacks to the time of the siege of Troy and before show the Amazons in and their foes in clothes inspired by the chiton, but mixed with a modern sense of style. For reference the chiton was popularly worn from around 750 BC to 30 BC, and the time period depicted was around ''1190/1170'' BC, which is a rather big gap.

* Some of Morgana's dresses on ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'' could be worn to a modern-day cocktail party without attracting much comment. Her costume emphasizes her magic and outsider status. WordOfGod was initially that Albion wasn't a historical representation of medieval England, but that was contradicted by the DistantFinale [[spoiler: showing a scene in modern times]].

* Even taking into account the fact that she is a duchess, a high-ranking member of a secret order and on the titular world-controlling Council, Emily Hillsborrow from ''VideoGame/TheCouncil'' could never get away with wearing her outfit back in ''1793,'' especially as a woman. As well as exposed shoulders (scandalous!) and a corset that barely holds her breasts in place which is also open down the middle, her dress is also ''completely backless.'' Even prostitutes in that time period dressed more modestly.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Video]]
* [=YouTuber=] WebVideo/BernadetteBanner is a costume historian, and has several videos analyzing the accuracy (or otherwise) of various period films and TV shows. [[https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjMlfIMJIJDhOT1aWO4z6sBUMB2XoIEnm Behold a playlist!]]

* '''WesternAnimation/Aladdin''' is set in Agrabah, [[ArabianNightsDays a fantasy version of the Ancient Middle East]], however Jasmine's [[IconicOutfit signature]] [[TrueBlueFemininity sky blue]] [[BedlahBabe bandeau top and pants combo]] looks more 90s Southern California than 9th century Persia, as it shows off a [[BareMidriffsAreFeminine LOT of skin]] than would be appropriate for the time period.

* '''WesternAnimation/Aladdin'' is set in Agrabah, [[ArabianNightsDays a fantasy version of the Ancient Middle East]], however Jasmine's [[IconicOutfit signature]] [[TrueBlueFemininity sky blue]] [[BedlahBabe bandeau top and pants combo]] looks more 90s Southern California than 9th century Persia, as it shows off a [[BareMidriffsAreFeminine LOT of skin]] than would be appropriate for the time period.