The 25 Most Fashionable Films of All Time
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The Fashion Month blues are about to set in for us at Harper’s Bazaar. After a season of truly astounding designs—goodbye to Sarah Burton’s Alexander McQueen!—many of us are still craving the glitz, the glamour, the jaw-dropping beauty.
If you’re feeling the same, look no further, as below is a list of the 25 best fashion films to watch right now. Barbie is finally available on demand, and cult hits like Josie and the Pussycats or Showgirls are practically begging to be re-watched for the millionth time. Whether it’s drag queens on a cross-country road trip, pop stars ascending to diva-hood, or a young fashion intern at war with her tyrannical boss, why not spend the night with the best clothes ever captured on film?
A Single Man
A Single Man is devastating and gorgeous, a combination over which director Tom Ford has total mastery. (Yes, the Tom Ford.) George is a man mourning the loss of his boyfriend, and in the midst of his grief, he has a series of encounters with various friends and cohorts that will leave the first-time viewer huddled up on the floor. Besides, Ford is at the reins, with help from costume designer Arianne Phillips, making A Single Man a must-see classic.
B.A.P.S
Thanks to Black fashion scholars and critics, B.A.P.S has seen a recent critical reevaluation. Rappers, pop stars, drag queens, and others have referenced its singular costume design on more than one occasion, and its visual impact on the culture cannot be understated. Besides, it’s an all-around fun romp, and Halle Berry and Natalie Desselle shine as Nisi and Mickey, respectively, aspiring soul food slash hair salon entrepreneurs who fly to L.A. for a video girl competition.
Barbie
It was obvious from the promotional cycle that Barbie’s fashions—pulled from the Chanel archives and Mattel’s storied closets—were going to leave us breathless. Thankfully, Greta Gerwig and costume designer Jacqueline Durran delivered … and then some! It’s the can’t-miss movie event of the year for a reason, and instantly went down as one of the most stylish films in Hollywood history.
Crazy Rich Asians
Crazy Rich Asians was an international success for good reason. In this update of the classic rags-to-riches story Hollywood loves so much, Constance Wu is positively delectable as Rachel, the fish-out-of-water girlfriend of Singapore’s most eligible bachelor, who finds that the lifestyles of the rich and famous come with lots and lots and lots of clothes.
Down With Love
Putting aside professionalism for one moment: Down With Love is one of my favorite films of all time, as a critic and self-styled rom-com aficionado. It’s hilarious, sharply written, and stuffed with so many phenomenal actors and costuming choices, there’s hardly a second to catch your breath! In a outlandishly satirical take on 1960s news media, Renée Zellweger plays Barbara Novak, a best-selling feminist author with a killer wardrobe who finds herself hopelessly entangled with suave ladies’ man and writer Catcher Block, played by Ewan McGregor. It’s got everything, everyone, and so much more.
Personal Shopper
A spookier film than most others on this list, Personal Shopper tells the tale of a personal shopper to a supermodel. Things quickly go south, but to reveal anything else about this Kristen Stewart vehicle would spoil the surprise!
Funny Face
Oft confused with Barbra Streisand’s hit musical Funny Girl, Funny Face actually stars Audrey Hepburn as Jo, a bookish shop assistant pursued across New York and Europe by esteemed fashion photographer Dick (played by Fred Astaire). Its musical number “Think Pink” is one of the most infectious tunes ever recorded on film—not to mention the great gowns, beautiful gowns.
Funny Girl
Another personal favorite of just about everyone’s, Funny Girl introduced the moviegoing world to Barbra Streisand and her singularly iconic wardrobe as Fanny Brice. As the titular funny girl, she dazzles and shines in an assortment of enviable ensembles, from small-time showgirl to internationally renowned comedic legend. As an added bonus, she sings “My Man” in the Platonic ideal of little black dresses.
House of Gucci
Lady Gaga has the Midas touch when it comes to marketing the costume work for her recent film projects. From House of Gucci to the upcoming Joker sequel, there’s a veritable cottage industry around the paparazzi pics of her life on set. While it received mixed reviews, House of Gucci is a treasure trove of vintage designs, and worth it for Gaga’s delivery of the line “Father, son, and House of Gucci.”
Josie and the Pussycats
Josie and the Pussycats was already a cult classic amongst camp enthusiasts like myself, but the satirical film about a rock group who become unwitting pawns in a capitalist brainwashing scheme has seen a second wind on social media. Its enduring popularity comes courtesy of the fabulous costumes by costume designer Leesa Evans. Beyond its mouthwatering wardrobe, however, it’s a film that has basically everything we want: cutting cultural commentary, Parker Posey, musical numbers, and gorgeous visuals.
Life-Size
Before there was Barbie, there was Life-Size. Tyra Banks and Lindsay Lohan star in a coming-of-age comedy about a doll that comes to life—and yes, she brings all of her outfits with her. Poignant, funny, and nostalgic, this one likely holds a special place in the hearts of future fashion obsessives everywhere.
Mahogany
There are almost too many costumes to look at in Mahogany, Diana Ross’s camp classic from 1975 about an aspiring fashion designer who becomes an international superstar. Do I love the purple get-up or the rainbow chiffon more? Or was it the embroidered peach gown that I dream of most? The film’s tagline says it best: “Mahogany: the woman every woman wants to be, and every man wants to have.” Ross had already earned her legendary diva status before the film’s release, but it certainly cemented a legacy that would continue to endure for over 40 years.
Marie Antoinette
Were you even on Tumblr if you didn’t reblog stills from Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette at least once? Cleverly costumed and gorgeously designed, the film has endured as a favorite of fashion obsessives—no small feat. Costume designer Milena Canonero won the 2007 Oscar for Best Achievement in Costume Design thanks to her work on the film, and would go on to design for equally stylish films like The Grand Budapest Hotel (which she also won an Oscar for) and Asteroid City.
Phantom Thread
Paul Thomas Anderson’s drama about a tortured dressmaker and his muse-turned-wife is thrilling, hot, and gorgeous to look at. Daniel Day-Lewis loses himself in the role as Reynolds Woodcock, and besides the enviable dresses he sends out to clients, he and costar Vicky Krieps have chemistry thick enough to cut with a knife.
Ready to Wear
Julia Roberts, Sophia Loren, Kim Basinger—1994’s Ready to Wear was the preeminent fashion film before there was The Devil Wears Prada. A murder mystery against the backdrop of Fashion Week, it features two reporters going undercover to solve the most glamorous crime of the 20th century. Chic, funny, sharply written, and directed by Robert Altman, Ready to Wear (original title: Prêt-à-Porter) will transport you back to one of the most enviable and memorable decades in fashion history.
Sex and the City
The Sex and the City movie was divisive when first released, but has since become regarded as a cult favorite, especially with the release of And Just Like That…’s equally divisive first two seasons. There’s a lot to love about the film—most obviously the iconic Vivienne Westwood wedding dress, which sits as the crown jewel above all the rest of Sarah Jessica Parker’s onscreen ensembles as fashion savant Carrie Bradshaw.
Showgirls
It doesn’t matter where you are, who you are, what you’re doing, or where you’re going: If you haven’t seen Showgirls yet, drop what you’re doing and run to the nearest television. If you have already, probably do the same, as it’s a film that demands (at the very least) a semiannual rewatch. Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 epic tells the tale of an aspiring Vegas dancer wrapped up in forces much larger than even her ambitions. Erotic, thrilling, and with an enviable wardrobe to boot, Showgirls has earned its reputation as a controversial masterpiece.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Before there was Wong Foo, there was Priscilla. A favorite among drag queens, the Australian comedy lovingly depicts a trio of fashion icons who set out on a cross-country journey in the titular bus. It has some of the most often-referenced costumes in recent cultural memory, and is a visually jaw-dropping love letter to the LGBTQ+ community at a time when the world at large was still waking up to the reality of those suffering through the AIDS crisis.
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
Another cult classic on Tumblr and the online fashion boards of yesteryear, Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s West German romantic drama unfolds in the sprawling bedroom of narcissistic fashion designer Petra von Kant, and explores themes of beauty, isolation, and emotional codependency.
The Devil Wears Prada
Did you expect this entry’s synopsis to start with a joke about blue sweaters—even though it was 2002, I believe, when Oscar de la Renta did a collection of blue sweater jokes? Besides, there’s more to love about this film than blue sweaters and Chanel thigh-highs. Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep’s chemistry as Andy and Miranda is downright electric, and it endures as one of the most memorable windows into the cutthroat worlds of fashion and publishing ever put to film.
The Neon Demon
Nicholas Winding Refn’s 2016 fashion thriller stars everyone from Elle Fanning to Christina Hendricks and Keanu Reeves. Moody, visceral, and gorgeous to look at, this film deserves a revisit for its visuals alone.
The Princess Diaries
This is Anne Hathaway’s second appearance on this list, and for good reason. Like so many good fashion films, it stars a fish-out-of-water teen suddenly thrust into the world of the rich and famous … and royal! Even better, it has a makeover montage.
The Wiz
Diana Ross makes her second appearance on this list with The Wiz, one of the most visually memorable romps in movie history. An update on a classic, The Wiz takes the familiar story of The Wizard of Oz and infuses it with still-contemporary themes of racial liberation. As an added bonus, the costumes are utterly divine.
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
Like Priscilla before it, To Wong Foo has permeated the fashion landscape with its costuming and more. Referenced and repeated by just about everyone, this familiar cross-country romp is a stunning ode to drag culture and its integral function in American culture and history. Beyond that, To Wong Foo is hilarious, and like Priscilla, a must-watch for everyone.
Zoolander
While many fashion films lampoon the world of female supermodels, Zoolander was one of the first to take on their male counterparts. Endlessly quotable and rife with eternal Halloween costume ideas, we all must have seen this film a hundred times or more by now.
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