twilight movie fashion

Here's an article written by EW writer Lindsey Soll who interviewed costume designer Wendy Chuck on how she dressed up the cast!

'Twilight': How Bella and Edward Got Their Look

DRESSING BELLA

''I wanted to dress Bella (Kristen Stewart) apart from the Forks kids because she arrives there as an outsider [from Arizona],'' explains Twilight's costume designer, Wendy Chuck. ''She's in lots of warm earth tones, with some Southwestern elements thrown in.'' Being the new girl in school wasn't the only obstacle Bella faced: ''Having come from a warm, sunny climate to the rainy gloom of Forks, we wanted to make her unprepared for the cold and the rain.'' Which is why, Chuck explains, we don't see Bella in a raincoat until later on in the tale.

DRESSING EDWARD

In order to dress Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) in a manner befitting the teen idol that author Stephenie Meyer envisioned, Chuck says she turned to the royals of the early 19th century: ''His name personifies his look, which to me was English Edwardian. He's the embodiment of an Edwardian gentleman — very proper, has manners, and is very charming.'' The vampire's clothes weren't all inspired by history, though. As Chuck points out, ''He wears a pair of shoes that are lace-up and of the early 1900s, but then he also wears more current sporty clothes.''

EDWARD'S PEA COAT

''Everybody wants to know where his pea coat came from!'' exclaims the costumer. Unfortunately, it is a one-of-a-kind piece (er, sort of: three to four were made for filming purposes) which Chuck herself crafted after not being able to find the perfect one. ''We needed the right fit, [and] I couldn't find anything in the right shade of gray,'' she recalls. ''Catherine [Hardwicke, the director] is really big on back story for her characters and anything that can help that, even if it's in a texture or color of clothes.'' After considering ''probably 20 swatches,'' Chuck went with one from Mood Fabrics and based her final design on a combination of other styles of pea coats. In the end, his turned out as ''a classic shape with a modern twist.''

BELLA'S BROWN HOODIE

During the pivotal parking lot scene, Bella wears a hoodie by Nordstrom store brand Rubbish and mittens by Ruth Cross — a conscious choice by Chuck to not use designer brands: ''My look is always character-based and not fashion-based. It's really easy to get over-stylish, and I felt that Bella in particular had to be anchored in the real world.''

BELLA'S CREAM THERMAL

Filming in Washington during the winter months meant dealing with icy temperatures, so nestled under Bella's brown hoodie were lots of layers, including this long-sleeved cream top. The thermal, by Curious Gypsy, had thumbholes on the sleeve, making it ''a bit unusual and different,'' notes Chuck.

BELLA'S BLUE JACKET

The cargo jacket by Jack BB Dakota wasn't actually supposed to appear in Twilight. ''I was planning to use the brown hoodie for that sequence, but the director of photography hated the fact that her hair and the jacket were both brown and felt she got lost in it,'' says Chuck, who then made a last-minute run to outlet store Nordstrom Rack to hunt for a replacement. ''I literally brought that blue one on set just before they rolled cameras. Then Catherine said, 'Wendy saved the day!' That made me a hero.'' Good news for fans: Because of its massive popularity, the newly dubbed ''Twilight'' jacket will be reissued in July for $84. Check back with BB Dakota for store listings.

BELLA'S ACCESSORIES

As Bella's feelings for Edward change, careful viewers may notice a shift in her wardrobe, as well: ''Her sense of style becomes less tomboy and more feminine,'' Chuck says. ''So rather than go wildly feminine because she was always wearing pants, that really left me to find some pieces that had a little feminine touch.'' (This particular embroidered top is by Lucky Brand.) Also adding to the girly quotient were Bella's accessories: a moonstone ring (which, as Chuck recalls, was made by the props department), a headband (another custom creation), and a delicate turquoise bracelet, which was ''something that we were to think her mom gave her,'' adds the costumer who found the original cuff in L.A. and had six copies made to fit Stewart's tiny wrist.

DRESSING THE CULLEN FAMILY

Chuck had to pay special attention when mapping out clothes for the blood-sucking Cullen brood. ''I didn't want to go too traditional black... I wanted them to feel cold and frozen.'' So she outfitted the family in grays, whites, and blues, while being careful to not go too over-the-top. ''The Cullens have wildly expensive taste and money. At the same time, I had to anchor them in the practical world of going to school and being able to blend with everyone else.''


MORE ON THE CULLENS...AND THAT CREST

Along with a blazer from GUESS, Rosalie (Nikki Reed, left) wears a scarf (which Chuck remembers as Forever 21) and a Cullen crest necklace made by the props department. ''When I first met Catherine, I presented the idea that the Cullens should have a crest that they would wear in different ways,'' the costumer says. ''It's a very old-world thing to do.'' Alice (Ashley Greene), who's also sporting a smaller version of the family crest around her neck, wears a lace cardigan from Anthropologie. ''She's kooky and very artistic, so it was important to throw texture and layers on her, and for her to wear things in unusual ways.''

BELLA'S PROM DRESS

Knowing all eyes would be on Bella's prom look, Chuck had to choose carefully. The bolero was a vintage piece that she cut, restyled, and re-sequined. The dress was a little more serendipitous: ''It was miracle find!'' exclaims Chuck, who picked up the Max and Cleo silk dress at discount store Ross — and for $20. (Fun fact: Chuck also purchased the only other one left in the store so she could use the extra material to create one long dress. But, in the end, she left the dress as-is, using the second for a photo double.) ''I always say I channel clothes, I don't necessarily design them — it's divine sometimes the way it happens!''

link to article: http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20235659_20235667_20266886_9,00.html