Recently I have been seeing a myriad of photos of Emmerald Fennels’ Wuthering Heights. Now, I won’t speak on the interesting casting choices as that is not my area of expertise. However, when it comes to costume, this is my niche.
So without further adieu,
When Historical Fashion Goes Rogue
Emerald Fennell’s hotly anticipated Wuthering Heights adaptation, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, has sparked heated debate (understandably in my opinion). While artistic reinterpretation can bring fresh insight, the costuming choices, particularly Robbie’s wedding dress, risk clashing with the period’s aesthetics and diluting the story’s emotional backdrop.
1. The White Wedding Dress: A Bold Anachronism
Robbie’s gown, with its off-the-shoulder cut, poufy sleeves, ball‑gown silhouette, cathedral veil, tiara, and bouquet, leans heavily into fantasy rather than Georgian-era realism. While the dress itself is beautiful, it is the wrong styling entirely.
Color issue: White bridal gowns didn’t become fashionable until after Queen Victoria’s 1840 marriage (decades after Wuthering Heights is set). As one critic put it, “Wuthering Heights is set in the Georgian Era—no one was wearing white dresses for a wedding.” And much like Little Women (I film I dearly love), the silhouettes are mismatched. Georgian fashion favored flowing, empire waists, not voluminous ball-gown styles resembling Princess Diana or the 1980s.
2. Missing Petticoats & Emerging Hoops
Fans on Reddit noted the structural flaws:
“I really dislike the dress 😦 Hoops protrude through the skirt too much… Wuthering Heights is all about the atmosphere of desolate moorland… The dress doesn’t channel the character at all.”
“WHERE are her PETTICOATS?”
These are more than nitpicks, they’re key to period authenticity.
3. Casting & Character Continuity
The costume choices don’t exist in isolation—they tie into broader concerns about character accuracy:
Age gap: Robbie is mid-30s, whereas Cathy is meant to be a teenager (around 17–18) . Character image: Cathy is described with brown hair and a fierce, rustic spirit—Robbie’s blonde, pristine, “iPhone face” veers modern and glossy.
Together, these choices risk weakening Brontë’s iconic image of a wild, windswept Yorkshire heroine.
4. Aesthetic vs. Authenticity: Fennell’s Vision
Casting director Kharmel Cochrane rebuts that “you really don’t need to be accurate… It’s just a book… it’s all art” .
This aligns with Fennell’s established cinematic style, evident in Saltburn and Promising Young Woman, where visual spectacle often takes precedence over faithful period recreation .
For some, this signals a bold reimagining; for others, it feels like crossing a line trading historical immersion for glamour.
Conclusion: Where’s the Balance?
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is shaping up to be visually opulent but the lavish costumes, especially Cathy’s wedding ensemble, appear to clash with the story’s deepest emotional currents. White gowns, hoop skirts, blonde hair, and CGI-worthy purity may dazzle, but they risk overshadowing Brontë’s raw, elemental world.
Final thoughts: Reimagining classics is worthwhile but faith to period and character isn’t optional. If Fennell leans fully into fantasy, we might as well expect a different story entirely.
Sources: https://www.vogue.com/article/margot-robbie-wuthering-heights-wedding-dress? , https://www.dailydot.com/culture/emerald-fennell-wuthering-heights-controversy/?, Reddit
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