Film Noir - Research - Costume

Costume in general
 The costumes worn by each person can tell the audience a lot about the character on screen.
        Men have very little expression with their clothes, male uniform, the business suit. "Jazzy" ties were used to brighten up the dull suit of the suburban man; the more outlandish the suit, the silkier the shirt, the more likely the man wearing it is corrupt. The gangsters of Film Noir are the ones who are dress most outlandishly as at the time men were not supposed to try to show off using clothes.
In general one ought not trust a man in uniform in Film Noir (except perhaps a police officer) as often they turn out to be murderers:
- Delivery Man: “Murder by Contract,” “Destination Murder” and “While the City Sleeps”- Removal Man: "Kiss Me Deadly"
- Ex- Marine Officer: “The Blue Dahlia”
Strangely when in evening wear both the hero and the villain wear a white tie and tuxedo combination.

Women: Leisurewear gives the audience indications about the type of women being portrayed; If a woman is seen in a negligee or underwear then she cannot be a good character as no good girl would be seen by a man without proper clothing on.

Iconic Looks

The Private Investigator

The Private Investigator fits the classic image of a Private Investigator as they always wear a trilby hat and a long trench coat. The P.I. will rarely be seen without a cigarette or a drink.

 Femme Fatale

 A dress with an extremely high slitted skirt, that focuses attention on the legs, is synonymous with the Femme Fatale character. The high-slit shows that this character is sexy and flirtatious. The Femme Fatale is always dresses well in rich fabrics but does not wear typically plain clothing from the 1940's because she breaks conventions, the plainer clothes are left to the other women of Film Noir.
The dresses worn clung to every contour showing off the figures of the women wearing them.