 Belle's ball gown as it appears for the first time in the original 1991 animated film. | |
| Designer | Various, including Brian McEntee |
|---|---|
| Year | 1991 |
| Type | Animated off-the-shoulder golden ball gown |
In the ballroom scene from Disney's 1991 animated film Beauty and the Beast, during which the fictional character Belle dances with the Beast to the film's titular song, Belle wears an opulent golden off-the-shoulder ball gown with a voluminous skirt. Producer Don Hahn claims the dress was conceived by several intoxicated male filmmakers during production of the film. Although Beauty and the Beast is set in 18th-century France, the dress's streamlined, anachronistic design borrows inspiration from several different fashion eras, with some of its elements centuries removed from its 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 tie-in media, including toys, video games, and television, with an 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.