An accurate wardrobe selection can make or break a film, but what happens when a mishap goes unnoticed? These are some of the craziest costumes fails that made it all the way to the big screen, and there are some surprising ones...
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Nefertiti is absolutely stunning in her teal silk dress in the flick The Ten Commandments, but costume designers made an accidental mistake with this outfit. Taking place between the 16th and 13th centuries, the only way to dye silk would have been with natural tints. While it certainly is a striking color, a teal dress would not have been possible quite yet.
La La Land (2016)
Mia and Sebastian from La La Land get into a bit of trouble during this road rage scene. During the incident, the leading man is seen wearing a brown shirt. Later on, he returns to his house to talk to his sister. In this scene, the shirt is blue. Next scene, Sebastian goes back to a brown shirt while playing the piano. The director noticed the continuity error a little too late...
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
In the very first installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean, the now-iconic saga had one tiny flaw in their costuming. When the infamous Captain Jack arrives at Port Royal, the British soldiers are seen holding him at gunpoint while wearing red coats. The movie takes place in the 1720s, but the British Empire didn't issue these uniforms until 1747!
Public Enemies (2009)
Johnny Depp portrays the dashing John Dillinger in the film Public Enemies, a bank robber in Depression-era America who is considered a pest by J. Edgar Hoover and the newly-formed FBI. Here, charming Dillinger can be seen wearing a modern, simplistic robe that, while cool, would have been too expensive at the time, and likely would not have worn it in the first place.
Wonder Woman (2017)
Wonder Woman was, not surprisingly, one of the top-performing flicks this year. While impressive, even Gal Gadot makes some mistakes. When the audience sees Wonder Woman running through a dirt-covered battleground in the midst of a vicious war, her clothing somehow remains in perfect condition. Despite the mud, she stays pristine throughout...
The King's Speech (2010)
Colin Firth as Prince Albert in The King's Speech earned him critical acclaim and widespread appeal, but there were a few mishaps. Sure, he took home the Academy Award for Best Actor, but he's not without fault. In one scene, fans can catch Firth sporting an Irish kilt. Cute, but not the Scottish Balmoral kilt he should have been wearing at that time.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Peggy Carter is first seen in the first installment of the Captain America franchise as Cap's love interest. She is depicted here with a shoulder-length hairstyle. Although her hairstyle does fit the trends of that time period, women serving in the military during the 1940s were asked to tie their hair back to keep them safe; it wasn't even allowed to touch the collar of their uniform!
Back to the Future
In the pivotal high school dance scene, our protagonist Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) is spotted jamming out on the electric guitar, but not just any old guitar, it just so happens to be an ES-345 Gibson from 1958. This is a pretty cool instrument, but McFly wouldn't be able to have played "Johnny B. Goode," because he was transported back to 1955.
The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
Beautiful Natalie Portman starred alongside Scarlett Johansson and Eric Ban in The Other Boelyn Girl, an insightful period piece about King Henry VIII's wife Anne Boelyn. In the flick, Natalie can be seen sporting a French Hood and her long hair down her back. Set in the 1500s, Portman would have more realistically had her hair pulled back with the veil covering it completely.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Even though the cast of Dirty Dancing was indeed having the time of their lives, no one in costuming seemed to notice this simple mistake. Baby's denim shorts were cute and cuffed, but a bit ahead of their time. The film is set in the year 1963, but these fashionable denim shorts wouldn't become a trendy staple for another two decades. Sorry, Baby!
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade features quite a lot of Nazi costuming that might seem factually accurate, but there was a major flaw with the depiction of the uniforms. The Nazis can be seen sporting several medals on their clothing, but medals like this were not brought to uniforms until after the conclusion of WWII. Since the film was set in 1938, World War II was just beginning.
Glory (1989)
Matthew Broderick, Cary Elwes, and Morgan Freeman all act in the American Civil War film Glory, which the story of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. In one scene, one of the Civil War soldiers from the film can be seen spotted wearing a very out of place digital watch. Digital watches, not shockingly, were not invented until almost 61 years later in 1923.
Pretty Woman (1990)
In filming Pretty Woman, the crew must have been so distracted by the chemistry between Julia Roberts and Richard Gere that they totally missed one important detail. When one special scene opens, Vivian is wearing a long nightgown. However, by the time the scene is finished, her long nightgown has become significantly shorter.
Julius Caesar (1953)
This dramatic and memorable 1953 historical piece forgot to leave behind its modern costuming design. At the time of filming, bullet bras were all the rage for women's undergarments. It was the trend in fashion. Tragically, since the movie takes place sometime around 44 B.C., the bullet bra would not have been the likely choice for ladies of the era...
The Untouchables
In this edgy 1987 crime film, Kevin Costner stars as a cunning prohibition agent who is set on taking down the legendary crime boss known as Al Capone (played by Robert De Niro). Although he can be seen here wearing a dapper suit with lapels on the sides, historians have noted that lapels were not popularized on men's suits until much later.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
You won't like him when he's angry! When the scary green Hulk, also known as Bruce Banner, attempts to escape with Thor and disguise himself in the crowd, he's suddenly covered head to toe in some sort of bright neon green powder. Strangely, in the following scene, Banner is sparkling clean. At least he's still green when it counts...
Django Unchained (2012)
This Quentin Tarantino film follows the life of Django (Jamie Foxx) as he navigates the violent world of 1800s slavery in the southern states. The movie grossed almost $300,000,000 at the box office. You might notice that Foxx's character spends a large portion of the flick wearing sunglasses, but sunglasses weren't actually around until 1929!
Almost Famous (2000)
In the rock n' roll era of 1973, shy 15-year-old William Miller (played by Patrick Fugit) follows a band throughout their many exploits while acting as a music-journalist. William can be seen here wearing an edgy Black Sabbath tee that was first created in 1997. Very stylish, but this film takes place almost two decades before that, so this is pretty unlikely.
Troy (2004)
Orlando Bloom in Troy can be spotted atop his beloved horse, galloping through town underneath a pink umbrella to keep him cool. Meanwhile, the faithful Trojan men following in suit. While very pretty and functional, this type of parasol was invented by the Greeks in the 5th century BCE, which was 800 years after Troy was conquered.
Zootopia (2016)
Judy the rabbit comes home from a hard day of work. Wearing a pink, scoop-neck t-shirt when watching her "Carrots for One" TV dinner in the microwave, she sits down to eat her meal. In the next shot, she's wearing her officer uniform once again. The director said this is from a scrapped scene where Judy changed out of her work clothes into PJs.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Seen here wearing a headset beneath his cap, Jim Mortia is talking to his team. However, it's fairly common knowledge that these brave soldiers would not yet have had access to that kind of communication technology during WWII. In fact, that level of technology advancement would not be developed for another 6 decades...too long to wait.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a wild trip back in time...kind of. This epic blockbuster hit had a few minor errors that accidentally made their way to theaters. In one scene that was meant to take place in 1945, Brad Pitt is seen wearing aviator sunglasses. Very stylish! Sadly, aviators were not invented until 1952, about half a decade after the scene was set.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Featuring Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, and Kate Beckinsale, this 2001 war drama depicts the female roles in knee-length dresses and skirts, notably without stockings. It might have been a choice by the movie, but it wasn't an accurate one. If this was really 1941, it would have been highly encouraged for a woman to have left the house in stockings.
Gladiator (2000)
Take a quick look, and this photo seems totally normal. Upon closer inspection though, you can just barely see Russell Crowe's nude high-waisted shapewear under his fierce gladiator costume. You don't need to be a historian to know that Spanx didn't exist in the time of the Roman Empire. Marcus Aurelius did not have a natural hourglass figure!
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Young Harrison Ford stars in this famous series, and he is certainly quite the looker as it stands, but don't miss the guy in the background. This random extra seems to have accidentally wandered into the wrong time period. Jeans and a t-shirt are fashionable these days, but it isn't exactly common attire for the 1930s. Maybe he was just ahead of the times...
Pride & Prejudice
Pride & Prejudice was a novel first published by esteemed author Jane Austen in 1813, and the movie was supposed to reflect that era. Lizzie (played by Keira Knightley) can be seen walking through a muddy field in rubber shoes, but rubber shoes weren't even available until 1853. If they wanted to maintain historical accuracy, Knightley should have some soaking wet feet.
Legends of the Fall (1994)
Brad Pitt's hair was pretty lush and long in Legends of the Fall, where the aforementioned star plays Tristan Ludlow. The film was set in the year of 1910, but that didn't stop Pitt's character from forgetting to shave. Men with stubble and long hair wouldn't become socially trendy until nearly fifty years later, so Tristan isn't a very realistic character by design.
Pretty Woman (1990)
There were a few missteps in this flick. They sure shared some crazy chemistry on screen, but their connection was just a distraction for some bigger errors. For instance, in the scene where Richard Gere is watching I Love Lucy, Julia Roberts undoes his tie. In the following scene, however, his tie has been re-done. In the scene after it's undone again.
Papillon (2017)
Rami Malek portrays the doomed character of Louis Dega, a French millionaire who has been sentenced to serve time at French Guiana after forging official documents. When a prisoner is set to be killed, the prison master tells the others to place their hats on the ground. However, in the shot of the scene, Malek's hat is nowhere on the ground or on him.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Tom Hanks, Vin Diesel, and Matt Damon are all in this 1998 war drama following the search for Private James Ryan, whose three siblings have died in combat. The movie is set during the famous Invasion of Normandy in World War II. The soldiers in this scene appear to be wearing black jump boots, but this style of shoe wasn't invented until the 1950s.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
In the plot of this 2002 crime film, Leonardo DiCaprio, Amy Adams, and Tom Hanks, all act in what was supposed to be set in the 1960s. They all took on some interesting roles. For instance, Amy Adams can be seen here sporting wire metal braces, but that type of dental work didn't become popularized or readily available until the 1970s.
Good Night and Good Luck (2005)
The historical drama Good Night and Good Luck, about a conflict between a veteran television reporter and a U.S. senator, stars David Strathairn, George Clooney, and Robert Downey Jr. Set in the 1950s, the film features officers wearing name tags. However, name tags like this would not have been worn by military personnel until 1967...
The Color Purple (1985)
The Color Purple earned several awards for it's moving p[lotline. The film follows several African American women who are living in the south during the 1900s. As moving as the film might be, it also features Danny Glover sporting a clip-on tie—an accessory that wasn't invented until 16 years after the film takes place.
Seabiscuit (2003)
Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, and Chris Cooper team up in this film to care for a small, temperamental racehorse named Seabiscuit. This 2003 equestrian drama has a few mishaps though. For instance, Maguire plays the jockey, Red Pollard, but his jockey gear is not plausible. The chinstrap helmet wasn't invented until 1956, but the movie is set in 1938.
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
This 1995 Jane Austen novel to screen adaptation tells the story of the famous Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, as they come of age and find true love. There's even a baby on set! Very cute, but the baby in the film is wearing too modern of a diaper for the late 1700s time period. At the time, babies would have only been wearing cloth diapers.
My Girl (1991)
My Girl is a heartbreaking coming-of-age story following an 11-year-old whose mother died while in labor. Anna Chlumsky, who plays the protagonist Vada Sultenfuss, can be seen sporting a mood ring, very common for young girls, right? Well, maybe if the movie wasn't set in 1972, because mood rings only became popular in about 1975.
The Last Samurai (2003)
In The Last Samurai, an American military officer (played by Tom Cruise) is brought on by the Emperor of Japan to train and teach the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. He looks pretty cool in the uniform. However, Cruise's cool samurai armor was actually used almost 250 years before the era during which the movie is set.
The Notebook (2004)
The Notebook tells a heartbreaking love story of life and loss. The film stars Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, and James Marsden in a wild love triangle, but maybe it was Marsden's changing hair. In the scene where Lon is waiting for Allie after recovering from the injuries he got in the war, his hair changes from brown to black and back to brown.
Amadeus (1984)
This 1984 period piece explores the life and hardships of the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Taking place in the 18th century, the costuming is intricate, elaborate, and superb, but you might notice that they were all designed with zippers. Functional, but zippers weren't invented until almost a century after Mozart passed away.
The Great Escape (1963)
This dramatic 1963 flick tells the story of Allied prisoners of war who escaped from a German Nazi camp during World War II. Steve McQueen portrays Captain Virgil, an American whose clothes are a little too familiar. Yep, this outfit is way too modern for someone who spent time as a Prisoner of War in Nazi Germany. This must have been a director's choice.
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
This Australian mystery drama is about a group of young women at a private school near Woodend, Victoria. It is the morning of Valentine's day in the year 1900. During the time the film was set, their hair would have been tied up, or at the very least curled for volume. However, the girls in the film wore their hair straight, down, and parted down the middle.
Gangs of New York (2002)
In the 2002 crime drama directed by Martin Scorcese, Gangs of New York, a youthful Leonardo DiCaprio portrays a young Irish immigrant who is also seeking revenge on his father's mysterious killer. The film takes place in the year 1863. In one scene, a firefighter can be seen wearing a uniform that is protective, but far too modern for the 19th century.
The Mummy (1999)
Hold on to your hats, this one is a little spooky. In The Mummy, a couple of treasure-seeking explorers accidentally unearth a 3,000-year-old legacy of fright in the form of a long-dead mummy. When Rick and Evelyn are traveling through the City of the Dead in a tunnel, Rick is wearing a leather band on his wrist. Watch closely, it comes and goes in every shot!
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Although the flick Singin' in the Rain was set sometime during the late 1920s, Kathy Selden (played by Debbie Reynolds) can be seen wearing an adorably fluffy pink tulle dress. This type of fashion was clearly a product of the 1950s, but perhaps that was overlooked in favor of trendy on-screen fashions and convincing the audience that Moses' toses were roses.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Daniel Day-Lewis plays a miner-turned-oil magnate in the acclaimed film There Will Be Blood. Fortunately, the only thing wrong with his performance had to do with his untimely footwear, not his acting chops. Day-Lewis can be seen sporting waffle sole boots even though the movie takes place in the late 1800s; waffle soles were invented by Nike in the 1970s.
Ben Hur (1959)
Charles Heston was so excited about his big new performance that he was totally unaware that the Star of David he was wearing in Ben Hur wasn't actually authentic. In fact, the first record of associating the Star of David with Judaism was sometime in the 12th century. However, the iconic six-pointed star has no biblical or Talmudic authority.
Unforgiven (1992)
When a local sex worker is horribly disfigured by a pair of malicious cowboys, the town sheriff (played by Gene Hackman) isn't too happy about the act of violence. Gene Hackman's character can be seen sporting pants that have belt loops in one scene, but belt loops only became popular in the 1920s. The film Unforgiven takes place in 1880, a little too early for that.
The Tudors (2007)
This one shouldn't be too shocking. Although fashion was an important part of The Tudors, a Showtime drama focusing on the early life of King Henry VIII's nearly 40-year reign. In the show, women donned ruff collars around their bare necks. Western European women would not have worn this feature in the 1500s—the look was actually considered very scandalous for its era.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Set in the year 1194, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves follows the nobleman crusader Robin of Locksley (played by Kevin Costner) as he escapes an Israeli prison with fellow prisoner Azeem (played by Morgan Freeman). In the film, Robin Hood gets a telescope as a present from a friend—but the seeing device wasn't invented until many centuries later during the 17th century.
Pompeii (2014)
Emperor Nero echoed the sentiments of Edna Mode from The Incredible: that's right, no capes! In 2014's exciting historical drama, Pompeii, some generals can be seen sporting ornate purple capes, but Nero was known for putting anyone who wore purple capes to death. This could have been just an ironic mistake or a deliberate joke.
American Hustle (2013)
In 2013, a black comedy called American Hustle came to the big screen. It was inspired by the FBI Abscam operation from the late 1970s-early 1980s. The award-winning picture features comedian and offender Louis C.K. as Stoddard Thorsen, seen wearing a Rolex in one scene. However, this version of Rolex was first produced in 2010, forty years after the film takes place.
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Ingrid Pitt stars alongside Clint Eastwood, Richard Burton, and Mary Ure in this movie about a team of Allied soldiers. The group is tasked with staging a dangerous rescue in the midst of World War II, and tensions grow high. Ingrid Pitt plays Heidi, a German waitress, but her stylish updo hairdo is far too 1960s for the WWII time period.
Schindler's List (1993)
Somehow, every woman in the 1993 drama Schindler's List managed to keep their armpits and legs smooth while in concentration camps. Yeah, this movie lacked quite a lot of historical accuracy. Not only was this women didn't normally shave at this time, but there was also no possible way for anyone to have shaved their bodies in that situation. This one doesn't add up.
Braveheart (1995)
This Mel Gibson flick was one of the most successful movies of the late 1990s. It is placed in the 13th century, and Braveheart famously depicts Gibson wearing a Scottish kilt. These types of kilts were not worn by Scots until hundreds of years later in the 16th century, so while very iconic, this costume design is not historically accurate.
Quadrophenia (1979)
The rockers and the mods come head to head in this moody and angst-ridden Londoner drama. Featuring music created by the famous band The Who, Quadrophenia is set in the 1960s. However, one of the rockers can be seen wearing a Motorhead shirt—a band that surely appreciated the shout out, but wasn't actually formed until 20 years later in 1979.
The Informant! (2009)
Matt Damon and Joel McHale star in The Informant!, a comedic biographical crime film in which the employee of an agricultural company agrees to wear a wire and investigate his employers for the FBI. In one scene, the FBI officer is seen golfing with some special Nike golf shoes. These shoes were only made in 1996. The movie takes place between 1992 and 1994, making these shoes impossible.
Closer (2004)
In this Oscar-nominated Mike Nichols film adaptation of a book by Patrick Marber, Natalie Portman plays a young US exotic dancer in the UK. Although Nichols reportedly removed all of Natalie's scandalous nude scenes in the editing process, Portman's lingerie slips about an inch too far while speaking to Clive Owen. Yikes!
Titanic (1997)
Titanic won a lot of critical acclaim for its impeccable costume design, but there was one small wardrobe malfunction in the 1997 biopic. When she's first introduced to the audience, Rose Dawson (played by Kate Winslet) has a beauty mark on the left side of her face, but the mark suddenly relocates to the right side of her face and stays there for the remainder of the film.
Ricochet (1991)
In Ricochet, an edgy 1991 thriller-drama, Denzel Washington’s character has some serious muscle mass. Not surprisingly, that means he spends some time in the nude in a men’s locker room. Denzel leaps up and hides when a woman enters the room at one point, and in the process of escaping her notice, exposes more than he originally intended...
The Wedding Singer (Adam Sandler)
In 1998, the hit romantic comedy The Wedding Singer featured Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler sharing some electric and quirky onscreen chemistry. Despite these adorable rom-com moments, Barrymore's hairstyle is a far cry from the hairstyles of the early 1980s, when the film is supposedly set to take place. The trend is much more in line with the 1990s.