Would Dorothy be Dorothy....?

"If the cut of the costume indicated intellect and talent, then the color indicated temper and heart." 

-Thomas Carlyle

Mila Kunis, James Franco, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz
in Oz The Great and Powerful.
Costume Designer: Gary Jones
photo: businessinsider.com

Last night my husband took me out for a perfect date night at my favorite hole-in-the wall Italian restaurant and then on to see Disney's colorful new debut, Oz The Great and Powerful.

About 20 minutes into the movie, I started to get a little worried. Maybe my expectations were too high, the beautiful graphics, the star-studded cast, the classic story...but the plot seemed to be falling a little flat (for the record, the movie picks up, and it's a hit that I highly recommend). However, this is not a movie review, this is in fact, a costume review. For I know that I can watch the worst of worst movies, but if the costumes are interesting, accurate, or intricate, the overall experience will prove satisfying for me (i.e.: Snow White and The Huntsman, thank you Charlize for wearing real beetle wings). "Oz" get's a 10/10 in costume design from this girl. I couldn't stop staring at Rachel Weisz as she simultaneously manipulated and sparkled; or doe-eyed Mila Kunis, looking wickedly chic. And don't get me started on Michelle Williams, who traded her sultry Marilyn Monroe wardrobe for angelic, glittery, and downright good gowns as she embodies the essence of Glinda.

And let's here it for the boys and James Franco looked positively debonair as he pulled rabbits out of his hats and weaseled his way behind that curtain (but "pay no attention")...

Charlize Theron in Snow White and The Huntsman
Costume Designer: Coleen Atwood
photo: popstyle.ew.com

As a former wardrobe stylist, I have a small idea of how a good costume can transform the same person into many different characters. I often wonder that without the right clothes, would a character really be who they're intended to be?

Keira Knightley in Anna Karenina
Costume Designer: Jacqueline Durran
*Oscar Winner!*
photo: people.com

Would Carrie Bradshaw be Carrie without the Manolos?

If you caught any glimpse of the Oscars or the Golden Globes this past January and February, you already know that 2012 was a great year for costumes in movies and television, and you can anticipate seeing more of that in 2013.

Samantha Barker as Eponine in Les Miserables
Costume Designer: Paco Delgado
photo: broadway.com

Hats off to costume designers who spend hours researching, hunting, sewing, and fitting just to prepare an actor to bring this character to life. They are the behind-the-scenes heroes of your favorite on-screen characters, dressing them to perfection in order to captivate audiences and make them believe the story unfolding before their very eyes.

Carey Mulligan in The Great Gatsby
Costume Designer: Catherine Martin
photo: clothesinfilm.com

The clothes may not make the man, but perhaps the costume makes the character.

Still don't believe me?

Two words: Ruby Slippers.