Four Different Designs For Beauty And The Beast (Disney Version):They All FeatureBelle In A Blue, Aproned

Four different designs for “Beauty and the Beast” (Disney version):  They all feature Belle in a blue, aproned dress for the opening, and Belle in a yellowish golden dress, and the Beast in a royal blue suit/tailcoat for the epic dance scene. But within that there are variations. The main difference in design ideas seems to be which century they set the story in. The animated version from 1991 (row 1), as well as the original Broadway production and those to follow (row 2), set the story in the mid 19th century, with wide crinoline skirts and corseted bodices for the ladies, and tailcoat for the beast.  Later versions has explored the 18th century for the design as well, as was done in Germany and Italy (row 3) as well as Denmark (row 4).  Of these the Italian/German one is my definite favourite. The costume designer Miguel Angel Huidor totally knew what’s essential to the 18th century, and managed to make it period plausible while still taking place in a fantasy world - AND making it look splendid. 1. and 2. From the animated 1991 movie.  3. and 4. Liz Schivener and Justin Glaser, US tour.   5. and 6. Arianna and Antonello Angiolillo, Milan and Rome.  7. Charlotte Guldberg, Copenhagen.  8. Mia Karlsson and Kristian Boland, Copenhagen. 

Robe a la Française and Masquerade Accessories, ca. 1765-70

via The Met

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.

Gold Clasped Hands, Hidden Heart Fede (Gimmal) Betrothal Ring, ca. 1840

via 1stdibs

Comparing “Beauty and the Beast”: Belle in pink library dress

1. The animated 1991 movie.  2. The original stage design (1994), by Ann Hould-Ward.  3. The Stage Entertainment design* (2005), by Miguel Angel Huidor.  4. The first non-replica design, Copenhagen (2005), by Terry Parson.  5. The German tour design (2012, originally Hungarian), by Erzébet Túri.  6. The Oslo design (2014), by Rebekka Sørensen.  The bodice is basically always covered by a book, so this one was hard to do a photoset on. But it shows the basics anyway.  (*first in use was the replica version, then they did their own design)