Hortense's wardrobe

Did you really find it inappropriate? Allthough I noticed the black, I've never given it a second thought. I always assumed she liked black, there are plenty of non-gothers who usually wear black.

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- Who's the lady with the log?
- We call her the Log Lady.

I just got the feeling that Hortense liked black. Look at her immaculate apartment, which was decorated very sparsely in black and white (a visual nod to the film's theme). Contrast that with the massively disorganized clutter of Cynthia's home, and the oppressively overdesigned detail that Monica brought to her and Maurice's home. I think a lot of thought was given to each character and how his or her clothing and living space would reflect each individual's personality and state of mind.

It was interesting to see Cynthia so stuck in her past, as reflected in the unflattering clothing that she wore early on (as well as all the old family "stuff" that she can't let go of). But then, as she and Hortense got to know one another, her self-esteem grew . . . and her appearance improved in small baby steps. Cynthia looked better because, thanks to Hortense's interest, she felt better. After all, no one else in Cynthia's life really seemed to want to see or hear her. Even her brother, who obviously cared for her, hadn't seen her in over a year. And that probably contributed to the needy, whining, clinging aspect of her nature. She thought that such behavior would show people that she cared, but all it did was drive people further away. But then, as Cynthia and Hortense spend more time together, she becomes less needy and clinging. Roxanne notices the difference but assumes it's because of a man her mother is seeing. She doesn't realize that her mother's independence is caused by someone truly caring about her, listening to her and genuinely wanting to get to know her. What a huge and welcome revelation that would have been in Cynthia's life!

Anyway, I think that wearing black is part of the way Hortense sees the world, in a very clear, but often not optimistic, way. I think it also signals her ongoing mourning for the adoptive parents she lost, but felt she'd never really found to begin with.

I agree with a lot of the posts already.

I think Hortense, aside from her mother's recent death, was really the most stable, functional, and successful of all the characters; after all, she had enough confidence and courage to seek out her birth mother. She had a fabulous flat, a high education and great career, and her clothing tending to reflect that: Sharp, stylish, and minimalistic. It was also clear that Hortense was not intrested in wearing clothing to attract men or impress others (one of the character's great qualities), as evidenced by the constant "are you married," do you want to have kids?". She was a single career woman who was okay with herself.

As someone earlier stated, contrast that with Monica's house, which was overly designed with all the most expensive possessions, but it was only to hied their true misery. And then there's Cynthia, living in her dead mother's house, cluttered and leaking, old and sad; refusing to let go of the past.

I think Hortense's wardrobe was very deliberate, and well done. And if you walk around London, particularly when this film aired, you'd notice that this was the style back then.

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Black clothing is trimming looking as well as the shade for "older movie people."

I like the interpretation that she was still in mourning, and also that she was a professional in a conservative field who would likely have a lot of neutrals and less color in her wardrobe.

The sky is blue

My take on Hortense's smart, professional wardrobe is that folks who live in big cities tend to dress in black clothes. I live in Wellington, New Zealand where the choice of black clothing by workers is often remarked on. This from a nation whose signature rugby team is the All Blacks.