Costumes

Moviegoers may be impressed by "Snow White and the Huntsman's" computer-generated trolls, flying fairies and mythical beasts. But it could be Colleen Atwood's complicated, handmade costumes that really steal the show. The film's Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) may be losing her grip on the title of fairest of them all, but she nevertheless tops the cast's best-dressed list. In some cases, some of Ravenna's 20 outfits (counting several multiple versions of the same gowns) took weeks to construct, though they might appear on screen for only a few seconds.

Moviegoers may be impressed by "Snow White and the Huntsman's" computer-generated trolls, flying fairies and mythical beasts. But it could be Colleen Atwood's complicated, handmade costumes that really steal the show. The film's Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) may be losing her grip on the title of fairest of them all, but she nevertheless tops the cast's best-dressed list. In some cases, some of Ravenna's 20 outfits (counting several multiple versions of the same gowns) took weeks to construct, though they might appear on screen for only a few seconds.

If you're old enough to have midriff bulge, the fashion stories emanating from television can be a major turnoff. There's no denying the spandex-and-denim set dominates the tube's style waves, from "Melrose Place" to MTV. But a few stylish, mature role models--for whom black leather motorcycle jackets are not the be-all and end-all--do exist.

"Dark Shadows,"which hit theaters on Friday, not only revives long-dormant vampire Barnabas Collins, it also brings back some giggle- and cringe-inducing fashions of the early 1970s. Leisure suits. Mirrored aviator sunglasses. Bell-bottoms, chunky sweaters, macramé jewelry. These all contrast with the stand-up collars, cravats and capes worn by Johnny Depp as Collins. Costume designer Colleen Atwood was more than up to the challenge after numerous previous collaborations with director Tim Burton (her efforts for the director's"Alice in Wonderland" earned her a 2010 Academy Award)

Call him the accidental trendsetter. Costume designer Michael Kaplan's futuristic-noir look for "Blade Runner" inspired an Alexander McQueen fashion collection. His "Fight Club" designs were soon being paid tribute to by his designer friend Marc Jacobs as well as Donatella Versace. And then there were the slouchy, off-the-shoulder outfits in "Flashdance," which triggered a rabid '80s trend that still has some life left in it. So does this mean we might all soon be wearing feathered headdresses?

As Mildred Pierce, the proud single mother in Depression-era Southern California in the new HBO miniseries of the same name, Kate Winslet scrambles around town trying to find a job — after kicking her cheating husband out — in a mud-brown floral-print dress. Long-sleeved and body-skimming, it's "the kind of 'good' dress women had a few of in their closet in those days," said legendary costume designer Ann Roth, who designed hundreds of outfits for the epic HBO drama, an adaption of the 1941 novel by James M. Cain that premieres Sunday.

Booth MOORE seemed to express surprise at Michael Jackson's court attire, referring to several outfits as "costumes" ["Style: Indefensible?" April 18]. But that's exactly what his attorney no doubt has requested that Michael wear. It's a brilliant defense to a crime that requires specific intent. If Michael were to dress conservatively, the jury would see him as a dirty old man surrounding himself with children with the intent to molest them. But in costumes, even bright-colored pajamas, he is what he has always been: a person with an arrested development, stuck in childhood, when all his acts are innocent.

Hard-core Harry Potter fans who devoured the books, camped out for the movies and trekked through the theme park now have a new way to relive the boy wizard's adventures. PHOTOS: Making of Harry Potter studio tour Debuting Saturday, the Making of Harry Potter behind-the-scenes tour at theWarner Bros.studios in England will let wizards, mudbloods and muggles pull back the curtain on the movie-making secrets of the most successful film series of all time. Located 20 miles outside of London, the three-hour self-guided tour will take visitors past sets, props, costumes, models and special effects exhibits from the eight "Harry Potter" movies.

When America declared war after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, the California National Guard was mobilized and called to arms. There was one problem, however: caught without warning, the servicemen had nothing to wear. No cause for alarm. The Western Costume Co. of Hollywood, the vanguard of authentic movie costumes, outfitted the soldiers with uniforms before they set off to guard the state's bridges and other vital installations.

It's hard to miss a man with a wooden bucket hat on his head, especially if it's adorned with painted leeks. "There are very few fashion statements that haven't been made," said Guy Klender, 37, an actor, "and this is one of them." The handle of the bucket dangled under his chin. The haberdashery (from "Falstaff") wasn't the strangest item for sale at the Los Angeles Opera's first-ever costume sale held Saturday. That distinction would go to the grotesque rubbery costume worn by bass baritone Daniel Okulitch as the title character in "The Fly," the 2008 opera directed by David Cronenberg.

Rita Ryack spent several weeks tangling with Tom Cruise's leather pants. The costume designer for the upcoming 1980s musical "Rock of Ages" (opening June 15) was instrumental in Cruise's conversion into the fictional rock icon Stacee Jaxx, a self-involved guitar-playing idol in the vein of Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose. The coyote-fur jacket, the jewel-encrusted codpiece and the custom-made cowboy hat did wonders in transforming the normally strait-laced Cruise into a drug-addled performer with more in common with Mick Jagger than Ethan Hunt.

"Annie Hall" inspired women to learn how to tie a tie. "Flashdance" set off a craze for ripped sweat shirts. And "Pulp Fiction" made the classic white shirt a hot fashion item. But how many people know the names of the costume designers who inspired these film-to-fashion moments? (For the record, they are Ruth Morley, Michael Kaplan and Betsy Heimann, respectively.) When it comes to inspiring others, costume designers rarely gain fame or fortune, even when films and TV shows spin off commercial cosmetics and clothing lines based on their work.

"The Hunger Games"is a visual smorgasbord of a movie, a cast of hundreds dressed in everything from utilitarian garb with Depression-era grit to glam-gone-grotesque Gaga get-ups inspired by the latest haute couture. Then there's that dress worn by the young heroine Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) that goes up in flames. It may seem as if it doesn't get much better than this for a costume designer. But the pressure is on to please fans of author Suzanne Collins' YA trilogy, who have purchased millions of copies of the books and have already broken the record previously held by"Twilight Saga: Eclipse"for advance ticket sales for the film, which opens March 23. "I tried to stay as close to the descriptions in the book as I could," says costume designer Judianna Makovsky.

If only these stage sorcerers could reach into a black top hat and pull out a home for their magical paraphernalia. Short of cash and abracadabra moments, the Society of American Magicians is struggling to find a public venue for its vast collection of antique stage illusions. After a freak accident forced the closure of the group's Hall of Fame and Magic Museum in Hollywood, the society moved its trove of tricks into a Pico Rivera self-storage center. "We'd love to reopen the museum.

BASEBALL URBAN LEGEND : The Yankees had a costumed mascot during the 1970s. On July 10, 1979, the famous costumed mascot the San Diego Chicken (who was working for the Seattle Mariners that day), put a hex on New York Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry during a Mariners/Yankees game in Seattle. This upset Yankee outfielder Lou Piniella, who then chased the mascot and even threw his glove at the giant costumed bird. After the game, Piniella remarked regarding his irritation at the mascot trend, "If people want to pay to see a chicken, they should dress the players up in chicken suits.

It all started a couple of years ago in the basement of a church hall in central London, when two event promoters started putting on a secretive club night with dance music, costumed hosts, sexy girls — and bingo. Secretive, because running a bingo game could be construed as gambling (it's not). And why bingo? Because there's nothing like a childhood game to get people to drink, dance and even take their clothes off. Underground Rebel Bingo Club has become a global cult hit, now happening in 25 cities worldwide, including London, Madrid, Toronto and New York.

"The Little Snow Girl" is being dressed by a queen. Denmark's Queen Margrethe II on Tuesday unveiled costumes she designed for a Christmas ballet based on the classic Russian folk tale. The outfits are dominated by baby-blue traditional Russian dresses, cream shirts with flower motifs, golden head scarves and black Russian hats. Margrethe, 68, a prolific graphic artist and scenographer, has previously designed costumes and sets for several plays, including adaptations of stories by fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen.

Doormen dressed as pirates or pharaohs work the front entrances, and cocktail servers stroll the casinos like so many glittering Hollywood starlets or kohl-eyed Egyptian queens. In Las Vegas, what hotel staffers wear is more theatrical costume than uniform, another opportunity to restate and expand on the house fantasy. Still, form must follow function when designing these elaborate outfits. "We have to cater to a broad range of figures.

If you think designing costumes for a 21st century black-and-white silent film is tough, try designing costumes for the silent black-and-white film within the film you're creating. This was the rather odd challenge veteran costume designer Mark Bridges ("Boogie Nights," "The Fighter") found on his cutting table with the Weinstein Co.'s "The Artist," French director Michel Hazanavicius' love story set in a bygone era. And while there were few words or colors in the film to tinker with, Bridges' perfectionism remained steady.

Mae Laborde Acting career began at 93 Mae Laborde, 102, an energetic senior citizen whose outgoing personality landed her in several Steve Lopez columns and launched a late-blooming acting career, died in her sleep Jan. 9 at an assisted living facility in Santa Monica. A longtime Santa Monica resident, Laborde was approached for TV and commercial roles after Lopez featured her in his Points West columns in The Times beginning in 2002, when she was 93. She became a regular guest on "Talkshow With Spike Feresten," and a spoofing public-service announcement that the late-night TV program made about television's digital conversion process featuring her became an Internet sensation.