Costume

Costume in Film Noir is fairly straight-forward and rarely changes.

The 'Every-Man'

The 'every-man' will usually be wearing a suit and tie, often with a fedora/trilby. In more stressful scenes, he may as suit without the jacket or hat, showing his less professional side. The 'every-man' would often wear this to appeal to other men watching who may be like him, so that they felt they could relate with him as a character.

The 'Femme-Fatale'

The main female role is usually dressed in tight, stereotypically feminine evening dresses. Typical 40s/50s fashion is also used, trench coats, high necked jumpers, tight trousers, silky gowns etc. Women in Film Noir would wear these outfits, especially evening dresses, as it was meant to portray confidence and sexuality, which at the time was supposed to appeal to a male audience, but also make them feel frightened and intimidated by these characters. This was just after World War II, when women had obtained more rights, freedom, and liberation. The character of the Femme Fatale was supposed to scare and intimidate men, making them feel the need to bring back specific gender roles and brush rising female empowerment under the carpet again. 

I will be posting more about other aspects of Film Noir soon.