This landmark book celebrates, for the very first time, the costume designer's contribution to the telling of the cinematic story in 100 years of Hollywood. Rocking the conventions of what is considered 'costume', Hollywood Costume reveals what is hidden in plain sight: that films are about people and it is the art of the costume designer who helps create those characters. This book looks at this process of transformation by analyzing some of the finest and most eclectic costumes from the most beloved films of the last 100 years. As well as essays by a wide variety of leading scholars, archivists and private collectors, the book incorporates contributions by key costume designers, actors and directors working in Hollywood today. Fabulous golden age of Hollywood costumes are juxtaposed beside all the contemporary classics including The Tramp, Ben Hur, Cleopatra, The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Pirates of the Caribbean, Ocean's Eleven, Sherlock Holmes and Avatar.