Emma Watson's 'Wallflower' style

Costume designer David Robinson on how he transformed actress into a shrinking violet for ''Perks''
By Nuzhat Naoreen
Updated September 13, 2012 at 06:00 PM EDT

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Credit: John Bramley

''[Emma] is tiny, so everything had to be called down,'' Robinson says of tailoring pieces like this vintage silk frock to look like it was made for the diminutive actress. Why does Sam wear such a standout dress in this scene? ''Charlie [Logan Lerman] is in love with her, so making her look sexy helps the audience see what he sees.''

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Credit: John Bramley

For some, this pleated kilt may conjure memories of Watson in the role that made her famous, but Robinson insists the schoolgirl look is more Twin Peaks than Harry Potter. ''Sam wears hers with a sleeveless red cashmere sweater, which is not a Hermione move,'' he says.

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Credit: John Bramley

Robinson used Wallflower writer-director Stephen Chbosky's own letterman jacket as the model for the ones seen on the film's characters. ''Sam wears it throughout the movie, says Robinson. ''[It] hearkens back to her earlier high school career, when she was aspiring to be the popular girl.''

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Credit: John Bramley

''The other characters are much more pinky and strange when it comes to their attire. Sam is cool, but she doesn't want to stand out,'' Robinson says of the thinking behind the character's wardrobe. ''The book and the script were very specific about her.''

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Credit: John Bramley

''The story is set in 1991, but [we] wanted to take the edges off that,'' says Robinson, who had a no shoulder pads rule for Sam. ''A good deal of the costumes came from thrift stores in Pittsburgh, but they're also very classic.''

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