In all the discussion of John Hughes movies after his untimely death, how come no one actually dug in and did some research into which costume designer thought Molly Ringwald's prom dress in "Pretty in Pink" was actually, well, pretty?OK, so she's working with two old vintage dresses, and she's a teenager (although one with much sewing experience, it seems), but even allowing for the fact that she wants to stand out from the Jessica McClintock-clad prom crowd...this is an unattractive dress.
Also, just plain ODD. Why do the sleeves attach where they do? Could she even lift her arms without ripping them off? Why bare the top part of her arms? Why the dog collar? Why the sack shape?
Jezebel calls it "a Pepto-Bismol trapezoid nightmare frock," which is not far off. I am not exactly Anna Wintour, but seeing this dress on the big screen, apparently accepted as perfectly lovely and even cutting-edge, shook whatever confidence I had in my fashion sense to the core.
Also, just plain ODD. Why do the sleeves attach where they do? Could she even lift her arms without ripping them off? Why bare the top part of her arms? Why the dog collar? Why the sack shape?
Jezebel calls it "a Pepto-Bismol trapezoid nightmare frock," which is not far off. I am not exactly Anna Wintour, but seeing this dress on the big screen, apparently accepted as perfectly lovely and even cutting-edge, shook whatever confidence I had in my fashion sense to the core.
9 comments:
Did anyone think that dress was cool? It showed up again on Veronica Mars, and it was just as ugly.
I was one of those kids in the 1970s who sewed quite a bit of her wardrobe. I loved to make really weird outfits using bits of feathers and leather. One outfit was made up of lots of different polka dot styles and sizes - enough to give other people a headache! But even when my outfits were odd, they always fit my body well and were proportionately pleasing. I was already in my 20s when this movie came out, and I remember thinking that even on my most outlandish day I would NEVER wear something this badly designed and made. Yuck!
Thank you! I was too young to see the movie first-run, and was distracted when I finally saw it on video by the horrible-ness of that dress. Ugh.
And yet, the year PiP came out, someone at my high school had it copied in peach. Ugh.
I have to say as an 8th Grader in 1986 I loved it so much that I made it for my 8th Grade Graduation Dance.
With John Hughes' death it brought back memories and I decided to try it on.
Still fits.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2401517&l=1c083687e6&id=500136297
I saw the movie when it came out and thought the dress was hideous then. I didn't understand why she didn't just wear the vintage as-was, it was perfectly fine (and chic for the time).
The dress ain't great. I always supposed the point was that she paid hommage to her mother, and also yet did something that was different than all the sheep, and also reflected her completely different shabby chic style. Both dresses were gorgeous... she built a piece of poo. Love live John and Molly!
Well, according to me, this dress was never pretty; not today and not even back in that day n time. I loved the movie, it was so romantic, that last kiss after or during the dance...it was so full of chemistry... you could feel it jumping at you through the television screen. However, the dress, the design was poor and pink is not the prettiest color for an evening gown. Sorry!!!
That pink dress is cute, but the style is not so hot...has no shape to it...but the movie was awesome.
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