Costume Designer Julie Weiss: The Frock Flicks Guide – Frock Flicks

Costume designer Julie Weiss

Costume designer Julie Weiss has a pretty impressive career spanning the last fifty years. Today we’re going to take a look specifically at her historical costume work!

The Elephant Man (1982)

The Elephant Man (1982) — Not to be confused with the 1980 film of the same name about the same subject. You can tell the two apart because this one stars Glenn Close. It deals with the life of Joseph Merrick (renamed John in this film for some reason), a man living in Victorian England who had severe facial and bodily deformities and subsequently achieved a perverse level of fame on the freak show circuit.

Little Gloria … Happy at Last (1982)

Little Gloria...Happy at Last (1982) — Based on the true story of heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, who, as a child, was the center of a bitter custody battle between her mother and her father’s insanely wealthy family in 1934.

The Dollmaker (1984)

The Dollmaker (1984) — Set in the 1930s? I think? It stars Jane Fonda as the mother of two young children, with a third on the way, who is uprooted from her home in rural Appalachia by her ambitious husband and moved Detroit, Michigan. It’s all hardscrabble existence and tragedy somehow uplifted by a woman’s determination to return to her roots, and … well … I’m probably not going to watch it.

Evergreen (1985)

Evergreen (1985) — The miniseries takes place over 50 years, from 1909 to 1959, centering on the character Anna, played by Lesley Ann Warren, a young Jewish woman who immigrated to America from Poland and climbs the social ladder in the first half of the 20th century.

1969 (1988)

Winona Ryder in "1969" (1988) — Set in 1969 (go figure), the film is belongs to that genre of 1980s-looking-back-at-the-1960s. Starring Kiefer Sutherland and Robert Downey, Jr., and Winona Ryder, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and counter culture, yadda yadda. I just really loved this photo of Winona wearing what I’m assuming is a vintage Gunne Sax dress, and yet, somehow, still sporting her trademark late-1980s shoulder-length bob.

A Woman of Independent Means (1995)

Sally Field in "A Woman of Independent Means" (1995) — Sally Field stars in this film about a wealthy widow who intends to do Good Things with her fortune. Features a lot of really fabulous costumes.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Johnny Depp in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (1998) — I don’t care, I love this film and it’s iconic late-’90s aesthetic. Parts of it also are set pre-1969 so it sort of counts as a frock flick!

Isn’t She Great (2000)

Bette Midler and Nathan Lane in "Isn't She Great" (2000) — Bette Midler and Nathan Lane! In a comedy about author and actress Jacqueline Susann’s best selling novel Valley of the Dolls! Who doesn’t love it? Also, the costumes look absolutely divine.

Frida (2002)

Frida (2002) — If you’ve never seen Frida, please stop whatever you’re doing and go put it on. It’s an absolute feast for the senses, and Julie Weiss captured the art and fashion of the iconic Frida Khalo beautifully.

Auto Focus (2002)

Auto Focus (2002) — This is a film I keep forgetting was made, even though I find the subject matter fascinating and have repeatedly promised myself I’ll sit down and watch it. If you were an American Gen X-er, then you likely grew up watching Hogan’s Heroes, a sitcom set in a prisoner-of-war camp in Nazi Germany during WWII. The eponymous Hogan was played by an actor named Bob Crane, who, it later came to light, was into some SERIOUSLY weird shit. This film is about Crane (played by Greg Kinnear) and his friendship with videographer John Carpenter (played by Willem Dafoe) and focuses on the events leading up to Crane’s murder in 1978.

The Missing (2003)

The Missing (2003) — I was surprised to learn this was directed by Ron Howard, which makes me want to watch it a teeeeeny bit more than I did before. The film garnered praise for the authentic use of the Apache language.

Hollywoodland (2006)

Hollywoodland (2006) — Another true crime biopic about an actor, this time focused on the death of George Reeves (played by Ben Affleck) in 1952, after his career declines following his role as Superman. I have actually watched this one fairly recently and so I should probably review it at some point.

Bobby (2006)

Bobby (2006) — Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, this film centers on the events surrounding the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy at the 1968 Democratic presidential primary at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Featuring an absolutely stacked cast, including Estevez’s father Martin Sheen, it’s a tribute to what could have been.

Get Low (2009)

Get Low (2009) — Set in 1930s rural Tennessee, this film is billed as a Southern Gothic drama about a hermit who throws his own wake while he’s still alive. Starring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, and Bill Murray. Costumes look great and the concept certainly is appealing!

Shanghai (2010)

Chow Yun Fat in "Shanghai" (2010) — Starring my boyfriend Chow Yun Fat and my other boyfriend John Cusack, this film got absolutely slaughtered at the box office. Set in the 1941, it focuses on an American agent of the Naval Intelligence Office (Cusack) who travels to Shanghai to uncover who murdered his friend. I don’t know if the plot was any good, but the costumes look fabulous.

Hitchcock (2012)

Hitchcock (2012) — A film about Alfred Hitchcock and his wife and collaborator, Alma Reville. Starring Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock and Helen Mirren as Reville, along with Scarlett Johanson as Janet Leigh and Toni Collette as Hitch’s personal assistant Peggy Roberts. It’s a great film and well worth the watch.

My Dinner With Hervé (2018)

Peter Dinklage in "My Dinner with Herve" (2018) — Peter Dinklage plays actor Hervé Villechaize (best known for his role in the late-’70s/early-’80s hit TV show Fantasy Island) in this biopic about Villechaize’s life. It’s set in the 1970s and 1980s, but I’m going to feature it anyway because I love Dinklage and pop culture.

Greyhound (2020)

Tom Hanks in Greyhound (2020) — Ordinarily, I’d just pass this one off as Yet Another Film About World War II that I have no desire to watch, but in this case it’s got two things going for it. One, Tom Hanks; and two, Elizabeth Shue.

Call Jane (2022)

Call Jane (2022) — Set in 1968, the film centers around a woman who wants to get an abortion during a time when it was not legal in America to do so (the film was made pre-repeal of Roe v. Wade, which just makes it extra bittersweet).

Which of Julie Weiss’ films is your favorite? Tell us in the comments!

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Tags: 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s adapted from books Frida (2002) Hitchcock (2012) inspired by a true story Julie Weiss movies about true crime murder mystery race issues in history TV Victorian Vietnam War

3 thoughts on “Costume Designer Julie Weiss: The Frock Flicks Guide”

Penny H says:

October 8, 2026 at 8:10 am

It’s Frida. Also happens to be the only one of these I’ve watched, but I probably should go watch it again. I actually own the DVD.

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Kendra says:

October 8, 2026 at 6:27 pm

FEAR & LOATHING FTW

Reply
Roxana says:

October 9, 2026 at 8:38 am

The Dollmaker sounds eminently missable

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