“The Women” is a comedy—drama film that is about a wealthy woman who is unaware of the affair that her husband is having with a shop-girl. The film revolves around several other dramas of women, highlighting the background of 1930s Hollywood films as represented by the images of women. Historically, the film was produced during the Depression era when less audience went to drama. The emergence of women in the 1939 film was a strategy to woo American audiences. The costumes used in the film support the narrative by reinforcing the personalities of the characters (The Women). The selection of costumes, when the movie begins, portrays the modern life of the many women who are seen at the scene of a beauty salon.
The costumes that the women put on reveal the modernity at the time despite their age. The costumes reflect the need for women to show their appropriate appearances in order to get the right women. Apparently, the happiness and personal fulfillment of the women depend on the degree to which their bodies conform to contemporary standards of beauty, as shown in the costumes The choice of costumes at the scene of a salon functions as a sign of different social classes (The Women).
For the character Crystal, dress is a tool to show her sexuality. When Sylvia and Peggy gets to the shopping mall where she works, it is noticeable that her dress is sexier than those of the other counter girls. Crystal and the other counter girls are wearing the same costumes thou that of Crystal is noticeable at a glance. She also possesses more jewelry than the rest of the other girls. Her sexuality is also shown because she exposes her neck and Chest. Apparently, the costume used by Crystal is to woo Mr. Hainess. The costumes in the film are, therefore, used to explain the roles and personalities of the characters.
