Bringing a novel to the big screen can often prove challenging, and the much-anticipated Twilight was no exception. With pressure to bring the well-loved characters to life, every detail -- from Edward's jacket to Bella's prom dress -- became a key part of the story-telling process.

See photos from Twilight.

We chatted with Twilight costume designer Wendy Chuck about the look of the film, the challenges that she faced and what it took to bring Edward and Bella to the big screen.

Natalie Broulette: What inspired your costume choices? Did you read the book?

Wendy Chuck: Of course the books were the biggest inspiration. They are filled with visual imagery, costume notes and lovely details that gave me clues to the characters. At the point of conceiving the look for the film, I had only read Twilight. I'm just finishing the fourth, and I think that now the story is on a larger scale and the characters have been fleshed out more. I feel confident that I brought them to life as my interpretation of how [Twilight author] Stephenie Meyer saw them. I hope she agrees with me. Catherine Hardwicke [director], Jeannie Van Phue [makeup], Mary Ann Valdes [hair] and I worked very closely together in the early stages of development.

NB: What designers and stores did you use?

WC: So many. This is a stunt-heavy movie and that requires many multiples for all the rigging, dirt, photos and stunt doubles. Some things were chosen for availability or color, which restricted a lot of my choices. In L.A., we shopped in the usual mall and higher-end stores, bought and found vintage pieces and recreated them in multiples or different colors. Like everyone, we shopped online. When we got to Portland, we shopped and plundered all the small boutiques and thrift stores, most of which were very accommodating to our different needs. Some other labels or stores? G-Star, Levi's, Diesel, Guess, H&M, Forever 21, Miss Sixty, Lucky and Simple Shoes.

NB: What were some of the challenges you faced during filming?

WC: There were the challenges that the location alone gave us. Any one day, it could rain, sleet, hail, wind or full sun. They say in Oregon that if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes. We had some miserable days in the mud and on the beach. It was hard on all of us to keep warm and dry. Clothes, hair and makeup don't do well in those conditions. Then there was the fact that I needed all the multiples. Most of our stunt scenes were shot in the first week and that placed heavy demands on my crew and the vendors making clothes to order that had to be rush shipped to us in Oregon.

NB: Can you tell me about Edward's (Robert Pattinson) look specifically?

WC: I wanted to impart in Edward the look of a modern day "Edwardian" gentleman in teen clothes that were suitable to not stand out too much at school. Some of my original choices of fitted pants and long jackets phased into well-fitted designer jeans, off the rack shirts that were tailored to fit in just the right way, a great classic black boot, American Apparel t-shirts and just the right kind of jacket. We custom made the grey peacoat that features a lot in the movie. I was working with the idea of pale and cold, a sort of frozen world of blues, greys, whites, silver with a hint of violet. I wanted them to have an icy feel but further along we found that the darker colors worked better with the hair and makeup.

NB: How about Bella (Kristen Stewart)? Does her style change over the course of the film?

WC: Bella moves to Forks reluctantly and is even in denial of the damp weather. She arrives without appropriate rainwear or boots. In the course of the story, she moves out of her tomboy, southwestern look, gets a bit more Forks appropriate and eventually lands on a more feminine style that echoes the color palette of the Cullens. After she meets and falls for Edward, we begin to see her in some more feminine shirts, but we only ever see her in a dress at the prom!

NB: Was there one character that was particularly fun to style?

WC: Why pick one when they are all a costume designer's dream?

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