dressing the parts; A new book reveals the drama behind costume design.(Brief article)

Byline: Alexandra Mack

Filmmakers aspire to seduce," explains Deborah Nadoolman Landis in her new book, Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design (HarperCollins), an illustrated history of reel-life wardrobes. From the tightly cinched sprigged-muslin hoop dress dreamed up by Walter Plunkett for Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind to Marilyn Monroe's body-hugging pink satin strapless created by Travilla for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Dressed takes us into studio fitting rooms with the directors, actors, and costumers who conceived the looks for characters we've come to love, if not emulate. And a tome on Tinseltown wouldn't be complete without insider drama. Who knew, for instance, that Jean Harlow's slinky silk-charmeuse gowns wrinkled so easily on set that she was forbidden to sit down between takes? (Prop men developed the "slant board," which tilted at a 45-degree angle to allow the actress to rest without having to remove the dress and have it resteamed.)

Costume design not only reflects styles of the times but informs collections today. Ralph ...