Habiba ElGaniny Have you ever caught yourself staring at your screen and doing a double take – maybe even scrolling back a few seconds? Perhaps your mind wandered away, perhaps you werenโt wearing your glasses, but in most cases, it’s the unbelievable sight youโre witnessing.
The silver screen has a beautiful way of making us fall under the spell of a location, a character, an eccentric word or a dress. I wonder whether it’s the lighting, the setting, the actresses, or simply the fact that there are few things that seem to unite people.
I believe people have different opinions when it comes to fashion, beauty, life and morals, but when it comes to these dresses, I rarely find any disagreements.
Let me take you on a tour of the dresses that took my very own breath away and had me calling my best friend, begging her to watch the movie so I could have a willing accomplice who I certainly know would share the same fixation and discuss a single dress for an hour or two. Iโm not exaggerating.
1- Atonement
It feels like Jacqueline Durran designed the dress for Keira and only Keira. The film’s entire aesthetic was brooding, steeped in dark academia and riddled with plot twists. The dress was the delicate reprieve amid all those gut-wrenching events. It was forest green, backless, and inspired by 1930s Hollywood glamour. The way it hugged Keira’s figure while flowing so effortlessly created an unforgettable scene: her sitting on the stairs, the library, and that moment when she stopped to look back as Robbie was being arrested.
I can’t deny my love for Atonement, but I also can’t hide this fact from you, my dearest readers: you might experience some rather unexpected reactions while watching. I caught myself hugging my blanket, hands covering my mouth, frozen for an entire ten minutes. That was when I understood what it must feel like to encounter the Basilisk. Despite everything that happens, once the credits roll, you’ll find your thoughts immediately circling back to the dress.
2- Scarface
I don’t know whether it was all Michelle Pfeiffer or that gorgeous teal-blue. It’s the kind of dress that leaves everyone who lays eyes on it mesmerised, with a thousand things to say, yet utterly speechless. That was the exact reaction Tony had, and that is truly the only reasonable response .
It’s the perfect dress for leaving a one-of-a-kind first impression. Maximalists might come at me for this one, but who can resist the irresistible allure of satin, let alone a teal-blue one?
3- Titanic
Kate Winslet rocked the movie (I almost slipped and said the ship…) with all her fabulous outfits. Rose’s playfulness was always present in her wardrobe choices. Her dresses were always on point, but there was a particular one that left both Jack and (us) completely dazzled by how exquisite a woman can be.
It featured intricate embroidery and golden embellishments, with sheer black chiffon layered over deep burgundy silk to create an absolute exquisite silhouette. The gown took more than 1,000 hours to craft, so that spark in Jack’s eyes was perfectly reasonable, I am not sure about my blushing and giggling, though I am sure that when it comes to Kate, if our scale is a thermometer, let’s just say the temperature will only be going up.
That was also the night Jack’s love was confirmed, and he knew. I mean, I knew, and I was watching from my couch. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to witness that dress in person.
4- The Hunger Games
That’s one of those scenes where I can guarantee my mum heard my, “Oh my God!!” The Mockingjay dress is so my taste: revolutionary, controversial, audacious and black.
My admiration and devotion to Katniss are incomparable. At first, I didn’t even think Peeta was worthy of her. I don’t know whether it’s the fact that she’s a Taurus and I’m a Virgo, and earth signs just have a thing for one another, but every time she shows up, I can’t resist thinking that we both might belong to the same soil.
Cinna’s artwork was extraordinary. The way a white wedding dress had all burned, transforming into a black Mockingjay dress, with its wings and all โ fire was indeed catching. Everything was just sheer genius.
Such a dress will remain immortal in our mortal minds for all eternity.
5- Sex And The City
THE Carrie Bradshaw Bridal moment – need I say more? Carrie Bradshaw and a dress? You just know itโs gonna be good. For those who watched SATC, you get it. And for those who didn’t, you’ve probably seen the TikTok edits, so you get it too. It’s the kind of dress that captures your heart in an instant,a case of love at first sight.
When Carrie first tried it on during her Vogue photoshoot, both she and Vivienne Westwood couldn’t resist the allure of a perfect match. It’s the kind of chemistry you simply can’t overlook. It was an ivory and champagne silk duchess satin dress with a sculpted corset bodice, a pointed sweetheart neckline, a dramatically accentuated hourglass silhouette and a voluminous full skirt. Let’s not forget the blue bird Carrie wore as a hair accessory. Classic Carrie.
So, when Carrie received it as a gift the next day, I couldn’t help but scream, and I guess so did whoever was watching. Because even if some differ on whether Big was the one, that dress clearly was.
6- Game Of Thrones
Daenerys might be famous for her dragons, the raging fire whose heat you can almost feel coming from the screen and her aura-filled entrances. But what about her dresses?
Dany (and I am no better than the King in the North) had plenty of dresses that distracted me from whatever was going on. As someone who isn’t diagnosed with ADHD, I found myself getting distracted quite a lot. I might not have ADHD, but I never said anything about fashion syndrome, did I?
So, if I had to pick a dress from her ethereal wardrobe , it would be the one she wore just before taking her Dothraki vows, back when she was still unaware of everything that was about to unfold for her. The sheer lavender-silver colour, the fluidity of the fabric, her perfectly curated white hair and the dragon-shaped pins securing the dress,all combined made watching her move in it feel as though the Dothraki had captured a fallen Greek goddess.
7- Wicked
You might know Ariana Grande for many things, but those who’ve seen the latest Wicked movie will know exactly what I mean. Galinda had a handful of fabulous gowns, one of them was that flowing pink dress. Made up of 137 individual pattern pieces, meticulously pieced together to create its sculptural, voluminous shape, the gown was a masterpiece of craftsmanship. It complemented her sweet, delicate essence, perfectly styled blonde hair and magic wand. She had truly become the quintessentially fashionable Good Witch of Oz.
As little girls, we’ve always fancied this exact kind of dress, like Cinderella’s, Belle’s and Aurora’s. Mind you, I thought that as we grew older, this fixation would tone down a little. But here I am, a grown-up at the ripe age of 21, still seeing a dress like that and immediately fantasising about it. It’s the same old nostalgic feeling, thinking about the dress, the grand entrance down the staircase and twirling around in it, getting to see it flow all around. So, trust me, kiddo, I get it.
8- Harry Potter
Harry Potter has always been my movie. It has completely transformed my perception of the British: from people who’d die with a cup of tea in one hand and a cake in the other, only to look the Angel of Death in the eye and say, “Hello, love” to a-wizards, Hogwarts and the Weasleys. Despite all the spells, the ghosts and mysteries, we can all agree that one of the most stunning moments came in the fourth movie, when we saw Hermione in that pink dress.
I think no one was more taken aback than Ron. But seeing Hermione shine and reveal that softer side of hers that exists beyond all those books and clever words, felt like a reward. Her arrival at the Ball – escorted by Viktor Krum, the Quidditch star – always gives me butterflies, as though I were the one being escorted by Krum.
That choice of colour couldn’t have been more exquisite. The ruffles, the fabric, the hairstyle and the makeup, all perfectly befitting a 15-year-old. As a Gryffindor, I was thrilled to see a fellow Gryffindor have her moment.
