Last Night in SoHo

Top 5 looks from “Last Night in Soho”

My top 5 favorite looks from the new psychedelic thriller “Last Night in Soho” starring Ana Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie. *SPOILERS*

By Renée Kocian

11.04.21

This salmon-colored A-Line dress perfectly encompasses who Sandy is at the beginning of the movie. Effortlessly chic and confident while remaining appropriate, the dress offers the same characteristics as Sandy’s character. Our first introduction to Sandy shows her as a confident young woman who is willing to do anything to advance her career but does not expect to surrender her morals in order to achieve success. Her dress being a lighter shade of pink symbolizes the youth in her mindset while its high neckline and knee length, which were highly common and fashionable in the 1960’s, symbolize the characters point of view that she will achieve her dreams based on her talents not her body. This look is one of my favorites because it is a beautiful combination of elegant and sexy that is so classic to the 1960’s style and a perfect introduction to the character and the time period. Plus, her iconic hairstyle and minimal makeup in this scene gives us a major hint as to which kind of 60’s style we will be seeing throughout the rest of the movie.

In this dizzy, psychedelic scene from “Last Night in Soho” the character Sandy wears this gorgeous go-go mini dress with a groovy print on it as she dances for the entertainment of her male … “suitors” if that’s what you can call them. The dress is classic to the go-go style and certainly eye-catching to the men at the club. Its short length shows a lot about the change in daily clothing that Sandy wears as she changes in personality throughout the movie. In this scene in particular, the lighting changes frequently and fast, the reaction between the lighting and the pattern makes the dress appear as if it is changing color adding to the trippy feeling of this psychological thriller. What I love most about this look is the way it aligns and hints at what Sandy has been up to in her attempt to climb to the top of stardom. Go-go dancers were employed by clubs to entertain people, and while she might not be a dancer for the club, it is clear by her outfit that she is employed by someone to entertain others.

Ahh, the little black dress! Very Audrey Hepburn-esque, Sandy appears in a beautiful and simple little black number here with some pointed kitten heels. This look appears closer to the beginning of “Last Night in Soho”, and I think it really shows the classy way Sandy wanted to be seen originally. I find interesting parallels here which cause me to love the look even more. During the 1960’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” starring Audrey Hepburn was released. While we can assume that in would not be uncommon for a woman during the 1960’s to want to wear a dress similar to Hepburn’s in the movie, I think there is an interesting correlation between the fact that Hepburn’s character is essentially a call-girl for the upper class and Sandy is also “catering” to men to get what she wants. While the little black dress is commonly known as a classy dress, and I think that is why it is used as one of Sandy’s first outfits, its lacy touch and connections to Hepburn’s character also hint at so much more.

This white trench coat is so important throughout the movie for a multitude of reasons, but it really makes a standout appearance in this scene where Eloise first buys it. Trench coats, known for their correlations with places like London, detectives, mysteries and maybe even people with questionable morals, can signify a lot in terms of the character who wears it. Eloise buys this trench coat in her attempt to become someone she is not; someone confident, unrelenting, and willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. Unlike when Sandy wears a white trench coat, Eloise is creating something special because she is converging two worlds into one, bringing the 1960’s fashion into the modern world. I love this look because of the simplicity of it, a bold white trench coat over jeans and a lace turtleneck, it looks grown up and symbolizes the change in Eloise as she has moved from a child living in her grandmother’s home to a young adult attending college in London. It’s sophisticated, it’s chic and its retro, what more could you ask for?

This little red negligee look symbolizes the major choice Sandy must make in terms of her morals in return for the success of her career. It’s sexy, skin-barring and very reminiscent of lingerie while still hinting at the youthful mindset that is slowly leaving Sandy. In the scene where Sandy wears this, she has just performed a sexy little number as a backup dancer instead of being the star. She’s already upset that she has not been given a headline role and now she is confronted with the idea that in order to grow in her career she must be willing to “please” certain men in power. This is a big moment for her in terms of knowing what she wants and what she’s willing to do to get it. Red, the color of love and anger, is used for the sensual dress as a way to show what is being asked of her, while the big bow in the back symbolizes that naïve, childlike view she once had, the one she is putting behind her.