By Rebecca Pahle | Miscellaneous | December 4, 2015
The title of this post, my friends, is not a rhetorical question. I know the best-dressed movie of 2015. But I also wanted a judgmental Stanley Tucci wearing a plaid suit on the front page, and can you blame me, really?
Aside from a grade-A costume drama with a swoon-worthy romance and a wonderful lead performance from Carey Mulligan, last May’s Far From the Madding Crowd—directed by Thomas Vinterberg, who also did a movie with that dude—features some damn fine clothes. Damn fine.
![]()
Just shoot me in the face right now.
![]()
“It’s not a fancy tablecloth if it has a watch chain.”
![]()
You know who doesn’t coordinate their hats with their lapels? Heathens.
![]()
One of the things I love about the costumes, designed by four-time Oscar nominee Janet Patterson (Bright Star, The Piano), is that they have cleaner lines than the bustle- and tassle-infested monstrosities often found in costume dramas, but they’re still more visually interesting than the boring, Empire-waist frocks you see in Jane Austen movies. There are some funky design elements, s’what I’m saying. Like polka dots.
![]()
And “Hmm, I wonder how many different stripes I can fit into one outfit?”

I adore this, but my dress sensibility has been known to veer towards the mildly clownish.
![]()
Here’s Matthias Schoenaerts as Farmer Oak, dragging proceedings down slightly by his tendency to wear a belt and suspenders at the same time.
![]()
But then he looks like he wandered in from a Harlequin romance Western, so let’s forgive him.
![]()
19th century shepherd or Land’s End model?
![]()
Even the underwear is gorgeous.
![]()
Carey Mulligan’s hat selection may be questionable, but her glove game is always on-point.
![]()
I’m a big fan of this hat+vest+check combo (with bonus Michael Sheen!), though seen at a different angle it looks like the hat is trying to run away from Carey Mulligan’s face.
![]()
Seen here: Her “Oh shit another guy’s about to propose to me, run” look.
![]()
School marm chic.

Grape jacket? Grape jacket.
![]()
Janet, you just picked this up at Anthropologie.
![]()
Thinking long and hard about whether I would wear this on the subway, and I am distressingly close to “hell yes.” Look, it’s not like there is an appropriate place to wear this, outside of a costume party. Toss a punk leather jacket over it and let’s go. I’m poor, but let me dream.
![]()
The perfect fashion accessory for any man: A lamb.
![]()
Yesssssss. And look at that heel. That is a practical-to-walk-in heel.
In conclusion:
![]()
Leave me alone to die.