Eye-Catching Costumes Rule the Oscar Race

Period pieces with elaborate styles tend to claim the Oscar for best costumes, with little love given to movies set in the present

On Oscar night, the safe bet in the categories of costume design and hair and makeup is on ball gowns, royal robes and outrageous prosthetics. That’s why Melissa Toth suspects she will never win an Academy Award.

The New York-based designer came up with the costumes for several Oscar-nominated films, including Casey Affleck’s Carhartt couture in “Manchester by the Sea,” Kate Winslet’s frocks in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and Frances McDormand’s bandanna and jumpsuit in this year’s best picture contender “Three...