I had been anticipating 2020 unlike any other year. The reason? It’s simple as three of the biggest and most anticipated superhero standalone live action releases were supposed to happen. These three releases being- Birds of Prey featuring Harley Quinn starring Margot Robbie, Black Widow featuring Natasha Romanoff starring Scarlett Johansson and Wonder Woman 1984 featuring Diana Prince a.k.a Wonder Woman portrayed by Gal Gadot. Well, BOP and WW84 did see the day of light last year but Black Widow was thrown into the oblivion of uncertain release dates (though it’s good in a way since a standalone picture for Natasha was a long overdue)
Wonder Woman 1984 finally saw the day of light at the end of 2020 and with ‘1984’ in its title, I knew this one was going to be quite a spectacle. This one was being seen as a beacon of hope for the DC movies and adding ‘80s tag to it definitely raised the excitement right. As I say this its remarkable to note how much of the ‘70s and ‘80s are influencing lifestyles these days. Even as I type this out and not even being born in that particular decade, I seem to vividly be attracted to this age of color. The last overload of ‘80s was when Stranger Things put us through what living in the decade was like (Dustin and his girlfriend singing ‘Neverending Story’ being the highlight)
Wandering through the ‘80s
The costumes were designed by Lindy Hemming (the designer for darker toned movies like James Bond and the Batman Series). As she speaks about designing for the ‘character’ not appropriately for the decade, it got me wondering even though it might not be a period drama but Wonder Woman in 1984 is literally in the title.
This version of Diana Prince in the year 1984 is based on the outline of sophistication, timelessness and elegance in line with the maturity and calmness as a trait of Diana. The timelessness being expressed with Diana’s ability to outage everyone as she is a warrior princess/demigod. So as she is time hopping, her style remains simple and quite minimal indicating timeless. Before Wonder Woman pt.1, her appearances in the Justice League movies prove this. Her wardrobe was strictly minimal and quite sleek. Keeping the standards of minimalism at the time, her style was catchy by not being too loud. Wonder Woman pt.1 wouldn’t be the same as it was being treated as the start of the timeline of DCEU.
The 'Gala' dresses meant to evoke a sense of mystery and aura.
The Minimal style of Wonder Woman + With Love, to Lynda Carter
Opening scene in 1984 we see Diana wearing a pleated trouser paired with white crepe silk top and a A line jacket (Obsessed with it!). Diana in the ‘80s looks different, that is for sure. More simple lines, flat lapels and clean cut trousers adorn her wardrobe. Trousers form an important part in her wardrobe and I personally, like the androgynous take on her. This contradicts her styling back in the other DC franchise movies. The usage of gold which was a statement in previous depictions seems to have been toned down. The aspect definitely caters to the workwear of the ‘80s. Individually, the looks are tightly woven together. You cannot take them out because they offer a seamless pattern.
The movement of all the styles seem restricted though. Having less movement definitely brings out an aspect that Diana displays a certain amount of reservation. She is conscious about her image, maybe because she does not want people to suspect she is Wonder Woman. The fits are easy, relaxed and elegant (Gal Gadot carries them effortlessly). Later we get a good glimpse of her home which is a plush apartment and a reflection of Diana’s lifestyle and preferences.
The influences are quite evident from the prominent designers who brought in the menswear take on women- Ralph Lauren, Claude Montana, Donna Karan and Calvin Klein.
The style references run parallel to Lynda Carter’s ‘70s television series (pictured below). As we see Lynda Carter’s famous wardrobe being influenced with minimalism of that decade, we cannot forget how close Gal Gadot's ‘84 version was linked to 1979 being the last year of airing for Carter’s series.
In entirety, the range and the styling though falls back behind in terms of adding the colorful flair of the ‘80s. I know the justification comes through that she isn’t who would be wearing those out and loud styles of ‘80s but I felt that was a missed opportunity. It looks like Diana feels almost lost in the ‘80s world and cannot adapt to the changes that form around her. This is what I could sense throughout the run of good three hours.
To ‘80s Color
Slide to see color scheme'of DCEU against MCU's
Which brings me to the DCEU history with not using colors to actually segregate the situations and characters. Just have a look at DCEU’s color palette and MCU’s color palette. Marvel does take color as their prime aspect of helping the viewer to see the story as a breathtaking spectacle and while watching WW84 it does not reflect much on it (apart from a ‘80s shopping mall sequence which reeks all possible ‘80s color trends and Wonder Woman’s vibrant armour)
WW84 seems like another opportunity missed when it comes to color story.
B@%!#, I’m Barbara!
Looking at the Antagonist’s style- Barbara Minerva is introduced as the rulebook nerd- glasses, hair all over the place, ill fitting clothes and inability to walk in heels. I spotted a thin white leggings band and immediately knew it was going to be utilized and it became a part of her transformation. As for the part of wishes, she aspires to be like Diana- strong, sexy, cool and special. Her post transformation wardrobe has messy hair, dark lined eyes (almost hollow) and body conscious dresses and later she wears faux fur jackets and thigh high boots. This is a simple equation of using body hugging looks to express the confident vivacious side of a person. The influences are clearly from Madonna and Cyndi Lauper in the ‘80s. It seems like they had a clear cut idea as to how Barbara’s character was going to pan out. Except, if she aspired to be like Diana then why not have her dress like Diana and then after her wish of being an apex predator have her actually be in a messy style to show a decline in her psychology. This detached me from the movie.
But still makes up for a transformation that is worth the watch!
Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor’s return at the movie comes as close as to have a long montage of ‘80’s fashion trends. I actually gaped in disbelief at the fact that Diana’s choice for Steve’s ‘80s wardrobe is quite peculiar. This made me question Diana’s general sense of style.
Pedro Pascal plays Lord Maxwell charming in his 3 piece suit. There isn’t much to explore as it ticks all the right ‘80s elements- exaggerated shoulder pads, loose jackets and clean businessman hair.
In the end, watching and seeing the costumes that were supposed to evoke a strand of nostalgia in us, disappointed me a bit. The opportunity to take the liberty to dress someone in the ‘80s is exciting and definitely something DCEU could’ve used to engage its audience and that’s why I feel this Wonder Woman would be still wandering in the ‘80s!
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