INTRODUCTION

Quentin Tarantino is one of the most popular modern film-makers, and has been
hugely influential throughout the 90s and 2000s. He has made relatively few films but
due to his insistence on being the auteur, right down to the choice of songs, each
have a long gestation period. Each is also significant, bold and uncompromising,
often brilliant.

My project is How Tarantino Influenced Fashion by his Movies and

Tarantino movies are informed by an absolute wealth of film knowledge, clearly a
consequence of his time as a rental-store clerk. There is not a frame of a Tarantino
film that is not homaged, drawn from or straight-out ripped from some obscure movie
from his younger days. His influences include but are not limited to spaghetti
westerns, the French new-wave, Asian martial-arts movies, Australian B-movies and
Michael Cimino. A key feature of any Tarantino film is their copious amounts of
graphic violence. He often exaggerates and accentuates blood that turns off many
viewers. Another common criticism is that he is ill-disciplined with his talent. His films
are often long, and rely heavily on nods to other things, whether it be through
cinematic homage or sourced soundtracks, that can sometimes bog down the story
and drama.

Tarantino is probably the most influential of all modern film-makers, and not
without reason. Pulp Fiction was a ground-breaker with its combination of inter-
weaving story-lines and self-aware dialogue. These two aspects were the most
copied in the immediate aftermath, to varying effects. With Pulp Fiction, Tarantino
went some way to challenging the form of popular cinema. His later films, despite
their merits, have not been as ground-breaking.

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Tarantino Jolted onto the Hollywood scene with his screenplay for True Romance,
before directing the early 1990s films Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.

Born in Tennessee in 1963, Quentin Tarantino grew up loving movies more than
school. In his early 20s, he got a job at the video archives, where he wrote the script
for True Romance and Natural Born Killers. His directorial debut came with 1992s
Reservoir Dogs, but he received wide critical acclaim with Pulp Fiction.

Tarantino also loved storytelling, but he showed his creativity in unusual ways.
He loathed school, choosing to spend his time watching movies or reading comics
rather than studying. The only subject that appealed to him was history. After
dropping out of school, he worked as an usher at a adult film theatre for a time. He
also took acting classes. Tarantino eventually landed a job at Video Archives in
Manhattan Beach, California. There he worked with Roger Avary who shared his
passion for films. The two even worked on some script ideas together.

EARLY FILMS

Tarantino worked on several screenplays like True Romance and Natural Born
Killers. Working with producer Lawrence Bender, Tarantino was able to secure
funding for his directorial debut Reservoir Dogs (1992).The independent film helped
to make Tarantino one of the most talked about figures in Hollywood. The movie
became popular title on video and did well overseas,

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 CRITICISM AND SUCCESS

Known for his temper, Tarantino got into a public disagreement with director Oliver
Stone. Stone directed Natural Born Killers (1994) and rewrote parts of Tarantinos
script. Tarantino fought to have his name taken off the film.

In 1995, Tarantino wrote & directed one of the four featured in Four Rooms.
After the Four Rooms, Tarantino and Rodriguez collaborated on From Dusk Till
Dawn (1996). He wrote the screenplay and starred opposite George Clooney,
playing criminals who ended up battling vampires. It received negative reviews from
critics.

CINEMA'S FASHIONABILITY

Fashionor rather the fashionability of film, particularly Hollywood'shas always

been an important element of cinema's appeal. There are many individual examples
of garments having had a direct impact on off-screen fashions and sales. Through
the influence of film on fashion, one can see the true democratization of the movies
and movies' relationship with spectatorship: the fans might not be able to become
their favorite stars, but they can mimic and emulate them.

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 Similarly, in contemporary cinema one can see the same pattern of mimicry
when it comes to both clothes and accessoriesa crucial difference being that it is
now more often the male stars who have become fashion icons, in keeping with a
heightened awareness of male fashion that has been evident since the early 1990s.
Retro aviator shades made a comeback after Tom Cruise wore them in Top
Gun (1987); after the success of Quentin Tarantino's second movie, Pulp
Fiction (1994), the black suits and monochrome outfits of French designer Agns (b.
1941) (along with Uma Thurman's Chanel "Rouge Noir" nail varnish) became
synonymous with masculinity and cool.

OBJECTIVE OF RESEARCH

Tarantino produces the most iconic and dramatic movies with a lot of colors in his
movies. The blood looks redder in his movies and not everyone is fond of his movies
and wants to watch it again and again. But people cant avoid his movies though
cause theres a gravity in his movies that makes you to watch them. And his
characters leave you with making an impact in your mind that you cant forget them.
Let it be the Bride from Kill Bill or Mia Wallace and Vincent Vega from Pulp Fiction,
the characters are still remembered by the people. The objective of my Research
is how Tarantino influenced fashion through his movies, how his movies and
his characters are so cool and fashionable for the audience and how he
created the looks of the most famous movie characters.

Quentin Tarantino has directed films that feature some of the most iconic
costumes of the last twenty years, e.g. Reservoir Dogs black suits, Mia Wallaces
trouser suit in Pulp Fiction, the Kill Bill tracksuit. Tarantino's characters are the most
stylish in cinema history.

When we think of Quentin Tarantino, we usually think first of bloody action

sequencesor maybe his infamous foot fetish, of course. There were the splattery
gunshots in Django Unchained (seriously, those sound effects were something else),
the multiple-explosion finale in Inglorious Basterds, the annihilation of 88+ in a single
scene of Kill Bill, Part 1 (all done with a katana, no less) and the list goes on (and
on).

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 In my research I took four movies (Reservoir Dogs Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill
(Vol. 1 & 2 and Inglorious Basterds) directed by Quentin Tarantino to observe the
and analyse the costumes and look of his characters and the characters style that
influenced the fashion world in anyway.

CRITICS

Unless you're going to a fancy dress party, you should never dress like a Quentin
Tarantino character. We really can't emphasise that enough. That said, Tarantino's
characters are the most stylish in cinema history. Here is the critics point of view
about the five movies and about their fashonability of the movies.

RESERVOIR DOGS (1992)

(Designer- Betsy Heimann)

The film that sparked Quentin Tarantinos hugely successful career, Reservoir
Dogs, also sparked a whole new trend in formal wear for men. Slim and skinny-
fitting suits have been around for a while, but never were they seen as so fiercely
cool as they were after this film. Gangster films have been the standard of mature
cinema for many years, but Reservoir Dogs depicted the genre in a new light. It
didnt matter how old you were or what you looked like if you had the right suit, you
were part of the gang.

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 The scene, played out in slow motion at the beginning of the film to the sounds
of George Baker Selection, gains its visual power almost solely from the power of the
characters outfits. Dressed in matching black suits, white shirts, skinny white ties
and a variety of Ray Ban sunglasses, the group of criminals cut an arresting image.
It is little wonder that it remains one of the most enduring pop cultural images of the
twentieth century, reproduced on posters and t-shirts all over the world.

The basics of this look are the following:

black suit

skinny black tie

black Ray Ban sunglasses

black dress shoes

THE SUIT

Finding the right Reservoir Dogs suit is relatively simple. It must be black, and it
should be pretty basic. That means 2 or maybe 3 button jacket, and no pinstripes. It
should fit well, but it doesn't need to be tailored. The guys in Reservoir Dogs were
basically a group of criminals who wanted to look classy so they could enter a
jeweller (to rob it) without looking suspicious.

THE TIE

It is skinny. The tie is black and skinny giving an overall slim look to the suit.

SUNGLASSES

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For sunglasses, black Ray Bans can give you he looks. They can be Wayfarers. Mr.
Orange (Tim Roth) wore Clubmasters.

SHIRT

Reservoir Dogs created an impact on mens clothing in the 90s and still does. The
modern day gangster suits and the fashion of wearing suits to bank and rob is so
sophisticated that people still follow this concept. This movie might not be a
commercial success but its one of the movies in history that influence fashion big
time.

PULP FICTION (1994)

(Designer- Betsy Heimann)

Pulp Fiction was the movie of the 1990's, but it had a style that screamed 1970's --
but in a good way. The music, the cars (well, at least Jules' and Mrs. Wallace's cars),
even the 50's diner that would have fit right in during the classic retro craze in the
early-70's.

MIA WALLACE

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Uma Thurmans androgynous style in the cult classic Pulp Fiction set the tone for
women in the 90s. Her smart black bob and chic white collared shirts combined with
red lips and matching nails represent plenty about women in the 90s. The look
represents both sex appeal and power, and is still popular today in high-end fashion.
Mias collared shirts to this day are still popular with young professionals looking to
encapsulate chic, powerful business women.

Theres nothing really all that special about the look. Its just a pair of simple
black slacks and a crisp white button-down shirt. Its fairly standard. Its incredibly
simple. Its what a business man might wear to work or what a college kid might
wear for a catering gig. And yet, when Uma Thurman wears this outfit in Pulp Fiction,
she became immediately transformed into one of modern cinemas most iconic
characters: Mia Wallace.

JULES WINNFIELD AND VINCENT VEGA

Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson and John
Travolta, brought back a classic style that may be timeless but had not been found in
the U.S. fashion seen in 20 years. The late-70's brought us leisure suits and flared
lapels while the 1980's saw the rise in giant shoulders, lapels and even wide ties as
everyone tried to look like either a mobster or a Wall Street trader.

Jules and Vincent officially killed the offbeat styles of the previous decades with
laid-back, classy suits and ties that are still popular to this day.

THE SUIT

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Jules and Vincent wear simple dark gray (near black) suit jackets and pants, no
pinstripes. Both wear some form of shoulder pads in their suits in the movie. The
pants are black chinos, but they've got to be a nearly identical colour match with the
jacket.

THE TIE

It's a black tie. It has to be a relatively slim black tie. When Vincent Vega (Travolta)
takes Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) to Jackrabbit Slims he is seen wearing a Bolo tie,
which some people refer to as a Cowboy tie.

HAIR STYLES AND GROOMING

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Vincent Vega has well-groomed, shoulder length dark hair. His sideburns extend
down to about the bottom of each ear. Jules has a full afro that is well groomed into
a ball shape. His sideburns are shaped like a boot and extend out over his cheeks.

KILL BILL (VOL. 1 & 2) (2003-04)

(Designer- Kumiko Ogawa & Catherine Thomas)

Kill Bill was a pure passion project for Tarantino, steadfastly aiming to re-create the
feeling of martial arts films and comic books. Uma Thurman plays The Bride, an
assassin, and survivor of a shot to the head by her boss Bill, who takes her newborn
child. Revenge against Bill and the 4 assistants to his crimes is her mission.

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 The yellow- black tracksuit worn by The Bride played by Uma Thurman is
ridiculously famous among people. The tracksuits, Kimonos, suits, and Ninja swords
have created an impact on the mind of people and make it one of the coolest movies
of Tarantino.

THE YELLOW TRACK SUIT

The movie was so popular and even the costumes used in this movie is so
iconic and famous that everyone remembers it. The yellow jumpsuit worn by the
Bride, played by Uma Thurman was a hit. People started making copies of this suit
and selling them. People started to dress up like the Bride in theme parties and
Halloween parties. They are also being sold online by many retailers and people still
buys it. Its just classic!

The Bride's yellow tracksuit that she wears in the Japan sequence of Kill Bill
vol.1 basically looks exactly like the yellow tracksuit worn by Bruce Lee in his final,
unreleased movie, Game of Death.

INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (2009)

(Designer- Anna B. Sheppard)

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Tarantino turns to Second World War thrillers for inspiration here - Brad Pitt leads a
team of Jewish mercenaries out for redemption on as many Nazis as possible, by
scalping them. In their way is the intimidating and wiley 'Jew Hunter' Colonel Hans
Landa, stunningly played by Cristoph Waltz. One of his former victims (Stephanie
Laurent) is now running a theatre in Paris, and by happy circumstance is plotting
against Hitler and Goebbels at the same time as the Basterds, who are being aided
by a British lieutenant (Michael Fassbender) and a defecting German actress (Diane
Krueger).

Set in Nazi-occupied France during WWII, the movies shows the fashion of that
period. Womens fashion is depicted so beautifully in this movie.

Shosanna and Bridget von Hammersmark are one of the most beautiful and
stylish characters in the movie.

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 RESEARCH

The research of my project is completely based on the secondary data collection

from various fashion interviews and articles on the movies. These movies have
sparked Quentin Tarantinos hugely successful career. The data consist of the
famous costumes and fashion elements used in his movies.

FROM WHERE IT ALL STARTED (RESERVOIR DOGS)

As Quentin Tarantinos first movie, Reservoir Dogs was bound to ruffle the feathers
of both critics and movie goers alike. With Tarantinos now trademark violence,
eclectic use of music and pop cultural references, the film received a warm critical
response, and has since been heralded the greatest independent film of all time by
Empire magazine.

But clothing runs a little deeper than its initial visual impact. It also marks a
facet of Reservoir Dogs rich narrative structure. As the criminals come together into
one unit, the suits mean there is little difference between them. Whilst Tarantino
admits that he borrowed the gangsters look from the films of French director Jean
Pierre Melville, as with any pop culture construction, Tarantino too influenced a
generation. The cult status of Reservoir Dogs introduced hordes of nineties men into
dressing like his protagonists, the clean silhouettes and look suits becoming popular
with film buffs and the general public alike. In London, department store windows
emulated the looks. What it proved was the ability for fashion to filter from the silver
screen to normal life. These were not designer get ups, they were suits that anybody
could afford. After all, Betsy Heimann, the costume designer admitted that she
purchased the suits on the cheap.

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 Betsy Heimanns costume design for Reservoir Dogs spawned a legacy in pop
culture and fashion that is still being felt today. Heimann and director Quentin
Tarantino determined a cinematic sub-genre by redefining the appearance of the
petty gangster. The image of the gang wearing their skinny suits whilst walking down
the road has become an iconic cinematic shot; it is a shot which surpasses the
actors and story of the film itself.

If you look at that opening scene, the actors are all in their suits have this unity.
I think its something a lot of fashion designers relate to in their work: people having
a sense of belonging when theyre in a group, all wearing the same kind of thing and
identifying with each other through clothing. That was an interesting point with the
film. They all have such a sense of confidence.

WOMEN IN HIS MOVIES

Tarantinos movies create a big impact on his viewers that they cant forget a few
elements and characters of the movie and start following the style of the characters
and make it so popular that everyone can recognise it. There are so many classic
characters from his movies. The females in his movies have actually influenced
fashion in many ways and he represents them so beautifully and never exaggerates
his characters. Mia Wallace is an iconic character in the history of cinema that no
movie buff can ignore. Shes one of those characters of the 90s that is still known as
most fashionable movie character. She has a style of her own. It is androgynous but
still a feminine touch in the look.

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 First, lets talk about how Mia is the only female character in the film who isnt
dressed in dowdy threads or a melange of feminine colours. She is also the most
powerful female character in the film and she dresses like she knows it. She is
dressing like the men. We all remember the suits. We remember John Travolta and
Samuel L. Jacksons three piece suits of doom. They look clean. They look sharp.
They look in charge. They look dangerous. And Mia Wallace is dressing up exactly
like them.

The outfit is more powerful than that, though. Sure, it signals that a female
character has high-status in a male-dominated world, but it also suggests the force
of her personality. Most female characters in films will be laden with accessories or
colours or silhouettes that broadcast their personality for the viewer. Mia Wallaces
outfit is different. Its just a white shirt and black pants. She also wears a brown
trench coat and black jacket, but thats still as simple as it gets. Mia Wallace doesnt
need her clothes to speak for her because she can do that for herself. Dressing in a
white shirt and black pants is not an afterthought. Its a major fashion statement.

The Mia Wallace wardrobe is also very famous among many people and
people wear them.

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 Below, costume designer Betsy Heimann, in her own words, tells us why,
precisely, she chose that outfit:

"First of all, Mia Wallace is a female version of a Reservoir Dog. The

culture and history behind these [Quentin Tarantino] films started with Reservoir
Dogs. I created the look for that movie, too, and then mentioned to Quentinand he
agreed with methat Vince and Jules were both Reservoir Dogs. You know, I think
that Lauren Bacall was a Reservoir Dog, in her own right. Think back to the fact that
she wore those very tailored suitsjust like the men. I think Mia's look was true to
the iconic history of broads in movies, and of femme fatales in movies. It started with
the pants. We had no money, as usual, on Pulp Fiction, and Uma's very tall. All of
the black trousers that I liked were a little bit short, so I made the executive decision.
I said, 'Well, let's just cut them off,' and make a proportional statement. You know, I
kind of brought back the cropped pantor rather, reinvented the cropped pant,
because they weren't in fashion at that time. So I cut the pants off, which made
them hers, as opposed to what was out there, and then I just put these gold Chanel
slippers on her feet to accentuate the fact that she was the mob boss's wife.

Women of 90s have followed the fashion of Mia Wallace and still do. The iconic
fashion wig and those fashion suits are still worn by women.

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The wig worn by Wallace is still quite famous among people and celebrities like
singer and song writer Jessie J.

The journey of Uma Thurman with Tarantino doesnt stop here. After Pulp
Fiction she did two more movies with Tarantino, which also did well worldwide. Kill
Bill is also an iconic movie with iconic costumes. The most iconic one is the tracksuit
worn by Uma Thurmans The Bride. The yellow coloured tracksuit is so popular that
anyone can recognise it. People say that the tracksuit is inspired from Bruce Lees
unfinished movie.

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 The yellow tracksuit became so famous that people started wearing them in
costume parties and Halloween. People still purchases this suit online.

Tarantino is a fan of various foreign movies and he has said himself that he
takes inspiration from those movies. But the influence of this movie on viewers is so
big that people start making more of this tracksuit. Many companies produce and sell
similar tracksuits online. Not just the tracksuits but the movies other female
characters are also can stylish and fashionable.

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 O-Ren Ishiis Kimono is the best example of simple is best. The white kimono
speaks everything about her status and power and how important that character is
this movie. Elle Driver is one of the most sexy and stylish characters in the whole
movie. You can hate her but you cant ignore her. Her nurse uniform is also speaks
about her power and what she posses. She can go so far to complete the mission
but she does know how to assassin someone wearing fashionable clothes. Does it
get any cooler than an eye patch with a red cross on it? The movie starts with a
black and white set where the scene opens with the Bride in a beautiful white
wedding gown in her wedding rehearsal.

Speaking of classic and beautiful fashion, Tarantino gave us Inglorious

Basterds where he represented the fashion of women of WWII with such grace and
realistic way that you just fall in love with their look.

And now we have the best Nazi-exploding outfit to date. Apparently, Shosanna
was originally supposed to appear at her big night in a LBD, but Tarantino and
costume designer Anna Sheppard quickly decided that she needed something more
show-stopping and this floor-dusting red gown is nothing if not show-stopping.
Shosannas dress stole the whole movie.

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 Diane Krugers dress was also made in Berlin too out of beaded silk fabric with
additional hand applied Swarovski crystals and a train made of tulle and silk feathers
sewn on to it. All of the jewellery was from the original period. Of course, Julie
Dreyfus cat hat is a very visible homage to Elsa Schiaparellis famous hat. The
whole movie showed us the timeless fashion of that era. All the classic gowns, furs
and glitter. Itll leave you speechless.

Daine Krugers Bridget von Hammersmarks suit was one of the best
women suit in the movie. Her character was the most stylish one among all others in
the movie. Everything about it is great. And dont we miss the yokes on womens suit
and blouses.

STYLE LESSONS

BLACK SUITS MAKE YOU COOLER

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Tarantino himself once said: "You can't put a guy in a black suit without making him
look a little cooler than he already looks. Tarantino is quick to do just that when he
sets the scene in the opening lines of the scripts for both Reservoir Dogs and Pulp
Fiction.

Reservoir Dogs opening line: Eight men dressed in BLACK SUITS, sit around
a table at a breakfast cafe. Pulp Fiction opening line: An old gas guzzling, dirty,
white 1974 Chevy Nova barrels down a homeless-ridden street in Hollywood. In the
front seat are two young fellas one white, one black both wearing cheap BLACK
SUITS with thin black ties under long green dusters. Their names are Vincent Vega
Vega (white) and Jules Winnfield (black). NB: Black suits and white shirts also
feature in Kill Bill, with Budd and The Crazy 88 sporting Tarantino's trademark look.

PLAIN WHITE T-SHIRTS ARE GO GO

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Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn, Jackie Brown, Reservoir Dogs all these
movies have some characters who dress up in white shirt and with a black jacket or
suit. The look is so cool and classic that people still wear these clothes today.

HAWAIIAN SHIRTS

Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill Vol.2 has at least one character who is
dressed in Hawaiian shirt. It makes the character look carefree and interesting. It
seems as if these characters are more fun than the rest of the other people around
them.

CONCLUSION

Quentin Tarantino is hugely famous for his action movies with blood and flesh flying
on the screen. But his fashion has surely created an impact on the viewers mind. We
want to remember those scenes and those characters thats why we still try to copy

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and create a new style from his movies. The Reservoir Dogs scene, the Yellow
Tracksuit and Mia Wallace will always be remembered as fashion influencing
elements in our society.

His movies have actually influenced the fashion industry and people all around
the world. Reservoir dogs slow motion walk with those classic slim fit suits, the
iconic Bruce lees yellow suit worn by Uma Thurman and the androgynous dress of
Mia Wallace with the fashion wig are always going to stay in the history of fashion.

The director is still going to produce more movies which would still content
more blood and action but one thing is for sure that the costume he chooses for his
characters are out of the box and create a statement so bold that we just cant take
our eyes off them.

REFERENCE

1. http://i-am-db-cooper.hubpages.com
2. http://somethingyousaid.com
3. http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Criticism-Ideology/
4. http://www.shortlist.com/style/wardrobe/
5. http://www.bustle.com
6. http://www.elle.com
7. http://clothesonfilm.com

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