If I had to compare the two movies for instance I'd say
Cold Mountain did a better job with making more realistic costumes for women especially. You even see Ada's dresses become shabby as they should given she's in the South.
The below dress is very similar to something actually worn in the era.
I adore
Gone with the Wind and I hate to admit it, but it's the reason I fell in love with the Civil War in the first place, well that and listening to Shelby Foote talk about the Civil War in the Ken Burns documentary
However the costumes, while beautiful to look at probably weren't as period accurate as the
Cold Mountain ones.
I was always confused by the short versus long sleeves that were mixed together in scenes. I thought short sleeves were reserved only for evenings and younger girls and teenagers not out yet. Though when one views GWTW it's hard to tell what's going on and who's dressed inappropriately for the current time of day it is. Like below -
I think India is the only one wearing an actual afternoon dress...though I'm not sure they were still wearing the collars in 1861 as I know that was widely popular as far back as the 1840's.
This one of my favorite dresses from Scatlett's collection, but she wears it in the morning/early afternoon when Ashley departs for the station after Christmas. First of all it's December in Atlanta during the war, she must be cold with her arms bear, secondly isn't the material too fancy for day wear? Hopefully one of the far more knowledgeable ladies can set me straight.
Loved North & South for what it was a cheesy Civil War soap opera
And my word the costumes and hair...oh and let's not forget the make-up too!!! I swear I remembered overly made up eyes
Speaking of hair, what's your opinion of Scarlett's hair? I always thought it odd she wore it down in the beginning of the film so frequently - was it because her character was only 16 when the movie/novel starts?