17 thoughts on “Dangerous Liaisons Costume Porn

  1. 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.

  2. 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

  3. 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.

    1. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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

  8. 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.

  9. 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!

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