Capitol couture

So I am a huge Hunger Games fan, and after seeing the movie twice (I highly recommend, it is excellent) I thought it was time to write a piece on the style of the Capitol.

Anyone who read the books would have had a clear idea of the fashion in the capitol: absolutely over the top and eccentric. Anything where the fashion is described to make the people look like 'aliens' is bound to be ridiculous. But in the film the style isn't so much alien and more couture. In the books you expect them all to be running around with blue skin and crazy glow in the dark tattoos, mixing weird fabrics and colours together. But in the film its a toned down version that seems to come straight from Nicki Minaj's or Lady Gaga's wardrobes. What was eerie about the capitol Lionsgate created is that I could envision it translating into our own future fashion, it really didn't seem that far off. I know I can admit that I sat there some of the time like 'I love those shoes' or 'I wonder how long that make up took'.

The second time I went, I could take in more of the style and sets as I wasn't concentrating so much on the plot, and what really stuck out to me was the fact that they only seemed to wear one colour. It was as if each citizen had been assigned a colour that they had to carry off, everything from their hair to their toes was centred around one colour. This struck me as odd because in current trends seem to dictate that we mix colours, pattern and fabrics, so maybe we are heading for a monochrome future on the fashion front. And I think this concept is what really makes the capitol citizens look strange.
Although on the colour front everything was toned down, but in terms of layers and prints the Capitol do not hold back. The whole style reminded me of a Christian Lacroix show, or Alexander McQueen (especially his 2010 spring collection or the armadillo shoes). Also the tailoring in the film is impeccable,  something Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket) made note of, and in terms of structure the costume designers really didn't hold back, the film showcased some of the biggest ruffles I have ever seen.

 If anything I was slightly disappointed with the styling in the movie, the citizens just didn't look outrageous enough for me. There was nothing that made me go 'what the hell is going on there', it all seemed a little tame. However I do understand why the decision was made to tone it down, it would have taken the focus away from the plot line and the main characters.