The design sense of
Salo, Pier Paolo Pasolini's infamously bleak and grotesque final film, is in stark contrast to his previous works, with perhaps the clearest difference seen in the costumes. Donati's costumes for Pasolini's 'Trilogy of Life' utilized bright colours, while the costumes for
Salo are in various muted hues of grey, black, white and brown; the colours of fascist uniforms, no less.
The costumes of Salo were fabricated in the Sartoria Farani costume house, where Donati had constructed the costumes for many of Fellini and Pasolini's movies. The bulk of Salo's costumes are dull coloured 1930s and 1940s fashions, presumably most of it wardrobe stock or found in flea markets; the Italian Fascist and SS uniforms were, if not supplied for the movie, possibly stock from earlier Italian WWII productions.
However, I am certain the dresses worn by the fascist libertines as they crossdress, the women 'storytellers' such as the grey suit worn by Caterina Boratto and the shiny brown suit worn by Elsa De Giorgi, as well as the hats and suits worn by the unlucky 'daughters' of the libertines, were bespoke made at Farani for the film.
Two wedding dresses were also made, a silvery patterned dress for Renata Moar and a more flat-coloured dress for Sergio Fascetti; notice that even these dresses feel steely and metallic in their fabric texture, fitting in with the costume design's palette being inspired by fascist imagery.
Salo is divided into segments named after Dante's Inferno, each having a 'storyteller' narrating vulgar, sexual stories for the libertines' amusement. Hélène Surgère playes Signora Vaccari during the 'Circle of Manias', wearing a wide-sleeved and low-cut dress with black floral markings all over.
Elsa De Giorgi plays Signora Signora Maggi during the 'Circle of Shit' segment; Donati designed a black sequined dress with gold lining and matching bolero jacket for De Giorgi to wear, with a fur-lined black sequined cape worn over it as well.
Caterina Boratto wears a silvery white glittery dress as Signora Castelli during the 'Circle of Blood'; this dress is mostly seen at a distance, and worn with white furs.
The four perverted fascists, only named - the Duke, the Bishop, the Magistrate and the President - wear 1940s suits for most of their scenes; the one exception is the occult-inspired wedding at the start of the 'Circle of Blood' segment. Giorgio Cataldi, as the Bishop, wears a red gown with ornamentation on the shoulders and head as a mock priest costume, while the other libertines are in drag (as seen at the start of this entry).
