FAIRYTALE COSTUMES: it's giving renfaire but why?

TL;DR

This video explores how semi-historical costuming is used to characterize heroines and villains in fairytale films, drawing upon tropes rooted in medieval literature and society.

Transcript

- Hello, my evil hags. My  name is Mina. Jesus Christ.   Just to preface, I do have a minor cold.  I don't know why I'm surprised, because   fashion week just happened, and I always get  some kind of sickness after fashion week,   so I guess I should better prepare for that.  But yeah, if I sound a little nasally, or just   not like myself, or if ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧚 The Middle Ages have always been a site of heroic fantasy, providing an idealized setting for fairy tales and creating a time of romance, adventure, and magic.
• 🎥 Costuming in fairytale films blends historical accuracy with fantasy elements, often drawing upon a hybrid of medieval, Renaissance, and Victorian fashion.
• 💃 Peasant dresses are popular in fairytale films to characterize heroines' humble origins, while glamorous and decorated dresses signify their transformation and princess status.
• 😈 Villains are often depicted with flamboyant and exaggerated costumes, such as horned henins and standing collars, to symbolize their evil nature.
• 🎥 Fairytale films reflect changing societal ideals towards femininity, with earlier Disney princess movies upholding traditional gender roles and later films incorporating more modern and subversive elements.
• 💁 Fairytale costuming may borrow from historical fashion trends, but it is important to recognize that it is a fictional representation and should not be used to inform historical knowledge.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why do many fairytale films rely on medieval aesthetics?

Fairytale films often draw upon medieval aesthetics because the Middle Ages symbolize a time of romance, adventure, and magic. It also provides a contrast to the complications of technology and urbanization in contemporary society.

Q: What are some common character tropes in fairytale films?

Female characters in fairy tales are often characterized as either virtuous heroines or wicked villains. The heroines' goodness is juxtaposed by another woman's badness, reflecting societal ideals of the time.

Q: How accurate are the costumes in fairytale films?

The costumes in fairytale films are often a hybrid of different historical periods and are not meant to be historically accurate. They instead aim to create a fantasy world with a vaguely medieval or Renaissance aesthetic.

Q: How does costuming contribute to the characterization of heroines and villains?

Heroines are typically dressed in peasant outfits initially to signify their humble origins, and later transition into more glamorous dresses to symbolize their transformation. Villains are characterized through flamboyant and exaggerated costumes, such as horned henins and standing collars, which add a visual representation of the evil nature of the character.

Key Insights:

• The Middle Ages have always been a site of heroic fantasy, providing an idealized setting for fairy tales and creating a time of romance, adventure, and magic.
• Costuming in fairytale films blends historical accuracy with fantasy elements, often drawing upon a hybrid of medieval, Renaissance, and Victorian fashion.
• Peasant dresses are popular in fairytale films to characterize heroines' humble origins, while glamorous and decorated dresses signify their transformation and princess status.
• Villains are often depicted with flamboyant and exaggerated costumes, such as horned henins and standing collars, to symbolize their evil nature.
• Fairytale films reflect changing societal ideals towards femininity, with earlier Disney princess movies upholding traditional gender roles and later films incorporating more modern and subversive elements.
• Fairytale costuming may borrow from historical fashion trends, but it is important to recognize that it is a fictional representation and should not be used to inform historical knowledge.
• Characters' behavior, mannerisms, and physical features, in addition to their costumes, contribute to the portrayal of good versus evil, upholding Western, Eurocentric, and Christian ideals of beauty and moral values.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The video discusses the influence of medieval literature on fairy tales and how common tropes carry over to film adaptations.

• It explores how the costuming in fairytale films blends historical accuracy with fantasy elements, creating a vaguely medieval/Renaissance aesthetic.

• The video highlights the characterization of heroines as virtuous and down-to-earth, often starting in peasant dresses and later transitioning into more glamorous outfits. Villains, on the other hand, are characterized through flamboyant and exaggerated costumes.