The Crazy Costume Evolution of Effie from 'The Hunger Games'

The series may be only four films long, but Effie Trinket offers up an endless line of eye-popping outfits

01 of 08

THE HUNGER GAMES

THE HUNGER GAMES
Murray Close

The inspiration for Effie's out-there outfits was Marie Antoinette, and when we first meet Effie at the District 12 reaping, it shows. With her floral headpiece and necklace, big, puffy sleeves and clown-like makeup, she's the craziness of the Capitol personified. And next to Katniss's drab, "Depression-era" attire, Effie – played in the films by Elizabeth Banks – look even more outrageous.

02 of 08

CATCHING FIRE

CATCHING FIRE
Alamy

When we see Effie again in the series' second installment, "she's completely off the charts," makeup artist Ve Neill told PEOPLE. And the proof is in the clothes: her wardrobe is just as elaborate (if not more so) as it was in the first. The real highlight of this outfit is her butterfly-covered lash extensions from Paperself. "They do amazing laser-cut ones with full nature scenes," Banks told PEOPLE.

03 of 08

CATCHING FIRE

CATCHING FIRE
Alamy

Effie's outfits aren't meant to be just fashionable, but also constraining, to show that even citizens of the Capitol live under tight control. "It was important that my clothes be constricting to give the sense of the oppression Effie lives with," Banks told PEOPLE.

04 of 08

CATCHING FIRE

CATCHING FIRE
Moviestore/REX Shutterstock

Constricting they were – imagine trying to walk in this getup. However outlandish Effie's costumes were, the intention wasn't to make her laughable, but rather, simply over-the-top. "My mantra was to make her theatrical but not clownish," Banks told PEOPLE. She did this, in part, by drawing inspiration from film star Rosalind Russell.

05 of 08

MOCKINGJAY – PART ONE

MOCKINGJAY – PART ONE
Moviestore/REX Shutterstock

Recognize her? Just barely – it's Effie living in austerity! In the rebel district, number 13, Effie was forced to shed her typical over-the-top embellishments to fit in with the blandly dressed citizens of her temporary home. In typical Effie fashion, however, she still manages to look chic in the drab clothes.

06 of 08

MOCKINGJAY – PART TWO

MOCKINGJAY – PART TWO
Moviestore/REX Shutterstock

In this photo, from the upcoming – and final – Hunger Games film, it seems Effie is back to her usual self. However, the subdued eye makeup and outfit (the only embellishments are on her sleeves!) show that not all is the same for Effie as it once was. Makeup artist Ve Neill told PEOPLE: "She's come to terms with the Capitol and has a different outlook on the way things should be."

07 of 08
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Read up on everything you ever wanted to know about Peeta, Gale, Katniss and more in PEOPLE'S Special Edition HUNGER GAMES: INSIDE ALL FOUR MOVIES, on newsstands now.

08 of 08
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Read up on everything you ever wanted to know about Peeta, Gale, Katniss and more in PEOPLE'S Special Edition HUNGER GAMES: INSIDE ALL FOUR MOVIES, on newsstands now.

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