Hi, Anea. I'm Super Excited About The Upcoming BATB Movie But Very Disappointed In Belle's Iconic Ball

Hi, Anea. I'm super excited about the upcoming BATB movie but very disappointed in Belle's iconic ball gown like many others. That said, I'm not a fashion person, other than realizing that yellow can be a hard color to pull off, so I don't know how the dress could have been made better. My question, then, would be what kind of alternative material/cut/etc. could have made the dress more like in the animation (better, iconic, gorgeous, flowing, all that stuff)? Thank you!

All I ask for is Belle’s golden dress as designed by Miguel Angel Huidor, for Stage Entertainment. Soft yellow sprinkled with gold, gorgeous drapes, a Rococo touch, always spectacular. 

Had the upcoming BATB movie shown this dress, it would have been an utter legend and copied to death. It offers so much for the eye to look at, without really stealing the focus from the Belle actress. Just complimenting her.

I think that’s the problem with the BATB movie dress - it doesn’t have any details or any oomph, nothing for the eye to look at. Which is nice enough for the actress, as it’s full focus on her. But it’s quite underwhelming for being *the* golden dress everyone had expectations for.

If I could choose I would have given the dress a more subtle yellow shade, maybe by adding a sequin overlay on the silk, or more ornamentation as that seen on the hem. I would also have given the bodice a more historical touch, by adding a sequinned or pleated “bertha” neckline.

Like this 1860s Emile Pingat dress:

( http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/82430 )

So yeah, a paler shade, more overlay details, more details in general, or a way more spectacular neckline at least. That’s stuff I would have added.

If Disney a beauty and the beast gets revival on Broadway/west end, I would love for it to have a rococo look to it. I would also like to see the enchantress to wear a dress that has mid-17th century influences so the audience knows that she is not part of the “real” world. Do you think a white robe de cour would be suitable for finale if it is implied to be a wedding ceremony of belle and the prince?

This is the second ask mentioning a white robe de cour for the finale, so I assume it’s the same anon asking... 

A Robe de Cour was an incredibly formal garment, a surviving 17th century creation essentially, by Rococo standard. While fashion changed and changed a lot during the 18th century, the Robe de Cour (I.E. court gown) was mandatory at court in France. It was also seen as proper, if not mandatory, in some other countries. These dresses were stiffer, more formal and often with bigger underpinnings (paniers) than other dresses at the time. This to underline their formal nature and the wearer’s and king’s splendour. As jaw-dropping as the fabric, craftmanship and overall splendour is here, I’m not sure I’d love to see Belle in such a creation:

(Queen Sophie Magdalene’s wedding dress / Livrustkammaren, Sweden)

But there’s also more mantua-like Robe de Cours, a style especially favourited in the UK, and that would be cool to see Belle sport. Actually it’s pretty much what the previously mentioned Miguel Angel Huidor designed for Stage Entertainment:

I agree with your thought on the enchantress - to feature her in an attire implying she belongs to another century is a nice way of underlining her magical powers.

The Great + Costumes

Catherine the Great’s turquoise & pink dress in Season 02, Episode 09.

// requested by anonymous

I totally agree, in fact I would have liked the author to portray Rashta as someone who, due to his circumstances plus his personal flaws, makes bad decisions, and that the role of villain was Sovieshu, he has all the traits of an abusive husband. Here are traits of abusive partners from an article I read.

1. He often brags about his conquests in front of you or your friends. According to Sendra, “in addition to being disrespectful, he realizes his need to show that he can be with anyone. He will have no qualms about leering or making sexual advances at others.

2. Does not invest time, money or spaces in you. They show little willingness to share their spaces or include their partners in their daily lives. "It is not that they should do everything together, but this person shows little interest in being known by his environment," argues the author.

3. He has a disrespectful behavior. “He usually asks for favors in an authoritative way, regardless of his time or space. And he doesn't bother to say thank you. If they have an appointment, she puts him on hold without apologizing”, says the pedagogue.

4. He wants to be the protagonist. He often gets upset if you or others don't give him special treatment. He interrupts the talks, chooses the topics of conversation and ignores the talks that are not of interest to him. “He prioritizes his friends, his family, his activities and his wishes over his own or those of others,” explains Sendra.

5. The emotions of others do not matter. They usually say things like "Are you on your days?", just because you get angry about something or you don't agree with their position. They will always have an argument to minimize or make invisible the affective world of the other, attributing it to "pure sensitivity".

6. Controlling and possessive. Be careful who tells you how to dress, be attentive to your social networks and who you write to, check your cell phone and your computer, make judgments about your friends showing discomfort when they are not to your liking. He threatens to break up if you get fat. If you give him space, he will ask suspicious questions like "What will you do now?", "Who will you see?".

7. Tends to blame the other for not understanding him, for provoking his anger or for making him make mistakes.

8. You often compare yourself to others in terms of income, class, education, intelligence, and aesthetics, and you are no exception. Assume a position of superiority. It can be disqualifying when you feel in a position of power.

9. Use mockery, sarcasm and irony. Although he does not attack him directly, he tells anecdotes, allusions or jokes that mislead his partner, believing that it is just humor, when they hide mockery and sarcasm. He often uses a limitation or defect of his partner to ridicule him. Before the claim she will respond evasively: "Everything I say bothers you", "you can't stand anything".

10. Prioritizes your satisfaction and sexuality. Shows little interest in discovering the other's erotic desires and needs. If you are the one who is desirous, you will feel threatened, jealous. You can pressure with blackmail and manipulation to experience practices that you do not want.

11. He is a liar. His weakening strategy is to leave out certain details. Use silence and innuendo to create a misunderstanding that will later be used to your advantage. It seeks to destabilize and have control.

12. Deny the conflict. When you complain or want to explain some discomfort, he rejects direct communication and denies the claim and the existence of the conflict. It will make you feel like an exaggerated or irritable.

13. Will seek to separate you from your important links to become your whole life or generate intrigue to promote enmity and confrontation between you and yours.

14. Catches with the way you talk. He says one thing, but his way of acting indicates the opposite. He will tell you that he likes his friends, but when he is with them he will not speak to him and will make a face at them.

Sovieshu meets almost everything🤨.

Unpopular opinion:

I’m finding it a bit hard to see Rashta as “trash” when the woman was literally enslaved for all of her life because her father sold her to get rid of his gambling debt. Who in that position wouldn’t do anything and everything to make sure that they and their offspring wouldn’t face that same trauma.

Yes, she played part in the destruction of a (hollow) marriage but again when opportunities to rise in social society pop up most people take it. Not an excuse but it explains a lot.

Like her or not she is a victim of human trafficking who is trying to navigate a world that views her as lesser than. Would it be good to see her think of others who were/are in the same position and want to advocate for the ending of such a practice? Yes but again I see why she’s so #1.

What’s more: The author paints her in such an unsympathetic light I really wonder why they didn’t just make her dirt poor without the slavery background. Especially since they don’t really acknowledge it much in the world building anyways.

The Great + Headpieces

Catherine the Great’s headpieces in Season 02 | Part 02 of 02.

Belle’s finale dress from beauty and the beast 2017 doesn’t seem to evoke the 1700s. If you redesign the shape of that dress, what would it be? A robe de cour or a sack back gown or a robe Anglais?

Oh, of course it does not. For the ones who have no idea what this is about, it’s this dress:

Since the occasion seems to be more like a country dance than a proper ball or court, I’d totally avoid a robe de cour (that dress was supposed to be worn at court only, think about it as the ultimate and most formal of all gowns).

Looking that the mood is pretty pastoral I would not use a robe à la française either, it would stand out too much next to the “simpler” dressed other women are wearing. Here I’m totally suspending my incredulity and even ignoring the fact that Dan Stevens’ style is pretty much mid-18th century and the other men are definitely at the last part of the century.

So, I’d change it into a robe à l’anglaise, probably in printed cotton, and i’d keep the neckline, the transparent sleeves (just for the lols), and maybe would play with the sheer fabric for a petticoat under the anglaise gown.