21 Nov Put Together Your Monochrome Outfit By Going Behind The Textured Layers in ‘Malcolm & Marie’
The dialogue heavy ‘Malcolm & Marie‘ leaves little to the imagination when it comes to the state of their evolving relationship, but the stylistic choice to not add depth and texture in subdued colors on screen comes as a surprise. Maybe it was the fact that the movie was shot during a pandemic that made director Sam Levinson crave for simpler times. Do not get me wrong! I love a monochromatic look, but didn’t everyone want to see that damn house in color? – Costume Design by Samantha McMillen and Law Roach
Malcolm & Marie directed by Sam Levinson gives you one night. In that one night we enter the turmoil of Malcolm (John David Washington) and Marie’s (Zendaya) relationship as they just come back from Malcolm’s movie premiere. Their temporary stay? A beautiful glass house in the middle of nowhere, representing the fragility of their relationship and probably the direction they’re both stubbornly heading towards.
Where’s the glam squad at to make it all pretty again? Malcolm enters the house in a Tom Ford suit. He looks sleek and has a winner’s mentality. Whatever’s on the table, he swipes off (including the bowl of mac & cheese) as he shows there’s little room for any kind of compromise. His monologues are long, but Marie intersects his arguments and occasionally matches his long monologues. She holds her own in a golden cut-out dress with matching metallic eyeshadow. We actually don’t know if Marie’s dress is golden, it could be a dark silver or even bronze colored, but these metallic textures invite you to dream a world of your own and fill in the blanks as the night progresses while things between this couple turn ugly.
“THE METALLIC TEXTURES INVITE YOU TO DREAM A WORLD OF YOUR OWN AND FILL IN THE BLANKS AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSES.”
Word for word, things between Malcolm and Marie go from bad to worse. However, the glamour in their outfits stays. After Marie takes a bath, we see her change into white briefs and a ribbed cotton tank top. The piled up resentment between this couple goes through highs and lows, while allowing us to explore new depths of these characters. Malcolm eventually takes off his suit jacket and Marie stays in the comfort of her briefs, while they further discuss their issues.
Always go for depth and texture. Most of our relationship conflicts are never really solved, but having a sense of humor seems to be an added benefit in order to deal with these situations in a constructive matter. Whether it’s a fight or a wardrobe that is in desperate need of more space, there’s always room for compromise. What do you do when you get overwhelmed standing in front of your closet only to realize that matching all those colors just isn’t working?
“WHETHER IT’S A FIGHT OR A WARDROBE THAT IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF MORE SPACE, THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR COMPROMISE.”
In order to find any kind of compromise we need to stop pointing at what’s wrong with our whole entire wardrobe and start examining each individual item we own. To make that search a bit easier you take a deep breath and switch it up by going back to basics. You go for monochrome head-to-toe. A monochrome outfit will allow you to play with fabrics and textures. Think of matt and shiny material finishes. You can forget the difficulties of matching different color palettes because you can easily focus on the details. Pull that navy dress from the back of your closet and start examining. Is it properly tailored to your current figure? Do you own a pair of matching shoes? Do you need a small bag that fits the occasion you will most likely wear this dress to? Are you ever going to wear this dress again? Keep examining to figure out which items need to stay in your wardrobe and which items really need to go.
Get comfortable. Once Marie enters the bathroom, we see her draped dress fall to the floor. She quickly reveals the Wolford tights she is wearing. She just came back from a movie premiere and the back seam on her tights hints towards that old Hollywood glamour. Picking the right tights will make or break your entire outfit. What you’re wearing underneath your clothes has to be comfortable, in order for the rest of your outfit to stand a chance. If you’re looking for a bit of a leg glow on a budget, the Total Shaper Sheer tights are a great option. I always go for the Wolford Neon 40 in black. The rumor around town is that Beyoncé also wears those on stage. Judging from the flexibility and the subtle hint of lurex glitter in these tights which mimics a natural sparkle, I’d say: ”If there’s a beehive, there’s a queen Bey.”
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