We already have a pretty great collection of articles about historic movie costumes used in different popular films and series. But they are scattered around and blended with other materials. Therefore, we’ve decided to gather them all in one place for you. There are not so many movies where you can find really high-quality period-accurate clothing these days. So if you’re a historic costume lover or interested in historic reconstruction, you definitely should watch the 14 tv shows we have here. You’ll find great examples of accurate garments, accessories, hairstyles, and jewelry from the 15th-20th century.
1899 (2022)
This is a multilingual German mystery-science fiction series. You can find a lot of period-accurate costumes from the late 19th century in this series. An interesting thing about the movie costumes of 1899 is that each character has only one set of clothing – no one ever changes into something different from the attire he or she is first seen. An interesting thing about the movie costumes of 1899 is that each character has only one set of clothing – no one ever changes into something different from the attire he or she is first seen.
The Northman (2022)
The Northman is a fresh epic historical action drama film. The story is based on the legend of Amleth written around 1200 A.D. This movie features some of the most authentically created Viking costume designs. Also, there are traditional Kyivan Rus’ outfits, berserkers’ clothes, and very curious and unique costumes of Scandinavian mystical creatures and characters.
Viking movie costumes in The Northman deserve Oscar? Let’s see how accurate they are
The Gilded Age (2022)
The Gilded Age is an American series, the show is set in 1882 New York. This series offers a whole lot of beautiful and accurate late-19th-century stage costumes, but, as always, there are bad outfits as well.
The Gilded Age show costumes. Best and worst outfits
Bridgerton (2020)
This is an American Regency period drama series based upon the Regency romance book series by American author Julia Quinn. The drama takes place in 1813 in London. You can find some nice and period-accurate costumes from the early 19th century here.
Stage costumes of Bridgerton – American Regency period drama series
Dune (2021)
Dune is an American epic science fiction film by Quebec director Denis Villeneuve. The movie is based upon the 1965 novel of the same name written by American author Frank Herbert. In this article, you’ll find the info about military uniforms from the 19th – early 20th century and show costume uniforms used in popular Sci-Fi movies. Also, we’ll compare the House Atreides uniforms from Dune 2021 and Dune 1984.
Dune 2021 show costumes. Comparison of House Atreides military uniforms from Dune 2021 and Dune 1984
Black Panther (2018)
It is an American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It uses African folk clothing of different ethnic groups and historical periods as stage costumes.
Gorgeous African traditional dresses used in Black Panther movie. Stage costumes of main characters
African traditional attire used as stage costumes for different Black Panther characters
Folk African costumes in Black Panther movie display Afrofuturism
Midsommar (2019)
This is American-Swedish folk horror film. The movie follows a group of friends who traveled to Sweden for a festival that occurs once every 90 years, only to find themselves in the clutches of a pagan cult. The stage costumes show Swedish authentic folk clothing.
Movie costumes in folk horror film Midsommar. Swedish folk dress in a horror movie? Unreal!!!
Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
This is an American fantasy drama television series. It is an adaptation of “A Song of Ice and Fire”, George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels. A lot of the movie costumes in this show depict historic Medieval garments, but, of course, it’s not a historical series, so there are plenty of clothes with no ties to any historic era. There are 8 seasons released.
Mysterious symbolism of Game of Thrones stage costumes
Costumes of Jon Snow from Game of Thrones. Are they historically accurate?
Stage costumes of Olenna Tyrell from Game of Thrones. She’s got charming pillbox hats with wimples
GOT Red Wedding show costumes. Let’s recall the top-10 lovely and weird outfits
House of the Dragon (2022)
House of the Dragon is an American fantasy drama television series, a prequel to Game of Thrones. This movie is based on George R.R. Martin's 2018 novel Fire & Blood. There were created 2,000 costumes for the background players and 300 or more for the principal characters. Many of them are inspired by medieval clothing and 16th-century clothing. But they don’t have to be historically accurate, as it’s a fantasy series.
Movie costume of Otto Hightower from House of the Dragon, prequel to Game of Thrones
Movie costume of Corlys Velaryon from House of the Dragon, prequel to Game of Thrones. Prior review
Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon (2011-2019 and 2022)
Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are both fantasy drama series, so obviously, the costumes are not historically accurate. They have some features of medieval outfits, elements of 13th-14th centuries and the 15th-16th centuries, and there is also influence of traditional clothing from different countries, etc.
Star Wars (1977-2019)
It is an American epic series of movies. The first film was released in 1977, but this TV phenomenon is still popular. These are fantasy films, but some of their movie costumes are based on historic military uniforms used in the 20th century.
A Knight's Tale (2001)
A Knight's Tale is a 2001 American quasi-medieval adventure comedy-romance movie. It is a modern adaptation rather than an accurate historical film, so the movie costumes used here are stylized and re-modeled medieval outfits used to hint at the Middle Ages rather than be replicas of actual medieval clothing.
A Knight's Tale movie costumes – not accurately medieval but interesting anyway
Marie Antoinette (2006)
Marie Antoinette is a 2006 historical drama film based upon the book “Marie Antoinette: The Journey” by Antonia Fraser. It is dedicated to Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France. You can find plenty of accurate replicas of mid-late-18th-century women’s outfits in this movie.
Movie costumes in Marie Antoinette historical drama film – 70 outfits of Marie Antoinette
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
It’s an American romantic horror film based on the novel “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. The cinematic telling of the story begins in an epilogue that’s set in 1462 Transylvania and flashes forward four centuries to 1897 Transylvania, London, and Budapest.
Stage costumes in “Bram Stoker's Dracula” movie. Part 1: Dracula and Elisabeta / Mina
Reign (2013-2017)
This is an American historical romantic drama TV series showing the early exploits of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587). So, the movie costumes we see here are from the mid-16th century. There are four seasons available.
Shogun World (2018)
The Shogun World costumes are shown in Season 2 Episode “Akane no Mai” of the science-fiction thriller TV series “Westworld”. “Shogun World” is a sister park to “West World”. The series is based on the 1973 film of the same name and, to a lesser extent, the film's 1976 sequel “Futureworld”. The movie costumes used in this series are from Japanese Edo period (1603-1868).
Westworld: Shogun World stage costumes analysis
Outlander (2014-2019)
It is a historical drama TV series based on the novel series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon. The stage costumes shown in this movie depict the fashionable designs from the mid-18th century. There are 5 seasons for now; Season 5 is being aired now.
Stage costumes of Outlander series. Scottish outfits of Claire Fraser in Season 1
Stage costumes in Outlander series. More Scottish 18th-century clothing of Claire Fraser
Stage costumes of Outlander series, season 1. Scottish folk clothing on Jamie Fraser
Stage costumes of Outlander series. Women’s Scottish outfits used in this movie
Stage costumes of Outlander series. Men’s Scottish clothing used in this movie
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
It is an American Gothic supernatural horror film directed by Tim Burton. “Sleepy Hollow” is based on the Washington Irving short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. This movie dips you into the late 1700s.
Stage costumes in Sleepy Hollow. Horror movies can have marvelous historical costumes
Penny Dreadful (2014-2016)
This is a British-American horror drama television series. It illustrates 17th-19th-century clothes. There are three seasons already aired.
Movie costumes of Vanessa Ives from Penny Dreadful series. Her day dresses and outerwear
The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015)
This British crime drama series shows the life of people from different social classes in London, the beginning of the 19th century – pre-industrialized 1827 London, just before the founding of the Metropolitan Police Service in 1829. It is a re-imagining of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein.
Stage costumes of “The Frankenstein Chronicles”. British police and bourgeois outfits in the 1820s
Gentleman Jack (2019)
It is a historical drama TV series. These costumes are so unique because the movie tells about 19th-century lesbians. The story is based upon the diaries (from 1832) of real-life landowner and industrialist Anne Lister. There is only one season released yet.
Stage costumes of Gentleman Jack series, a scandalous 2019 historical drama
Gentleman Jack stage costumes. Extravagant and historically accurate outfits of Anne Lister
Women’s stage costumes in Gentleman Jack: Ann Walker and others
Shadow And Bone (2021)
This is an American fantasy TV series based on the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows duology, both written by Leigh Bardugo. The show costumes aren’t historically accurate outfits from a certain era, but they’re inspired by the clothing from 1870s, Russian-Prussian folk costumes, Ottoman traditional clothes, etc.
Show costumes in Shadow And Bone series. Probably the most heavily embroidered movie costumes
The Alienist (2018)
This is an American period drama television series based on the novel of the same name by Caleb Carr. “The Alienist” takes place in 1896 in New York City, which was in the midst of the Gilded Age, a period of time in the United States that dates between the 1870s to the turn-of-the-century. This period of time coincides with the Victorian era in England. There is one season of this movie available.
Stage costumes in series “The Alienist” are period-accurate to American Gilded Age
Crimson Peak (2015)
This is one of the best modern Gothic horror romance movies with beautiful stage costumes. They are made rather close in design and detail to actual clothing of the late 19th – early 20th century. The action takes place in 1887, Buffalo, New York and then flashes forward to 1901.
Crimson Peak stage costumes and their real-life historical equivalents. Lucille Sharpe
Crimson Peak stage costumes. Delicate and ornate gowns of Edith Cushing
Anne with an E (2017-2019)
It is a Canadian drama TV series based on the 1908 novel “Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery and adapted by writer and producer Moira Walley-Beckett for the CBC and Netflix. According to Wikipedia, the story takes place in the late 19th century but a clever viewer noted that the calendar in the 1st episode is dated 1896. There are 3 seasons displaying the changes in fashion at the turn of the 20th century.
Stage costumes in Canadian “Anne with an E” series – examples, main features, indigenous clothes
Movie costumes in “Anne with an E” were based on period-accurate female clothing
Stage costumes in “Anne with an E” TV show. Anne Shirley-Cuthbert and the Avonlea girls
The Witcher (2019-2020)
This is an action fantasy drama TV series created for Netflix by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich based on the book series of the same name. The movie costumes shown here are a mix of medieval-style clothing, contemporary fashion ideas, and Gothic 1890s and 1930s fashion trends. For now, only Season 1 is out there.
The Witcher movie costumes. Outfits of main characters in Cintra kingdom
The Witcher Season 2 show costumes. Not award-winning but decent
