Not quite a Cinematic Style since The Fall is a television show (or a Netflix show for us here in the U.S.) but I couldn't help not talking about Gillian Anderson's character's wardrobe. Stella Gibson is a Detective Superintendent for the Northern Ireland police and an all around badass bitch. An unannounced feminist, Stella pushes through gender norms and misogynistic co-workers to catch a man who strangles and kills female victims throughout Belfast.
Some people see clothes to be a superficial quality to focus on but I see it as a way to tell an underlying story. It's one of my favorite things to pay attention to in film and now television (especially since the state of television right now is so good - everything sort of has a filmic quality to it - another post for another time). What I saw in Stella Gibson's wardrobe was one of my favorite things when looking at styling: a feminine and masculine contrast. Sure there's a lot of pencil skirts and stilettos and blush colors and that red blouse (wow) and they're all more or less made of silk - I'm sure the sweaters she wears are cashmere. But the button downs are strong. They're eye-catching but they don't wear her, she wears them. And she wears them with confidence and strength. The wide leg trousers she wears against said blouses perfectly exemplifies the masculine/feminine mix I'm talking about. And the two peacoats she wears through seasons one and two are long and commanding (sidenote: how does Gillian Anderson pull off these long-lined coats so well when she's around 5'3''??)
A lot of her blouses and sweaters are wrapped around her waist for an added feminine look that deflects from the manly silhouettes that are seen on men and women throughout the police station. It's almost intimidating - which Stella is in a lot of cases. A woman who is so confident in her body and herself accentuates possibly the most womanly part of a female's body: the waist - something men do not have.
I also love how practical she is (I mean she lives out of a hotel room while in Belfast) and how she recycles blouses (the pink, collarless piece is seen in season one and two) and she throws on her navy blue peacoat over every outfit despite what she's wearing underneath. She also seems to switch between two pairs of shoes: a black pump and a chunky black ankle boot and wears the same black pencil skirt on many separate occasions.
She also uses her clothes to make statements. For example, the red sweater was worn when questioning Jamie Dornan's Paul Spector who had an obsession with the symbolism in the color red. And, again, the pink collarless blouse was worn when giving a televised press conference about the recent murder victim Sarah Kay to show innocence and femininity to the people of Britain and specifically to Paul Spector.
Of course, nothing beats a good pair of trousers. These slew of looks feel more paired back and relaxed - she wears pants when she isn't giving a press conference. I also noticed when she wears the trousers she's out investigating a crime scene or is dealing with her sexist male colleagues (looking at you Assistant Chief Constable Jim Burns). She's supplied some of her best quotes wearing the pants (literally and metaphorically):
"That's what really bothers you isn't it? The one-night stand? Man fucks woman. Subject man, verb fucks, object woman. That's okay. Woman fucks man. Woman subject, man object. That's not so comfortable for you is it?"
"What if he kills a prostitute next? Or a woman walking home drunk? Late at night in a short skirt? Will they be in some way less innocent therefore less deserving? Culpable. The media loves to divide women into virgins or vamps, angels or whores. Let's not encourage them."
As much as I love picking out the symbolism in colors and clothes and all that, I love face masks and makeup too. And so does Stella. The first scene of the first episode in season one is Stella doing a face mask in her very normal-girl pajamas. It sort of brings her down to a relatable level; all girls (should) do a face mask in their pajamas. And damn it, even her lingerie and silky dressing gown are up to par - I'd like to imagine she wears Agent Provocateur.
Then onto her makeup. It's glowy and professional and feminine. I was of course wondering what they used on Gillian's face and thanks to the woman herself, she tweeted a photo of her character's makeup bag. Lots of products I was expecting: Clarins, Dior, Chanel, Lancôme. Products that warrant devoted customers and strong women who know what they want and stick to what they know.
Okay, even her going out look is smart and chic: slim trousers, another silky blouse, black stilettos, and a sort of sweater-like blazer combination.
And of course, her accessories. A navy blue Longchamp bag and a leather bound crocodile skin notebook with the most elegant pen I've ever seen. This woman knows what's up.
Screen caps by me from Netflix
