analyzing effie trinket’s outfits in the hunger games 🎀🥀🦋

[Music] analyzing effie trinket's outfits in the hunger games the early 2010s were an interesting time for the young adult film genre in 2008 the twilight movie came out breaking box office records and becoming a full-blown cultural talking point effectively changing the course of literature for the next decade other similar book to film adaptations like percy jackson were also immensely popular and it seemed as though every other day there was an announcement about some dystopic y a series being made into a movie and the hunger games written by suzanne collins was one of them for those unfamiliar with the hunger games allow me to provide a very brief synopsis of what goes down in the four films in a dystopic future the country of pan am is divided into 12 districts of varying levels of economic status our protagonist katniss everdeen who is from district 12 is chosen to participate in an annual battle royale esque death match with the sole victor of the hunger games being granted riches glory and of course their lives against all odds she manages to win inadvertently lighting the spark of the country's revolution the series follows katniss as she tries to embrace her new role as the face of the rebellion and her struggle to survive the many attempts to kill her there is also a love triangle because duh that's the relatively non-spoilery version but expect full spoilers in the rest of this video so if you somehow haven't watched the hunger games in the last decade or so sorry today i'll be looking at the elaborate costumes of only one character from the hunger games katniss's ally from the capital effie trinket played by elizabeth banks in what i consider to be one of her best acting roles i know you might be disappointed that i'm not covering other characters from the film franchise but honestly effie has more than enough outfits all by herself as per usual we'll be looking at the symbolism of each of her outfits starting with 2011's hunger games and ending with 2015's mockingjay part 2. let's get into it [Music] the reaping this is our introduction to the fashion obsessed capital resident that is effie trinket she's introduced in the first hunger games book as quote effie trinket district 12's escort fresh from the capitol with her scary white grin pinkish hair and spring green suit unquote like most book to film adaptations certain changes had to be made in regard to exactly what clothing the character would wear on screen not only to better fit the director's vision but also to tell a more visually compelling story gone is the spring green suit but her terrifying impression remains because spring green has a fairly happy and peaceful connotation we saw the color used in the film when katniss is hunting with gail it wouldn't be a good fit for effie's character at this point no one from district 12 is pleased to see her she's both a figurative and literal eyesore compared to the muted depression-era inspired blues grays and browns everyone else is wearing her fuchsia ensemble is impossible to miss revealing to the audience effie's vanity inability to read a room and ignorance towards these people's plight even though it's just for a little while you get to enjoy all of this you two are in for a treat crystal chandeliers platinum doughnuts in her mind this is a joyous occasion a time for her to show off and draw attention to herself a time to be the ideal capital citizen effie has probably been planning her outfit for weeks focusing on every minute detail from the pink and gold nails that match her lipstick to the floral earrings choker and fascinator speaking of the fascinator as some of you might recall 2011 was the year of the highly publicized royal wedding and taking inspiration from the fashion we saw displayed on british royals formal headwear was everywhere for the next few years including and especially throughout the hunger games where effie wears the trend regularly the fascinator in combination with her suit jacket is a subtle way of revealing to the audience that effie is dressed formally even by her own standards as she is technically at work the flower motifs which are popular with all capital residents was purposely added by costume designer judiana makovsky who said in an interview with vogue quote these are people who like to watch children beat each other to death in an arena i just thought it would be funny if these people who have such a vicious streak in them are sort of covered in flowers and ruffles unquote this visual juxtaposition is repeated with the use of the color black with black accents being used on all the capital citizens to offset the bright and bold colors they were partial to in order to reveal the cruelty that lies beneath you know we have a lot of fuchsia and turquoise and pink but in order to make it look not silly we have a lot of black there's a meanness to the capital i mean they like to watch children kill each other so we decided a lot of black in there to mute the sort of brightness of the outrageous colors effie's eyebrows are bleached to match her wig creating an otherworldly appearance that makes her look almost like a ghost a clever choice as that's likely how the people in district 12 perceive her as someone inhuman a bringer of death the hairstyle itself is distinctly marie antoinette-esque to me and i could definitely see effie saying let them eat cake without malice of course and i don't think they let them have dessert and you can we should have some chocolate covered strawberries we can also see a late victorian influence in her dress most obviously with the inclusion of the bustle-like silhouette of effie's peplum jacket in conjunction with the tight-fitted skirt as well as the large over-exaggerated shoulders like all of effy's outfits in this film she is also wearing a pair of gloves black to match the blouse she is wearing under her pink jacket in both film and literature gloves are symbolic of a character's ulterior motives often implying they're hiding something in effie's case her true self is hidden behind the character the capital has brainwashed her into being historically glove-wearing has been considered proper for much of women's fashion and considering a lot of the capital's fashion seems to take inspiration from the 18th and 19th century wearing gloves would have been the norm while effie wears gloves throughout the film this is a rare moment in which she takes them off in order to reach into the bowl of names while the series is meant to take place sometime in the 22nd century there's something distinctly 2010s about her outfit a peplum dress with heels who didn't wear that in 2012 at the capitol once they reach the capitol effie changes into a different ensemble a belted lavender and gold peplum dress with a floral print compared to the dress she wore at the reaping this comes off as more casual as seen with the increased amount of skin she's showing yes it's obviously still over the top but it feels less like something you'd wear to the office and more like something you'd wear to dinner with friends while she's still wearing outlandish makeup it's less off-putting than before she looks more like a clown than a ghost creating the association in the audience's mind and driving home the point that effie is seen as a joke to the rest of the characters nice dress too not yours loosen your corset have a drink again we see the floral motif in the pattern of the dress and in the large flower headpiece she is wearing representative of the cruelty of her job compared to her sweet personality the results after katniss's performance for the game makers effie scolds her worrying it will spoil her chances of a good score this is important because higher ratings will mean sponsors i don't think we're gonna find this funny if the game makers decide to take it out on who in the scene she is wearing similar clothing once again but in a different color palette for once her top is a shiny blue with large balloon sleeves and a dimensional flower rough detail unlike her other outfits where she resembles candy she now looks like a peacock besides often being seen as a symbol of beauty and opulence peacocks are also considered good luck charms and this is definitely a moment where effie feels as though she needs luck on her side like other outfits effie is once again wearing a pair of gloves which she finally removes once the results are announced and her tributes have done well this shows the audience that effie was using the gloves as a shield of sorts she was nervous about the results of katniss and peta's assessment and now that things have turned in their favor she is able to relax removing them and letting her guard down the scene as a whole is representative of effie's concern about propriety and appearances the idea of katniss being disrespectful embarrasses her things like bad manners outright disgust her which is ironic because the capital is literally killing people and she doesn't have a problem with it that is mahogany young lady you realize that your actions reflect badly on all of us eyes right chins up smiles on i'm talking to you katniss manners attitude how about it's just bad manners sinner how about that the interviews at the televised interviews effie dresses in an outfit that is eerily similar to her first at the reaping it is fuchsia in color with sharp angular shoulders and a ruffled flower at the collar because this is a work event she again looks more formal and appropriate than her previous two outfits her outfit here mirrors her outfit at the beginning of the film because it mirrors her circumstances but instead of meeting katniss she is possibly saying goodbye to her forever just like other outfits we've seen her wear in this film this dress reveals how much of the capital's indoctrination effie has absorbed and how little of her own personality she's retained she's somewhat delusional in an almost childlike and naive way throughout the film effie is the poster child of the capital sickly sweet and superficial focusing on artifice however it's in the visual similarities that she has to other people in the capital that effie's true personality and differences from the rest begin to shine while the rest of the capital enjoy seeing people suffer and love their cool games effie slowly begins to understand how hard it is and what life is like for those in the other districts through her blossoming friendship with peta and katniss this is the last we see of effie in this film now onto catching fire [Music] return to district 12 after growing attached to katniss and peta and redeeming herself as a capital escort for being in charge of a group of successful hunger games victors effie now has a team of people by her side and in a way she's more cocky and confident than before this is reflected in her outfit which is less work appropriate than the previous film just outright fashion forward the pattern of her dress resembles both a doily and a snowflake reflecting her sense of propriety and the cold landscape showcasing that effie hasn't quite warmed up to the district itself yet just a select few members of it you'll get used to the smell the dress itself is from the alexander mcqueen fall winter 2012 collection the first of many mcqueen dresses effie winds up wearing in this movie with the addition of the fur and her large white wig she almost looks like a poodle unlike the previous film which seemed to hold some 2010's fashion sensibilities effie's wardrobe in this film is far more futuristic with the costume designer for this film trish somerville stating in an interview with vanity fair that quote in the world of panem in the capital fashion is constantly changing after the first film we got to change with trends and fashion like in the real world but at a different pace in the capital i did want all these groups of people to look like they shopped from different stores i didn't want everyone to look like they lived in this one city and shopped at this one store or had one stylist or had one personal shopper doing all their clothes end quote while the silhouettes of effy's wardrobe have changed since the first film the audience can understand that this is simply the effect of the fashion trends of the capital changing much like how katniss's braids become popular with other young girls it looks lovely darling when did you start wearing it like that everyone at school wears it like this now grandpa and while effie's style does look different we can still identify the outfits as belonging to her and fitting with her character the victory tour when peeta and katniss go on their victory tour of the other districts we begin to see effie's trust and faith in the capital system waver after the group is treated with hostility by the peacekeepers well i never during the trip we see effie one time in district 11 dressed in a blue skin-tight dress with bold pagoda shoulders draped in feathers the dress also has a waist-cinching silver belt and we'll see belts used on effie regularly throughout this film a stark contrast to the peplums of the first hunger games movie effie's clothing purposely looks uncomfortable with elizabeth banks stating in an interview with people magazine quote it was important that my clothes be constricting to give the sense of the oppression effie lives with the costume designer confirmed this as well by saying quote effie is in a really tough position she's lived this capital life but she starts to realize how damaging this all is she looks happy and she's very capital and she's vibrant and she's colorful but she's always uncomfortable i have her always kind of teetering on her shoes her waist is always pinched in just too tight like she can never really relax and be comfortable she's always kind of torturing herself or paying penance to herself for all the things that are happening in the capital that she's not okay with unquote while there's no denying that effie loves fashion and would much rather just the way she is used to as we'll see in the next film there's also a lack of choice on her part as she's been brainwashed by the capital to believe that she must not only dress this way but act a certain way and believe certain things i said enjoy it katniss you've earned it by killing people party at the presidential palace while accompanying peta and katniss to president snow's annual party effie wears an alexander mcqueen dress and matching shoes from fall winter 2012. however unlike how it appeared on the runway effie is wearing the ruffled collar popped up so it frames her face in a flower-like way as always she is wearing gloves but they are sheer giving the illusion of being gloveless an interesting choice for effie as you'd think she'd want to appear as professional and proper as possible for an event like this however after hearing her discuss all of the people who will be at the party we can understand why effie decided to go for such a showy outfit she wants attention too not only to satisfy her own ego but also so she fits the part of an escort with victors nothing but the best for my two victors there she is my greatest trial little superstar everyone will be here to celebrate you parties celebrations adoring fans to greet you at every stop everybody who's anybody is here and they all want to meet you this is all for you even the color of her dress lilac reflects effie's current mindset that because she's attached to the victors of the last hunger games she is in a sense royalty but cleverly a muted shade of purple almost gray not something bright and ostentatious revealing that even she knows the achievement is not because of her but because of someone else the reaping part 2 butterfly boogaloo at the reaping for the 75th hunger games effie must choose a tribute from the previous pool of victors leaving her having to pick between hamich peta and katniss many people in pan am find this decision unfair not only the victors and effie but citizens from every district and this lays down the groundwork for the coming rebellion besides the color of the dress referencing their team colors gold there's also more literal symbolism completely covered in butterflies effie is literally transforming before our eyes metamorphosing in this moment when she's forced to see katniss once again get shipped off to the hunger games she's finally affected by not just her own actions but the actions of her district she's become disillusioned with the system and with the capital entirely throughout this film her character fights an internal battle between her capital life and the pain she feels at seeing people she loves be put in harm's way we can see this internal struggle when she is performing the reaping unlike the first film where she chipperly announced katniss's entrance into the hunger games this time she's close to tears she doesn't break as it goes against what she's been taught throughout her life but she's close welcome welcome welcome welcome welcome our tributes from district 12. well go on you two shake hands the tributes from district 12. katniss eveline and peter the dress like many others is alexander mcqueen and it's from the spring summer 2011 collection her black heels aptly called the fang are iris van herpen and feature sharp teeth-like motifs that juxtapose the dress brilliantly the contrast between her dress and these terrifying shoes reveals effie's struggles she cares about katniss and peeta but she isn't ready to break the capital's rules at least not yet the train ride as they head back to the capitol effie explains to the others that she sees them all as a team a family and that she wants everyone to know that they have one another's back her golden hair will be the symbol of her allegiance to them an ode to katniss's gold mocking j pin which has become a symbol of the resistance we're a team aren't we katniss has her gold mockingjay pin i have my hair i'm going to get you two boys something gold show them we are a team the color gold in the hunger games books is used to symbolize courage and strength something effie is currently showcasing while it might seem silly katniss and peeta might die after all at this point everyone understands the kind of person that effie is and that to her this is a big deal don't forget to effie fashion is how she expresses herself it's a huge part of her and even if it is just through her hair she is loudly and proudly proclaiming that she does not stand with the capital but with katniss the dress is a bright and bold shade of red with intricate details and sharp shoulders this is one of the brighter ensembles we've seen effie wear not only in this film but in the last as well she's no longer going for sweet floral colors the color red has both positive and negative connotations in film and literature on one hand it can stand for bravery and passion but on the other hand death and danger this is revealing to the audience that while effie's dress is helping bring her strength it's also representative of their foreboding circumstance the interview's part two while katniss and peeta are being interviewed before the quarter quell begins effie wears another alexander mcqueen fall winter 2012 dress once again this is a work event and like the previous year she's also wearing fuchsia a color we must assume is popular in the capital the dress is ruffled and full making her look soft and inviting undoubtedly something katniss needs right now the dress also contrasts with katniss's wedding gown beautifully the dresses are vastly different shades and silhouettes yet they go together solidifying that they are now a team and that effie wants to help katniss whatever way she can goodbye after the interviews which fail to have stopped the games effie says goodbye to peta and katniss before they enter the arena she again is sporting her glittering gold wig and her patterned metallic dress features gold accents this is the moment when effie is truly apologetic for her actions and for her part in this system she wants better for katniss and peeta and wishes things were different for everybody well you both deserved so much better compared to many of her other outfits this dress is also more dull in color featuring dark shades of green and blue making this her version of a morning dress as hopeful as she is she knows deep down that it is unlikely for the both of them to return from the games twice unlike her other dresses in this film which were skin tight and looked uncomfortable this peplum dress almost looks too big for her undoubtedly more comfortable than what she's been wearing this reveals to the audience that effie has made her decision she doesn't want to hide her true feelings and blindly follow the capital's rules anymore it's also interesting to note that throughout this film effie has been wearing less and less white face makeup as though she's slowly regaining her humanity obviously she's still wearing the bold eye shadow but she doesn't come off as terrifying anymore on to mockingjay part one imprisoned while effie is relatively non-existent in the mockingjay book her role is greatly increased in the films probably because she became so much more likable largely thanks to banks's portrayal after effie is captured by the rebels becoming a political refugee i'm a political refugee her eccentric wardrobe is significantly reduced in an interview with women's wear daily costume designer duo kurt swanson and bart mueller said quote she was handed five pieces of clothing when she got to district 13 and she had to figure out what she'd do with them and for the rest of the film we'll see how effie works with what she's given like others in the district she's wearing a drab gray jumpsuit uniform and has tied a matching scarf around her head to make up for the fact that she doesn't have any of her wigs as the audience knows fashion is the most important thing to effy and the fact that she currently has no control over what she can wear is no doubt what she considers the most upsetting part of this entire situation because effie has spent most of her life tying one's appearance to one's respectability she refuses to leave her room out of shame and embarrassment she doesn't want anyone to see what she looks like and potentially get the wrong idea about her even if they'd be wearing the exact same thing you're free to join the rest of 13. that's looking like this the gray color besides exemplifying district 13's seemingly egalitarian goals is also a reference to the colors used in the capital president snow has taken to wearing white symbolizing his fake innocence and desire for a world without problems and as we've seen prior capital residents often wear black as a reference to their cruelty since gray is a combination of both of these colors we're given some foreshadowing that perhaps all is not as it seems and that district 13 is not as good as it's trying to appear reunited after returning to katniss's side as her stylist effie is able to get her hands on a few accessories that help elevate her ensemble i miss my wigs luckily i remembered that this was all the rage when i was coming up you know everything can be made new again the scarf from earlier is now tied up in a knot creating a shape that is similar to one we might have seen on one of her wigs and while she still doesn't have access to makeup she has found a pair of pink sunglasses pretty much the only color we see in all of district 13 showing the audience that effie doesn't fit in here as she becomes a little more fashionable we see her spirits rise solidifying the fact that much of effie's confidence and happiness comes from her wardrobe as stated earlier effie uses people's appearances to make assumptions about them and right off the bat she dislikes and is suspicious of president coin something we'll come to find she was right to do making the mockingjay while attempting to help katniss with her role as the face of the rebellion effie updates her wardrobe once again she seems to have taken the district 13 uniform and tailored it to become a dress which she wears over a pair of light grey tights because the fabric and color is still that of the uniform it's hardly eye catching we can see a bit of effie's old self return as she's wearing something she feels more comfortable in she's sassier more talkative and more confident you know i like you better effie without all that makeup i like you better sober haymitch comments that he likes effie more without her makeup and while she probably disagrees as an audience member who has seen effie's evolution we're on his side outside district 13. when she and katniss venture outside effie is wearing the uniform once again but has modified it so the collar is popped and she has a bit of a train she's also added a broach or two including one in the shape of a flower you can take the girl out of the capital but you can't take the capital out of the girl more of the same during president coyne's speech about making panama democracy effie is visibly upset and nervous unlike others who are wearing grey she is wearing black with a veil across her head along with the scarf from earlier this reveals to the audience that despite the time spent there effie still isn't a part of district 13. she doesn't side with them and doesn't agree with their politics i wonder if she sees that president coyne is on her way to becoming just as much of a dictator as president snow after all effie grew up listening to those types of speeches this black outfit is effie in mourning mourning the life she once had and the country she grew up with a fitting way to end this film [Music] the wedding we first see effie in mockingjay part 2 at finnick and annie's wedding where she wears a soft pink dress we'd seen her making in the previous film once again she's the only pop of color in district 13 solidifying the fact that she is the odd man out while she still hasn't gotten her hands on any makeup she has found a wig where'd she get it who knows to match her dress she's wearing a large floral fascinator and as a whole the outfit is reminiscent of one she's worn in earlier films the implication of this outfit is that in spite of her reservations effie is hopeful not that things will go back to the way they were but that they might be better back to the presidential palace i remember the first time i brought you here effie references catching fire as she and katniss make their way to the presidential palace and it's fascinating to see how things have changed since that party visually the two moments couldn't be more different in catching fire when they come upon the palace at night it was a joyous occasion with bright colors and fireworks now all of the life and color has been sucked out of the scenery mimicking their circumstances both effie and katniss can't go back to the people they were before they've been hardened and saddened by their individual experiences while she definitely has access to makeup products effie retains the more natural look she'd worn in district 13 revealing that she doesn't feel the need to wear her capital mask anymore even her hair while big is simple in comparison to her other hairstyles she's less shallow than she was before the costumes designers said quote we thought about what effie would do once she was able to go home and had her clothes and how she's maybe changed by the experience of 13. there's a subtle change a bit less fluff to her less makeup the silhouette of the gown with its large collar that surrounds her entire head is a reference to the dress she wore the last time she was at the palace and the color of the bright fuchsia dress alludes to the other dresses effie has worn over the course of the films but instead of her job being to bring katniss to her death now she's preparing katniss to kill someone else on a side note this is actually my favorite outfit of effie's a show stopper while preparing katniss for president snow's execution effie wears another dress that resembles one she's worn previously the gray suit with fur trim greatly resembles the one she wore at the beginning of catching fire she's again dressed to match her surroundings not just the cold winter landscape but the graze of the new regime in charge of pen m while earlier she wore bright colors to match the rest of the fashionable people at the capitol she's adapted and is now wearing something similar to president coin an interesting choice because we've seen how much effie dislikes coin not just her personality and morals but her fashion as well effie knows that as a capital resident who actively participated in the hunger games process she is not safe and her wardrobe reveals her knack for self-preservation her wig and makeup are some of the most natural we've seen so far and the difference in effie's appearance from the first film to the one now perfectly exemplifies how she's changed over the course of the series because this is the last we see of effie we have to wonder what she'll do and what she'll dress like when she returns the capital after the change in power what do you think she'll be wearing out of all of the films my personal favorite in regard to the wardrobe must be the first hunger games movie costume designer judianna makovsky did an amazing job creating the world of pan m and it wound up setting the course for costuming for the rest of the films dressing hundreds of background characters is no easy task and yet not one seems less thought out than the other it's unfortunate that because of its connection to young adult literature that the film wasn't considered for the academy award for best costume design the industry can be weird that way on a side note if anyone in hollywood winds up watching this video i am begging for a good del toraquest or uglies live-action tv show or movie both series have so much potential and it'd make all of my childhood dreams come true just please don't turn it into another riverdale knockoff which of effie's many outfits was your favorite i hope you enjoyed this video don't forget to like and subscribe and i'll see you soon [Music] bye

Channel: ModernGurlz

Views: 746,977

Rating: 4.9753709 out of 5

Keywords: style, modern gurlz, 90s fashion, fashion, movie review, movie commentary, moderngurlz, review, movies, Film analysis, film theory, TV, movie analysis, movie trivia, film trivia, tv analysis, analysis, explanations, video essay, trivia, filmmaking, movie reviews, tv reviews, entertainment reviews, tv theory, endings explained, deeper meanings, symbolism, cinema, television, entertainment, deep meaning, movie answers, tv answers, the hunger games, effie trinket, katniss everdeen

Id: Z1Qpy4sARwE

Length: 28min 56sec (1736 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 13 2021