Victorian Era Ireland, Miss Julie Depends on Case Study

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Victorian era Ireland, Miss Julie depends on effective costumes. Costume designer Consolata Boyle delivers, providing the titular protagonist with the requisite garb of the era. Issues of gender and social class are conveyed through clothing in Miss Julie, as the title character wears rich silks and other gleaming fabrics that denote her social status, Likewise, the colors of Miss Julie's dresses are deep jewel tones befitting her wealth and power. The preponderance of the color green also corresponds with the film's being set in the Emerald Isle. Thus, Boyle was give considerably more leeway in her selection of hues had she been constricted to working with the original script for the stage play, which was set in Sweden. Some of the defining features of Miss Julie's Victorian dresses include lace trims, particularly around collars and lapels, ruffled bottoms of dresses, long sleeves as well as long length dresses, stark waist lines, and full skirts. Necklines vary, but are generally high with the occasional scoop neck. If there is one flaw in Boyle's approach, it would be to allow Miss Julie's neckline to plunge just a big too much than what would have presumably been expected for an Irish woman prior to the turn of the century. Conservatism and gender roles would have meant the Miss Julie would have bore less of her flesh.

However, Boyle does a superb job in differentiating between the class statuses of different characters.

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Comparing Miss Julie to her servant offers the prime example of how costume conveys class. The servant, unlike Julie, continually covers her hair in an unflattering bonnet. Her necklines are much higher than those of Miss Julie, and her dress indicates her work as a maid given the apron and black and white color scheme. A person of her class and position in the society would certainly have worn this outfit. The man's clothing is less ostentatious than the women's. Darker colors prevail, with attractive long coats likely made of wool. The use of vests and ties was also common. Boyle was careful to make the clothes look genuinely tailored as opposed to ready to wear, as some elements have the naturalistic and unfinished look like the white collars of the men's shirts.

In The Imitation Game, the period shifts to the World War Two era. Sammy Sheldon Differ (Sammy Sheldon) provides the costumes that seem apropos. Colors are muted throughout, with a lot of sepia. Dress is formal for both men and women, whether the men's uniforms are militaristic with their characteristic double-breasted navy and gold buttons, or city coats with their rich tweeds, woolen sport coats, and loose-fitting slacks. Suits are sensible, and not far removed from the formalwear for….....

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"Victorian Era Ireland Miss Julie Depends On", 08 December 2014, Accessed.21 May. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/victorian-era-ireland-miss-julie-depends-2154296