I wasn't such a fan of this recording (turns out I don't like Lin as Hamilton - I know, treason), but I had a moment of historical dress joy in Blow Us All Away when I saw a spenser up close that was based on an extant garment that was also used by the 2019 Emma costume dept.
I loved how they did the different costumes for the actors with dual roles. Daveed’s hair was a great difference for Lafayette vs Jefferson and the hat helped do the same thing for differentiating Mulligan vs Madison. I don’t know if it was Okieriete or Joshua Henry, who played that role in the workshop, but it started out as the actor’s hat that he was just wearing because it was cold outside. Lol
Bethany Sonnier I was so confused when I saw the same performer in another role. Did they say anywhere why they made this decision? I’m sure there are enough people to have each one play one role
@@sleepinthecave I read somewhere that Lin made the decision to double cast some roles because there are so many different characters introduced to the audience in such a relatively short amount of time, at least they would already be invested in Jefferson, for example, because they already met Daveed as Lafayette.
I also thought a clever detail was the color of eliza’s gown. In the wedding scene, the lighting gave sort of the illusion of the dress being white without needing a costume change.
Yes! Such a cool way of acknowledging that white dresses for weddings weren't common until quite recently, while also acknowledging that the quickest visual cue for "wedding scene" to the modern viewer is a white dress.
Дарья Волкова well yes, that’s why Eliza didn’t have a separate white dress for her wedding. The appearance of white is for the benefit of the audience, so that it has a touch of modernity without being an outright white dress
I want all the people who insist you are pretentious or obsessive about absolutely historical accuracy to watch this video and see that you have a complex three dimensional personality just like history is complex and three dimensional.
The best part of history for me is how complex it is. There is just something about reading a primary source and being able to understand someone's thoughts on matters from hundreds of years ago.
I wouldn't call her pretentious, she's passionate about what she does and it shows. I do take exception, however, to her ideas of "right" and "wrong", as we saw in her last video. Dismissing costumes as "poorly researched" because they are not historically accurate is indeed a simplification. But then we would have to go on discussing authorial intent and such dense philosophical matters, and thaťs probably too much for a sunny Saturday morning 😁. Happy weekend, everyone!
Hey by the way racist/white supremacist comments basically saying 'bUt bLaCk pEoPLe aReNt HiStoRiCaLLy aCcUraTe' are getting removed *real fast* so honestly don't even waste your time. See also: the entire thesis of this video pointing out that one of the goals of the show is to make American history more intrinsically relatable to modern Americans of *all* ethnic backgrounds, and representation is crucial to cultivating that feeling of relatability. If you want to see this story told with only white people, go watch 1776.
Ok, now I'm insanely interested on what you think about the costumes in six. I believe that there's a lot to talk about artistic expression and historical accuracy.
I’ll admit I was one of those people who are like “corset bad” but then Bernadette sat me down and told me I was uneducated about its history and she was right. Now historical silhouettes like this really intrigue me!
Same, together with Abby Cox. I'm currently working on an 1880/1890's corset myself, and I have bought the Janet Arnold Patterns of Fashion 5, and am really looking forward to making one of the stays in there. And after wearing them prove my friends and family wrong because they aren't taking me seriously when I talk about this.
My favorite thing is when I tell people that information I got from her they try to tell me why that’s not true and yada yada yada and I’m like “I got this from an actual historian, where did you get your information?” And they usually shut up.
As a soon to be theater major: it was refreshing to see someone finally not just harp on the costume designers for historical accuracy, theater is interpretation and we need to move, breath, and not overheat. Stage lights are HOT and the clothes can be restricting, no corset or stay will ever be tight laced, no coat too tight and no dress a hobble dress cause we don’t want them falling off stage or into the pit. Theater takes liberties to keep us safe
I'm an ex-theater kid, and When I saw the men come on stage, even in the truncated layers, all I could think was "God they must be SWELTERING in those costumes." My cousin kept commenting on how the men were all so sweaty, even when not dancing, and I'm like "Girl, do you not realize how hot those lights are? And how hot those costumes must be?"
This reminds me of the time I went to see Turisas (a metal band from Finland) live at the student union and the air con had broken. They completed the entire show dressed in furs and chain mail and full body paint, but had to cut it short and do no encore because it was just that hot. Though they did thank us because they'd been missing saunas whilst they were on tour. ROFL I've only really had one experience acting on stage at school and didn't find it that hot under the lights. Everyone else complained and got sweaty, I just found it cosy in general. It would have been nice if it wasn't absolutely impossible to see anything whatsoever due to how bright the lights are. I don't know how the actors manage to find their places on stage and move around lots under the lights. I had to count out in my head the number of steps toward my position because I just couldn't see enough to tell if I'd gone too far or not.
I was in a show where I had to wear a period-accurate costume (Sleepy Hollow, so a similar time period to this). My costume was over 40 pounds and I had to get dressed backward: hose, shoes, slip, petticoat, tank top, hip roll, second petticoat, and at that point the dress with built-in corset went on and somebody else took over my dressing because I could no longer raise my arms above slightly-below-shoulder level. Somebody else had to take the curlers out of my hair, do most of my makeup, and when we did three shows in a day because kids' theatre and field trips, somebody else had to drape a sheet over me and feed me. (In theory, I could have fed myself. But in practice these dresses cost hundreds of dollars just to be RENTED, and if I so much looked at a cup of iced tea our director started screeching DON'T SPILL. I think she'd have had a literal actual heart attack if I'd tried to eat my pizza by myself.) So there are times when costumes will in fact be restrictive because that's just how it is. Ironically, we had a raked stage and I had to do an army crawl beneath it with a mic on because our Ichabod couldn't whistle and somebody had to do the "whistling past the graveyard" scene, and as long as somebody took my shoes off before I got on the sheet to slide under there (DON'T GET THE DRESS DIRTY DON'T DIRTY THE DRESS ai yi yi I can still hear it fifteen years later), I had no problem pulling myself along by my elbows and just pushing with my toes. You'll find that the longer you do it, the more creative you get with stuff like that.
@@hannahscarbrough5048 As an actor, I discovered eventually the magic that is putting ice packs (in plastic bags) in your coat pockets. Makes all the difference.
Other thing I noticed about King George's clothes: He's the only one who looks like he's wearing a costume, largely because his clothes don't look lived in and functional, but also, as you point out, that his is the most accurate representation when we're already accustomed to the period/modern hybrid of everyone else. To me, this also works as a narrative device, since George is a caricature of Imperialist excess as interpreted by revolutionary ideals. (Basically, our heroes of the young America are Modern and New, while George is distinctly Old Fashioned and a symbol of everything they have rejected. This is further capitalised on with the brilliant choreography of the show: George's movements are very stilted and deliberate until they're suddenly not, echoing all our ideas about how movement must not be possible in historical dress. Then, as George steadily becomes far more ruffled and less sane, his dress and movement become more relaxed, less like a portrait come to life. Thank you so much for reviewing this! You always notice things that blow me away. PS - I also spent a good five minutes paused and ranting about what brilliant designer put a 18th century heel on a ballet shoe, such that it's amost unnoticeable until the company start doing some serious dorsiflexion in their dancing. From the front, I wondered if they were dancing in stocking feet, and from the side they were clearly wearing heeled shoes that matched the period, and that is some witchcraft that deserves All The Awards.
Sounds like they used an adaptation of Dori shoes - which are pointe shoes but with heels. Usefully they already have a bit of an 18th century vibe to the look of them. Just widen the heel and you'd be pretty close.
I'll also add that George is one of the few roles played by a white actor. Man eveything about George is wonderful done, is it okay to admit he is the best character in the show?
I just want to add that your interpretation of the costuming is spot on, and it actually applies to the lyrics and music too. The Modern and New Revolutionary characters' lyrics are full of slant rhymes, unconventional turns of phrase, flow switches in the raps, and a ton of other things that evoke a feeling of improvisation and dynamic motion. By comparison, George's tune (aside from eschewing 90s/2000s rap influences for a more 60s, British Invasion style, a choice whose implications should be obvious) has NONE of that. All the rhymes are straight, and once the melody and accompaniment are established, they do not change for the rest of his appearances. Everything about his character works toward portraying the rigid, unchanging, stale excesses of the British Empire and its freaking BRILLIANT.
Watching TH-camrs like Bernadette and Karolina Z have taught me so much about fashion history! The downside is now that any time I watch a period piece and something is inaccurate I can't stop thinking about it. For example I adore Pride and Prejudice (2005) but watching it now I can't stop noticing the inaccurate hairstyles and some silhouettes, oof
As we were watching, I leaned to my boyfriend and said "This is so annoying, the time period means we should be transitioning to regency attire, they are missing a great opportunity to show the passage of time" and then the next scene they are in Regency and "OH SHIT, THERE IT IS!" and my poor boyfriend is just like "Can I not watch a show in peace?"
I did the same thing! I’ve recently been researching a ton about historical clothing and I was impressed with how the managed to keep if relatively accurate while still being able to do all those moves!
I hadn’t thought about how King George III was the only character in a full period costume, but it really does have a subconscious effect. I’m glad that he’s the only character in the show to wear the powdered wig. I love how each character and ensemble member has their own hair style.
I read somewhere that hairstyles where meant to be kept modern (ie 21st century style) to further draw on the concept of revolution as a modern ideal, which I think proves your point about the effect of seeing King George in the powdered wig!
I saw a really blurry version first and it was the only way I could tell them apart. I am very grateful for the hairstyles but I mixed up Hamilton and Laurens a bit
I just realised that Hamilton is literally a Shakespearean Tragedy: - Tragic Hero who starts with praise and ends up dead - Foil of the Hero (usually kills the tragic hero) - Themes of the flawed human condition - Chaos and disorder - Hamilton has unbridled ambition (like Macbeth) - Tragic hero is high in society
Also during one of the songs Hamilton goes as reference to another Scottish tragedy without me having to name the play' but as soon as he says 'they think me macbeth' it all goes wrong for him. Which I think is pretty cool
actually if ypu observe the show, Hamilton says the cursed name of the Scottish play during "Take a break" after this many tragedies happen in his life including the reynolds pamphlet, philip's death, and his death
It is fascinating how much effort the put into being accurate while making the clothes functional. I haven't had to pleasure to see Hamilton yet, so I look forward to seeing it online.
And this doesn't even touch on the significance of the design. For example, the designer puts Thomas Jefferson in magenta and Hamilton in bright green, color opposites, representing their rivalry. Burr is always in dark colors because for most of the play, he prefers to not be noticed and make a big stir. And lots of other little things you can research!
I did notice one other accuracy that is kind of relevant. The quills in the musical are cut in the way they would have been in the period so that you only have the bit of feather at the end. Instead of the more aesthetic option where the whole feather is left on like in Harry Potter for example. I'll admit I only knew this because I watch the quill video and that fact made me smile when I realize it.
A poetry teacher once told my class something which has held true for so many of the arts I've chosen to explore: You must first learn the rules, then you may break them. "If you do not first know the rules, others will not know what you mean when you bend them." With Hamilton, the costumers knew all the rules of late 18th century dress and allowed them to "break the rules" and still show and say exactly what they needed to.
My childhood art teacher said the exact same thing. Nearly word for word. It has served me well in life. And, now, while I rarely do art, I certainly take many creative liberties in my pursuits. And, certainly in creative writing as a teenager, I enjoyed writing poetry without proper grammar or punctuation to effect. It definitely gets lost on anyone who hasn’t learned what the myriad writing devices are: staccato sounds, alliteration, sonnets, etc. However, I only learned about writing devices in AP English. I think we do a disservice not to teach all children how to do everything properly. A strong foundation in writing, drawing, dancing, etc. But, I digress, a lot. :)
I also liked how further through the show, King George lost a lot of his regalia, like his power and relevance was being stripped away in accordance with the US’s rise.
Just to play devil’s advocate for comedic effect: there’s probably a reason Hamilton isn’t a well known/well liked in French history. Something about promising to help France with their revolution...whoopsies.
@@melissamybubbles6139 he was also co-author of the declaration of the rights of man and the citizen the commander in chief of the french national guard following the storming of the Bastille during the french revolution (which might be more well known for an actual french person than "character in the show" not criticism just adding to your explanation)
King George being the most historical accurate is also helped by the fact that he is the most static person in the play, Jonathan Groff just had to walk out and stand while singing his songs, though that still wasn't easy seeing as Groff said the og crown he had on Broadway was really heavy and he had to walk really slowly as if he was in a A Saint Lucy procession. 😂
King George is played completely different in the UK, if anything he's a Horrible Histories character. He actually dances around the stage and points at audience members, so I assume the costume is cut/constructed slightly differently.
@@emjenkins464 interesting!! ty!! I wonder if that has anything to do with the two places conceptions of him based on distance and having played a different historical role? Like in the usa mostly as a distant figure mostly present as a handful of overly strict and overbearing orders vs in the uk, someone you could see on a regular basis (if you were in london at least) and had to deal with?
When you started discussing the shoulder placement on historical garments it reminded me of a behind the scenes video from the Hamilton costume department. The actor for King George was discussing the costumes (mostly his) and brought up both the portrait that the costume was based on (he showed a picture) and he mentioned about how the cut of the garments would change the posture of the person wearing them. The crown that he wears is also very heavy (it used to be heavier but they changed the material it was made from, the mic pack for King George is in the crown too) and he explains how that limits his movement so he must act a certain way so the crown doesn't fall off. The actual crown is a hell of a lot heavier (Queen Elizabeth II doesn't wear it anymore because it would hurt her) and moving their head too quickly could injure the monarch. Edit: I found the video that I'm referring to th-cam.com/video/aNUv3Ad6jrQ/w-d-xo.html
@@lillyskyscraper6 It's part of a series, Adam Savage also visits the props department (he is a prop guy himself and he looks very excited to be there) and the mic room (they discuss the mic in the crown more in the mic video). Edit: He also visits the sound mixer, I didn't realise that there was a fourth video until today.
I’m particularly fond of the color coding of Eliza throughout the show having just the right fabric/sheen making up her costumes that with changes in lighting she can stay true to her color scheme while still fitting with the blue coding of Alexander the soldier and then the green coding of Alexander the politician
When you see the play live King George is incredibly sparkly. He is in bright colors. No one else wears such colors. Even Maria Renyolds wears a deeper red. There is no sparkle on stage other than King George. It was a powerful difference.
I have a Hamilton guide and it has a fantastic section on the costuming and how they were drafted (+ color theory and other info). I love it. The way the silhouette of Eliza's costumes in particular change to show the passage of time is beautiful. I love Hamilton.
I think I have the book you are talking about. I remember reading that section, and hearing Bernadette talk about the costuming of the show definitely isn't aiding in the prevention of me falling head over heels with the show again. I just hope I don't encounter the toxic side of the fanbase once again 😬
I adore how Hamilton did the costumes, they get the general essence of the time period while providing comfortable and easy to move in costumes for the actors and actresses. As a theatre kid, I couldn’t imagine trying to belt, dance, and move around the stage quickly in a completely accurate costume without collapsing.
So wish I had Bernadette teaching my costume class in college! She picks up on things that no one else did at the time (30 years ago) and brings it to the fore.
Hamilton fact: lin Manuel miranda wanted all of the costumes (except king George) to be historical on the bottom and modern from the neck up! Like how they don't wear powdered wigs, and of course mulligan has his beanie🙃
Being in Australia and just having watched the stage show on Disney, this has added a new dimension to the experience. I shall have to watch again with Bernadette's words in my mind. Thank you so much for your extremely unique insight into the costume making process cross referenced with historical accuracy :)
I'm also Australian and finished watching it about an hour ago! I noticed the costume changes to evoke the eras and thought it was an excellent touch. Overall a really good demonstration of historybounding: taking the elements of historical dress that you want for your purpose and blending them with the comforts you need in this ye olde modern day
Fun fact: I saw Hamilton with my Mom and she noticed something amazing! Throughout the production, the Schuyler Sisters's costumes got brighter to symbolize them being a bigger part of the story.
Bernadette ranting over historical inaccuracies has the same energy as Julian Baumgartner talking about poorly-conserved paintings before he restores it, and damn I'm LIVING FOR BOTH THIS KIND OF CONTENT 😂😂
I literally loved the fact that they changed clothes to evoke the changing fashion in tandem with the characters. I saw that one gown with the high waist and said it loud “oh, right it’s turn of the century now, isn’t it?” Less noticeable with the gents as men’s fashion doesn’t change quite as extremely. But it was lovely. I did enjoy the whole thing. I’ve never sat through it entirely so I got to watch it with my roommate who’s listened to it and loves it, but has never seen it. Was quite enjoyable. Thanks for doing this critique. It puts the entire thing in theatre perspective with your history in theatre. ❤️
And I love that Jefferson's coat has just a slightly different cut than the others at the beginning of act 2 because he's still stuck in the old fashion from being out of the country for a while!
Funnily, I was analyzing just the same way when I watched it yesterday. One little detail that you left out is that, as fashions around king George change, he himself seems stuck in the exact same costume for the whole show. Just losing regalia as time progresses and his infamous "madness" sets in. Which obviously signifies his being stuck in his ways and I loved that little touch.
When I watched Hamilton last night I actually though to myself: Wow, this looks more accurate than many movies, Bernadette would approve. I am very happy that I recognized the shift of costumes to mark the passing time in Eliza so much and that is mostly thanks to being educated by all the fellow costuber creators out there. So thank you for always creating educational but also entertaining content for us.
Fashion history isn’t even my emphasis but WOW the thesis on how costume design for shows is integral to world building and more practical uses such as performing intense choreography is 🔥. It also represents how a strict balance of anachronism within a historical narrative can really get the message across to audiences without destroying the world that was built. Wow, I just have a lot of thoughts.
Anachronism is arguably more difficult to do as well-because the designer has to invent (and stick to) their own rules, habits and developments of fashion within that world for it to make sense to the audience, instead of just following the rules and patterns prearranged by history!
I disagree with your argument that the lyrics of the show aren't meant to evoke the time period; they actually do so consistently throughout the show! Use of more antiquated words like inimitable, torrid, niceties, venerated, askance, insidious, ingenuitive, dissidents, equivocate, Protean, ardently, etc. signify an older setting even when listeners don't consciously note them.
Not to mention "A bunch of revolutionary manumission abolitionists/Give me a position; show me where the amunition is." When I first heard this lyric, I had to look up the word "manumission"; I didn't know what it meant. There's also at least one Mozartean-type number (the "Samuel Seaberry" ensemble piece). I also think there's something Mozartean about "Dear Theodosia" (to me it seems vaguely like some of the duets in Mozart's operas), but I might be the only one who thinks that.
Yeah but on the other hand you have lyrics like "sit down John you fat motherf***" and "sitting there useless as two shits hey turn around bend over I'll show you where my shoe fits". The lyrics are really a perfect blend of modern and historical
I'm not even a fashion historian or anything and yet after recently getting interested in costume, I was squealing at how they not only used costume to convey time passing, THEY PUT THEIR ACTRESSES IN STAYS. I wouldn't have cared about that 3 years ago, but after subscribing to you it's just become another point of criticism from my already overly critical mind. I really wish movies cared about historical accuracy as much as musical theatre costumers do.
One thing I really liked about the changing costumes to indicate the passing of time was the fact that different characters changed costumes at different times throughout the 1780's/90's/turn of the century--Burr changed first, Hamilton a bit later, Madison first appeared in a cutaway jacket, Jefferson kept his long coat throughout. It indicated both something about the characters and their relationship to Hamilton/role in the story--for Angelica, Eliza, Hamilton and Burr, the changes in their lives are important to the story opposed to Washington and Jefferson who are static. Also if folks are really gonna be like "But you can't dance in stays!!" . . . You can't really dance in modern everyday wear either, there's a reason you have to wear a leotard to ballet class.
I noticed the difference in cut in Hamilton’s green coat and burr’s black one about 3/4s of the way through the show. Burr’s is more fashion forward I guess with that cut away.
I'm reminded of Jefferson's criticism of Hamilton, saying that he dresses like fake royalty. Hamilton's coat and pants are both of expensive green silk and loosely cut, which makes it look kind of old world compared to Burr's more Beau-Brummel-esque look, complete with matte dark fabrics and an increased focus on close tailoring. Of course the grandson of Puritans would have the more sober, masculine attire.
I'm so glad that someone mentioned again that cutting the armseye higher resolves in more freedom of movement. I think the problem with modern sleeves is that apprentices are taught that cutting it lower allows for more movement. At least that's the case in Germany where tailoring is a 3 year apprenticeship and another 2 if you want to perfect it. Even all of our modern books for pattern drafting tell us to cut the armseye lower. Thankfully my teachers let me draft them however high I want to so all of my patterns allow for the maximum range of movement :)
I suppose that cutting the arm's eye lower allows for people of different sizes being able to wear the same clothes. Otherwise, clothes would have to be custom made.
@@alejandramoreno6625 It definitely seems to be a concession for ready-to-wear clothes, since multiple people may have the same chest measurement but varying arm measurements.
I absolutely agree! I was baffled why all my garments were too tight through the shoulder. According to modern books they're cut right. I bought a Vogue sewing manual from the 50's and it discusses how an armscye should be cut and how to fix a pattern with the opening cut too low. It was an eye opener. (No pun intended.) (Well maybe just a little.)
@@bridgetthewench at least with the drafting system we use in Germany, the height is determined by the length of your upper back, not your chest measurement. Technically we could use the chest measurement to look up how wide your arm would be on average but usually we just take that measurement while we are taking all the other ones from the client to be able to get the perfect fit :)
I watched your video right after finishing Hamilton literally 15 minutes ago, and of course I couldn't help but pay close attention to the costumes the entire time! As someone who doesn't know a lot about historical clothing (other from watching your videos), it was nice to have the more vague ideas I had about how accurate the costumes where and what they were doing as part of the show confirmed/explained by you! Another great, informative video (and especially great as it combines two things I very much enjoy, watching your videos and Hamilton) and I'm looking forward to the next one :)
Hahaha. My “sleeve dart” moment was the piecing of the back of the bodices when they moved into the Federalist period. I gasped and thought, “ooohhhh, look at all the pretty seaming.” 😍 It’s refreshing to be taken out of the movie for a minute because of the presence, rather than the lack, of a historical detail. Also! George Washington’s uniform looks like a pretty near exact copy of the one in the Smithsonian. I only did a superficial search, but that was another impressive costume.
I remember Phillipa Soo talking about her “tight corset.” So they were definitely restricted for sure. It still baffles me how the three leading women sang like they did while also running around the stage, all while dressed like that.
I saw something in a magazine down here in Australia from Akina Edmonds, who's playing Angelica, that their corsets mean it's easier for them to do the show starving. I don't know if they've got a separate thing on underneath the dresses, or if the tops are so boned, that they might as well be; but they are definitely dealing with some level of restriction.
In most theatre shows I worked, if the ladies needed to be corseted, we had rehearsal ones for them to get used to. They’re tight but not so restrictive that it could effect their singing or breathing.
It might be that she was wearing only a stay or even just a boned top, but when you are breathing for singing, literally ANYTHING with structure feels tight. If there is any boning, you WILL feel it against your ribs. It can actually be a good thing, though, for singers who prefer a little extra external support.
as a fan of hamilton for 5 years, i once heard that the Schuyler sisters sleeves were all cut specifically related to their ages. Angelicas long for modesty and class as the eldest. Eliza being the middle child, her sleeves are literally cut in the middle. and Peggys being short because of her energy and playfulness. It might be totally u related but either way i’ll still think of it that way lol
I cannot encourage you to go watch it enough. (personal feeling about Disney aside) Its on Disney+ and it's a masterpiece. I'm not even American and I love it.
Hamilton was released on Disney plus just yesterday! It is such an interesting look into the founding fathers and the world back then as a whole! Plus King George is literally amazing.
Since you've done Hamilton, I'd die for you to do Phantom of the Opera next or just make a series of theatrical costumes analysis 😂 Theatrical costumes are amazing and sometimes really underrated, and sometimes they look even better and more historically accurate than some period movies 👀
Also the coat that Lafayette wears in “Guns and Ships” And “Yorktown” (Seen at 10:38) is VERY similar, although not identical, to one in the portrait of him done by Joseph-Désiré Court (Currently the portrait on his Wikipedia page). Though that portrait was done while he was a Lieutenant General in the French army, as opposed to a Major General in the Continental army.
Me before watching this channel: I really like the corsets that the women in the ensemble wear. Me watching Hamilton last night: OH MY GOSH THE STAYS 😍😍
Continously dunking on Beauty and the Beast 2017 is something I can get behind. I personally know the original Belle, Paige O'Hara is a lovely human being in so many ways. So to see Emma screw the role up in about every single way hurts my soul, so yes please keep pointing and laughing at how bad her dress and singing was.
This is so refreshing after seeing all the Hot Takes on twitter. I really appreciate someone with working knowledge of theatre breaking this down. I feel like so often people with no knowledge of the medium take stances on visual design that would be impossible to achieve. I also get so frustrated when it seems like people want story telling to be sacrificed for the sake of "accuracy." All design serves the story! If the design conveys the correct information and themes, then it is good design! A lot of "inaccurate" design is bad because it muddles the story, not because it was not perfectly historical. I also appreciated the breakdown in specific theatrical sewing tricks. I think because theatre is so rarely filmed, sometimes if you don't live in NYC you don't have time to really look at what they're doing. And having a filmed version helps with that. I also wonder, if they start filming more theatre, if some of the techniques will shift because their audience will not always be so far away.
That’s...a really good point. I wonder if we’ll start to see more “movie-esque” costumes in popular plays, because they’ll end up on a tv screen where the viewers are up close and personal.
I loved watching Hamilton for the first time and noticing, “Eliza’s dress changed! OMG they changed the silhouette of the bodice! The style changed with the times!!!”
This is excellent, and all the more impressive knowing how fast you put it together. Also, I definitely took note of how the changing dress style conveyed a passage of time when I watched the show, something I'm not sure I would have noticed before I started watching your channel. Thank you for you work, Miss Banner!
i wouldn’t say im a theater kid, because ive only ever auditioned for 1 play, but i have watched many plays, musicals, and in between and find them to be one of the most beautiful arts
9:50 "It's literally a reproduction of an existing portrait of the historically accurate king himself" ... "Feeling historically accurate today, might wear some ermine
I’m sure if they made a real movie, they’d give them more historical outfits. But they also had to make the outfits: -easy to move in -not heavy or hot -for the sisters they needed to keep the same 3 colours -fitting for the scene, year and, mood
@bootsabaUwU What was released on Disney+ WAS the movie that was supposed to come out in 2021 - they moved up the release date by 15 months and put it online so that people could get a chance to see it from the safety of their homes before they died.
When I was watching Hamilton I quite literally thought “Are the outfits historically accurate? Hmm I’ll have to see if someone makes a reaction video on it” As soon as I look to my phone *bing* I get a notification that my favorite TH-camr made that exact video! Yay!
My favourite detail in Hamilton's costumes is Burr and Hamilton's coats during their dueling scene - they are so distinctly different than their coats for the rest of the show and when I saw them I realised just how long those two characters had been together - shows all the history they have.
I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist Hamilton, for whatever reason. Edit: After watching the video and you explaining storytelling through wardrobe, I completely understand now why Thomas Jefferson was dressed like such a ponce after he came back from France. This coupled with the public view of him being an elitist snob was very clever. I just remember thinking while watching last night that Jefferson would be a lot more relatable if he didn’t dress like he wished he was still at the French court.
I find it an interesting nod to the inherent hypocrisy of the man that he sings about Hamilton's dress sense ("dresses like fake royalty") while wearing a purple velvet suit.
Jefferson wasn't royalty of course, but he was wealthy and born into said wealth unlike Hamilton was - but I think it has another meaning too So yeah, it could be seen in a hypocritical way that he would call out someone for their dressing choices while wearing extravagant clothing himself - but it could also be seen as him commenting on Hamilton's only recent rise into the more wealthier and influential political sphere, where Hamilton would try to fit in with more fancy clothing and a more expensive lifestyle Basically a "the poor person tries to look like one of us rich kids and fit into the club" kind of thing Which got really ironic when Jefferson was consumed by debt in his later years and lost most of his inherited wealthy lifestyle Another ironic thing would be that Hamilton is somewhat royalty - with ancestors being related to the scottish monarchy (one of his ancestors, James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of arran was a cousin of Mary Stuart, the scottish up coming queen who got executed by Elizabeth 1 - James ruled Scotland during the time when Mary was still a baby and would have become the king if Mary hadn't been born) - the only obstacles would be that England took over Scotland around the time Hamilton lived and that Hamilton was illegitimate, not to mention that his father as the third son of an Earl would have never inherited anything from his family
The design of the show is filled with these kinds of close enough to historical touches. The vast majority of the lighting is meant to look natural, so it's mostly varying shades of white to pale yellow with some nice window and plant gobos to break up the space occasionally. Color doesn't enter the design for a long time. I think they do largely use LED fixtures, but they read like the more traditional lamp (theatrical light bulb) style. Obviously, they didn't have electricity in colonial time, but the lights help the show feel like an older world coming alive onstage. Same with the exposed wooden sets that move on modern computer operated tracks. It all looks real enough to trick the mind into accepting the modern score and choreography as the right choice for the story.
I literally started to google a Hamilton Costume Review after watching it last night, but got frustrated, when I couldn't find much after 30 Minutes of research. So it felt incredibly surreal to wake up to a Bernadette Banner video doing exactly what I had been looking for the next morning. Thank you, Bernadette, for reading my mind :)
When I saw the switch to Federalist style I was SO EXCITED. I’d listened to the soundtrack and admired the music so many times and seeing the costumes and set and movement work to fill the gaps in exposition that may get glossed over in the songs impressed the hell out of me.
This was so so informative. Being an actress in a country where most of the times the costumes are the last item on the budget, all made in smelly polyester taffeta with no stretching, and where the “creative liberties” are basically just doing whatever “feels” right instead of deeply looking into the period being depicted, this was a wonderful breath of fresh air on how things can be well done, depicting the period without making the actors suffer (as much ;)). Love love this kind of stuff and would love to know more on your experience with theatre costuming, if you fancy doing so one day. Thank you for doing this video, despite not wanting to do it :)
I remember when I first watched Hamilton I was another annoying "the actors of color are not historically accurate"-blah blah. But then I had to be honest with myself, I'm not American and I have no idea about American history and for some reason that ignorance of historical accuracy was okay for me, but a high percentage of incredibly talented actors of color wasn't? And that's when I realized that I was the problem. It wasn't nice to feel this way, but I hope it lets me be more appreciative and loving ☺️
I must admit for me the one thing the Afro-centric casting did tend to do was to somewhat obscure the fact that this was an era of enslavement, so much so that most of the main characters being portrayed were actual slave owners themselves? But I'm not very familiar with the playwriter's intentions - perhaps this was an intentional choice for some reason...?
@Kate Mask - The casting choices gave actors that would not have ordinarily been given such a chance to perform in the spotlight a big break. Also, I think that representing the new Americans with such diversity and King George as a standard pale-face underscores the shifting and exhilarating nature of the nascent country.
I think the main reason is for the diverse audience to connect to the story. American history is for all Americans, not just the ones who look like the white founding fathers.
Copying here what I pasted with this when shared on my Facebook page: First off, I love Bernadette in her own right as a historical clothing specialist, but her look into the parallel between the design and function of the costumes here, and the structure and format of Hamilton itself gives a refreshing and even deeper impact to the musical itself. To my Hamilton loving friends, this is a definite must-watch!
I absolutely love your style of review here; giving full credit to the costuming department for understanding what they're doing and why, while breaking it down for the rest of us. The details of the sleeve gussets, elbow darts, and modified stays were particularly interesting, and I hadn't even thought of the sleeve attachments! If you were to do more of this style of video, I personally think it would be best served as an occasional treat. Make one when the fancy strikes and you have things you want to say! Not because you felt obligated to do so. That said, I loved the insight you've given not just to the historical garments themselves, but to the probable reasoning behind the modifications made to them. A delight to watch!
When I watched Hamilton last night I was geeking out that they actually showed the change in fashion through the different time periods. This morning, TH-cam recommended this video and I am so happy it did. Thank you!
Thank you, sincerely, for the detail on sleeve cuts, both for theater purposes and in real life. As someone who works in theater, your point about silhouette and fabric color and “texture” (not accurate as much as evocative under light) to allow suspension of disbelief, while balancing practicality of stage needs is necessary. And yes, singing and dancing require more flexibility that purely accurate corsets or stays/boning would allow, it is still possible so go a great deal with more modest modifications than we thinks. Indeed, the proper under structure can do a great deal to help the performer carry the weight of heavy and/or abundant fabric.
Love all the theater details that you talk about! Hamilton is a favorite and it's great to hear about the costumes. Great video once again, Bernadette!
Thank you for this amazing explanation! Phew, balancing historical accuracy and the requirements for high energy performances (and, of course, supporting the story of the piece visually) sounds like a huge amount of work. No wonder some shows and movies end up with questionable costuming choices! Fun side note: Deep-cut "armscythes" can cause the same issues in 3D animation (although the result there is texture warping and not restricted arm movement). When I explain this part of 3D character creation to students, I show them a video of one of my friends moving his arms in a suit jacket vs. the same movements in a blazer with casual sleeves and low armholes. Always get lots of "ooh"s and "aah"s, and 5 minutes of downtime while everyone's comparing their jackets' armhole sizes and complaining about suits. Never had to remind anyone about keeping the connection of their character's torso to the arm as small as possible though.
This was a fascinating, educated, eloquent dissection of Hamilton, not only from a costume standpoint, but from a literary point. I have been so frustrated with people going "But we shouldn't glorify the founding fathers!" like, I know! I think Lin-Manuel Miranda knows too, because this gives them less "glory" than they probably got every other way they were taught you! It's not strictly about the founding fathers, it's about America and the drive for freedom!
As an American. I think people should understand the fact the things they did back then was okay while it isn’t today, morality slowly changes over time, it doesn’t happen fast. I’m not saying it’s good, I’m just saying that’s how it is at the time.
I just watched the film and saw "You'll Be Back" performed for the first time and was wondering why he didn't move around as much as I was expecting, and then it turns out it's all a parallel between historical accuracy and monarchical pressure and I AM EVEN MORE IN AWE OF THIS SHOW NOW thanks to your brilliantly laid-out thesis!
i clicked on this thinking it was an older video, and was like "how did i miss Bernadette talking about musical theatre, much less Hamilton?" and then i realized it said "31 minutes ago" instead of "3 years ago." i am illiterate sometimes.
I never watched Hamilton, but if I do at some point in the future, at least I now have some wonderful points to lovingly throw at the nearest unsuspecting victim. I mean, how else do we show our love for anything ever, if not through discussions on sleeves, seams and silhouettes?
Love how you explain and compliment the combination of historical realism and practical theatre realism. Also you almost completely side tracked me with the realisation there is a brilliant fix for being able to move your arms in jackets. Modern cuts just don’t implement them in regular clothing, much like the issue of female pockets, so it was amazing to find out there IS a fix for that issue after all. Thanks for the sketch that helped show exactly what you were talking about sewing wise with the square patch and notes on how this could be incorporated into the design itself so the patch wasn’t as obvious. I think I did see you adding a small square to a sleeve once (I just can’t remember where) so it’s interesting to now reflect on that and have an even better understanding of how that tiny square can impact the design.
the sisters wear stockings, hip pads, and fichus, but no stays! there’s a pic somewhere of dorcas, julia, and isa backstage in their underthings, complete with modern bras :)
I wonder if anything differed depending on the production. Like how King George the 3rd apparently has a different costume in England, and how some Lafayettes had different coloured waistcoats.
As Bernadette said, she is uncertain if they are wearing stays under because of how boned the dress itself is. Additionally, they could have originally had stays, but as stays should be custom made to fit right, I'm not sure if they would want to be making stays for every sister there ever was.
I've never seen Hamilton live, and after watching the movie I immediately recommended it to my mother. She's a costume designer and I knew she'd enjoy it for all of the reasons you've identified. The first time Eliza appeared in a Federalist gown I actually cried out "Ooo! Look, it's the 1790s!" My husband didn't get it. 😂
I LOVE how the Hamilton costumes evolve with the story to show the passage of time. For some reason, it seems like a lot of way more "accurate" shows/movies don't even try to do that (looking at you, Poldark lol) Plus, it lets the costume designer show off tons of beautiful different styles!
I cannot wait until the day that you and Micarah Tewers can get together for a joint video. You guys are complete opposites, yet so alike. You live in a gorgeous NYC apartment with a guinea pig, and she lives in an RV with her chickens, but are both dedicated to sewing gorgeous outfits, and it would just be the best thing ever. You and Micarah hitting up the thrift store and Dollar Tree for your outfits would just be the BEST.
Thank you, this play is a visual feast of costuming. Love costumes and have made them for many plays as my children were dance and musical theatre people. Getting historical accuracy while still allowing for actor movement and audience belief is an art. Thank you for reviewing Hamilton’s costumes, it makes me smile when others appreciate the sheer ingenuity and the provoking mind work required by costumers in creating an atmosphere through costumes that actually conveys and carries the entire cast, story and audience. Blessings Bernadette!
I feel like I just sat in on a special guest lecture at college and need to go debrief at the university Einstein’s with my friends to talk about what a genius and phenomenal speaker the special guest was
You forgot to mention the fact that all the men are basically wearing riding britches and riding boots. I'm sure there is some "spandex" in those historically accurate cotton breaches. lol. Also those men should be applauded for being able to dance in tall black riding boots very difficult.
It's the dress and the hair, not Emma Watson, that she criticises. Difficult concept I realise but they are not the same thing, especially as Emma would have had little control over either.
@@joannakasper5486 Actually, Watson had the final say over the costuming decisions pertaining to the dress in Beauty in the Beast, as immortalized in the story of her being presented the ball gown by the costume designer, and forcing the costume designer to remake the gown. The main issue I see being brought up by Bernadette and other fashion historians/youtubers is the lack of corset, stays, or boning in the bodice of her ballgown. This was a personal decision by Watson herself that she talked about during the press tour at length. I can't speak to her say in any hair decisions though.
@@callanengstrom2532 yeah.. I watched it in theatres (remember those) when it first came out and her first scene I was like.... no corset, I hate this movie already It basically ruined it for me. Then I found out she decided to be "feminist" about it. This really damaged my view of Emma. Im with Bernadette on this :P
Never! My ears still bleed from her autotune. That dress was so bad that even I, a guy with minimal interest in costume design, feels bad for whoever made that thing.
@@joannakasper5486 That's not true. Emma Watson had input and decision making power. She even had the costumer make her first dress transformable. Saying Belle would make it so it could be pinned up for running/riding/physical activity.
I've seen Hamilton live before, but after watching your videos since the beginning of quarantine and then watching Hamilton on Disney+ I noticed for the first time the shift to the more Regency-era silhouette as the show progressed and felt so weirdly proud of myself. Thank you for helping me learn!
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
"So, did you enjoy watching Hamilton?"
"Oh yes, those elbow darts were the pinnacle of my experience."
"..."
I wasn't such a fan of this recording (turns out I don't like Lin as Hamilton - I know, treason), but I had a moment of historical dress joy in Blow Us All Away when I saw a spenser up close that was based on an extant garment that was also used by the 2019 Emma costume dept.
Emma Jenkins it’s the little things 😅
I read this to say "pinnacle of my existence" and now I'm not certain if I was wrong.
Emma Jenkins I hate Lin as Hamilton and I feel so bad about it cuz he’s a genius
@@emjenkins464 I was able to see the original London cast and Lin is an excellent writer, but Jamael was a better Hamilton. :)
The shade towards belle’s dress is much deserved
Its an abomination and deserves continuous mockery. I hope this becomes a running gag.
That dress was SO underwhelming. She may as well have not worn the yellow dress to make the point that she's "not like the other belles".
It’s still a pretty dress but it’s too modern
@@engagingathena9965 it kind of looks like a prom dress doesnt it?!
idtelly0uil0vey0u yeah
It's historic dress! It's musical theater! It's Bernadette explaining how the clothes were put together! Who doesn't love all that? I sure don't not!
That double negative threw me through a loop for a second haha
( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
Why the dubble negative? That just makes it positive and CUNFUUSSSIIINNGGGG!!
Soyvke negatives are broken English that's still technically right and I love it
i could listen to you talk all day
like honestly those are some of my favorite things
I think that the very most accurate piece of clothing is Hercules Mulligan’s beanie
I loved how they did the different costumes for the actors with dual roles. Daveed’s hair was a great difference for Lafayette vs Jefferson and the hat helped do the same thing for differentiating Mulligan vs Madison. I don’t know if it was Okieriete or Joshua Henry, who played that role in the workshop, but it started out as the actor’s hat that he was just wearing because it was cold outside. Lol
And his bandana😂😂
Bethany Sonnier I was so confused when I saw the same performer in another role. Did they say anywhere why they made this decision? I’m sure there are enough people to have each one play one role
@@sleepinthecave I read somewhere that Lin made the decision to double cast some roles because there are so many different characters introduced to the audience in such a relatively short amount of time, at least they would already be invested in Jefferson, for example, because they already met Daveed as Lafayette.
That beanie instantly made him my favorite character. Until I heard Lafayette say "anarchy" then he became my favorite.
I also thought a clever detail was the color of eliza’s gown. In the wedding scene, the lighting gave sort of the illusion of the dress being white without needing a costume change.
I noticed that too I love that
Yes! Such a cool way of acknowledging that white dresses for weddings weren't common until quite recently, while also acknowledging that the quickest visual cue for "wedding scene" to the modern viewer is a white dress.
But wight dress became popular after Quinn Victoria, so it's not so historically accurate.
Дарья Волкова well yes, that’s why Eliza didn’t have a separate white dress for her wedding. The appearance of white is for the benefit of the audience, so that it has a touch of modernity without being an outright white dress
@@ДарьяВолкова-ш4ш exactly, its the same dress. Its up to you to acknowledge the color, if its white or blue.
I want all the people who insist you are pretentious or obsessive about absolutely historical accuracy to watch this video and see that you have a complex three dimensional personality just like history is complex and three dimensional.
But internet people aren't real! We are merely figmentary players, existing purely for entertainment and third-person discussion!
The best part of history for me is how complex it is. There is just something about reading a primary source and being able to understand someone's thoughts on matters from hundreds of years ago.
Wow, people think that 🤦. Why do they watch!? I think her knowledge is amazing. Thankfully I only see the positive comments.
I wouldn't call her pretentious, she's passionate about what she does and it shows. I do take exception, however, to her ideas of "right" and "wrong", as we saw in her last video. Dismissing costumes as "poorly researched" because they are not historically accurate is indeed a simplification. But then we would have to go on discussing authorial intent and such dense philosophical matters, and thaťs probably too much for a sunny Saturday morning 😁. Happy weekend, everyone!
But being rational and treating people respectfully on the internet is impossible!
Hey by the way racist/white supremacist comments basically saying 'bUt bLaCk pEoPLe aReNt HiStoRiCaLLy aCcUraTe' are getting removed *real fast* so honestly don't even waste your time. See also: the entire thesis of this video pointing out that one of the goals of the show is to make American history more intrinsically relatable to modern Americans of *all* ethnic backgrounds, and representation is crucial to cultivating that feeling of relatability. If you want to see this story told with only white people, go watch 1776.
queen
👏👏👏👏
Also, connecting the story of Alexander Hamilton to the experience of people of color is ~the whole point.~
Ok, now I'm insanely interested on what you think about the costumes in six. I believe that there's a lot to talk about artistic expression and historical accuracy.
it may not be "historically accurate" but I'm glad its not. I much prefer this than the alternative
I’ll admit I was one of those people who are like “corset bad” but then Bernadette sat me down and told me I was uneducated about its history and she was right. Now historical silhouettes like this really intrigue me!
Her and Karolina Zebrowska schooled my ignorant ass about corsets too.
Same, together with Abby Cox. I'm currently working on an 1880/1890's corset myself, and I have bought the Janet Arnold Patterns of Fashion 5, and am really looking forward to making one of the stays in there. And after wearing them prove my friends and family wrong because they aren't taking me seriously when I talk about this.
My favorite thing is when I tell people that information I got from her they try to tell me why that’s not true and yada yada yada and I’m like “I got this from an actual historian, where did you get your information?” And they usually shut up.
The message to me is tight laced corset is bad. Otherwise it’s fine with maybe some restrictions on movement.
in real life??? did you get to talk to her?
As a soon to be theater major: it was refreshing to see someone finally not just harp on the costume designers for historical accuracy, theater is interpretation and we need to move, breath, and not overheat. Stage lights are HOT and the clothes can be restricting, no corset or stay will ever be tight laced, no coat too tight and no dress a hobble dress cause we don’t want them falling off stage or into the pit. Theater takes liberties to keep us safe
I'm an ex-theater kid, and When I saw the men come on stage, even in the truncated layers, all I could think was "God they must be SWELTERING in those costumes." My cousin kept commenting on how the men were all so sweaty, even when not dancing, and I'm like "Girl, do you not realize how hot those lights are? And how hot those costumes must be?"
This reminds me of the time I went to see Turisas (a metal band from Finland) live at the student union and the air con had broken. They completed the entire show dressed in furs and chain mail and full body paint, but had to cut it short and do no encore because it was just that hot. Though they did thank us because they'd been missing saunas whilst they were on tour. ROFL
I've only really had one experience acting on stage at school and didn't find it that hot under the lights. Everyone else complained and got sweaty, I just found it cosy in general. It would have been nice if it wasn't absolutely impossible to see anything whatsoever due to how bright the lights are. I don't know how the actors manage to find their places on stage and move around lots under the lights. I had to count out in my head the number of steps toward my position because I just couldn't see enough to tell if I'd gone too far or not.
I was in a show where I had to wear a period-accurate costume (Sleepy Hollow, so a similar time period to this). My costume was over 40 pounds and I had to get dressed backward: hose, shoes, slip, petticoat, tank top, hip roll, second petticoat, and at that point the dress with built-in corset went on and somebody else took over my dressing because I could no longer raise my arms above slightly-below-shoulder level. Somebody else had to take the curlers out of my hair, do most of my makeup, and when we did three shows in a day because kids' theatre and field trips, somebody else had to drape a sheet over me and feed me. (In theory, I could have fed myself. But in practice these dresses cost hundreds of dollars just to be RENTED, and if I so much looked at a cup of iced tea our director started screeching DON'T SPILL. I think she'd have had a literal actual heart attack if I'd tried to eat my pizza by myself.) So there are times when costumes will in fact be restrictive because that's just how it is.
Ironically, we had a raked stage and I had to do an army crawl beneath it with a mic on because our Ichabod couldn't whistle and somebody had to do the "whistling past the graveyard" scene, and as long as somebody took my shoes off before I got on the sheet to slide under there (DON'T GET THE DRESS DIRTY DON'T DIRTY THE DRESS ai yi yi I can still hear it fifteen years later), I had no problem pulling myself along by my elbows and just pushing with my toes.
You'll find that the longer you do it, the more creative you get with stuff like that.
@@hannahscarbrough5048 As an actor, I discovered eventually the magic that is putting ice packs (in plastic bags) in your coat pockets. Makes all the difference.
RIGHT?? If you watch closely on. Disney+, you can see just how much the actors are SWEATING. It's insane.
Other thing I noticed about King George's clothes: He's the only one who looks like he's wearing a costume, largely because his clothes don't look lived in and functional, but also, as you point out, that his is the most accurate representation when we're already accustomed to the period/modern hybrid of everyone else. To me, this also works as a narrative device, since George is a caricature of Imperialist excess as interpreted by revolutionary ideals. (Basically, our heroes of the young America are Modern and New, while George is distinctly Old Fashioned and a symbol of everything they have rejected.
This is further capitalised on with the brilliant choreography of the show: George's movements are very stilted and deliberate until they're suddenly not, echoing all our ideas about how movement must not be possible in historical dress. Then, as George steadily becomes far more ruffled and less sane, his dress and movement become more relaxed, less like a portrait come to life.
Thank you so much for reviewing this! You always notice things that blow me away.
PS - I also spent a good five minutes paused and ranting about what brilliant designer put a 18th century heel on a ballet shoe, such that it's amost unnoticeable until the company start doing some serious dorsiflexion in their dancing. From the front, I wondered if they were dancing in stocking feet, and from the side they were clearly wearing heeled shoes that matched the period, and that is some witchcraft that deserves All The Awards.
Sounds like they used an adaptation of Dori shoes - which are pointe shoes but with heels. Usefully they already have a bit of an 18th century vibe to the look of them. Just widen the heel and you'd be pretty close.
hehe those shoes are the literal worst to dance in. they's unCOMFY.
I'll also add that George is one of the few roles played by a white actor. Man eveything about George is wonderful done, is it okay to admit he is the best character in the show?
@@LadyTylerBioRodriguez He is! If I could be cast in any role, I'd want to be George.
I just want to add that your interpretation of the costuming is spot on, and it actually applies to the lyrics and music too. The Modern and New Revolutionary characters' lyrics are full of slant rhymes, unconventional turns of phrase, flow switches in the raps, and a ton of other things that evoke a feeling of improvisation and dynamic motion. By comparison, George's tune (aside from eschewing 90s/2000s rap influences for a more 60s, British Invasion style, a choice whose implications should be obvious) has NONE of that. All the rhymes are straight, and once the melody and accompaniment are established, they do not change for the rest of his appearances. Everything about his character works toward portraying the rigid, unchanging, stale excesses of the British Empire and its freaking BRILLIANT.
Throw the shade. Throw ALL the shade.
The shade seems so ... yellow?
@@odsmey I freely admit that I snorted at this.
YASSSSSS.
Throw the whole palm tree
What shade? Did you listen to her words?
The progression of the female silhouette in Hamilton was actually the first time I noticed something like that in historical costume!
Have you seen the Little Women from the mid 90s? It does a fantastic job as well.
Watching TH-camrs like Bernadette and Karolina Z have taught me so much about fashion history! The downside is now that any time I watch a period piece and something is inaccurate I can't stop thinking about it. For example I adore Pride and Prejudice (2005) but watching it now I can't stop noticing the inaccurate hairstyles and some silhouettes, oof
6:00 Honestly the bodices were giving me heart eyes the entirety of all three (3) of my Hamilton viewings... they’re SO crisp 😍
As we were watching, I leaned to my boyfriend and said "This is so annoying, the time period means we should be transitioning to regency attire, they are missing a great opportunity to show the passage of time" and then the next scene they are in Regency and "OH SHIT, THERE IT IS!" and my poor boyfriend is just like "Can I not watch a show in peace?"
I would like this comment but it’s at 666 likes
My favorite part of the video might just be how your favorite part of Hamilton might just be the elbow dart.
These are a few of our favorite things!
If comments had a love option, I would hit that so fast
Gussets in arm scythes and elbow darted sleeves, these are the things that make me go squeee!
@@amiejo armscye* I finally saw it written down in May.
Samit dang autocorrect!
You’ve corrupted me, I found myself paying a ton of attention to the costumes while I was watching Hamilton. That never used to happen before
Did you intend for people to sing your last sentence? Because that's what I did. :D
@@joannakasper5486 Same
I did the same thing! I’ve recently been researching a ton about historical clothing and I was impressed with how the managed to keep if relatively accurate while still being able to do all those moves!
If you see him on the street, walking by himself, talking to himself have pity~
@@monroe8566 "Phillip do you like it uptown? It's quiet uptown.."
He is working through the unimaginable-
I hadn’t thought about how King George III was the only character in a full period costume, but it really does have a subconscious effect. I’m glad that he’s the only character in the show to wear the powdered wig. I love how each character and ensemble member has their own hair style.
IIRC, the powdered wig is also the only one made with Yak hair. All the other wigs are human hair.
I read somewhere that hairstyles where meant to be kept modern (ie 21st century style) to further draw on the concept of revolution as a modern ideal, which I think proves your point about the effect of seeing King George in the powdered wig!
I mean he is a king so it kinda makes sense that they would make him all regal and fancy with a powdered wig
I saw a really blurry version first and it was the only way I could tell them apart. I am very grateful for the hairstyles but I mixed up Hamilton and Laurens a bit
While I love the modern hairdos, I believe it would have been _hilarious_ to see the likes of Christopher Jackson and Leslie Odom Jr in white wigs.
I just realised that Hamilton is literally a Shakespearean Tragedy:
- Tragic Hero who starts with praise and ends up dead
- Foil of the Hero (usually kills the tragic hero)
- Themes of the flawed human condition
- Chaos and disorder
- Hamilton has unbridled ambition (like Macbeth)
- Tragic hero is high in society
Also during one of the songs Hamilton goes as reference to another Scottish tragedy without me having to name the play' but as soon as he says 'they think me macbeth' it all goes wrong for him. Which I think is pretty cool
@@goldstarsforall I never noticed that! That is so cool!
actually if ypu observe the show, Hamilton says the cursed name of the Scottish play during "Take a break" after this many tragedies happen in his life including the reynolds pamphlet, philip's death, and his death
Is that not always the case before the bourgeoise drama was introduced? So whether hamlet or classic Greek tragedy?
@kshiftkometh god ripped off shakespear
It is fascinating how much effort the put into being accurate while making the clothes functional. I haven't had to pleasure to see Hamilton yet, so I look forward to seeing it online.
It just hit Disney plus yesterday. Go watch it! XD
it’s on disney plus but they took off the free trial because they knew people would get it just for that
And this doesn't even touch on the significance of the design. For example, the designer puts Thomas Jefferson in magenta and Hamilton in bright green, color opposites, representing their rivalry. Burr is always in dark colors because for most of the play, he prefers to not be noticed and make a big stir. And lots of other little things you can research!
@@professorthread
Awesome
@@professorthread Yes. Awesome. Thank you.
I did notice one other accuracy that is kind of relevant. The quills in the musical are cut in the way they would have been in the period so that you only have the bit of feather at the end. Instead of the more aesthetic option where the whole feather is left on like in Harry Potter for example. I'll admit I only knew this because I watch the quill video and that fact made me smile when I realize it.
A poetry teacher once told my class something which has held true for so many of the arts I've chosen to explore: You must first learn the rules, then you may break them. "If you do not first know the rules, others will not know what you mean when you bend them." With Hamilton, the costumers knew all the rules of late 18th century dress and allowed them to "break the rules" and still show and say exactly what they needed to.
me as a small child: What in the hell is this e. e. cummings nonsense? HOW is this poetry?
me now: I love neo-dadaist deconstructionism
WOW
I am writing this down, thank you so much!! 💙
My childhood art teacher said the exact same thing. Nearly word for word. It has served me well in life. And, now, while I rarely do art, I certainly take many creative liberties in my pursuits. And, certainly in creative writing as a teenager, I enjoyed writing poetry without proper grammar or punctuation to effect. It definitely gets lost on anyone who hasn’t learned what the myriad writing devices are: staccato sounds, alliteration, sonnets, etc. However, I only learned about writing devices in AP English. I think we do a disservice not to teach all children how to do everything properly. A strong foundation in writing, drawing, dancing, etc. But, I digress, a lot. :)
@@SL-lz9jr ahhh "amen" to the poetry!
I also liked how further through the show, King George lost a lot of his regalia, like his power and relevance was being stripped away in accordance with the US’s rise.
@Ellen S - In good films, TV, and stage plays, no detail is accidental. ^_^
"What is Hamilton, if for some reason you don't know," *me Le French* : Hamilwho ?
Me, English: *no clue*
Hamilton was Lafayette's friend. Lafayette is a character in the musical.
Just to play devil’s advocate for comedic effect: there’s probably a reason Hamilton isn’t a well known/well liked in French history. Something about promising to help France with their revolution...whoopsies.
I thought at first it might be about Lady Hamilton!
@@melissamybubbles6139 he was also co-author of the declaration of the rights of man and the citizen the commander in chief of the french national guard following the storming of the Bastille during the french revolution (which might be more well known for an actual french person than "character in the show" not criticism just adding to your explanation)
King George being the most historical accurate is also helped by the fact that he is the most static person in the play, Jonathan Groff just had to walk out and stand while singing his songs, though that still wasn't easy seeing as Groff said the og crown he had on Broadway was really heavy and he had to walk really slowly as if he was in a A Saint Lucy procession. 😂
King George is played completely different in the UK, if anything he's a Horrible Histories character. He actually dances around the stage and points at audience members, so I assume the costume is cut/constructed slightly differently.
@@emjenkins464 interesting!! ty!!
I wonder if that has anything to do with the two places conceptions of him based on distance and having played a different historical role? Like in the usa mostly as a distant figure mostly present as a handful of overly strict and overbearing orders vs in the uk, someone you could see on a regular basis (if you were in london at least) and had to deal with?
cactus c whoa I love that interpretation of the two kings :0
@@cactusc9519 - Excellent observations. Carry on!
When you started discussing the shoulder placement on historical garments it reminded me of a behind the scenes video from the Hamilton costume department. The actor for King George was discussing the costumes (mostly his) and brought up both the portrait that the costume was based on (he showed a picture) and he mentioned about how the cut of the garments would change the posture of the person wearing them. The crown that he wears is also very heavy (it used to be heavier but they changed the material it was made from, the mic pack for King George is in the crown too) and he explains how that limits his movement so he must act a certain way so the crown doesn't fall off. The actual crown is a hell of a lot heavier (Queen Elizabeth II doesn't wear it anymore because it would hurt her) and moving their head too quickly could injure the monarch.
Edit: I found the video that I'm referring to th-cam.com/video/aNUv3Ad6jrQ/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for the link to that video! I didn't know it existed!
@@lillyskyscraper6 It's part of a series, Adam Savage also visits the props department (he is a prop guy himself and he looks very excited to be there) and the mic room (they discuss the mic in the crown more in the mic video).
Edit: He also visits the sound mixer, I didn't realise that there was a fourth video until today.
Thank you for this! Great stuff
I didn't know this video existed, thank you so much for the link! 💖
@@katherineshideouslaughter That is a wonderful series that really scratched my geek itch.
I’m particularly fond of the color coding of Eliza throughout the show having just the right fabric/sheen making up her costumes that with changes in lighting she can stay true to her color scheme while still fitting with the blue coding of Alexander the soldier and then the green coding of Alexander the politician
When you see the play live King George is incredibly sparkly. He is in bright colors. No one else wears such colors. Even Maria Renyolds wears a deeper red.
There is no sparkle on stage other than King George. It was a powerful difference.
He also doesn’t seem to blink
@@EtamirTheDemiDeer your comment reminded me of a bootleg where he found the camera and was basically glaring at it during his performance
He sparkles
@@catcher881 he a glarey boi
@@catcher881 is it the How To Stay Alive Uptown bootleg?
I have a Hamilton guide and it has a fantastic section on the costuming and how they were drafted (+ color theory and other info). I love it. The way the silhouette of Eliza's costumes in particular change to show the passage of time is beautiful.
I love Hamilton.
Is this a book available to buy online? I may need it in my life
I think I have the book you are talking about. I remember reading that section, and hearing Bernadette talk about the costuming of the show definitely isn't aiding in the prevention of me falling head over heels with the show again. I just hope I don't encounter the toxic side of the fanbase once again 😬
WANT!
Love that section too!!!
I want the dress for my college graduation party
I adore how Hamilton did the costumes, they get the general essence of the time period while providing comfortable and easy to move in costumes for the actors and actresses. As a theatre kid, I couldn’t imagine trying to belt, dance, and move around the stage quickly in a completely accurate costume without collapsing.
And Jonathan Groff couldn't really do much in his costume, because of the crown and than that coat would have been really hot.
So wish I had Bernadette teaching my costume class in college! She picks up on things that no one else did at the time (30 years ago) and brings it to the fore.
Hamilton fact: lin Manuel miranda wanted all of the costumes (except king George) to be historical on the bottom and modern from the neck up! Like how they don't wear powdered wigs, and of course mulligan has his beanie🙃
"Leaning to bend with the knees and waist rather than with the spine when you need to lean down to pick something up."
Being in Australia and just having watched the stage show on Disney, this has added a new dimension to the experience. I shall have to watch again with Bernadette's words in my mind. Thank you so much for your extremely unique insight into the costume making process cross referenced with historical accuracy :)
Thanks for this, I will have to watch it! I had no idea what it was before today
Lauren oh my gosh please watch it! It’s sooo good! It’s my favorite musical ever, even though I’ve only been a fan of it for about a year
I'm also Australian and finished watching it about an hour ago! I noticed the costume changes to evoke the eras and thought it was an excellent touch. Overall a really good demonstration of historybounding: taking the elements of historical dress that you want for your purpose and blending them with the comforts you need in this ye olde modern day
I'm sorry where can you watch it?
@@valeriaroman2287 Disney Plus with a Subscription
Fun fact: I saw Hamilton with my Mom and she noticed something amazing! Throughout the production, the Schuyler Sisters's costumes got brighter to symbolize them being a bigger part of the story.
Bernadette ranting over historical inaccuracies has the same energy as Julian Baumgartner talking about poorly-conserved paintings before he restores it, and damn I'm LIVING FOR BOTH THIS KIND OF CONTENT 😂😂
Kathleen David YES!!!
Most definitely, and I love every minute of both haha.
Absolutely!!
This corner of youtube watches like 5 youtubers total😂
I swear, folks are deliberately claiming she’s saying things that she didn’t.
I literally loved the fact that they changed clothes to evoke the changing fashion in tandem with the characters. I saw that one gown with the high waist and said it loud “oh, right it’s turn of the century now, isn’t it?”
Less noticeable with the gents as men’s fashion doesn’t change quite as extremely. But it was lovely. I did enjoy the whole thing. I’ve never sat through it entirely so I got to watch it with my roommate who’s listened to it and loves it, but has never seen it. Was quite enjoyable.
Thanks for doing this critique. It puts the entire thing in theatre perspective with your history in theatre. ❤️
And I love that Jefferson's coat has just a slightly different cut than the others at the beginning of act 2 because he's still stuck in the old fashion from being out of the country for a while!
True. Men’s fashion doesn’t change as quickly as women’s in any decade or century.
"No, Ms. Watson, I will not let this go."
Bernadette Banner is an international treasure.
Funnily, I was analyzing just the same way when I watched it yesterday. One little detail that you left out is that, as fashions around king George change, he himself seems stuck in the exact same costume for the whole show. Just losing regalia as time progresses and his infamous "madness" sets in. Which obviously signifies his being stuck in his ways and I loved that little touch.
When I watched Hamilton last night I actually though to myself: Wow, this looks more accurate than many movies, Bernadette would approve. I am very happy that I recognized the shift of costumes to mark the passing time in Eliza so much and that is mostly thanks to being educated by all the fellow costuber creators out there. So thank you for always creating educational but also entertaining content for us.
Fashion history isn’t even my emphasis but WOW the thesis on how costume design for shows is integral to world building and more practical uses such as performing intense choreography is 🔥. It also represents how a strict balance of anachronism within a historical narrative can really get the message across to audiences without destroying the world that was built. Wow, I just have a lot of thoughts.
Anachronism is arguably more difficult to do as well-because the designer has to invent (and stick to) their own rules, habits and developments of fashion within that world for it to make sense to the audience, instead of just following the rules and patterns prearranged by history!
I disagree with your argument that the lyrics of the show aren't meant to evoke the time period; they actually do so consistently throughout the show! Use of more antiquated words like inimitable, torrid, niceties, venerated, askance, insidious, ingenuitive, dissidents, equivocate, Protean, ardently, etc. signify an older setting even when listeners don't consciously note them.
Not to mention "A bunch of revolutionary manumission abolitionists/Give me a position; show me where the amunition is." When I first heard this lyric, I had to look up the word "manumission"; I didn't know what it meant.
There's also at least one Mozartean-type number (the "Samuel Seaberry" ensemble piece). I also think there's something Mozartean about "Dear Theodosia" (to me it seems vaguely like some of the duets in Mozart's operas), but I might be the only one who thinks that.
It's a humourous combination of those words and modern swears
Yeah but on the other hand you have lyrics like "sit down John you fat motherf***" and "sitting there useless as two shits hey turn around bend over I'll show you where my shoe fits". The lyrics are really a perfect blend of modern and historical
imagine:
Masterclass
Bernadette Banner teaches dress history
i need this
SO MOTE IT BE.
You know you’re a geek when watching this gives you goosebumps.
I'm not even a fashion historian or anything and yet after recently getting interested in costume, I was squealing at how they not only used costume to convey time passing, THEY PUT THEIR ACTRESSES IN STAYS. I wouldn't have cared about that 3 years ago, but after subscribing to you it's just become another point of criticism from my already overly critical mind. I really wish movies cared about historical accuracy as much as musical theatre costumers do.
Christian Borle as Shakespeare haunts me as well
Bernadette doing a Historical - Theater - Costume analysis for Hamilton on the 4th of July...this is like Maverick flying a fighter jet.
One thing I really liked about the changing costumes to indicate the passing of time was the fact that different characters changed costumes at different times throughout the 1780's/90's/turn of the century--Burr changed first, Hamilton a bit later, Madison first appeared in a cutaway jacket, Jefferson kept his long coat throughout. It indicated both something about the characters and their relationship to Hamilton/role in the story--for Angelica, Eliza, Hamilton and Burr, the changes in their lives are important to the story opposed to Washington and Jefferson who are static.
Also if folks are really gonna be like "But you can't dance in stays!!" . . . You can't really dance in modern everyday wear either, there's a reason you have to wear a leotard to ballet class.
I noticed the difference in cut in Hamilton’s green coat and burr’s black one about 3/4s of the way through the show. Burr’s is more fashion forward I guess with that cut away.
I'm reminded of Jefferson's criticism of Hamilton, saying that he dresses like fake royalty. Hamilton's coat and pants are both of expensive green silk and loosely cut, which makes it look kind of old world compared to Burr's more Beau-Brummel-esque look, complete with matte dark fabrics and an increased focus on close tailoring. Of course the grandson of Puritans would have the more sober, masculine attire.
Yeah Jefferson also said how Alexander "dressed like the pits of fashion."
Well now I want to go and watch/see Hamilton. Also yes, Miss Watson, we will never give up.
I'm so glad that someone mentioned again that cutting the armseye higher resolves in more freedom of movement. I think the problem with modern sleeves is that apprentices are taught that cutting it lower allows for more movement. At least that's the case in Germany where tailoring is a 3 year apprenticeship and another 2 if you want to perfect it. Even all of our modern books for pattern drafting tell us to cut the armseye lower. Thankfully my teachers let me draft them however high I want to so all of my patterns allow for the maximum range of movement :)
I suppose that cutting the arm's eye lower allows for people of different sizes being able to wear the same clothes. Otherwise, clothes would have to be custom made.
@@alejandramoreno6625 It definitely seems to be a concession for ready-to-wear clothes, since multiple people may have the same chest measurement but varying arm measurements.
I absolutely agree! I was baffled why all my garments were too tight through the shoulder. According to modern books they're cut right. I bought a Vogue sewing manual from the 50's and it discusses how an armscye should be cut and how to fix a pattern with the opening cut too low. It was an eye opener. (No pun intended.) (Well maybe just a little.)
@@alejandramoreno6625 absolutely, but I'm studying how to make custom clothes from scratch which means drafting a new pattern for every single client
@@bridgetthewench at least with the drafting system we use in Germany, the height is determined by the length of your upper back, not your chest measurement. Technically we could use the chest measurement to look up how wide your arm would be on average but usually we just take that measurement while we are taking all the other ones from the client to be able to get the perfect fit :)
I watched your video right after finishing Hamilton literally 15 minutes ago, and of course I couldn't help but pay close attention to the costumes the entire time!
As someone who doesn't know a lot about historical clothing (other from watching your videos), it was nice to have the more vague ideas I had about how accurate the costumes where and what they were doing as part of the show confirmed/explained by you!
Another great, informative video (and especially great as it combines two things I very much enjoy, watching your videos and Hamilton) and I'm looking forward to the next one :)
Haha same xD I watched Hamilton for the first time with the plan to watch this video right after. Day very well spent for sure :)
Hahaha. My “sleeve dart” moment was the piecing of the back of the bodices when they moved into the Federalist period.
I gasped and thought, “ooohhhh, look at all the pretty seaming.” 😍 It’s refreshing to be taken out of the movie for a minute because of the presence, rather than the lack, of a historical detail. Also! George Washington’s uniform looks like a pretty near exact copy of the one in the Smithsonian. I only did a superficial search, but that was another impressive costume.
I remember Phillipa Soo talking about her “tight corset.” So they were definitely restricted for sure. It still baffles me how the three leading women sang like they did while also running around the stage, all while dressed like that.
I think that the dresses just had boning to make it appear like a corset but to allow for singing and movement but thay is just my opinion
I saw something in a magazine down here in Australia from Akina Edmonds, who's playing Angelica, that their corsets mean it's easier for them to do the show starving. I don't know if they've got a separate thing on underneath the dresses, or if the tops are so boned, that they might as well be; but they are definitely dealing with some level of restriction.
@@I_AM_HYDRAA didn't the female cast really wear stays? Isn't that what Ms Banner said, too?
In most theatre shows I worked, if the ladies needed to be corseted, we had rehearsal ones for them to get used to. They’re tight but not so restrictive that it could effect their singing or breathing.
It might be that she was wearing only a stay or even just a boned top, but when you are breathing for singing, literally ANYTHING with structure feels tight. If there is any boning, you WILL feel it against your ribs. It can actually be a good thing, though, for singers who prefer a little extra external support.
as a fan of hamilton for 5 years, i once heard that the Schuyler sisters sleeves were all cut specifically related to their ages. Angelicas long for modesty and class as the eldest. Eliza being the middle child, her sleeves are literally cut in the middle. and Peggys being short because of her energy and playfulness. It might be totally u related but either way i’ll still think of it that way lol
Me: has exactly 0 idea what Hamilton is barely knows anything about period costumes
Also me : i must watch this like my life depends on it
Wh- who's your pfp? I swear I've seen her
Lady jane grey?
Catherine parr?
Mary first?
I CANT FOCUS
@@Mars_555. my pfp is Mary the first
I cannot encourage you to go watch it enough. (personal feeling about Disney aside) Its on Disney+ and it's a masterpiece. I'm not even American and I love it.
Hamilton was released on Disney plus just yesterday! It is such an interesting look into the founding fathers and the world back then as a whole! Plus King George is literally amazing.
@@j_fenrir Thank you! Now I know where I can watch this! I thought I'd have to wait awhile.
Since you've done Hamilton, I'd die for you to do Phantom of the Opera next or just make a series of theatrical costumes analysis 😂 Theatrical costumes are amazing and sometimes really underrated, and sometimes they look even better and more historically accurate than some period movies 👀
Phantom? Definitely. It's may just be my 2nd favourite musical ever.
Yes please oh please!
YES I NEED THIS
Also lets add sweeney todd and le mis to that list while we're at it
She just opened a can of worms with this. You can add Les Mis to the list
George Washingmachine 😂 nice name
Also the coat that Lafayette wears in “Guns and Ships” And “Yorktown” (Seen at 10:38) is VERY similar, although not identical, to one in the portrait of him done by Joseph-Désiré Court (Currently the portrait on his Wikipedia page).
Though that portrait was done while he was a Lieutenant General in the French army, as opposed to a Major General in the Continental army.
As someone who has studied way too much about the Marquis, it certainly does look quite similar.
@@AriSincerely YES!
Me before watching this channel: I really like the corsets that the women in the ensemble wear.
Me watching Hamilton last night: OH MY GOSH THE STAYS 😍😍
This video is called: "Everything that could have been better with 'Beauty and the Beast'"
Where is the lie!!
Screw Emma Watson
1. Emma Watson
2. The storytelling
3. Emma Watson's yellow dress
4. Idk i said the most important things
Continously dunking on Beauty and the Beast 2017 is something I can get behind. I personally know the original Belle, Paige O'Hara is a lovely human being in so many ways. So to see Emma screw the role up in about every single way hurts my soul, so yes please keep pointing and laughing at how bad her dress and singing was.
@@berrystein9197 I'd add singing. Autotune ain't got nothing on classic Broadway talent.
This is so refreshing after seeing all the Hot Takes on twitter. I really appreciate someone with working knowledge of theatre breaking this down. I feel like so often people with no knowledge of the medium take stances on visual design that would be impossible to achieve. I also get so frustrated when it seems like people want story telling to be sacrificed for the sake of "accuracy." All design serves the story! If the design conveys the correct information and themes, then it is good design! A lot of "inaccurate" design is bad because it muddles the story, not because it was not perfectly historical.
I also appreciated the breakdown in specific theatrical sewing tricks. I think because theatre is so rarely filmed, sometimes if you don't live in NYC you don't have time to really look at what they're doing. And having a filmed version helps with that. I also wonder, if they start filming more theatre, if some of the techniques will shift because their audience will not always be so far away.
Twitter is a dumpster fire and the discourse found there ought to be either mocked or disregarded entirely
That’s...a really good point. I wonder if we’ll start to see more “movie-esque” costumes in popular plays, because they’ll end up on a tv screen where the viewers are up close and personal.
It’s 4am right now, but a Bernadette video is a Bernadette video.
When you said Federalist instead of Regency my history nerd heart grew three sizes.
I loved watching Hamilton for the first time and noticing, “Eliza’s dress changed! OMG they changed the silhouette of the bodice! The style changed with the times!!!”
So, (correct me if i am wrong) in short:
Historically accurate? Partially
Perfect? 100%
I have a correction
I believe the 'Perfection' category you ment to grade it '1000'
@@kayagaffney5922 oh! My mistake!
I credit Bernadette with my realization that Eliza's dress had shifted from Georgian, to an early Regency style, to later Regency with puffy sleeves.
This is excellent, and all the more impressive knowing how fast you put it together. Also, I definitely took note of how the changing dress style conveyed a passage of time when I watched the show, something I'm not sure I would have noticed before I started watching your channel. Thank you for you work, Miss Banner!
All this Hamilton stuff is stressing me out I can’t tell who is a theater kid and who isn’t this scares me 😟
I know! It’s scary territory! (and yes, I am a theatre nerd)
IKR it’s haunting
I’m legitimately terrified
i wouldn’t say im a theater kid, because ive only ever auditioned for 1 play, but i have watched many plays, musicals, and in between and find them to be one of the most beautiful arts
Ikr I'm a theatre kid and I can't tell who is and who isn't when someone says they know Hamilton
9:50 "It's literally a reproduction of an existing portrait of the historically accurate king himself"
...
"Feeling historically accurate today, might wear some ermine
*King George III
:)
I’m sure if they made a real movie, they’d give them more historical outfits. But they also had to make the outfits:
-easy to move in
-not heavy or hot
-for the sisters they needed to keep the same 3 colours
-fitting for the scene, year and, mood
*Yeth.*
I heard they’re having a movie in 2021!
@bootsabaUwU What was released on Disney+ WAS the movie that was supposed to come out in 2021 - they moved up the release date by 15 months and put it online so that people could get a chance to see it from the safety of their homes before they died.
Valerie Collins Wow, that comment took a dark turn 😂 Wasn’t expecting the “before they died” part. 😂
@@valeriepark9444 I think they mean a classic movie. Like filmed in different scenes and stuff. The one on Disney+ was a recording of the show.
When I was watching Hamilton I quite literally thought “Are the outfits historically accurate? Hmm I’ll have to see if someone makes a reaction video on it” As soon as I look to my phone *bing* I get a notification that my favorite TH-camr made that exact video! Yay!
I've only seen snippets of hamilton, but I was always impressed with the smooth bodices on the ladies' dresses!
My favourite detail in Hamilton's costumes is Burr and Hamilton's coats during their dueling scene - they are so distinctly different than their coats for the rest of the show and when I saw them I realised just how long those two characters had been together - shows all the history they have.
I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist Hamilton, for whatever reason.
Edit:
After watching the video and you explaining storytelling through wardrobe, I completely understand now why Thomas Jefferson was dressed like such a ponce after he came back from France. This coupled with the public view of him being an elitist snob was very clever. I just remember thinking while watching last night that Jefferson would be a lot more relatable if he didn’t dress like he wished he was still at the French court.
I find it an interesting nod to the inherent hypocrisy of the man that he sings about Hamilton's dress sense ("dresses like fake royalty") while wearing a purple velvet suit.
Jefferson wasn't royalty of course, but he was wealthy and born into said wealth unlike Hamilton was - but I think it has another meaning too
So yeah, it could be seen in a hypocritical way that he would call out someone for their dressing choices while wearing extravagant clothing himself - but it could also be seen as him commenting on Hamilton's only recent rise into the more wealthier and influential political sphere, where Hamilton would try to fit in with more fancy clothing and a more expensive lifestyle
Basically a "the poor person tries to look like one of us rich kids and fit into the club" kind of thing
Which got really ironic when Jefferson was consumed by debt in his later years and lost most of his inherited wealthy lifestyle
Another ironic thing would be that Hamilton is somewhat royalty - with ancestors being related to the scottish monarchy (one of his ancestors, James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of arran was a cousin of Mary Stuart, the scottish up coming queen who got executed by Elizabeth 1 - James ruled Scotland during the time when Mary was still a baby and would have become the king if Mary hadn't been born) - the only obstacles would be that England took over Scotland around the time Hamilton lived and that Hamilton was illegitimate, not to mention that his father as the third son of an Earl would have never inherited anything from his family
Sooo many extra layers I hadn't any idea about 🤯 Love it, historically-tinged rabbit holes are the best rabbit holes! 😁
The design of the show is filled with these kinds of close enough to historical touches. The vast majority of the lighting is meant to look natural, so it's mostly varying shades of white to pale yellow with some nice window and plant gobos to break up the space occasionally. Color doesn't enter the design for a long time. I think they do largely use LED fixtures, but they read like the more traditional lamp (theatrical light bulb) style. Obviously, they didn't have electricity in colonial time, but the lights help the show feel like an older world coming alive onstage. Same with the exposed wooden sets that move on modern computer operated tracks. It all looks real enough to trick the mind into accepting the modern score and choreography as the right choice for the story.
I literally started to google a Hamilton Costume Review after watching it last night, but got frustrated, when I couldn't find much after 30 Minutes of research. So it felt incredibly surreal to wake up to a Bernadette Banner video doing exactly what I had been looking for the next morning. Thank you, Bernadette, for reading my mind :)
When I saw the switch to Federalist style I was SO EXCITED. I’d listened to the soundtrack and admired the music so many times and seeing the costumes and set and movement work to fill the gaps in exposition that may get glossed over in the songs impressed the hell out of me.
This was so so informative. Being an actress in a country where most of the times the costumes are the last item on the budget, all made in smelly polyester taffeta with no stretching, and where the “creative liberties” are basically just doing whatever “feels” right instead of deeply looking into the period being depicted, this was a wonderful breath of fresh air on how things can be well done, depicting the period without making the actors suffer (as much ;)).
Love love this kind of stuff and would love to know more on your experience with theatre costuming, if you fancy doing so one day.
Thank you for doing this video, despite not wanting to do it :)
I remember when I first watched Hamilton I was another annoying "the actors of color are not historically accurate"-blah blah. But then I had to be honest with myself, I'm not American and I have no idea about American history and for some reason that ignorance of historical accuracy was okay for me, but a high percentage of incredibly talented actors of color wasn't? And that's when I realized that I was the problem. It wasn't nice to feel this way, but I hope it lets me be more appreciative and loving ☺️
Glad your self internalization helped!
I must admit for me the one thing the Afro-centric casting did tend to do was to somewhat obscure the fact that this was an era of enslavement, so much so that most of the main characters being portrayed were actual slave owners themselves? But I'm not very familiar with the playwriter's intentions - perhaps this was an intentional choice for some reason...?
@Kate Mask - The casting choices gave actors that would not have ordinarily been given such a chance to perform in the spotlight a big break. Also, I think that representing the new Americans with such diversity and King George as a standard pale-face underscores the shifting and exhilarating nature of the nascent country.
I think the main reason is for the diverse audience to connect to the story. American history is for all Americans, not just the ones who look like the white founding fathers.
The whole point of using people of color was to remind people that history leaves out their stories.
OH MY GOD I LITERALLY JUST FINISHED WATCHING HAMILTON AND I WAS
THINKING THIS OH MY GOD
How was it
you thought this entire video essay? what
Copying here what I pasted with this when shared on my Facebook page:
First off, I love Bernadette in her own right as a historical clothing specialist, but her look into the parallel between the design and function of the costumes here, and the structure and format of Hamilton itself gives a refreshing and even deeper impact to the musical itself. To my Hamilton loving friends, this is a definite must-watch!
I absolutely love your style of review here; giving full credit to the costuming department for understanding what they're doing and why, while breaking it down for the rest of us. The details of the sleeve gussets, elbow darts, and modified stays were particularly interesting, and I hadn't even thought of the sleeve attachments! If you were to do more of this style of video, I personally think it would be best served as an occasional treat. Make one when the fancy strikes and you have things you want to say! Not because you felt obligated to do so.
That said, I loved the insight you've given not just to the historical garments themselves, but to the probable reasoning behind the modifications made to them. A delight to watch!
When I watched Hamilton last night I was geeking out that they actually showed the change in fashion through the different time periods. This morning, TH-cam recommended this video and I am so happy it did. Thank you!
Thank you, sincerely, for the detail on sleeve cuts, both for theater purposes and in real life. As someone who works in theater, your point about silhouette and fabric color and “texture” (not accurate as much as evocative under light) to allow suspension of disbelief, while balancing practicality of stage needs is necessary. And yes, singing and dancing require more flexibility that purely accurate corsets or stays/boning would allow, it is still possible so go a great deal with more modest modifications than we thinks. Indeed, the proper under structure can do a great deal to help the performer carry the weight of heavy and/or abundant fabric.
Love all the theater details that you talk about! Hamilton is a favorite and it's great to hear about the costumes. Great video once again, Bernadette!
Thank you for this amazing explanation! Phew, balancing historical accuracy and the requirements for high energy performances (and, of course, supporting the story of the piece visually) sounds like a huge amount of work. No wonder some shows and movies end up with questionable costuming choices!
Fun side note: Deep-cut "armscythes" can cause the same issues in 3D animation (although the result there is texture warping and not restricted arm movement). When I explain this part of 3D character creation to students, I show them a video of one of my friends moving his arms in a suit jacket vs. the same movements in a blazer with casual sleeves and low armholes. Always get lots of "ooh"s and "aah"s, and 5 minutes of downtime while everyone's comparing their jackets' armhole sizes and complaining about suits. Never had to remind anyone about keeping the connection of their character's torso to the arm as small as possible though.
“The historically accurate king himself” LOL
This was a fascinating, educated, eloquent dissection of Hamilton, not only from a costume standpoint, but from a literary point. I have been so frustrated with people going "But we shouldn't glorify the founding fathers!" like, I know! I think Lin-Manuel Miranda knows too, because this gives them less "glory" than they probably got every other way they were taught you! It's not strictly about the founding fathers, it's about America and the drive for freedom!
As an American. I think people should understand the fact the things they did back then was okay while it isn’t today, morality slowly changes over time, it doesn’t happen fast. I’m not saying it’s good, I’m just saying that’s how it is at the time.
I just watched the film and saw "You'll Be Back" performed for the first time and was wondering why he didn't move around as much as I was expecting, and then it turns out it's all a parallel between historical accuracy and monarchical pressure and I AM EVEN MORE IN AWE OF THIS SHOW NOW thanks to your brilliantly laid-out thesis!
i clicked on this thinking it was an older video, and was like "how did i miss Bernadette talking about musical theatre, much less Hamilton?" and then i realized it said "31 minutes ago" instead of "3 years ago."
i am illiterate sometimes.
wHaTd I mIsS
I never watched Hamilton, but if I do at some point in the future, at least I now have some wonderful points to lovingly throw at the nearest unsuspecting victim. I mean, how else do we show our love for anything ever, if not through discussions on sleeves, seams and silhouettes?
I love that everybody’s shading that Emma Watson dress. I live for it
Is that commonly accepted now? I remember when the movie came out, some people were defending that dress. I cannot fathom why.
Love how you explain and compliment the combination of historical realism and practical theatre realism.
Also you almost completely side tracked me with the realisation there is a brilliant fix for being able to move your arms in jackets. Modern cuts just don’t implement them in regular clothing, much like the issue of female pockets, so it was amazing to find out there IS a fix for that issue after all. Thanks for the sketch that helped show exactly what you were talking about sewing wise with the square patch and notes on how this could be incorporated into the design itself so the patch wasn’t as obvious.
I think I did see you adding a small square to a sleeve once (I just can’t remember where) so it’s interesting to now reflect on that and have an even better understanding of how that tiny square can impact the design.
the sisters wear stockings, hip pads, and fichus, but no stays! there’s a pic somewhere of dorcas, julia, and isa backstage in their underthings, complete with modern bras :)
I wonder if anything differed depending on the production. Like how King George the 3rd apparently has a different costume in England, and how some Lafayettes had different coloured waistcoats.
As Bernadette said, she is uncertain if they are wearing stays under because of how boned the dress itself is. Additionally, they could have originally had stays, but as stays should be custom made to fit right, I'm not sure if they would want to be making stays for every sister there ever was.
@@fibromiteready2fight809 What costume did he have? Do you, by any chance have a link? Thx
but at least thye mad it look like they had them
you’re like an articulate super villain and I’m here for it
Now we must come up with her nemesis name ?!
@@m.maclellan7147 Emma Watson
I've never seen Hamilton live, and after watching the movie I immediately recommended it to my mother. She's a costume designer and I knew she'd enjoy it for all of the reasons you've identified. The first time Eliza appeared in a Federalist gown I actually cried out "Ooo! Look, it's the 1790s!" My husband didn't get it. 😂
I LOVE how the Hamilton costumes evolve with the story to show the passage of time. For some reason, it seems like a lot of way more "accurate" shows/movies don't even try to do that (looking at you, Poldark lol) Plus, it lets the costume designer show off tons of beautiful different styles!
I cannot wait until the day that you and Micarah Tewers can get together for a joint video. You guys are complete opposites, yet so alike. You live in a gorgeous NYC apartment with a guinea pig, and she lives in an RV with her chickens, but are both dedicated to sewing gorgeous outfits, and it would just be the best thing ever. You and Micarah hitting up the thrift store and Dollar Tree for your outfits would just be the BEST.
Thank you, this play is a visual feast of costuming. Love costumes and have made them for many plays as my children were dance and musical theatre people. Getting historical accuracy while still allowing for actor movement and audience belief is an art. Thank you for reviewing Hamilton’s costumes, it makes me smile when others appreciate the sheer ingenuity and the provoking mind work required by costumers in creating an atmosphere through costumes that actually conveys and carries the entire cast, story and audience. Blessings Bernadette!
I feel like I just sat in on a special guest lecture at college and need to go debrief at the university Einstein’s with my friends to talk about what a genius and phenomenal speaker the special guest was
You forgot to mention the fact that all the men are basically wearing riding britches and riding boots. I'm sure there is some "spandex" in those historically accurate cotton breaches. lol. Also those men should be applauded for being able to dance in tall black riding boots very difficult.
Roses are red,
North Pole is chilly.
Would Bernadette Banner leave Emma Watson alone?
Think again, silly
It's the dress and the hair, not Emma Watson, that she criticises. Difficult concept I realise but they are not the same thing, especially as Emma would have had little control over either.
@@joannakasper5486 Actually, Watson had the final say over the costuming decisions pertaining to the dress in Beauty in the Beast, as immortalized in the story of her being presented the ball gown by the costume designer, and forcing the costume designer to remake the gown. The main issue I see being brought up by Bernadette and other fashion historians/youtubers is the lack of corset, stays, or boning in the bodice of her ballgown. This was a personal decision by Watson herself that she talked about during the press tour at length. I can't speak to her say in any hair decisions though.
@@callanengstrom2532 yeah.. I watched it in theatres (remember those) when it first came out and her first scene I was like.... no corset, I hate this movie already It basically ruined it for me. Then I found out she decided to be "feminist" about it. This really damaged my view of Emma. Im with Bernadette on this :P
Never! My ears still bleed from her autotune. That dress was so bad that even I, a guy with minimal interest in costume design, feels bad for whoever made that thing.
@@joannakasper5486 That's not true. Emma Watson had input and decision making power. She even had the costumer make her first dress transformable. Saying Belle would make it so it could be pinned up for running/riding/physical activity.
I've seen Hamilton live before, but after watching your videos since the beginning of quarantine and then watching Hamilton on Disney+ I noticed for the first time the shift to the more Regency-era silhouette as the show progressed and felt so weirdly proud of myself. Thank you for helping me learn!
I think you missed the part of the amount of historical accuracy of Hercules Mulligan’s flower boy throwing :’((