To accompany our podcast for the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons, we’d like to share some of our favorite costumes from the movie. It’s hard to choose because, whoa, this film is perfect, even all these years later.
You can see larger versions of most of these by clicking the image, and where relevant, we’ve linked to historical citations. But mostly, we just want to enjoy the eye candy!
What’s your favorite costume in Dangerous Liaisons? Can you pick just one?
My favourite women’s costumes for this are the ones Glenn Close Edwards’s the marquise followed closely by the viscount and Michelle’s. Uma’s Cecile’s are appropriately virginal and her mother’s are nice, but she’s not a fashion setter like the Marquise. But I really love them all.
I abhor detest autocorrect. Edwards in last post should be wears as. Argh.
How could you omit the Vicomte de Valmont’s nightshirt and dressing gown in the scene where he sneaks into Cecile’s room (and blackmails and rapes her…) … mrrrowwrrr
Probably because we couldn’t find hi-res a picture of it online…
I zoomed way in and I spy at least one button hole, so it would appear as though those buttons on the original gown are indeed functional.
Many costumes made by students of Jean Hunnisett. Also one of them was an assistant to James Aitches
on.
OMG that blue on the Pompadour dress!
Right?! I have no words for how much I love that gown
This movie is just so, so much more impressive in all regards than “Valmont.” I have to wonder how MUCH of the 14 mil budget went to costumes, because they are FABULOUS.
From the tiny amount I was able to glean in the research I did for the podcast, it wasn’t much. The impression I got was that they were way more concerned with the location (all shot on location in France, which ain’t cheap) and the talent (although none of the stars at this point were exceptionally huge–they all got majorly famous after DL was released). Glenn Close was top billed, and it was post-Fatal Attraction (which had come out the previous year), but I don’t think she was considered a major box office draw at that point. Most of the contemporary reviews seemed to be repeating variations on “What an interesting and unexpectedly great film!” so it doesn’t seem like people were expecting the caliber of the movie they got and were pleasantly surprised.
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!
The Blue dress is just so eye catching! Though I *might* be making a copy of the yellow riding outfit for next years Salty Ball.
The budget issue only reinforces my contention that it is just as easy to do it right as to do it wrong. They put every penny on the screen and clearly researched it to a fare-thee-well before they did it.
DL is my favorite costume movie of all time. Learning from you guys that it’s ridiculously accurate, AND was done on a tiny budget just makes it better.
Being an embroidery wonk, my favorite costumes are Valmont’s embroidered waistcoats. (If that’s the correct term.) Those make me want to branch into 18th century embroidery one day. But the truth is I couldn’t pick just one of the costumes from DL as a favorite. I adore so many of them it’s impossible to choose.
I read this thread two years later, but thanks somuch for posting it!
The yellow travel dress worn by Merteuil is also amazing although I am not sure it is historically accurate
Just a little note of correction, the gown in the second to last photo was worn by Madame de Volanges (Swoosie Kurtz), Cecile’s Mother, not Glenn Close.
To my mind, the most erotic sequence in the whole movie is where the duc de Valmont(John Malkovich) kisses The marquise de Merteiul(Glenn Close_ ) not on her lips or even mouth but on her exposed bosom!