Grease (1978) : Costume Review
From tea-length dresses to high-waisted rolled-up denim we are peering into the ultra-modern closet of the Rydell High School gang from the movie Grease (1978) a musical cult set in the late 1950s unveiling the classic pieces from that era which are still relevant today after 40 years of its release from Danny’s outfits (played by actor John Travolta) & his T-Bird gang to Sandy’s (played by actress Olivia Newton-John) & the Pink Ladies each character having just the right color palette & silhouette to match with their personas.
Costume Designer Albert Wolsky took inspiration from the Greaser Subculture of the 1950s popularized by the zeitgeist American youth and donned the male lead Danny in a leather jacket (T-Bird inscribed at the back) with a solid t-shirt, a pair of high-waisted dark trousers and the most notable attribute of the Greasers — the greased Pompadour hairdo while this post-WWII look was Danny’s casual day look his different sports ensembles were equally coveted be it the grey hued sweatshirt & pant co-ords to his snug-fitted shorts paired with converse or a raglan with joggers & baseball cap and to top it all John Travolta’s blue eyes & chin dimple adding to the charm while his T-Bird squad closely followed him in leather biker jackets, vintage denim & a basic tee.
As Danny emulated the greaser attitude in the movie his lady-love Sandy (a goody-two-shoes) gussied herself in all things pastel from margarine yellow to sage green (both of which are spotted today from street-style to runway & down to influencers on Instagram) her outfits are well-matched in peter pan collar to emphasized collar button-downs & a cardigan paired with a tea-length skirt or her first date polka-dot cotton dress her short bangs tied-up with a ribbon and a ballet flat to complete her well-groomed look right before she slipped into a badass attitude in an all-black look in Bardot top with snug-fit leather pants paired with wooden red mules, a golden hoop dangling from her ears & a wide waist belt her hair in wild curl with bold lips & a cigarette hanging from her lips- a breakthrough moment from “hopelessly devoted” to “tell me about it, stud”!
Sandy’s go-to girl gang the Pink Ladies sherbet hued wardrobe gained them an altogether unique bunch of fan-following uniting in a pink bomber jacket paired with mismatch & solid outfits to loose-fitted sweatshirts & plaid skirts to wigs & a knotted scarf around the neck- an all ferocious look & vibe.
Fast Forward today the trendiest pieces from the movie have revamped into bold silhouettes & styles giving the on-lookers an inkling of the 50s grease retro fashion and influencing them to style the classic pieces in a new (2020) version.
Image Courtesy: Google
