All the Cinderella Movie Dresses: RANKED
#10: “The Glass Slipper” (1955)
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One of the earliest live action remakes, Ella shows up to the ball dressed to steal the show. This ballet movie delivers when it comes to fashion. Unlike other versions of the story, there is no magic. When she is left without a dress to wear to the ball, her friend, the eccentric town vagrant, borrows Ella’s cousin's dress and loans it to her. The gown is a beautiful pink-tinted white with rosebud and crystal details. Though the sleeves and silhouette reference the 18th century fashion worn by the other characters, it doesn’t look like anything else in the room. The dress’ pastel color and youthful design, and Ella’s lack of wig, make her stand out in the crowd.
#9: “Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella” (1957)
Julie Andrews' first time on live television was starring in the first version of R&H’s musical Cinderella. The most famous dress she wore for the production, a beautiful white ballgown with standout gold features, is actually only featured in promotional material, and never worn on screen. Since the telecast was filmed live, Andrews had to be able to do quick costume changes, and the promotional gown was deemed too large and heavy for the task. So the fairy godmother ended up giving Cinderella an all white tulle sheath dress with long gloves and a tiara instead of the other dress. However, the detail of the gown still made her the talk of the ball.
#8: “The Slipper and the Rose” (1976)
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This period piece musical is better known for its soundtrack than its fashion, but the style still shines. Cinderella's fairy godmother transforms her dress into a pale pink 18th century ball gown with ruffle and crystal details. She is also given a pink-tinted wig also adorned with crystals, fitting the custom of the 18th century setting of the story. Because all the costumes were made to fit the time period, many of the dresses at the ball look similar to hers. In fact you could argue that Cinderella’s gown is a little simple by comparison. But the prince still only had eyes for her, proving that it’s not the petals that make the rose.
#7 “Cinderella” (2021)
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This adaptation forges some new ground for the oft-told fairy tale. We do, however, still get an opulent ball gown. Promotional images show us a shimmering strapless number in a distinctive pale purple color. With pickups adding fullness to the ombre skirt, and the constellations of crystal embellishments, it’s definitely a look fit for royalty. The gown also boasts unique detached sheer sleeves with floral details. Interestingly, its color is closer to a silvery white in the onscreen footage, but it doesn’t lose any of its pop as a result. And even if the gown’s color is more traditional, its origins definitely aren’t.
#6: “Into the Woods” (2014)
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This movie isn’t exactly just another retelling of the classic fairy tale. Cinderella is just one of an ensemble of fairy tale characters chasing their dreams. In this story the role of fairy godmother is fulfilled by the spirit of her deceased mother, who comes to her in a tree. After encouraging her daughter, she transforms Cinderella’s rags into a beautiful ball gown with a unique green-gold color similar to the tree’s leaves. We see another nod to this origin in her gold tiara. With its shimmering fabric and delicate green organza details, this gown is designed to blend in and stand out, and naturally manages to catch the prince’s eye. Though maybe that’s not what Cinderella actually wants after all...
#5: “Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella” (1997)
The third rendition of the R&H classic gave us Whitney Houston as a fairy godmother and Brandy as Cinderella. What more could we want? The movie had a stellar cast and amazing fashion. The dress Cinderella is given for the ball is a beautiful light blue ball gown accessorized with gloves and a tiara. While the shape of the gown is very reminiscent of the blue Disney cartoon dress, the sparkles of the bodice and skirt give us both nostalgia and y2k vibes. It all adds up into the perfect blend of old and new, making it impossible not to fall in love with this version of the story. Everything about this movie is undeniably iconic.
#4: “Cinderella” (1950)
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When you think of the quintessential Cinderella dress, you probably think of a light blue ball gown with lots of sparkle right? Well in the original release of the Disney movie the dress was actually a silvery white color. Since then, the House of Mouse has exclusively released blue versions of the dress. Some fans speculate that the color change was for marketing purposes, as to not sell wedding dress-like costumes to little girls. Others believe it was to make the sparkles stand out more during the transformation sequence. Either way, her dress is one of the most recognizable Disney princess dresses to ever exist.
#3: “Ever After” (1998)
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This story is primarily set in 16th century France, and so were the costumes. Danielle meets the prince long before the ball and forms a relationship with him under a false alias. Ready to reveal the truth, Danielle is thwarted when she is locked up by her stepmother, only to be released by her friend, and de facto fairy godmother, Leonardo da Vinci. When Danielle appears at the masquerade ball, she is wearing a gown that once belonged to her mother, with the addition of a special touch courtesy of da Vinci. The dress itself is stunning, with its delicate fabrics and intricate beading; we could stare at the details of it all day. However, the ethereal shimmering makeup and wings truly elevate this mesmerizing look to be unforgettable.
#2: “A Cinderella Story” (2004)
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This modern rendition of the fairy tale revolves around ordinary highschooler Sam. And when she has nothing to wear to her high school Halloween costume party, she relies on her ordinary coworker and friend to help her dress to impress. When Sam appears at the dance, she steals the spotlight in a big way. The poofy tulle skirt is the stuff of princess fantasies, while the crystal lattice detail on the bodice seems almost like a nod to the promotional dress from the 1957 Cinderella. Even without a tiara, she looks undeniably like true royalty for the night. There’s a timeless quality about this look that proves fairy tales never fall out of fashion. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Another Cinderella Story” (2008) A Modern Take Guaranteed to Turn Heads With Its Eye Catching Red Color “Maid in Manhattan” (2002) A Dress Worthy of the Red Carpet “Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister” (2002) A Gown That Made Her Look More Like a Queen Than a Maiden.
#1: “Cinderella” (2015)
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Many of the movies on this list are based on different versions of Cinderella, but this film is based on the Disney classic. So when it came time to make a dress, costume designer Sandy Powell had big shoes to fill. Wanting the dress to be both unique and reminiscent of the cartoon dress, Powell said she wanted the ballet gown to look like watercolor. To achieve this, the silhouette followed the original, and the voluminous skirt was made of layers and layers of different colored lightweight fabrics that appeared water like when Cinderella danced. We’d say mission accomplished. The dress doesn’t need heavy embellishment; with its vibrant color and subtle, shimmering dimension, it practically glows on screen. True magic come to life.
