Updated independent Study: What do costumes say about characters?

The costume is an essential part of defining who a character is to an audience, it can convey who they are as a person, what is happening at a given time in a scene or plot. Costume can be a different narrative for the director, for example, period costume tell us the time period in which the film is set it, it can also tell the audience the identity of the characters

The Girl on the Train

In the 2016 novel adaptation directed by Tate Taylor 'The Girl on the Train, the costume is subtle yet so very clever. As it is set in a present-day society the clothes we see on screen are not anything out of the normal, however, the victim, Megan played by Haley Bennett, is mostly featured in pale pink clothing. This suggests a certain naivety and innocence to the audience, the light flow to her clothes also convey a relaxed, laid back nature to her character. Even the colour of hair is deliberate, her blonde halo of hair contrasts the character in a question of crime, therefore, we see Megan as this innocent creature that has been hurt in which we feel sorry for. The two female leads hair colours may symbolise how Rachel has been replaced by the new shiny young blonde, Megan. However on the other hand how their hair is styled could be an insight to their personalities, for example Megan's hair is wavy and quite relaxed suggesting that she herself is quite chilled out. On the contrast Rachel's hair is well kept and rather straight compared to Megan's. How her appearance is portrayed could be an illustration of her personality, she could be considered much more uptight and straight laced. Another insight to their characters is shown by their clothes, Rachel is shown to be in appears to be straight cut office clothes, this connotes a career focused and driven person which contrasts Megan's clothes, the flowyness of Megan's clothes make seem, again, relaxed, her appearance is much more soft than Rachel's.

In contrast, Rachel Watson, played by Emily Blunt, who later in the film becomes the suspect in question rather than the witness is portrayed in dark clothing throughout the entire film. Although her clothing maybe dark thought out, at the beginning of the film she features a white shirt which may suggest that a sense of innocence at the beginning it may also connote a sense of naivety towards the audience as we have no idea that later on, she becomes a suspect in Megan's disappearance, this is when  her clothing becomes bleaker and becomes darker. For example,  when talking to a detective in the film who later goes on to as Rachel if she killed Megan she is dressed in mainly dark clothing which may hint towards a dark motif she is hiding from the Police and the audience.

In turn, Megan's clothing presents her as this dainty female that is a victim of a vicious crime by the light pinks and airy clothing, however, this is the front that the producers choose for her as it doesn't immediately show her dark past, it presents her as the good girl in the film.