Dress featured in the 1991 film Beauty and the Beast
Belle's ball gown
historical setting
.
Although art director Brian McEntee had always envisioned the dress as yellow and gold, representing Belle's emotional growth into a happier, warmer character, Disney's marketing department wanted a pink dress to appeal to young girls; McEntee convinced the studio that gold would differentiate Belle from previous Disney princesses. The dress has been reimagined for several adaptations of the film, notably by Ann Hould-Ward for the Broadway musical in 1994, by Jacqueline Durran for the 2017 live-action remake in which the costume is worn by actress Emma Watson, and by Marina Toybina for the 2022 television special worn by singer H.E.R. Despite some significant deviations from their animated predecessor, all designs retained the original's signature color.
The dress is considered to be one of the most famous in film history, as well as one of Disney's most renowned outfits. Belle's dress has inspired several iterations in various
alternate version of the character wearing a similar costume in the television series Once Upon a Time. Replicas of the dress have been worn by actresses Penélope Cruz and Hailee Steinfeld
.
History and design
In
opera gloves,[11] earrings and shoes.[5] Belle wears her hair in a half-up style.[5][14] Out of her four costume changes,[15] the yellow gown is the most opulent dress Belle wears in the film.[3] Its color also matches that of the ballroom.[13] Screenwriter Linda Woolverton theorized that Belle obtained the dress from the Wardrobe character, who was no longer able to fit into the gown upon being turned into a wardrobe.[16]
A writer for
monochromatic, sometimes ostentatious pieces.[17] Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Paddy Calistro observed that "the cut of Belle's clothes becomes more and more bare" as she falls in love with the Beast, "revealing voluptuous breasts and alluring shoulders".[15] According to Vox contributor Genevieve Valentine, the dress "was lifted out of time, with crinolines and neckline a century removed from the movie's vaguely rococo trappings", believing these details help establish the character's "forward-thinking affinity for the unusual".[10]Glamour fashion historian April Calahan determined that Belle's dresses are not historically accurate because they borrow design elements from entirely different fashion eras.[18] The ball gown in particular is less shapely and omits several layers that would have been common for a typical gown of the time period, additionally lacking a wig or hat to indicate the character's sexual availability.[18] Contrarily, Lacey Womack of Screen Rant believes the dress is fairly historically accurate but less "extreme" than 18th century fashion, observing that Belle's waist should be far more cinched to emphasize the fullness of her skirt.[19]Uproxx contributor Donna Dickens wrote that audiences "believe the amount of petticoats utilized would hold the dress up without a human to support it", despite its lack of historical accuracy.[20] Some critics have speculated that the gown was inspired by a costume actress Audrey Hepburn wears in the film Roman Holiday (1953),[21][22] but this has not been confirmed by Disney.[23]
Background and original animation
Beauty and the Beast is believed to be set in
1780s.[10] After the success of The Little Mermaid (1989) and popularity of its heroine Ariel, Disney was reminded of the potential their princess characters possess "as a narrative industry".[10] Among several changes made to the film's style, Belle became the studio's "next great hope in establishing a second generation of indelible — and marketable — princesses", with her costumes adopting a cleaner, more anachronistic aesthetic.[10] Dickens believes the animators forwent the intricacies of 18th-century fashion in favor of streamlining Belle's ball gown to save both time and effort.[20]
Beginning with Belle's blue dress during the film's opening scenes, color is used to demonstrate the character's emotional journey throughout her story and differentiate her from other characters.[25][26] Art director Brian McEntee wanted the dress to be yellow and gold so light could capture as many of her movements as possible, despite the color being difficult to animate at the time.[27] McEntee explained that by the time Belle wears her gold dress, the character has matured and warmed up, dressing her entirely in yellow and gold "to show her love and her warmth".[25] Disney's marketing department originally wanted the dress to be pink or lavender to appeal to female audiences.[28][29][30] However, McEntee and story artist Chris Sanders convinced the studio to allow the dress to be gold to distinguish Belle from previous Disney princesses,[28][29] specifically Sleeping Beauty’s (1959) Aurora, who wears pink.[28][31]
Although the dress is not credited to a specific animator or designer,[b] producer Don Hahn and McEntee recalled designing it with several male filmmakers while eating pizza and drinking alcohol.[25][32] Hahn and McEntee find it ironic that, for several years to come, young girls would be wearing a costume that was essentially designed by drunken men.[25][33] Although several different animators constructed Belle's movements throughout production, only supervising animator James Baxter animated the character and her ball gown during the ballroom scene.[23]
1994 Broadway adaptation
Belle's dress was adapted for the
elbow-length gloves.[40] Hould-Ward also created a pair of bloomers to be worn underneath the dress, which were embroidered with flowers despite being hidden from the audience.[41]
The weight of the dress was such that it would pull actress
Egan recalled that young girls would regularly attend shows wearing their own versions of the dress purchased from the Disney Store, with one girl yelling that Egan looks "just like [her]" when the actress appeared on stage one evening.[44] The outburst paused the show momentarily, and prompted laughter from both the audience and cast.[44] Hould-Ward won a Tony Award for Best Costume Design for her work on Beauty and the Beast.[35] The dress was re-designed for R&B singer Toni Braxton when she joined the production as Belle in 1998, with alterations designed to make the costume sexier and more revealing.[45][46] Braxton also wore a "fringed" version of the dress during the show's curtain call.[47] Although simplified for traveling purposes, the costume's design has remained largely unaltered for subsequent touring productions.[48] In 2000, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights created a teddy bear wearing a miniature replica of Belle's costume from the Broadway musical for charity.[36]
2017 live-action remake
Costume designer
creative input over her character's wardrobe,[9] explaining that she did not "want a big princess dress" in favor of moving freely.[59] Watson also insisted that the dress not consist of a corset,[59] fearing the item would restrict her movement.[60] The actress found it most important that the garment "dance beautifully", explaining, "We wanted it to feel like it could float, like it could fly."[52] Willow, the five-year-old daughter of Watson's costar Dan Stevens,[61] drew Watson several sketches of how she felt the dress should look,[62] which Watson took seriously and reviewed with the costume department.[63] Durran also designed a miniature version of the dress for Willow to wear to the film's premiere.[56] The dress underwent several interpretations and re-designs during production, ranging from historically accurate to modern and experimental.[64] Durran ultimately opted for simplicity,[65] describing the costume as a "soft structure built up by with meters and meters of silk organza dyed yellow and cut broadly in a circular shape", which emphasize the actress' movement.[66] Dickens theorized that Disney opted for a simpler design to make the dress easier to replicate for costumes and merchandise.[20]
Durran incorporated 18th-century fashion elements into the dress, namely its layered skirt and emphasized waistline.
Swarovski crystals for additional sparkle.[50][52][59] Overall, the design remained faithful to the original but, according to Fawnia Soo Hoo of Nylon, was updated to reflect Belle's liberated nature and allow her to lean into the final action scenes.[70]
The gown's accessories also complement the characters' surroundings, namely Belle's plant-like
ear cuff, feather-like hairpiece and gold filigree necklace.[53][71] Durran explained that since everything worn in the castle is created in the castle, the accessories should also "partake in the magic enchantment of the castle itself", with Belle's ear cuff resembling a growing plant.[71] Watson wears her hair in a "half-up, half-down" style reminiscent of the original, held in place using a gilded hair piece which is used to unlock a cart later in the film.[71] Belle's shoes are 18th-century high heels hand-painted with golden glowers.[9] Despite their height, the shoes are practical enough for Belle to wear while running.[72] Watson has identified wearing the dress as her favorite moment in the film.[68] Unlike previous adaptations, Watson's Belle does not re-wear the golden gown at the end of the film once the castle's spell is lifted.[65] Instead, Durran designed an original white floral dress for Watson.[65]
2022 television special
Singer H.E.R. played Belle in Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration, a 2022 television special commemorating the 30th anniversary of the film's Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Costume designer Marina Toybina adapted Belle's ball gown for the special, which was the final costume she created for the program.[73] Toybina debated whether she should design a live-action replica of the gown, or approach it from an entirely new direction.[74] To help establish that H.E.R. was portraying her own version of the popular character for a modern audience, Toybina opted not to design an exact replica of the dress in favor of incorporating H.E.R.'s own musical style.[74][75] Toybina wanted to use the rose motif in the gown's design,[73] aiming to create a "yellow version of the rose".[75] To achieve this effect, the designer specially draped the skirt in a manner intended to resemble rose petals, invoking a "softness and elegance" unique to the new design.[75] Four different pleating techniques were used for the skirt's fullness, including sunburst pleating and gathered pleating.[74] All embroidery was hand-beaded.[74]
After debating with the production team on whether the dress should appear yellow or gold, the costumer designer ultimately decided on a hybrid of both, described as "an iridescent yellow fabric with golden detailing on the corset".[73] Discussing the gown's hue which continues to be debated, Toybina explained that the dress was originally gold dress and evolved into a yellow dress over time.[75] She also drew inspiration from contemporary fashion designers such as Alexander McQueen, Thierry Mugler, and Daniel Roseberry,[75] while the armor-like bodice draws inspiration from Joan of Arc.[74]
Reception
When Beauty and the Beast was released in 1991, Belle's ball gown quickly became a favorite among Disney fans,
Disney Parks and in merchandise, observing that the dress had received at least half a dozen redesigns by 2017.[10]
Durran's version of the dress divided critics and audiences, earning mixed reviews upon its debut in the film's 2017 live-action remake.
The Mary Sue described Watson's interpretation as a "monstrosity" and one of "the worst offenses in 'period' costuming".[85]
Nevertheless, both
formalwear color between 2016 and 2017.[89] According to Fawnia Soo Hoo of Nylon, "no timeless yellow dress brings as much warm nostalgia as Belle's circa-18th-century-France ballgown".[70]
Legacy
Belle's ball gown is considered to be one of the
Vogue Paris, the dress "is one of the most iconic costumes in film history", comparing its impact to costumes from the films Gone With the Wind (1939) and Moulin Rouge! (2001).[27] Penny Goldstone of Marie Claire agreed that the dress is Disney's most iconic princess gown,[82] while Jo-Anne Rowney of the Daily Mirror called it "one of the most iconic dresses in Disney history".[7] Sarah Karmali of British Vogue considers it to be both one of the studio's "most instantly recognisable dresses" and one of the 20 most famous dresses in fashion history.[94]
In a 2018 ranking of "Pop culture's 15 most iconic yellow dresses", Entertainment Weekly contributor Mary Sollosi said the dress "has gone down in Disney history as one of [their] most iconic fairy-tale dresses".
Evoke.ie believes the dress alone is beloved enough to convince people to watch the live-action remake in theaters.[91] According to Screen Rant's Sierra Robinson, the garment "is a huge reason as to why the [animated] film is so loved", ranking it the fifth "most iconic" movie dress.[81] Writing for the same publication, Rotem Rusak ranked it the second-best Disney princess gown, describing it as an "incredible" dress that made Disney history,[97] while Bethany Aroutunian ranked it third on the website's list of "Best Outfits In Disney Live-Action Adaptations".[98]
A Disney Parks cast member dressed as Belle.
According to Fawnia Soo Hoo of
Belle.[107][108] Costume designer Bea Åkerlund identified the dress as their favorite "yellow fashion moment".[109]
Screen Rant contributor Lucy-Jo Finnighan believes the dress "is probably one of the reasons why this film is considered the best on-screen adaptation of Beauty and the Beast".
^The original dress from the animated film has alternatively been described as either gold or yellow by various sources, but producer Don Hahn and art director Brian McEntee have called the gown gold or golden.
^Filmmakers commonly associated with designing the dress include art director Brian McEntee, producer Don Hahn, story artist Chris Sanders and supervising animator James Baxter.
^"Why is Belle the best princess?". Celebrity.fm. 2017. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021. Because of that, in 2D animation, yellow is often a visual shorthand to represent gold ... That, in part, is why so many people scratched their heads when they saw Belle's Live Action Ball Gown was going to be simply yellow.
^
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
. Belle's shoes are mostly hidden underneath the dress' skirt, but they can briefly be seen when she begins walking down the staircase.
^ abRobinson, Sierra (September 30, 2020). "The Top 10 Most Iconic Dresses In Film". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021. when the 2017 remake hit the big screen, audiences were torn as to whether or not they actually liked the dress.
