Special Theme: Follow the Thread: ‘Women in Menswear’
TCM, Beginning at 7 p.m.
Women in film have been pushing gender boundaries with their outfits since the silent era, often breaking through to establish broader trends in fashion. Greta Garbo sported a military-style trench coat
in A Woman of Affairs (1928), a look that endures to this day. The pantsuit was introduced in the 1920s but wasn’t popularized until 1930, when Marlene Dietrich wore one in her film Morocco. These women set the stage for stars like Katharine Hepburn and Diane Keaton, who translated their personal styles onto the big screen and into our cul
ture with films like the two classics airing during tonight’s celebration of cinematic fashion on TCM. For the 1942 romantic comedy/drama Woman of the Year, legendary costume designer Adrian (Adrian Adolph Greenburg) dressed Best Actress Oscar nominee Hepburn in a variety of outfits, including skirts and gowns, but it was the menswear that really set her apart and helped define her personal style. The actress had already established an affinity for slacks
in films like The Philadelphia Story, but in Woman of the Year, her strong-yet-feminine persona was augmented even more by her “masculine” clothing, including a selection of pants and even a velvet smoking jacket. The costume designer for tonight’s next film, the
Best Picture Oscar-winning Annie Hall (pictured) (1977), was Ruth Morley, and many of the clothes for Best Actress Oscar winner Keaton’s title character came from Ralph Lauren. But Annie’s style comes entirely from the actress herself. In fact, Oscar-winning co-writer and director Woody Allen had to fight with Morley to allow Keaton to wear some of her favorite outfits, knowing they were central to the character (of both Diane and Annie). And what she wore — an eclectic selection of men’s hats, vests, boots and (most famously) ties — created a sensation that’s celebrated in fashion circles to this day.