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The Wardrobe, Decoded
Victorian shapes, with the restriction removed.
Holly Waddington designed the film and made the central decision explicit: for the Paris section, "we took away the corsets and made all of these bodices instead." On the much-discussed rubber cape: "For me, it looks like an early condom. If you've ever seen the original condoms, they're made of rubber, basically."
Why we can't let it go
Bella Baxter's wardrobe is the most inventive on this site, and the design idea behind it is simple: take the Victorian silhouette and remove everything that restricted the body.
So the sleeves get enormous, the bloomers stay visible, the waist goes soft, and the corset disappears entirely. It looks like period costume from a distance and like nothing that ever existed up close.
Waddington's rubber cape is the moment where the whole approach becomes obvious. It's not a fashion reference. It's a material reference — early contraception — worn as outerwear. The wardrobe is a thesis, and it won an Oscar for being one.
01
The House
Learning, in fragments of clothing
Volume at the shoulder, a soft waist, and underlayers on show.
01Leg-of-Mutton Sleeve BlouseVast gathered shoulder. The single element that carries the whole reference.BudgetSplurge
The sleeve is everything. Leg-of-mutton, balloon, or heavily gathered at the shoulder — that single element carries the whole reference and works on a modern blouse.
Volume goes on top and at the leg, and the waist stays soft. No corsetry, no cinching. Waddington's entire point was removing restriction.
Colour is acidic rather than period: lemon, chartreuse, powder blue, oxblood. Muddy Victorian browns are the wrong film.
And let the underlayer show. Visible bloomers, a ruffled hem under a skirt, a slip poking out. The clothing being incomplete is deliberate.
Written and edited by
Narek Avdalyan
· Updated 16 August 2026
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