Planning Costumes - Isabel Hurren

Our protagonist, Caitlin wore several different costumes throughout our music video. The first was comprised of pyjama shorts and a hoody that featured the logo of her high school as well as the names of her classmates. This choice of attire implies that she’s holding onto the past as she struggles to ground herself in a new era of her life. From this, it connotes that she’s trying to relive happier times.The grey colour of her hoody suggests a sense of melancholy as well as a lack of hope because it implies that there is no colour in her life. The smudged make-up around Caitlin’s eyes connotes instability because it implies that she no longer cares about her appearance, perhaps because she is weighed down by her pain.

The second costume that Caitlin wore was comprised of a black jacket, a black and white stripy top and a black skater skirt. The lack of colour in this outfit reinforces the fact that there is little excitement or joy left in her life and instead she is left living in muted tones. We took inspiration from the costume Sam Smith wore in his ‘Stay With Me’ music video, in which he wears a black and white checked coat. This suggests that the characters are trapped living in a life that lacks any of their previous happiness and instead they are forced to bear their pain in isolation. The style of clothing Caitlin wore would be familiar with our target audience of 18-21-year-old girls as it is currently in fashion. This would make it easier for them to relate to Caitlin and to imagine themselves in her position.

The final costume that Caitlin wore during shots of the past was comprised of a navy long sleeved t-shirt with maroon and mustard stripes paired with black skinny jeans. This introduction of colour suggests she was happier in the past and could express herself by wearing a variety of vibrant colours. This paired with her pink hair, that contrasts with her ash blonde hair in the present, implies that Caitlin’s life was once filled with excitement. The difference between her costumes works to emphasise how much the end of her relationship has affected her and how different she has become.

Our antagonist, Pippin, wore a black jacket, a grey t-shirt and black jeans. By wearing similar tones to Caitlin, it implies that he has experienced the same pain as her and he is still struggling to overcome the end of their relationship. However, the fact that his t-shirt is grey whereas Caitlin’s outfit consists of black and white could suggest that he views the conditions of their breakup differently and doesn’t see it in the same clear-cut way as Caitlin. We were inspired by the costume design in the film ‘Baby Driver’ in which the protagonist’s t-shirts gradually become darker shades of grey as his view of the world is tainted and warped by what he is forced to endure.

In shots of the past, Pippin wore a light blue t-shirt and black jeans. Traditionally, blue is a colour that represents honesty which could further emphasise how hurtful his betrayal was because he always appeared to be candid and loyal.