The Hunger Games and Fashion in the Capitol
Written By TFN Writer: Mariah Cade
Spoiler Warning: General discussion of characters and events in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
With the recent release of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in theaters, the world has once more been sucked into the world of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games. I just saw The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and I definitely feel like I’m experiencing my tween-age fascination with this series all over again. This new installment of the beloved series serves as a prequel that chronicles the story of Coriolanus Snow (yes, President Snow) and Lucy Gray Baird. The first two acts of the film take place in the Capitol of Panem, however, the latter is quite different from the one we have seen in the original quartet of films. Taking place sixty-four prior to the events of The Hunger Games, the Capitol in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes still shows wounds from war with bleak aesthetics that are reminiscent of the 1940s and 1950s in America. This draws a stark comparison from the flourishing, modern Capitol that audiences have seen in the first four installments of the series.
In both the prequel and the original quartet of films, the Capitol maintains a comfortable elevation from reality in the Districts, with its inhabitants enjoying a relatively decadent, carefree existence. This luxurious lifestyle is reflected in the clothing that we see Capitol citizens wear throughout the series. In The Hunger Games films, clothing serves as a powerful medium through which moral values, themes, status and more can be conveyed to the audience. Specifically, the Capitol citizens are often adorned with dynamic, eye-catching outfits that serve a narrative purpose beyond their aesthetic appeal.
Perhaps the most iconic figure, and the first to come to mind when thinking of The Hunger Games and fashion, is Effie Trinket. A character known for bold looks, she’s almost always dressed in a curled wig, vibrant makeup, and striking dresses. Effie was the Capitol escort of Peeta Mallarck and Katniss Everdeen, and served as an emcee during the Reapings prior to the rebellion. It is during the Reaping in the second film, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, that Effie wears my favorite outfit of hers.
In this scene, Effie wears a detailed dress made entirely of feathers hand painted to resemble monarch butterflies.The body of the dress has the butterflies lying flat, however, as the garment extends up her neck they appear as if they are captured in motion, adding a more dynamic, three dimensional element. Furthermore, her headpiece almost looks as if it will flutter away, with the monarch butterflies positioned as if they are mid-flight. Lastly, Effie’s makeup look includes a yellow or orange color used as blush and eyeshadow, which matches the fluttering insects of her dress. In the corner of her eye, there is another small butterfly.
Effie chose to wear this beautiful and extravagant outfit while visiting Districts for the Reaping. The Reaping, which is literally one of the worst days for the districts’ civilians, as their children are being raffled off by the Capitol to compete in a lethal battle royale. Despite the Reaping already serving as a succinct reminder of the disparity between the Capitol and the Districts, Effie is dripped out in a couture butterfly dress. A couture butterfly dress that screams of excessive wealth, something that the Districts are severely lacking.This outfit displays the Capitol’s inability, or even refusal, to recognize the suffering of the Districts. Furthermore, the juxtaposition between Effie’s extravagant appearance compared to Peeta and Katniss’s gray tones drives home the separation between the Districts and the Capitol. Other Capitol civilians also don statement-making outfits that serve as narrative tools.
Besides Coriolanus Snow, the newly released prequel The Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes, features another character from the original films in their youth. This character is fashion designer Tigris Snow, the older cousin of Coriolanus. Tigris makes her first film appearance in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-- Part 2, when she provides aid to Katniss, Peeta and the rest of Squad 451 as they infiltrate the Capitol.
Tigris' appearance is shocking, disturbing even. In an attempt to truly embody her namesake, Tigris’ face has been modified via prosthetics and permanent markings to appear more feline. These attempts have left Tigris in a gray area in which she doesn't perfectly resemble a cat yet, she looks startlingly non-human. Beyond her facial modification, Tigris uses a large, fluffy wig with furlike markings and texture to achieve this cat-like look. As a top, she’s wearing a purple blouse, which is partially covered by a large woven shaw. Notably, there’s a gold figurine of a tiger that’s attached to the shaw.
Tigris’s exaggerated and very dedicated attempt to become a cat-lady is perfect display of the Capitol’s fashion taste. These gaudy, exaggerated outfits prove that these people have endless amounts of time or money to curate these insanely detailed, outlandish, and ultimately, arbitrary costumes. Only someone with too much money, or separation from reality, would surgically implant whiskers into their face. This can also be extended to the rest of the Capitol citizens, with their larger-than-life outfits serving as a tangible representation of their exorbitant amount of money and delusion. The amount of money and effort expended for these frivolous whims, like turning yourself into Cat Woman, is starkly contrasted by the struggles that persists in the Districts.
In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Tigris differs drastically from her eighty-seven-year old self. Besides the obvious age difference, this Tigris has yet to be surgically altered, and is less jaded. Overall, she’s a very kind, empathetic character and these traits are conveyed through her wardrobe.
While accompanying her younger cousin to spectate the Tenth Hunger Games, Tigris wears a monochrome outfit, that is only a gentle shade of pink. The only exception to the monochromaticity are her teal pumps. The young designer’s top accentuates the shoulders with padding, then cinches at the waist before flaring out. I guess peplum tops make their comeback in the post-apocalyptic future. The use of exaggerated silhouettes shows some continuity between this movie’s era, and the Capitol sixty-four years later.
Tigris is not the only Capital inhabitant to don a monochrome outfit in the film, in fact The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes costume designer, Trisha Sommerville said, “I was trying to keep all their clothing in solid colors and not having a lot of print so that it came across as a bit more serious, a bit more cold.” This sense of seriousness is definitely conveyed through the tones of gray, black, and red that we see others in the Capitol wear. Specifically the students of the Capitol's elite Academy wear vibrant, blood red uniforms. In the scene in which Tigris watches the Hunger Games and sits among the students, she stands out as a spot of pink amongst a sea of red.
This is one way in which the color of her clothing is significant. These pale, soft hues of pink that Tigris wears evokes a sense of gentleness that is reflected in her personality. The movie shows her caring nature towards Snow, but also her sympathies towards the Districts that those around her do not share. Thus, her standing out among a sea of red, a group of other Capitol citizens, could represent this ideological deviation between Tigris and the others.
In summary, fashion and clothing have played a significant role in The Hunger games series, as a story-tellign tool but also within the narrative itself. Fashion granted Katniss the moniker “Girl on Fire,” then encouraged her rise to the face of the rebellion as the Mockingjay. Clothing is often used to convey important thematic elements such as character ideologies, moral values, socioeconomic status, and more. The masterful use of fashion and costume design in The Hunger Game series highlights the incredible importance of these elements in filmmaking and storytelling.
The pumps are designed by Jerelyn Creado. There should be a mention of this definitely :)