Gowns to fall in love with
What’s a romantic comedy without a breathtaking fashion moment?
Here are the untold stories behind a dozen of the most fabulous looks in rom-com history.
I wanted it to look like it all came together easily.
Sanja Bucko/Warner Bros.; Michael Gibson/Paramount Pictures; Everett Collection
I thought I would probably do contrast, says Patch.
She tested navy and moss green in addition to this matching shade, all in silk charmeuse.
It was kind of unusual at that time for blondes to wear yellow, Patch says.
Everett Collection
And I thought, well, this completely breaks that rule, but who cares?
[Shes] the classic beauty as opposed to the sexy beauty.
I told her, This is your moment, youre making a stance.
Everett Collection
I felt that red was the color that represented that best.
But at the same time, she looks great in it.
In the end, she owned it.
TriStar/Everett Collection
Which kind of goes with the whole theory of the movie.
We wanted that sweep of chiffon when she walked in and there was a little bit of a breeze.
Its a huge change for the heretofore frumpy Georgia, but a welcome one for the designer.
Stephen Vaughan/Paramount
If something is not important, it flies away.
It goes with the wind.
After (spoiler alert?)
Everett Collection; New Line Cinema
That was really cool about the writers; they paid attention to the fashion side of it.
That [suit] really contrasted with the dream dress.
It helped to describe the entire scene, you know?
Paramount Pictures
Cher (Alicia Silverstone) inClueless(1995)
You dont understand!
This is an Alaia!
Cher memorably cries when being mugged.
Paramount Pictures
Her attacker reallydidntunderstand that dress was not easy to get.
This movie was made in the 90s.
There was not so much promo at the time.
Sanja Bucko/Warner Bros.
People [were] not sending [costume] designers dresses like they do now.
We also had unknown actors.
Alaia was very helpful.
Snap/REX/Shutterstock
He was one of the designers that really wanted to work with us.
I think simplicity was really what kind of Cher looks were.
It was always clean.
Columbia/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
It was a very grown-up look for her.
It is, after all, like a totally important designer.
There were the richies that all wore light blue, beige, whites, light gray.
Everett Collection
And she was one of them.
Even before she makes her pink Franken-dress for the prom, Andie started to do her own thing.
She would sew little charms onto her sweater, Vance says.
Everett Collection
Just all these different concoctions that she [put] together because she couldn’t compete with the richies.
She didn’t even attempt to compete.
She wanted to be the Madonna the strapless with the full skirt.
[But] everybody else was doing that.
She is not one of those girls.
I pared everything down, Vance says.
She sees how the other half lives, and she gets it.
And she pares herself down to venture to fit in.
Finding the right shade required a laborious color-testing process for both designer and actress.
She worked really, really hard.
She was such a sport.
In the end, of course, it was all worth it.
Black would have been a big mistake.
When the time came, J.
Lo herself chose this archival Bob Mackie gown.
It has to be [her decision], Wolsky says.
She has to feel wonderful in it also, as an actor.
That dress was really inspired by her journey.
We did the big sleeves, then we did the empire dress, then we did off the shoulders.
What would be next?
says costume designer Mona May.
She was the fairy-tale princess.
She’s now a modern girl.
Ultimately, it is a Disney character, she says.
