We adored the film adaptation of The Help, and whilst the acting and storyline are superb, we were also blown away by the beautiful costumes.

The prim and pretty dresses in a sugary pastel palette and bold floral prints are perfect for the Mad-Men era Southern Belles of the film (and very autumn/winter 2011). So when these sketches from Costume designer Sharen Davis landed on our desk, we had to share them with you.

As the book has its own memorable fashion moments (remember when Skeeter goes shopping for a new, grown-upwardrobe, and stocks up on daring Pucci dresses?), Davis (who also kitted out the retro wardrobes for Dreamgirls and Ray) pored over old Sears and JC Penney catalogue for inspiration, made 50 costumes from scratch using vintage fabrics, and even gave each character their own colour palette to make sure they looked authentically Jackson, Mississippi. The hard work paid off, as these sketches show.

The Help costume sketches