<![CDATA[MRS. BATES' DRESS]]>Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Psycho

renatom1 — 9 years ago(January 18, 2017 12:31 PM)

It's interesting that with all the attention to detail put into the dresses of Hitchcock's leading ladies, Mrs. Bates got a plain, ugly dress. Imagine if she had been wearing Lisa's dress from
Rear Window
or Madeline's gray suit from
Vertigo
or Melanie's green suit from
The Birds
. Now any of those choices would have been boldespecially when we find out who was really wearing Mrs. Bates' dress!

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/topic/179041/mrs-bates-dressRSS for NodeThu, 14 May 2026 04:30:04 GMTTue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:24 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to MRS. BATES' DRESS on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:30 GMT]]>necoleman — 9 years ago(February 04, 2017 07:01 PM)

I am formerly known as HillieBoliday.Member since May 2006
LOL.don't want to leave anyone behind!
"OOhhhooo.I'M GON' TELL MAMA!"

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502063https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502063Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to MRS. BATES' DRESS on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:29 GMT]]>Gubbio — 9 years ago(February 04, 2017 03:22 PM)

I heard that Mrs. Bates got all dolled-up.
She wants to look nice when we all migrate to a new Board!

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502062https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502062Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to MRS. BATES' DRESS on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:28 GMT]]>ecarle — 9 years ago(February 04, 2017 10:21 AM)

On behalf of the thread..thank you.
Looks like we have two weeks to find another place to go

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502061https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502061Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to MRS. BATES' DRESS on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:28 GMT]]>necoleman — 9 years ago(February 03, 2017 06:47 PM)

I am formerly known as HillieBoliday.Member since May 2006
Wonderful thought provoking commentary. All of your points make great "movie" sense to me!
"OOhhhooo.I'M GON' TELL MAMA!"

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502060https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502060Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to MRS. BATES' DRESS on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:27 GMT]]>ecarle — 9 years ago(January 21, 2017 11:57 AM)

Ha.
I must admit that Mrs. Bates' dresses are yet another element of the film that somehow feel "classic."
We don't ever really get to see the dresses for very long she's in motion, moving, killing most of the time. And yet we DO make out certain things the flower patterns, for instance. The shapeless, almost nightgownish nature of them.
But then comes that moment late in the film when Lila is in Mother's bedroom and opens the closet door(well, its a cabinet, really) and we seeLOTS of these dresses, all pretty much the same dowdy, flower patterns against dark gray, grandmotherly. One wonders: didn't Mrs. Bates have ANY sort of different clothes?
And this: perhaps Norman Bates himself stocked up on such dresses because this is how he now SAW Mother elderly, repressive, of another era.
And this: does a man keep so many of his Mother's dresses on hand because he realizes he'll be losing a few of them to bloodstains? And that TYPE of dress because he realizes he needs a dress he can put and take off very quickly? (For murders and returns to Norman)
I will also note that Hitchcock himself made a point of opening that closet door in his trailer for Psycho but refused to show us what was inside. And winced in disgust at whatever was in there.
I expect audiences rushed to see Psycho to see what WAS in there. Big joke on them. Or maybe Hitchcock WAS disgusted by the dresses.
Its a mystery

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502059https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502059Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to MRS. BATES' DRESS on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:26 GMT]]>Gubbio — 9 years ago(January 21, 2017 09:05 AM)

She wasn't expecting company, so she saw no reason to dress up.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502058https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502058Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to MRS. BATES' DRESS on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:25 GMT]]>movieghoul — 9 years ago(January 19, 2017 10:12 AM)

She didn't get out much, so no need for fancy clothes. And that fruit cellar is probably very dusty.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502057https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/1502057Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:17:25 GMT