Disney Princess Outfits: Ranked from Most to Least Historically Accurate
Anna “Frozen” (2013)
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Because animation has become more advanced, costume design in animated movies is now a necessity. Jean Gillmore, the creative behind “Frozen”’s costumes, took her inspiration from the traditional clothes of 1840s Western Europe, particularly pre 19th Century Norway. For example, Anna’s traveling hat was based on a regional Norwegian cap and some of the details on her outfits are influenced by the trim on real historic garments. Before beginning the design process, the “Frozen” team traveled to Norway for research. Although the costumes are fantasy, most of the designs are rooted in something real. “Frozen II” designer Brittney Lee explained: “We try to be as thorough with detail as possible, down to the direction of the embroidery thread.”
Mulan “Mulan” (1998)
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Out of all the princess movies, “Mulan” is one of the few to be set in a specific, real-world location, not a fantasy land. If we’re assuming the Disney film takes place in the same period as the ballad that inspired it, our heroine is based in Northern China, around the years of 420-589 ad. The design of her everyday clothes are pretty accurate to the period, right down to the undergarments she’s wearing in her very first scene. Her matchmaker outfit isn’t far off either. A girl from a farming family probably wouldn’t have been able to afford jade beads, but she would have dressed to impress. Mulan’s layered outfit is a Chinese ruqun with trailing sleeves, worn with a silk shawl.
Moana “Moana” (2016)
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“Moana” is set on a fictional Polynesian Island, influenced by a mix of cultures but most noticeably inspired by Samoa. Moana’s ceremonial dress is a close match to Samoan Taualuga (taow-looguh) dancewear and was designed by visual development artist Neysa Bové. But what about her main outfit? The Pacific Trust provided Bové with fabric samples of tapa and pandanus to help with historical accuracy. These natural fabrics would have been present in ancient Polynesia, so most of the movie’s costumes were designed with these materials in mind. Moana wears a ti leaf (tea) kilt overlaid with a skirt made of tapa. A real Polynesian woman of the time would probably have gone topless, but understandably the designers opted for a burnt orange bandeau top instead.
Merida “Brave” (2012)
Merida is a Medieval Celtic princess - albeit a fictional one - living in a fantasy Scotland pitched somewhere between the 9th and 12th Centuries. Her gowns may look more like a pre-raphaelite idea of medieval than the genuine article, but the animators actually got a lot of the basics right. The Pixar princess wears a long green kirtle over a cream chemise, with slashed sleeves at the elbow, and often a belt for her arrows. Historically, Merida would probably be wearing a long-sleeved, ankle-length tunic called a léine (lay-nuh), which would be belted at the waist. She would also wear a cloak - then called a brat - made from a square piece of fabric and pinned with decorative brooches.
Raya “Raya and the Last Dragon” (2021)
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Raya is Disney’s first Southeast Asian princess and the 13th to join the official line-up. Her movie is set in the land of Kumandra, a fictional world based on a blend of Southeast Asian cultures. Raya’s outfits are therefore not historically accurate to any particular place or period. However, the visual artists borrowed aspects of her costume from different Asian regions and worked with the “Southeast Asia Story Trust” to help ensure accurate representation. Raya’s main outfit was designed with ease of movement in mind and is based on a traditional Cambodian garment called a ‘sampot.’ Her conical hat is inspired by the salakót, which is headwear from the Philippines and her childhood hairstyle is influenced by Inuit styles.
Snow White “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)
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Disney’s first full-length animated feature is based on the Brothers Grimm Tale which in turn may have been inspired by a real Bavarian countess. If we assume that the film is set in the same time and place as the fairytale, this puts us in 16th Century Germany. Snow White’s gown has puffed, slashed sleeves with a red fabric underlay. She also has a standing collar and a skirt in a contrasting color. This look - although simplified - does feature elements worn by the nobility who would have lived in the Saxony region during this period. However, the princess’s bare arms and lack of a hoop skirt are definitely more 1930s than 1500s, as are her hairstyle and those eyebrows. vAriel “The Little Mermaid” (1989)
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The original “Little Mermaid” is a Danish fairytale written by Hans Christian Andersen and published in the 1830s. The movie is actually set somewhere in the Mediterranean, but Ariel’s style of dress suggests that the time period remains unchanged. Her trademark pink dress has a low scooped neckline, a wide skirt and leg of mutton sleeves, all details that were characteristic of the era. The blue dress she wears on her date with Eric roughly alludes to other fashion trends of the period, though it’s a little too toned down for the 1830s. It was a decade of big hair, big accessories, and big sleeves, much like the 1980s, actually. Both influences converge in a Princess Diana-esque wedding dress.
Tiana “The Princess and the Frog” (2009)
“The Princess and the Frog” has a very real and very famous setting that should make Tiana the easiest princess to rank for historical accuracy. However, her two main looks are a far cry from Jazz Age New Orleans. For the purposes of the Disney Princess marketing, Tiana wears her first wedding dress - a green and gold sparkly ballgown with a traditional princess silhouette. On all the movie posters she was in her costume for the masquerade ball, another anachronistic outfit. On the other hand, Tiana’s everyday clothes are fairly period accurate. Her hair should be shorter and her waistline should be lower. But her cloche hat and coat, her restaurant opening look, and even her second wedding dress all check out. Kind of.
Belle “Beauty and the Beast” (1991)
“Beauty and the Beast” is set in France, presumably pre-revolution as the Beast is royalty. The original fairytale was published in the 1740s so we’ll take this as a rough guide to the period. Belle’s pink dress has some accurate features. However, her yellow ball gown, while iconic, is not at all 18th century. The original concept art shows the heroine dressed in a more era-appropriate gown similar to a robe à la Polonaise, with a stomacher and engageante (French) sleeves. In this kind of gown, she would be wearing stays and pocket hoops or a pannier (PAN-yuhr) underneath, creating a very different silhouette from Disney’s final design. The color fits the period though, as does the fact that she wears gloves. Though they are longer than is strictly correct.
Aurora “Sleeping Beauty” (1959)
We might not have exact dates, but Prince Phillip gives us a hint about “Sleeping Beauty’s” setting. For location, we’re guessing Germany, which correlates with the original fairytale. A medieval princess like Aurora would have worn a kirtle under a surcoat, probably with long trailing sleeves. A decorative belt and trimmed mantle may have completed the look. As an unmarried girl, Aurora would have worn her hair braided. “Sleeping Beauty” animator Eyvind Earle was influenced by gothic art and medieval manuscripts and we love his bold colors and stylization. Aurora’s angular gown fits this aesthetic, but it’s way off in terms of historical accuracy. And the great pink or blue debate? Sorry, pink team, but for medieval royalty, blue was more in vogue.
Cinderella “Cinderella” (1950)
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Disney’s “Cinderella” is based on the fairytale by Charles Perrault and set in mid-19th Century France. There are grand chateaus, bustles for the stepsisters, and a young Cinderella is shown briefly, wearing a Victorian-style child’s dress. There’s nothing very historical about Cinderella’s work clothes or the revamped pink ensemble, but what about her beloved ball gown? The shape is very vaguely Victorian, but that’s probably because the Belle Époque style of the 1800s was beginning to influence fashion in the early 1950s. In 1947, Christian Dior launched his New Look collection, which brought cinched waists and full skirts back into style. Cinderella’s dress is undeniably beautiful, but it’s more New Look than 19th Century.
Rapunzel “Tangled” (2010)
“Tangled” takes place in the fictional, and unfortunately named, kingdom of Corona. It’s based on a German fairytale and apparently set in the 1780s. Poor Rapunzel has spent her whole life shut up in a tower, so she can’t be expected to know the latest fashions. But obviously, Mother Gothel didn’t find her any up-to-date pattern books to read, because her outfit is basically all wrong. The Late 18th Century was the era of Marie Antoinette, but Rapunzel’s dress is more like a basic medieval day costume. It’s very pretty, and it suits her, but the time period calls for a subtler color palette and a different silhouette. Rapunzel wasn’t raised as royalty, but she doesn’t look much like a 1780s peasant either.
Elsa “Frozen” (2013)
Like Anna, some of Queen Elsa’s outfits are pretty accurate to the time and place that inspired the movie. But forget about all that - we want to talk about her “Let It Go” look. Historical accuracy went right out of the window here, and we’re kind of here for it. Her snow queen ensemble is a magical dress that symbolizes Elsa’s choice to rebel and free herself from rules and responsibilities. If we’re being picky though, would an 1840s girl really dream herself up a sparkly figure-hugging gown with sheer sleeves and a thigh slit? Like Snow White in the 30s, Cinderella in the 50s, and Ariel in the 80s, 2013’s Elsa is definitely a product of her time.
Jasmine “Aladdin” (1992)
Aladdin is set in Ancient Agrabah - a fictional Middle-Eastern country influenced by a mix of Arabic and Asian cultures. The time period could be 9th Century - when the first fragments of the “Arabian Nights” were discovered, or 18th Century when Aladdin was first incorporated into the tales. Princess Jasmine, however, seems to be channeling the 1990s, in her brightly colored baggy pants and crop top. Jasmine is one of the most overtly sexualized of the Disney heroines - which isn’t great, since she’s meant to be fifteen. It’s also historically inaccurate. As a woman of high rank in Ancient Persia, she would be much more covered up. Jasmine’s trousers are fairly authentic, but she’d have other layers on top, such as a dress and a veil.
Pocahontas “Pocahontas” (1995) We all know that “Pocahontas” was not Disney’s finest hour in terms of historical accuracy. The movie’s costume design isn’t all bad, but it definitely has its issues. Like Jasmine, the main problem with Pocahontas’s look is that she’s over-sexualized, with a neckline that draws attention to her cleavage and a short, tight-fitting dress. Some Indigenous American women did wear off-the-shoulder deer hide dresses, but they would have been long and loose-fitting. In hot weather, they would be more likely to wear a simple deer-hide apron. Pocahontas should also have more tattoos and jewelry to indicate her high status as a chief’s daughter. Her mother’s turquoise necklace is anachronistic, as turquoise wouldn’t have been available in the region.
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