When reading the play, Philaminte came across as a woman who is both intellectual and a little vain. I wanted to give her a costume which emphasized her authoritative attitude, while also reading well with the other character’s ridiculous costumes. The Spanish style of clothing from the 1670s fit in with this concept by providing very clear cut lines in the silhouette and frivolous embellishments. Although I wanted her costume to air on the side of ridiculousness, I did not want it to be over embellished like Trissotin’s costume. Color wise, I wanted to place her on the cool side of the wheel to emphasize her love of logic and knowledge.
In the first part of the play, Chrysale comes off as an easy going guy. I pictured him lounging around at home, trying to have peace and quiet amongst all the hubbub his wife’s salon makes. I therefore wanted his costume to be very loose and rumpled. He is all about comfort at this stage of the play and I therefore gave him a night cap and flowy robe. He wears mules instead of walking shoes because he expects to stay home all day. I also did not want his costume to include a wig because that would instantly make him appear more formal. I placed him on the warm side of the color wheel because he is earthier and cozy.
I really wanted to emphasize the ridiculous characteristics of the time period in Trissotin’s costume. I exaggerated the size of his hat and the bows on the costume in an effort to do this. I imagined Trissotin trying to imitate the sun king, dressing in a golden color and having gold embellishments all over his costume. Everything about his outfit is show and exaggerated. The walking stick particularly displays his leisurely attitude towards life and his snobbery. I wanted him to have the largest wig of any one in the play and to have the flashiest costume without stepping too far out of the time period in which it is set.
Like her father, Henriette is on the warmer side of the color wheel because she is one of the most ‘natural’ of the characters. I also wanted her to be without a wig because of this. Her costume is structured as the other female characters’ are in the bodice, but her sleeves and skirt are far less confiding, showing that she is much more of a free spirit. However, I wanted to preserve the innocent aspect of her character and therefore kept her neckline from plunging too far and dressed her in pink.
Costume Design 