11 Mar Fashion in Classic Film Noir: Double Indemnity (1944)

This is the film that made insurance salesmen sexy and common protagonists for crime films. Yes, seriously.

Double Indemnity is widely considered a classic, directed by Billy Wilder and starring Fred MacMurray as the chump salesman Walter Neff and Barbara Stanwyck as cold-hearted femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson. The plot revolves around Dietrichson’s scheme to convince Neff to kill off her husband so that she can claim the double indemnity clause in his life insurance policy.

Along with Out of the Past, this film is among my top picks of film noir. Edith Head really worked her magic on Stanwyck’s wardrobe. Even the tragically ugly blonde wig is great because it adds to the character: you just know something is wrong about it—and her.

Our first glimpse of Phyllis is this up-tilt angle of her in a bath towel. Not discreet in the least. It immediately puts her in a power position over Neff, who has no idea what he’s about to get into.

Above and below is a white silk shirtdress with ruffle front and cuffs, belted at the waist. A key feature in Phyllis’ outfits is the jewellery, which were added to show Phyllis’ attraction to and obsession with money.

In this outfit, note the provocative anklet which she shows off in the photo below, the bangle and enormous ring, which she toys with, almost demurely, in her initial conversation with Neff.

The next time Neff returns to that house to speak with Mr. Dietrichson, he finds he and Phyllis are alone, yet again. Coincidence? Never.

Phyllis wears a deceptively feminine black and white evening gown with a long, puffed-sleeved floral pattern bodice. Note it’s an evening gown but it’s… the middle of the day—just to show how over-the-top she is. And once more she’s wearing her jewels, which glitter magnificently thanks to the cinematography.

Sweater girls be damned. Only a true femme fatale can make an innocent cream coloured sweater devious, below.

Phyllis visits Neff at his apartment in a camel wrap coat worn over the sweater and a pair of trousers to set her scheme into motion. Neff and Phyllis share a secret kiss. They’re now tied together in this pact to kill her husband, and, to set the mood, of course it’s a dark and stormy night.

Back at the Dietrichson home, Neff tricks Mr. Dietrichson into signing for accident insurance. Phyllis wears a little black midi dress with cape sleeves and a fantastic little broach, shimmering in the dim lamp light.

Where does one go to plan a murder? A grocery store, of course! Phyllis wears a smart vest over a white blouse and a black pencil skirt just for the occasion.

Another smart outfit for a mourning widow, above. It’s far more somber than anything she’s worn previously. I love the veil covering her face.

I mentioned before in the post on The Maltese Falcon how a veil was used to obscure the femme fatale’s eyes and face so as not to betray her true intentions. Here, Phyllis uses it to hide any guilt in her eyes and the fact that she’s not all that upset about her late husband’s “accident.”

Another smart outfit for a mourning widow, above. It’s far more somber than anything she’s worn previously. I love the veil covering her face. I mentioned before in the post on The Maltese Falcon how a veil was used to obscure the femme fatale’s eyes and face so as not to betray her true intentions. Here, Phyllis uses it to hide any guilt in her eyes and the fact that she’s not all that upset about her late husband’s “accident.”

Back at the grocery store (the perfect place to pass secret information, you know), Phyllis dresses conservatively in a white blouse and a pair of high-waist black trousers secured with a leather belt. No jewellery, to help disguise herself again. She means business. She tells Neff she has no intention of backing out of her claim on her dead husband’s life insurance and that Neff has to make it happen. After all, he’s involved in the whole dirty scheme.

Lastly, but certainly not least, the final showdown occurs in the Dietrichson household where Phyllis has turned off all the lights so that the only light to help us see the characters and the scene is from the moon pouring through the windows. Everything is ultra-obscured and very noir-y.

Phyllis’ most glamorous outfit is this white silk jumpsuit and all her jewellery on display, plus, her latest accessory, a handgun.