With Wuthering Heights fever in the air, we couldn't resist the opportunity to style some looks based on Emerald Fennell's new film (with costume design by Jaqueline Durran) using our rental collection.
Fennell told the BBC last September that she “wanted to make something that made me feel like I felt when I first read it” as a teenager, and according to production designer Suzie Davies via Architectural Digest, that’s exactly what they did; pulling references from things a teenager in the late 90s or early 2000s would’ve been familiar with, such as Gone With the Wind (below) and Stanley Kubrick films (think Barry Lyndon).
Below is an excerpt from a CurlyBend article on the subject that we think sums it up really well:
“The idea was to create a feverish dream — a visual narrative where fashion itself tells part of the story,” Durran explained in recent interviews. The result is a mashup of centuries and styles, producing what she describes as a “filmic mood board” — a collage of inspirations designed to evoke emotion and drama.
This eclecticism is intentional. The film is not a historical reconstruction -
it is a fantasy filtered through couture. The costumes act as a bridge between eras, styles, and moods, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that underscores the intense, almost hallucinatory emotions of the story.
For fashion enthusiasts, this adaptation is a masterclass in blending eras, references, and textures.
It is also of note that this is not the first time Durran has designed for a stylized "period" piece while taking references from an entirely different period. she previously did so with her Oscar-winning work in Anna Karenina (2012), a film set in 1870s Russia which took many cues from the 1950s.
We loved the strong visuals, thematic colours and dramatic fabrics and silhouettes used in the movie. We decided to imagine what a stylized Wuthering Heights set in the 20th Century could look like, and with that we pulled all sorts of pieces from the 1930s up to the 1990s from our stock. We focused on the red, black and white/silver colour palette utilized and chose rich fabrics like velvet, sheer organza and chiffon, satin, lurex and taffeta. This aesthetic is romantic, gothic and dramatic. Some looks have been shot on a mannequin while others we were able to model. Explore the looks below and see the reference images of Margot Robbie as Cathy Earnshaw for our inspiration! Be warned, there are spoilers ahead.
Starting off with some looks that appear near the beginning of the film when we first meet adult Cathy. One of the inspirations for these first costumes was the 1964 French film Angélique which was set in the 17th Century. @periodcorset also noted on instagram that this first costume seems inspired by how nobility used to romanticize peasants in paintings.
From our collection: A Victorian check skirt (part of a two piece set), a modern 1950s-style cotton blouse and a reproduction red corset.
From our collection: The same look with a burgundy wool jacket over top (part of a skirt suit) and an 80s/90s black leather belt with gold charms.
From our collection: An 80s red velvet Yves Saint Laurent maxi skirt, a 2000s black bustier, a 20s embroidered blouse and an 80s red belt.
Moving on to Cathy's looks after she gets back from her stay at Thrushcross Grange and seems transformed into a proper lady.
From our collection: A 1960s sleeveless A-line gown with red satin bodice and floral skirt, worn with a sheer 1950s blouse.
After Heathcliff leaves and Cathy marries Edgar, we see her in a variety of stunning ensembles.
From our collection: A reproduction black Victorian skirt, a reproduction white corset, the same 1920s embroidered blouse as before, a pearl choker and a 1910s straw hat with gold tone bow-shaped brooches attached in place of shooting stars.
From our collection: The same red velvet 80s Yves Saint Laurent skirt as before, a sheer 1950s blouse and a damask corset.
From our collection: A 1980s grey taffeta and lace dress with a 1950s cream cape.
From our collection: A red 90s gown with a 1910s embroidered silk cape with fur collar.
Cathy returns to Wuthering Heights to visit her father during Christmas wearing a silver dress and red cape. Fennell mentioned Jacques Demy's Donkey Skin (1970) as one of her inspirations and we were reminded of a silver dress Catherine Deneuve wears in that wonderful movie.
This is my favourite look in the film and we did some variations on it. I did have a big jewelled cross but I ended up forgetting to use it in the photos-oops!!
From our collection: A 1960s silver beaded maxi dress with a 1930s black velvet hooded evening coat.
From our collection: A 1930s black velvet dress with a 1980s Ann Lawrence red satin cape.
From our collection: A 90s Belleville Sassoon 2-piece skirt and top set with a black patent 1950s belt and 1930s black velvet cloak with sequinned hood.
Red capes and muffs were common for the 18th Century time period but certainly not in that kind of fabric. Here is a reference photo of a cape in the Met Museum that was used in a Vogue article with Jacqueline Durran:
We also have a couple of black dresses that reminded us of the glittery velvety fabric used in the red cape and other costumes. The first is from the 1930s and the second from the 1960s below.
Soon, Heathcliff returns and she meets him on the moor wearing a shiny red dress.
From our collection: A 1950s red gown with a sheer black coat/robe and black belt.
Isabella pushes Cathy on their swing as it becomes clear that Isabella intends on pursuing Heathcliff, and Cathy turns on her. She wears a black high neck corset with a chain across it and a white gown beneath, which was inspired by Franz Xaver Winterhalter’s painting “A Swiss Girl from Interlaken” from 1849. The girl is wearing specifically Swiss attire.
From our collection: A 1980s grey sheer dress with billowing sleeves, a black corset and a chain belt attached.
We accidentally came across a dress that spoke to us about Isabella so we decided to throw one in here for her too. She wears a pastel rainbow stripe gown during a scene in which Cathy pulls her hair in front of Heathcliff, while Cathy wears a white dress with red velvet appliqués on it. We have two options for the Cathy dress and we slightly deviated from our colour palette to do it.
From our collection: An 80s white floral dress with a reproduction corset.
From our collection: A 1940s gown with a velvet bodice and satin skirt.
From our collection: A 1960s green and pink stripe empire waist chiffon gown.
Her father dies soon after and she attends his funeral wearing a black gown and veil. We did a few variations for this one also.
From our collection: A 70s/early 80s black palazzo pant jumpsuit "dress" with a velvet bodice and sheer sleeves, worn with a Victorian mourning veil.
From our collection: A 90s 2-piece lace dress with evening gloves.
From our collection: A 70s black A-line dress with a black lace Victorian mourning veil, 50s sheer red gloves and a 50s red patent belt.
From our collection: A 30s black velvet dress with red floral neckline.
Cathy and Heathcliff begin an intense affair.
From our collection: An 80s red satin dress with an 80s sheer blouse and 50s red patent belt.
The above blouse is almost certainly inspired by this 1952 Givenchy one:
Here's a darker outfit than any of her others, inspired by one of the couple's forbidden moor rendevouz:
From our collection: An 80s black velvet maxi skirt (now for sale!), an early 20th century corset cover worn as a top, a 30s black velvet capelet, a 50s red belt and a bejewelled velvet belt worn as a choker.
When she tries to call off the affair, we see her in a black ultra shiny "moonlight" gown.
From our collection: A 40s black liquid satin dress with a 30s black satin robe.
Besides these specific inspirations, we also had fun creating looks that just seemed to fit the vibe!
From our collection: An 80s Belleville Sassoon black and gold gown (now for sale!) and a black elastic waist cincher.
From our collection: A 40s black gown with red floral pattern (the straps are tucked in and it has a matching bolero) worn with the same sheer black coat/robe as before.
From our collection: A 70s Gunne Sax style cream lace gown with black velvet bodice, worn with a black patent 50s belt and a Victorian mourning veil.
From our collection: A 50s black lace dress with a 30s red velvet jacket (has a matching dress) and an 80s/90s studded belt.
This last one was somewhat inspired by the costume Cathy wears when she tells Nelly to leave after finding out about her 'treason". It is reminiscent of a Tudor inspired Queen of Hearts costume. The reference image was taken from a video posted by @grace_africa on Instagram as we couldn't find a screen shot from the film.
From our collection: The 30s red velvet gown that matches the jacket in the look before it, worn with an 80s Valentino bodice that is part of a skirt set. Worn again with the black patent 50s belt.
The 1956 movie Diane (below) was also cited as an influence and we can see some of that in this costume.
Another costume we can see some influence from Diane in is the metallic Christmas dress which has a criss-cross design. This may be a stretch but we're including it anyway!
One last costume we want to mention is one which was only seen very briefly in the film when Cathy is opening her Christmas present from Isabella. We can't find an image of it online but will get a screenshot when the film is released on BluRay/streaming and insert it here. In the meantime, we'll leave you with this reference image from the 1955 film Sissi:
For more Wuthering Heights content, check out our previous blog post in which we talk about the costumes in the previous four English-language feature film adaptations of the book:
We also made a small collection in the shop inspired by Wuthering Heights which you can browse here:
https://iandrummondvintage.com/collections/wuthering-heights