Some Like it Hot: Costume Design as Storytelling
Samuel Kaur
How Orry-Kelly decorated characters in Some Like it Hot
Billy Wilder’s “Some Like It Hot” (1959) is famous for its comedy, clever story, and Marilyn Monroe’s unforgettable performance, but one of the film’s most important storytelling tools is its costumes. Designed by Orry-Kelly, a legendary Hollywood costume designer, the clothing in the film does more than make characters look good. It helps the story come through humor and shows character personalities, especially for movies in which some characters like their experience hot and dramatic.
Who Was Orry-Kelly?
Orry-Kelly was not simple craftsman but one of Hollywood’s most celebrated designers. Born in Australia, he built his career at Warner Bros. and became known for dressing some of the biggest stars of the Golden Age. He won three Academy Awards for Best Costume Design and was admired for ability to balance glamour with character psychology. Orry-Kelly understood how clothing could reveal insecurity, ambition, or vulnerability. That sensitivity is essential to “Some Like It Hot”.
Comedy Through Clothing
Orry-Kelly had a tricky challenge. Two main characters, Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon), disguise themselves as women to hide from gangsters. This could have been simple drag for laughs, but Orry gave the characters believable, stylish outfits that made the diguises convincing and funny. The costumes highlight differences in personality: Jospehine (Jack Lemmon) wears soft, modest dresses that show his awkwardness in female form, while Daphne (Tony Curtis) wears bold, fashionable outfits that fit his confident, flirtatious character. The humor of the film comes not only from what the characters do, but how believable they look as women.
Dressing Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe’s Sugar Kane also benefited from Orry-Kelly’s work. Her costumes were glamorous and feminine, using flowing fabrics and soft colors that highlighted her vulnerability and charm. Each element added to her character’s story: a glamorous singer who dreams of love but is surrounded by chaos. The clothes helped Monroe shine, but also grounded her character in the film’s 1920s jazz-age world.
The Role of Costume Design in Some Like It Hot
One of the most iconic costume moments is Daphne’s sparkling entrance at the Palm Springs party. The shimmering dress immediately catches the audience’s eye, and it’s both funny and visually stunning. This moment shows how Orry-Kelly’s designs balance comedy and style. The costumes support the joke while remaining stylish and believable.
Orry-Kelly’s work in “Some Like It Hot” shows that costume design is about more than fashion. It’s a storytelling tool. The clothes define characters, support the humor, and even comment on performance and identity. In a film about disguise, the costumes let the audience understand who the characters are, even when they are pretending to be someone else.
Overall, the costumes in “Some Like It Hot” are key to its success. They help the story, define characters, and make the comedy work. Orry-Kelly’s skillful design turns simple clothing and accessories into storytelling devices that make the film still remembered today as one of Hollywood’s greatest comedies.
To see Orry-Kelly’s sketches visit Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
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Samuel is a Paris-based creative marketing student and writer. When he got bad grades in school or behaved badly, his parents punished him by making him read - maybe that's where it began. What felt like torture at the time has now turned out to be a great gift.
Two years ago, he moved to Paris for his fashion studies. Since then the urge to write has only grown stronger. When he's not working on articles, he writes mostly film scripts or poetry. Beyond writing, he has a deep-rooted passion for cinema and enjoys engaging in all forms of filmmaking.
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