Top 10: Most Stylish Characters in Movies

As a visual medium, film has become an outlet for costume designers to bring some of the most dazzling and inspiring ensembles to the masses. From haute couture to period clothing, these unsung heroes are responsible for transforming an actor into their character. As famed costume designer Edith Head once said, "What a costume designer does is a cross between magic and camouflage. We create the illusion of changing the actors into what they are not. We ask the public to believe that every time they see a performer on the screen, he's become a different person."

In honour of the incredible work done by these individuals, here are the top ten most stylish characters on film. Regardless of genre and profession, these ten ladies are a cut above the rest.

10. Sayuri

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

Spirited away from a life of poverty in a small Japanese village, the mononymous Sayuri is sold to a geisha house and is trained to be one of these enigmatic artisans. Driven by her desire to get closer to a mysterious businessman, Sayuri climbs her way to the top in the profession and becomes one of the most glamorous geisha in her town.

Ziyi Zhang is a vision of grace and elegance as Sayuri. She is draped in gorgeous silken fabrics and given intricate hairstyles in order to transform into the character. The art behind the kimono in the film is quite evident and the attention to detail rightly earned Colleen Atwood an Academy Award for her costume designs.

09. Eva Peron

Evita (1996)

Based off the life of the iconic Argentinian First Lady, Evita follows Eva Perón's Cinderella-like ascent from the lower classes to becoming the spiritual leader of Argentina. Much like Jackie O and Michelle Obama, Perón was known for her impeccable sense of style and this film lives up to her reputation.

Pop icon Madonna appears in a wide range of beautiful dresses and slick suits for this 1996 film. This transformation proved so successful that it earned the Queen of Pop a Golden Globe for her performance. Beyond that, Evita holds the distinction for being the film with the most costume changes (85 to be exact).

08. Cruella de Vil

101 Dalmatians (1996), 102 Dalmatians (2000)

This live-action remake of the classic Disney film and its sequel centred around Cruella de Vil, chronicling her pursuit to create clothing out of animal fur. In the first film she kidnaps the eponymous 101 dalmatians, while the second follows her adventures after being supposedly rehabilitated of her unusual obsession with animal skinning.

As one of her most iconic roles, Glenn Close vamps it up as Cruella de Vil in a wide range of wacky ensembles. She appeared in one-of-a-kind costumes designed by Anthony Powell, all of which featured crisp black and white palettes. Truthfully, being bad never looked so good.

07. Miranda Priesley

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

When a recent college grad secures a job as an executive assistant at a leading fashion magazine, she falls victim to the crazed demands of her boss from hell. The incomparable Meryl Streep appears as diva extraordinaire Miranda Priestley, who rules Runway Magazine with an iron fist and six inch pumps.

When you're playing Anna Wintour the editor of a major fashion magazine, expectations are high in terms of what you should look like. Thankfully, Patricia Field (of Sex and the City fame) was on hand to dress Meryl Streep in some of the finest outfits known to man. Nearly a decade later, Streep's Miranda Priestley is still as commanding and stylish as ever in her fierce power suits and silver asymmetrical bob.

06. Cleopatra

Cleopatra (1963)

While this historic epic may have been a box office disappointment, Cleopatra delivered some of the most stunning visuals ever seen on film. Elizabeth Taylor delivers a flawless performance as the fickle and enigmatic Egyptian ruler Cleopatra, while looking inhumanly beautiful doing it.

The Academy Award winning costumes Taylor wears in the film are exquisite. From the glistening gold headdress she dons during the Rome sequence to the figure-hugging dresses she wears around her palace, Cleopatra looks incredibly elegant and lives up to her status as a historic style icon.

05. Lorelei Lee

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

This hilarious musical sees Marilyn Monroe playing the ditzy, money-hungry showgirl Lorelei Lee as she sails off to Paris with her best friend Dorothy Shaw. As one of Monroe's more recognizable performances, she appears in a variety of colourful costumes that establish her as the ultimate icon of glitz and glamour.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was the third collaboration between Marilyn Monroe and costume designer Travilla. His designs for this film not only do an incredible job of showing off Monroe's curvaceous physique, but they also visually represent Lorelei as a character to a tee. She's decked out in sparkling jewels, colourful fabrics, and gorgeous gowns. This film also contains the famous "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" sequence, wherein Monroe wears her iconic strapless pink dress while being lavished with jewels by her gaggle of back-up dancers.

04. Deena Jones

Dreamgirls (2006)

Set in the 1960s, Dreamgirls is a musical that tells the story of a girl group known as the Dreams' rise to fame and the conflicts that nearly break them apart. Beyoncé plays lead singer Deena Jones, who usurps the role from fellow bandmate Effie White (played by Jennifer Hudson). Her questionable acting talent notwithstanding, Beyoncé delivers her most memorable performance in this film and looks amazing doing it.

Since the costuming in this film is largely inspired by the Supremes, it's no surprise that Beyoncé appears in elegant evening gowns and stylish mini-dresses. Even though Destiny's Child the Dreams wear matching costumes, designer Sharen Davis managed to constantly make sure that Deena stood out. The characters solo sequences especially show her wearing ultra-glamorous ensembles, most notably during Deena's vanity photoshoot wherein she channels Grace Jones and Diana Ross.

03. Carrie Bradshaw

Sex and the City (2008), Sex and the City 2 (2010)

For six seasons, Sarah Jessica Parker dazzled audiences as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. As a 30-something writer navigating the waters of sex and dating, Carrie used her signature wit and flare to deliver a weekly column detailing the romantic misadventures of her and her friends. On top of that, this charismatic journalist also happened to live and breathe fashion.

As Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker introduced an entire generation of straight women and gay men to designer fashion through her role on the television series. Carrie was always fearless in her style choices, but it would be her leap to the big screen that would see her transformation into a more mature and elegant style icon. From the infamous Vivienne Westwood wedding gown to bedazzled harem pants, Carrie appeared in some pretty jaw-dropping ensembles for her appearances in the two Sex and the City films.

02. Satine

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Set in turn of the century Paris, Moulin Rouge! tells the story of a struggling writer who falls in love with a courtesan played by Nicole Kidman. As Satine, Kidman delivers one hell of a performance by stretching just about every acting muscle possible by veering into drama and comedy with a musical slant. Beyond that, she's breathtakingly beautiful in this film and practically glows in just about every scene she's in.

Catherine Martin and Angus Strathie's Academy Award winning costumes are nothing short of brilliant. Kidman is ravishing in sparkling showgirl ensembles, intricate Hindu-inspired headdresses, and curve-hugging corseted dresses. Satine is one hell of a devastating diva that's for sure.

01. Holly Golightly

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

A 1961 adaptation of Truman Capote's novella of the same time, Breakfast at Tiffany's follows the unusual romance that blossoms between a quirky socialite and her neighbour. As Holly Golightly, Audrey Hepburn truly outdoes herself and manages to steal the spotlight at every turn. From the opening scene where she eats a pastry in front of Tiffany & Co. to her performance of "Moon River" on a fire escape, Hepburn exudes charisma and talent.

As far as style icons go, no one is quite as renowned or universally acknowledged as Audrey Hepburn. She is upheld as the ultimate symbol of elegance and chicness due to her impeccable taste in clothing, so much so that the vast majority of her appearances on film have gone on to become memorable fashion moments. However, no film is remembered quite as well for its fashion as Breakfast at Tiffany's. Hepburn and her long-time collaborator Hubert de Givenchy put together a wardrobe so timeless that is has been emulated many times over.