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Monika Pašukonytė

33 Outfits That Were Just Too Good To Use Only Once, So They Were Reused

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Probably all of us have seen at least one movie or TV show with amazing costumes that not only perfectly blend into everything but even enrich the story. But after movies/TV shows wrap up, the costumes must go somewhere. They don't just disappear into thin air. So today, we're going to answer the question about where the costumes go after filming and show examples of them being reused for other movies or shows.

#1 The Frilly Dress In Both "Hocus Pocus" And "Dangerous Liaisons"

Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers

#2 The Purple Dress In "Back To The Future Part III" And "Far And Away"

Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers

#3 The Black And Red Dress From "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" And "Bones"

Image credits: 20th Century Studios

Usually, the people responsible for the costumes are not the costume department, as one might think, but rather the producers and the studio.

A lot of studios have the policy that no assets can be sold or given away by anyone who’s not the executive producer. Typically, everything is held until all the edits of the movie/show are complete and there is no need for reshoots. And if it’s a TV show, costumes and props are usually held until it’s canceled or finished, just in case it ever needs to be used in, for example, a flashback scene.

Later, quite often, both the costumes and props are sold in a fire sale. A fire sale consists of selling stuff at heavily discounted prices. Originally, it meant the selling of things that were damaged by fire, hence the name, but nowadays, the definition is broader.

So, during these kinds of sales, which are most frequently only for the crew, the producers and the studio aim to sell as much stuff as they can.

#4 The Dress With A Built-In Necklace From "Mad Men," "From The Earth To The Moon" And "The Spoils Of Babylon"

Image credits: Imagine Entertainment/HBO Films

#5 The Dress In "Once Upon A Time" And "Snow White And The Huntsman"

Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes Trailers

#6 The Green Jacket In "Jojo Rabbit" And "Brideshead Revisited"

Image credits: VidereTrailer

Or, as another option, the props and costumes can be kept in the studio’s archives and storage to be sold or auctioned later on as memorabilia. Sometimes, certain clothing pieces are gifted to the actors. Some even have it in their contracts that they can get the pick of their wardrobe.

All these kinds of rules and practices are more flexible within independent films that are not backed up by large studios. Quite often, on such sets, the cast and crew can take what they want to keep as a memory of the filming, as a useful thing, or simply sell it, for example, on eBay.

Also, from time to time, studios reuse certain costumes or just pieces of an outfit for a different movie or TV show. As we can see in this list, these pieces can be anything, from gorgeous dresses to armor or even necklaces-turned-tiaras.

#7 The Dark Dress In "Pride & Prejudice" And "Sense And Sensibility"

Image credits: Focus Features

#8 The Hat From "The Musketeer" And "Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl"

Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers

#9 The Pharaoh Outfit Worn In "Night At The Museum" And "How I Met Your Mother"

Image credits: Henry Page

In the last few years, it has been noted how wasteful movie-making businesses can be. For instance, costume production can create high levels of emissions, just as general fashion and fast fashion do. This includes their making and disposal.

So, costume reusing is a good option to minimize the harm costuming can have on the environment.

And it’s not only less damaging than creating new costumes, but it can also work as a fun game for media consumers. Just look at what we have done here -- collected a full list of clothing pieces that were reused in different visual media, and it’s fun to look at it, isn't it?

Do you know any other instances of costumes being reused in different movies or TV shows that we haven't mentioned? Share them with us in the comments! And don’t forget to upvote the costumes you think were reused in the most interesting way!