i was originally going to do an "every single outfit" video for scarlett, but felt inspired to make this instead. i'm not sure if i'll still make the original video considering this was tied up in copyright for like a week (ty MGM) 😅but in the movie she wears dozens more outfits than the ones i show in this video so it's worth looking up if you are interested!
I love the fact that he made a wedding dress to fit the woman who played Scarlett's mother, made it for the 1830's, when Scarlett's mother would have gotten married, then stuck it on the smaller Viven Leigh. I always wondered why that was the only ugly dress. It was never made to fit her or the time period. And it's genius. Like an Easter egg for costumers!
It's straight from the novel, too. "Preparations went forward for Scarlett's wedding and, almost before she knew it, she was clad in Ellen's wedding dress and veil, coming down the wide stairs..."
The symbolism of her transition to wearing bold red dresses after she marries Rhett is SO brilliant because after her marriage she also feels less and less obligated to conform to and please the people around her, and as those dresses are scarlet colored you could say she was finally showing her true colors.
I generally agree and believed Red showed her true colors. However, Rhett made her go to Ashley's party and specifically picked that red scandalous dress to make her feel embarrassed for being caught kissing Ashley. In that instance, I think the dress symbolizes adultery and bring socially inappropriate.
Scarlett's name is so appropriate for her character. Almost a little too on the nose. But it works perfectly as a visual creation always hinting at or radiating the defiant flame that burns inside her and enveloping her desires.
@@bonniehowell4259 Actually they weren’t kissing they were caught hugging and Scarlett had realized during the hug that she didn’t really feel anything for Ashley anymore.
Another reason she was dressed in green so often was to make Vivian's blue eyes look green (this is why she wears green eyeshadow too). As you noted, Scarlett's green eyes are a major detail of the book, but without colored contact lenses, the production team had to make a lot of optical illusions!
Vivien's eyes were not blue. They are reported as gray-green, and, "Special lighting was used to make Vivien Leigh's gray-green eyes appear a solid green to match the description of Scarlett's eye color" in Gone With the Wind.
I'm black, and discovered GWTW when I was in high school (private catholic girl's school). I enjoyed that love story SO MUCH. I read GWTW cover-to-cover 3 times in a row. I did not consider it racist when I read it in H.S (circa 1965). I did not consider it racist when my boyfriend (now husband) saw the movie together (1970). And I don't consider it racist now. It's more a movie about those times. And I LOVE the costumes probably even more than you do. As much as I like the 'saw mill' dress with bolero and bonnet, my all-time fave is the slinky red/maroon gown with sequins and feather boa that Rhett made her wear to the birthday party. When I saw that dress at the movies I KNEW exactly what the costume designer was trying to say about Scarlett. Nevertheless, I always wanted to be like Scarlett when I grew up.... Thanks you for this video - I LOVED it!!! Now I have to hunt down that book and read it again! Fyi, when the commemorative boxed-set VHS video was released I bought it and still watch it!
I totally agree. To call something like that racist is similar to calling the Roman destruction of Jerusalem 'anti-Semitic'. History is history and we can't superimpose modern values on historical events though a lot of things that happened were terribly prejudiced, unfair and oftentimes brutal. Most nationalities and all races have, at sometime or another, been enslaved. It' s still going on in some of the more remote parts of the Middle East. It's horrible and needs to be eradicated throughout the world, but to rewrite history is always a big mistake. At least, that's my opinion.
Well, the part in the book when they said that black people had been better off as slaves sounded a bit racist to me, but at least you had to grant Scarlett she was no racist. Once she stopped having black slaves, she bought slaves of any colour. All her family and acquaintances were shocked and scandalized, and Scarlett is like: "What the hell, people? Hypocrisy much?
The movie is not a realistic depiction of the times, and it would be lovely if you educated yourself on the reasons so many oppose this movie and others like it. I’m NOT saying it should be erased or censored, but as a black woman, you should definitely understand and acknowledge the racism and shallow, stereotypical, dehumanizing depictions. It’s not about her owning slaves, which obviously is historically accurate. What Hollywood did (and still does) with these types of films is gross.
I still have the Scarlett O'Hara Barbie still in the box that my parents bought me when I was little. I still to this day am amazed how gorgeous the doll looks in her white and green barbecue dress..
Her wedding dress is actually supposed to be her mother’s this because of the war the didn’t have time to make a new one so Ellen’s old dress was used. This is why the white looks more yellowish and I heard that they originally fitted the dress for the actress that plays Ellen and then fitted it again to fit Vivien Leigh.
The movie doesn't go into it, but Ellen and Gerald O'Hara's marriage was also a "compromise" (Ellen was in love with someone else.) I wonder if the wedding dress is an subtle nod to the fact that Scarlett is repeating her mother's mistake by knowingly marrying the wrong man.
Gina Camargo The fact that they fitted the dress to the actress that plays Ellen and then Scarlett because in the story it was Ellen’s wedding dress tells us everything we need to know about Plucketts perfectionism.
I never realized there were so many different dresses for Scarlett it that movie. The funniest scene in that movie is the "morning after" Rhett carries her up the staircase in that red dressing gown. She is so bright and chipper after Rhett apparently "loves her good". It cracks me up, with her yawning, stretching and grinning in her white nightgown.
That scene is a perfect demonstration of Rhett's and Scarlett's failure to communicate. Both were very defensive with regard to speaking of or demonstrating their true emotions. A good marriage counselor could have pointed this out, but they didn't exist in this era.
@Gloria Vargo the reason it didn't create a scandal isn't because scarlett looked beautiful, it's because melanie chose to ignore the rumors and stand by scarlett's side. she disinvited india wilkes from the party because she was the one who saw scarlett & ashley together and spread the rumor about them. it's shown throughout the film that the characters care about melanie's opinion above everyone else's, so they chose to accept scarlett for that reason alone.
@Gloria Vargo Personally, I thought Rhett's decision was more to make Scarlett feel mortified for the improperness of wearing a red gown after adultery rumors, rather than inspire Melony to lash out against Scarlett. He knew Melony was a kind sweet woman who could never do such a thing. The embarrassment of wearing the scandalous red gown was his only way he knew that could make her feel the pain he endured because he knew if her undying love for Ashley.
Whenever I watch GWTW, I'm always amazed at how graceful and well cut the costumes are. It's unfortunate that there wasn't an Oscar for costume design in 1939. I can't think of anyone more deserving than Walter Plunkett .
I remember when my drama teacher first showed us this movie and I was in complete awe of the gorgeous gowns. If I had all the money in the world I would buy so many of these dresses and wear them everyday they’re so gorgeous
@@xfhghe No actual Southern Belles were in serious contention for the part. Paulette Goddard, the front runner before Vivien showed up, was a New Yorker. So was Joan Bennett. Vivien was the right actress in the right place at the right time. In many of her line readings, she sounds absolutely British.
Did you know that the curtain rod was a last minute thing. Nobody saw it coming until Carol stepped out. Harvey Korman laughed so hard they had to stop taping!!
I still remember that skit as the first time I laughed so hard as a kid, it hurt. I was rolling on the floor. And after, at the time, the longest sustained TV audience laughter ever was done as Carol descended the stairs, the first comments were hilarious too. "Scarlett! That dress is amazing.", "Thank you. I saw it in the window and I just had to have it!"
What always amazed me about this film was how Vivian Lee was perfectly casted as Scarlett O'Hara. Not just because she is an amazing actress, but for the simple fact that regardles of how over the top her fashion was, her gowns never overpowered her beauty. She wore the dress, instead of the dress wearing her...Which is hard to do based on how outrageous her costumes were.
I love soooo many of Scarlett's outfits, I cannot pick just one... I ADORE her Twelve Oaks BBQ Dress and Straw Hat, as well as that GREEN Bonnet Rhett gave her...and of course, the DROP-DEAD RED (Scarlett-Red) Evening Gown, along with Vivien Leigh's KILLER Eyebrow & Shoulder Subtleties!!!!!!! (OMG...BEYOND WORDS, how Leigh NAILED that scene!!!) And finally, I love her final Mourning Gown with the large carved ivory brooch and the stand-up collar...(plus, one if her earlier mourning bonnets, with the inset off-white pleated accent...beautiful detail work!) And also like the blk & white ensemble with the magnificent sleeves (she wears as she eating chocolates and unpacking her honeymoon goodies!) Those 3, plus 2 extra hats... No way could I pick 1...
@Lee Almonte i know this is going to be a bit controversial but i think Elizabeth Taylor can equal her pretty. But i love Vivien Leigh. I always thought Evan Rachel wood was her doppelganger but later i changed my mind
@@charmedprince I personally find Elizabeth Taylor to be the most beautiful girl of all time. The first time I saw her it was like I was struck by lightning I just couldn't believe someone could be that beautiful.
ME too! Me too! Saw the movie at 5 years old and so entranced, fell asleep in a chair w/ arm out - as if holding a ruffled dress but really in footed pajamas!
Don't apologize for admiring the fashion or the movie itself. The tone of the book and the movie reflected that period of our history. It would be dishonest if it did otherwise.
Katherine Hong Racism is worse than sexism. No one debates those parts either they DO however debate the racism in the film and argue with black people who don’t like the film.
Danielle Chrysogelos Corsets are necessary (for many of the period silhouettes)- _tightlacing_ wasn’t- they were just tied normally; if you were to watch the channel, PriorAttire, Izabel has some myth-busting vids, about the wearability of corsets.
i love costume history but am not a professional or expert. I didn't know tight lacing wasn't common! I knew it wasn't in Tudor times but no idea it was true of 1700s and Victorian? When you see the antique clothes displayed at museums, I feel like they'e always sort of tiny waists...but maybe that's just more weird patriarchy stuff.
Another reason green dominates Scarlett's wardrobe was to remind her of her Irish roots. Great video❤️ Personally, I'm more fascinated by the hair styles. About favorite dresses I love her in black!
Yeah, it's hard to talk about her as a character without making reference to the (albeit prejudiced) portrayal of her stubborn, hard headedness and temper as Irish. She also has that deep longing for home and her land. All of which make up big parts of her character.
@@user-K8T Margaret Mitchell was Irish American and aware of the prejudices. Apparently she didn’t know being Irish was a bad thing till she went to boarding school in Quebec as a child. In the book Scarlett is said to have too many Irish characteristics to be beautiful, along with those other traits which are called Irish and make her less then the ideal southern woman.
Yes, she does…in truth, Vivien Leigh was gorgeous in EVERY dress they put her in but I particularly liked her in red which is a color she could pull-off better than anyone I’ve every seen!👍
They dressed Scarlett in a lot of green to make Vivien Leigh’s blue eyes appear green since it was a main characteristic of Scarlett in the book- they also used some filtering sometimes for the same effect.
I like the dress that Scarlett wore when she loaded Melanie and the baby in the wagon and drove them home to Tara. She carried that sick mother and baby through the most dangerous, filthy, and miserable conditions to get them home safe and alive, and then Scarlett continued saving the entire family and Tara in that old dress which she wore with dignity. That is the dress that defines the WOMAN....the Great Scarlett O'hara!
I know like I said the movie focused too much on her supposed vanity and supposed scheming but she was the HEROIINE OF IT ALL although I think she actually thought Miami didn’t want a red silk petticoat in the book it’s different
I think her inner strength and intelligence is what attracts us women so much to Scarlett, along with her conscious grasp of feminine wiles which fooled everyone except Rhett. Her “loyalty” in a way, is out of character - it was very reluctant but her mother Ellen’s morals kind of hovered over her at certain times (though I’m not sure they did in relation to her first 2 children!)
In the book Scarlett only looks after Melanie and her baby because she thought it would win her points with Ashley, so even when she was being “kind” it was still for selfish reasons.
Since I have way too much time on my hands I compiled a list of what film and who should have won "Best Costume Design " if that category had been around since the first oscar year. 1 Sadie Thompson [?] 2 The Broadway Melody [David Cox] 3 Anna Christie [Adrian] 4 Svengali [Earl Luick] 5 Grand Hotel [Adrian] 6 42nd Street [Orry-kelly] 7 Cleopatra [Vicky Williams] 8 Becky Sharp [Robert Edmund Jones] 9 San Francisco [Adrian] 10 Camille [Adrian] 11 Jezebel [Orry-kelly] 12 GWTH [Walter Plunkett] 13 The Philadelphia Story [Adrian] 14 The Little Foxes [Orry-Kelly] 15 Holiday Inn [Edith Head] 16 Heaven Can Wait [Renee Hubert] 17 Meet Me in St. Louis [Irene Sharaff] 18 Mildred Pierce [Milo Anderson] 19 Henry V [Roger K. Furze] 20 Life With Father [Marjorie Best]
That dress is not only gorgeous but also seems pretty timeless to me, you could have worn it (for a suitable occasion) in the 1950s or the 1980s or still today and it wouldn’t look particularly out of place.
Yes, it is stunning and a show stopper! What I find interesting about that scene is if you haven't already watched the film and only seen that scene, you would think SHE wore it as a statement as part of her personality. When in reality, her husband made her wear that gown and attend the party she tried to ditch to make her feel embarrassed for her adultery.
The barbeque dress is my favorite. It's perfect the way there's a flirtiness with the use of organza, chiffon, not sure, but mixed with the intermittent color of green is just outstanding.
I appreciate how much he honored the descriptions in the book. He paid attention to detail so well you can picture her in every one of these dresses as you read through it.
Green IS Scarlett! 💚 It's the perfect color to represent a whimsical, immature, jealous but also joyful and fierce woman like her! I'm pretty sure she even says "I want to make them green with envy!" at some point. For the longest time in Europe, the green dye was volatile and it didn't last much on clothes, hence why is it associated with Nature's greenery and all things fleeting. Scarlett's story is one of a ritual of passage so those green dresses are absolute ON POINT. And of course, someone named Scarlett could only have red dresses to impress! 😍 Great video as always, I've just re-watched the movie some days ago so this was a tremendous pleasure!
I think I remember that in the book she wore green almost all the time (that's the impression I retained anyway) but in the film they went a different way to express more things and not tire everyone. Because what's the point of technicolor if it's all green all the time ?
Green is definitely her color! Then I’d say red. The blue and white outfit she wears is lovely...but I feel like it doesn’t really fit her cunning personality.
@@ameliecarre4783 The red "scarlet woman" dress was green in the book, I think with pink roses on the bustle. Plunkett made it red because too many of her other dresses were green.
Almost all of her dresses, including the change in styles over the years, are described in great detail in the book. Fabric, colors, prints. Plunkett's designs followed the book's descriptions almost exactly.
I love that they have her in that fitted white dress with the small blue jacket when she was innocently embracing Ashley for missing the old days. Then at the party she is forced to wear a scarlet/red/maroon dress even though she isn't guilty of actual adultery.
@So Who's the Dummy Now? Yeah her father, of all people, tells her point-blank at the very beginning of the book/movie she'd be miserable with him and "never know his mind." Yet it takes Scarlett 12 freaking years to understand this.
Her white and green dress she wears to Tara while with Rhett is grossly underrated. It’s perfection and I love it so much. It’s a tragedy it never got more screen time because it’s just so interesting to look at.
I never thought about a favorite dress, but I'd have to say the green "curtain" dress & think of Carol Burnett's comment ... "I saw it in the window & couldn't resist." From a "Gone With the Wind" namesake - Suellen
Margaret Mitchell actually describes in great detail many of Scarlett’s dresses as well as their significance (within her life, history, plot). Another testament to the costume designer’s talent in adhering to the source material.
There is a documentary about GWTW where I found out that Walter Plunkett changed the color of that dress from green to red because he felt that Scarlett needed more colors in her wardrobe. The shape of the dress, however, matches the book description.
I fell in love with this bold red dress she wears at Ashley's birthday, so with help of dressmaker I designed a dress with a similar shape and vibe (of course it's impossible to replicate it, but I tried my best) and succesfully wore it with real peacock feathers on my prom night
Oh boy that red dress really gets the point across , Rhet was so cruel to her she really was being abused by modern standards and that’s why she’s cry for the kind Ashley you know it’s a tragedy a tragic movie and she shows acts of heroism throughout in the book she wasn’t portrayed as scheming but the innocent brave heroine, the turned her into a scheming villain in the movie but it’s not the case if you think carefully about her choices
I WISH it would be socially acceptable to wear these beautiful dresses, especially the day dresses worn by most women at the barbecue, they are so feminine and beautiful! 💓💓 I would wear them everyday
It would be ok to wear them say a few times a year, but honestly, for every day wear , nothing can beat the comfort of jeans and a sweater (preferably with no bra! 😄)
The Green Curtain Dress will be forever my favourite. The sheer audacity of the idea of it! And she _did_ pull it off: it was her hands that gave her away! That's just iconic.
@Mara L Be careful not to confuse culturally acquired fashion sense, be it from interest or education in fashion or a love of costume design in movies, with people's choices in real life. Yes, some people may use a particular color for a perceived effect, but many wear whatever suits their mood or even just their favorite color regardless. Authors and costume designers, of course, need to be more mindful. I rather like the idea of red as vulnerability to be a nice subversion and not a mistake.
@Mara L Oh, I know it's not just a fashion thing. It's a cultural thing. If you've been cultured to see a color a certain way (by your family, education, region, media, country, etc.), of course you are most likely to lean on that culture for interpretation. But it's not fair to the rest of the world to assume it's going to speak the same color language as you. There are some red-wearing brides and emperors, for example, that would not appreciate being told they look "cheap." Even in fashion, even in American media, red is not exclusively a color of "desperation." For examples, see this very channel's list of the best red dresses in film.
Mara L I’m sorry but you are way off on this. Red is chosen in fast food because red and yellow have a phycological effect in relation to food and hunger. In relationship to clothing most people choose colors they feel flatter them most physically and has nothing to do with desperation or insecurity. I rarely wear red but when I do it is solely because the article of clothing is pretty and I like the way it looks on me. I’m far from insecure or desperate and have no desire to draw attention to myself. I also wear red at Christmas for traditional purposes. Red was a common royal color and most western countries used red wedding gowns for centuries.
@Mara L You are so WRONG! Nobody should be taking fashion advice from you. Red is the color that alerts us. It stands out more than any other color. That's why stop signs are red. It is the boldest of colors. In western culture, it is the color of passion and sexuality. In SE Asia, brides wear red because it symbolizes joy and youth. Rhett wanted Scarlett to wear the red dress because he wanted her to appear bold and confident after what happened earlier. He wanted her to attend Ashley's party and stand out and not be a wallflower. As for looking "cheap," that has more to do with the fit, style, and condition of the article of clothing than the color.
Genius the way the camera zoomed in on her guilt despite that she hadn't physically done wrong. However throwing affections at a man who never returned her crush was well known. He remained civil to her at family gatherings mainly for pride and Melly's sake.
She was actually worried that Melanie would turn her out of the house, but Melanie remained loyal to Scarlett and forced her sister-in-law, India, to speak to Scarlett. Melanie forced all her female guests to be courteous to Scarlett.
Scarlett O’Hara is honestly one of the greatest, most complex, and compelling anti-heroes in all of fiction. She’s my all time favorite. If she had been a student at Hogwarts, she definitely would’ve been in Slytherin.
Great job! Sorry to nitpick, but you are perpetuating a common misconception. Scarlett does not wear the same dress, but rather two different but very similar dresses during the middle section of the film. I believe Plunkett was conveying the historical reality that fine fabrics were not available during and for a while after the war. Scarlett wasn't just suffering the humiliation of wearing the same dress for months, but the additional humiliation of wearing two consecutive dresses, both cut from the same (or very similar) cheap fabric, a paisley percale. The collars and sleeves are different. Think about it: war was raging, folks were starving. It would hardly be appropriate to have one's rags restyled. Check out 'Scarlett Fever' by William Pratt. It features test shots of every costume. It's easier to see the subtle differences between the two looks. BTW, Scarlett's wedding dress is a hand-me-down from her mother. Plunkett made the dress to fit Barbara O'Neil, then altered it to fit Vivien Leigh. It's also a style from twenty years prior. How's THAT for attention to detail!?
This is one of my favorite movies! I absolutely love this time period and OF COURSE it’s all about the dresses! My favorite was the barbecue dress! It was bitter sweet though, because she tried so hard to attract Whitney, but attracted Rhett (which I wasn’t mad about) instead! That scene of him staring at her when she’s on the stairs was everything! This movie probably wouldn’t have won best picture without the fashion, because it was that good! Even the men were well dressed!
This film always has a special place in my heart because it was the first time little twelve year old me fell in love with costumes, and eventually put me on track to study Costume Design
The red dress was absolutely amazing but I don’t see many people love the white dress she wore In the beginning maybe it’s just me but I love that dress so much it’s just amazing and beautiful 🤩
All time favorite movie snd book. The dresses in this movie are just stunning. One of my favorite is one we really never see her wear. It's the blue dress she wears in the portrait. For some reason have always love it. The story is a Timeless classic
The green curtain dress is one of the most memorable along with the red dress Scarlett wore to Ashley's birthday party, but the blue jacket dress is the most flattering on V. Leigh.
I love what you did with Scarlet's dresses; they are my favorite part of the film! I love all the green, of course, but my favorites are the ones with blue--the sewing scene and the scene with Ashley at the mill. I just love blue and white! Well done!
I was just thinking that, in the context of the way Scarlett's dresses reflect the passage of time, and there are so many other clues in this story to tell you time is passing. Flash forward and back could really have used some easy timeline indicators especially for anyone who isn't already familiar with the story.
I watched the Little Women video. I think this channel is a LOT more knowledgeable about the importance of costuming in a film then the other channel. Because the latest Little Women made very purposeful costume decisions. It wasn't because they "didn't know any better." I would be very curious to hear ModernGurlz's take on that video actually.
@@emilynewhouse6956 the main problem was that Emma Watson took control of costume design in favor of 'feminism' That doesn't even make any sense???? She has the slightest bit of knowledge about historical fashion and thinks her ideals are better, she thinks corsets are spawns of the devil and thus the costumes don't look as accurate or even appealing. In the end, they ended up becoming low-effort caricatures of the fashion of it's time
My top three favorite dresses that Scarlett wore in Gone With The Wind are: 1. The green and white barbecue dress. 2. The green and gold dress that were made from the curtains. 3. The red dress that she wore to Ashley's birthday party.
Agree except for #2. That was one of her ugliest dresses (I do give her credit for thinking outside the box). I would replace #2 with 6:57 except I'm not sure about those sleeve...perhaps the white-and-blue number when she hugs Ashley.
Thank you for creating such an insightful video. I saw GWTW when I was 8 years old, thanks to my mother, and have seen the film dozens and dozens of times over the past 53 years. I've always admired Scarlett's dresses and somehow missed the connection with the colors of green and red. Looks like I have to pull out the DVD - FTR
Still to the day one of my most favorite movies but I did not ever see the significance and meaning behind the wardrobes as you have explained. Thank you for this. Very interesting. God bless you.
This is my favorite movie and book of all time. It takes away from the well written story of a woman defying society's idea of proper ladies places when people want to be "woke" on a fantasy story. This is coming from a descendant of slavery. If I wanted a history debate, GWTW is not the movie I would use. Just like people go on and on about Mammy. I actually collect GWTW Mammy dolls and figurines. Why ? Because the actress that played her, Hattie McDaniels was the first black person to win an Academy award. Halley Berry was the second. Scarlett is a spoiled brat. But the war changes her. She grows and her clothing goes with her exactly as she does. I loved all the dresses, but the barbeque dress and curtain dress are tops. I have those two dolls in those dresses standing next to Mammy, the one person that always told Scarlett the truth about herself.
Same here Lady! It feels like they're taking something away from Hattie McDaniels & all the Mammy figures that once were when they try to call GWTW racist. Its amazing how much I have in common with your comment. We both keep collecting tho & we can make sure their stories prevail. 😘
@@lizlip6303 And we can't forget Butterfly McQueen. She even said of her character Prissy, in an interview, I think Prissy was quite horrid. She said herself Scarlett should of smacked her harder. Where Mammy was strong but gentle, and always saw through Scarletts's bs. Prissy was weak and not honest at a time of real trouble. Two sides of the same coin.
@@tikolopez8884 yes that's true too. I have that lady's autograph on a playbill from when they put GWTW back in theaters in the 60s. ❤ She made lots of powerful statements during that time. A lady to respect for sure. It's odd the few times I've met & talked with someone who thought GWTW racist, they're not even aware of the scene you're referencing, or its contorted into something even uglier than Scarlett's gross display of frustration towards her.
@@lizlip6303 everyone wants to be "woke". Hey, if you see something unjust, then by all means stand up. But what many of the woke people don't get is their attitude alone is obnoxious and down right condescending. I know my history and I don't need someone to tell me about slavery. I am more than willing to discuss this terrible point in our nation's history, but being I was raised by a woman born in 1905, I think I would have more of an understanding. I refuse to play a victim to assuage someone's cultural guilt. It is because of those years of horror my ancestors endured that makes me stronger and more conscious of someone else's struggle. To say to me how terrible slavery was and coming from the decendants of slave owners, it is more than arrogant. My people are still fighting for equal rights and freedom. They asked Hattie why she would take roles where she was a slave or maid, her answer was, I rather get paid $400.00 for playing those roles than having to actually being a slave or maid. Savage.
@@tikolopez8884 gosh you gave me goosebumps. We're walking a similar path in mindset you & I. I always try to explain to folks that every person walking on this earth today is a testament of strength to our ancestors. They all had it rough by comparison to the "woke" world we live in today. They are not woke, they are hypnotized. They convolute history to reinforce their narrative. Problem with that is that it erases the very real struggles that our ancestors faced. It's easier to blame others than to accept that as human beings we are all fallible & imperfect so therefore we all have faults. Systemic racism is a thing, yes. But so are systemic politics & they have their own unapologetic agenda. I hope you keep up the great work. I have enjoyed "meeting" someone who articulates my own thoughts so very well. Sending virtual hugs to ya! 😚
Why can't period drama costume designers today take this movie as an example that people WANT beautiful and historically accurate costume design and hairstyles? Not the modernized stuff now.
LOVED this!!! Great analysis. My favorite dresses: the dress she wears in the opening scene; the dress she wears to the BBQ; and the dress she wears to Ashley's party.
I saw several of the Scarlett O'Hara dresses at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin and they were TINY. If the Academy had the costume category Walter Plunkett would have won. Thankfully he would eventually win for An American in Paris with Orry Kelly and Irene Sharaff. Love your channel and I am hoping to develop my own channel on fashion and costume design.
EXCELLENT, INFORMATIVE Video!!! Can’t even count how many times I’ve seen the movie- and you just pulled it all together with your observations. Thanks!🌸 Also, the stark difference of Melanie’s dowdy costumes - with her peaceful, generous, secure personality- is another brilliance of the film.
I love the film, one of the greatest films ever made. I also loved the dresses, many thanks for the insight as to the meaning. Obviously much thought and planning etc., went into the whole film, that's what made it great.
I love the red dress Scarlett is forced to wear to Ashely’a surprise birthday party. It’s gorgeous. Vivien looks breathtaking,l and sultry, the kind of woman you know would be caught in an embrace with another married man. That’s exactly what Rhett wanted. In the book it’s described as a jade green dress but I feel like red is far more impactful. He literally tells her: “Wear that...No modest, matronly dove grays and lilacs tonight. Your flag must be nailed to the mast, for obviously you’d run it down if it wasn’t. And plenty of rouge..” I love the movie and imo all the small changes made to the film only made it far better. Though I’m not sure they made justice to Rhetts character. He was far more complex than the movie. He was cruel and made Scarlett think he didn’t really ever love her, that he married her because she was the only woman he couldn’t have. Don’t get me wrong, Scarlett for all her wit and her courage and her ability to fight like a man in a mans world, she was childish, immature and selfish. She didn’t see that Rhett loved her. Star crossed lovers, but more real and flawed.
He wasn't trying to be cruel as much as self-protective. He saw how she treated anyone who loved her and/or that she considered "weak." If you read the book, you will really understand how she thought.
Love love love all of her dresses. I used to collect the Hallmark ornaments of the dresses. They made WAY to many in the curtain dress and the BBQ dress. Last year they finally were going to come out with the striped dress, but sadly they pulled it from the line up. Wish they would have done the others..plaid mill dress, shanty town blue dress, red dress after she married Frank Kennedy, the honeymoon dress, the dressing coat with the fur when Bonnie came home from London and the periwinkle blue skirt with the white blouse while they waited for the men to return.Walter Plunkett's work was a masterpiece of design.
I absolutely LOVED the white dress with blue jacket and the birthday party deep red dress they are so gorgeous!! I love them all but those two are stunning!
Just imagine how hot they would be during summer months and how inconvenient when you have to go to the bathroom. On top of that, there is the dirt factor. Dresses that drag the floor or yard would become extremely filthy. Laundry would also be a problem.
The reason they and every aristocracy family in the world could wear beautiful dresses like that was because they weren't the ones cleaning the house and maintenaning their clothes, and putting their hair up. We all know who did that. But yes, to get a chance to wear one every once in a while would be dazzling.
@@rainsongt189 Yeah but even if we don't wear *these* dresses, we would still be wearing nice-fitting more modest dresses, like the servants in the house. That's still better than the trousers and shorts and tanktop and whatnot we wear today. Yes it's less convenient because we wear next to nothing today but it's more beautiful and womanly.
@Kuchi Kopi Yes the 50s also had such a beautiful cut with emphasis on the waist and hourglass figure. I agree with you it's probably the best balance between comfort and elegance! I just love long skirts and dresses. I know right now the Urban Outfitters/Hollister type of dresses are very popular and they are beautiful but they are not elegant in my opinion. They are girly and don't cover much. Still it's something that fashion is returning to the dresses but I really am in love with old style dresses which say elegance and grace. And yes before anyone jumps my throat I know there were a lot of issues in society back then. I don't want to open this pandora box I'm only talking about the clothes.
Amazing video. I was obsessed with GWTW, starting in 1982 when I was 12. Thank you for sharing these details about these lovely dresses. There's no way a movie like this could be made today.
I think you're absolutely right. Each of her dresses/gowns was amazing. Even the "poor" one. Each had so much detail and reflected that portion of the story. I also thought the hair styles at each time were especially interesting, too, and added to her over all look.
Vivien leigh can pull off some amazing costumes. She stars in that Hamilton woman which is also beautifully costumed (though I admit I’m not sure how period accurate it is, lol.)
WOW.. this is my favorite film of all time. I went to school for fashion and costume design. I agree with you 100% Plunkett was a genius of period costume design. My favorite dress is the barbeque dress. I have recently responded to a post on Facebook in which someone asked "who wore it better Vivian Leigh or Carol Burnett? " This always bothered me as I am so serious about costuming and felt the Carol Burnett dress by Bob Mackie was a mockery of the Plunkett design. I am subscribing to you!
Awe come on , it was a hilarious parody !! Classic comedy by Carol Burnett 🎭 so beloved by millions , just as Vivien & Clark were in Gone With The Wind
This video was excellent! I've seen this move multiple dozens of times, and never put the color of the dresses together with her motives. I LOVED it! My favorite dresses: 5) the opening scene gown, 4) the bbq gown 3) the blue dress in the portrait 2) the white/blue dress she hugs Ashley in and 1) the birthday party red gown. STUNNING.
i was originally going to do an "every single outfit" video for scarlett, but felt inspired to make this instead. i'm not sure if i'll still make the original video considering this was tied up in copyright for like a week (ty MGM) 😅but in the movie she wears dozens more outfits than the ones i show in this video so it's worth looking up if you are interested!
Ha... finally someone who gets Scarlett and her machinations!!! Love it!
Yes please! I wanted to request this, but she's so iconic that I knew you had already thought about it.
If you'd be willing to make a "Best Green Dress" video, I'd be glad to watch. Best wishes either way!
best green dresses is happening! it's just taking a while because honestly... there's so many (even more than red which i didn't think was possible) 😂
When you do gold dresses please include Crazy Rich Asians Wedding Dress!!
Her Barbecue dress and that scandalous red dress were stunning.
Brentt Bumatay all of them are stunning and look amazing on her ALL OF THEM
Yep, always has been my favorite!
I didn’t see the barbecue dress and just imagined a maroon dress like the sauce 🥴
That shot that goes up to a close up to her face when she goes to Ashley's birthday party in THAT dress is brilliant. She was gorgeous!
Yes, my favorites!
Can’t help but laugh at the fact that she was widowed so many times that you’re able to see the change in fashion through her mourning dresses!!😆
She was actually widowed just twice.
Christine F I know but twice is still a lot 😂
@@Alyk1912 My grandma was widowed 3 times so she's got Scarlett beat!
The last dress is for her daughter Bonnie and/or Melanie as well.
iluvcamaros yes I’m aware lol but twice is still a lot when your talking about being widowed!
I love the fact that he made a wedding dress to fit the woman who played Scarlett's mother, made it for the 1830's, when Scarlett's mother would have gotten married, then stuck it on the smaller Viven Leigh.
I always wondered why that was the only ugly dress. It was never made to fit her or the time period. And it's genius. Like an Easter egg for costumers!
It's straight from the novel, too. "Preparations went forward for Scarlett's wedding and, almost before she knew it, she was clad in Ellen's wedding dress and veil, coming down the wide stairs..."
Actually the actress who played Ellen, Barbara O'Neil was only a few years older than Vivien Leigh.
I’ve always thought it was a gorgeous wedding dress!
What a fantastic detail to find, I always wondered why the sleeves especially were so off. Such a nice element to add to the storytelling!
It’s not ugly. It’s sensational.
When she showed up in the red dress for Ashley's birthday party, that was an iconic moment in movie history.
He also did all this research and design without the help of the internet
which is TRULY the most impressive part
oh damnnn :/ he IS a GOD.
true! how did people graduate decades ago without Chrome is amazing to me !!!
@@marianar2948 Back in the olden days we had books, libraries, magazines, catalogs...rotary dials,,,hell I even got up to change the channel!!!
@@Angel-nu7fm Did they actually had channels to flick? No on demand shows? Life was hard😢 😂😂
The symbolism of her transition to wearing bold red dresses after she marries Rhett is SO brilliant because after her marriage she also feels less and less obligated to conform to and please the people around her, and as those dresses are scarlet colored you could say she was finally showing her true colors.
I generally agree and believed Red showed her true colors. However, Rhett made her go to Ashley's party and specifically picked that red scandalous dress to make her feel embarrassed for being caught kissing Ashley.
In that instance, I think the dress symbolizes adultery and bring socially inappropriate.
Scarlett's name is so appropriate for her character. Almost a little too on the nose. But it works perfectly as a visual creation always hinting at or radiating the defiant flame that burns inside her and enveloping her desires.
@@bonniehowell4259 Actually they weren’t kissing they were caught hugging and Scarlett had realized during the hug that she didn’t really feel anything for Ashley anymore.
Another reason she was dressed in green so often was to make Vivian's blue eyes look green (this is why she wears green eyeshadow too). As you noted, Scarlett's green eyes are a major detail of the book, but without colored contact lenses, the production team had to make a lot of optical illusions!
Vivien's eyes were not blue. They are reported as gray-green, and, "Special lighting was used to make Vivien Leigh's gray-green eyes appear a solid green to match the description of Scarlett's eye color" in Gone With the Wind.
Wasn't the film originally in black/white?
@@lani_laRose No Gone With The Wind was originally filmed completely in color (techicolor I believe) it was hugely expensive for the time
I'm black, and discovered GWTW when I was in high school (private catholic girl's school).
I enjoyed that love story SO MUCH. I read GWTW cover-to-cover 3 times in a row.
I did not consider it racist when I read it in H.S (circa 1965). I did not consider it racist when my boyfriend (now husband) saw the movie together (1970). And I don't consider it racist now. It's more a movie about those times.
And I LOVE the costumes probably even more than you do. As much as I like the 'saw mill' dress with bolero and bonnet, my all-time fave is the slinky red/maroon gown with sequins and feather boa that Rhett made her wear to the birthday party. When I saw that dress at the movies I KNEW exactly what the costume designer was trying to say about Scarlett.
Nevertheless, I always wanted to be like Scarlett when I grew up.... Thanks you for this video - I LOVED it!!! Now I have to hunt down that book and read it again! Fyi, when the commemorative boxed-set VHS video was released I bought it and still watch it!
I totally agree. To call something like that racist is similar to calling the Roman destruction of Jerusalem 'anti-Semitic'. History is history and we can't superimpose modern values on historical events though a lot of things that happened were terribly prejudiced, unfair and oftentimes brutal. Most nationalities and all races have, at sometime or another, been enslaved. It' s still going on in some of the more remote parts of the Middle East. It's horrible and needs to be eradicated throughout the world, but to rewrite history is always a big mistake. At least, that's my opinion.
Well, the part in the book when they said that black people had been better off as slaves sounded a bit racist to me, but at least you had to grant Scarlett she was no racist. Once she stopped having black slaves, she bought slaves of any colour. All her family and acquaintances were shocked and scandalized, and Scarlett is like: "What the hell, people? Hypocrisy much?
The movie is not a realistic depiction of the times, and it would be lovely if you educated yourself on the reasons so many oppose this movie and others like it. I’m NOT saying it should be erased or censored, but as a black woman, you should definitely understand and acknowledge the racism and shallow, stereotypical, dehumanizing depictions. It’s not about her owning slaves, which obviously is historically accurate. What Hollywood did (and still does) with these types of films is gross.
Everybody wants to be Scarlett, but nobody wants to be Mammy or Prissy...
I've never read the book. You are kind of making me want to now, tbh.
Every time Vivien Leigh wears green it takes my breath away.
Kim Synonym every time Vivian Leigh BREATHES is takes my breath away
I agree. She looks AMAZING in green. Like a living doll.
She was gorgeous!
I still have the Scarlett O'Hara Barbie still in the box that my parents bought me when I was little. I still to this day am amazed how gorgeous the doll looks in her white and green barbecue dress..
Her wedding dress is actually supposed to be her mother’s this because of the war the didn’t have time to make a new one so Ellen’s old dress was used. This is why the white looks more yellowish and I heard that they originally fitted the dress for the actress that plays Ellen and then fitted it again to fit Vivien Leigh.
The movie doesn't go into it, but Ellen and Gerald O'Hara's marriage was also a "compromise" (Ellen was in love with someone else.) I wonder if the wedding dress is an subtle nod to the fact that Scarlett is repeating her mother's mistake by knowingly marrying the wrong man.
Ellen was in love with her cousin. But he died. Mami was her nurse maid, and knew her secret.
It also explains the large puff sleeves at the shoulder, which was the fashion in the 1840s.
And there was no hoop in the wedding dress. Why, I wonder.
Gina Camargo The fact that they fitted the dress to the actress that plays Ellen and then Scarlett because in the story it was Ellen’s wedding dress tells us everything we need to know about Plucketts perfectionism.
In my opinion Gone with the wind has some of the best costumes in movie history
Other best costumes is from Audrey Hepburn, Tiffany or my fairlady..
I never realized there were so many different dresses for Scarlett it that movie. The funniest scene in that movie is the "morning after" Rhett carries her up the staircase in that red dressing gown. She is so bright and chipper after Rhett apparently "loves her good". It cracks me up, with her yawning, stretching and grinning in her white nightgown.
One of my favorite scenes too!
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That scene is a perfect demonstration of Rhett's and Scarlett's failure to communicate. Both were very defensive with regard to speaking of or demonstrating their true emotions. A good marriage counselor could have pointed this out, but they didn't exist in this era.
I think the dresses were also designed to express her age.
And her sexuality.
And maturity
The dresses are so beautiful and the actress too.
The scarlet dress she wears to Ashley's party is stunning and she looks it when she jus stands there in full view.
But all of her dresses are amazing
ya the defiant face she makes to appear unfazed is something I'd like to frame on my wall
@Gloria Vargo the reason it didn't create a scandal isn't because scarlett looked beautiful, it's because melanie chose to ignore the rumors and stand by scarlett's side. she disinvited india wilkes from the party because she was the one who saw scarlett & ashley together and spread the rumor about them. it's shown throughout the film that the characters care about melanie's opinion above everyone else's, so they chose to accept scarlett for that reason alone.
One MercilessMing omg I’ve never attended any class reunions but I’d love to see karma at work lol
@Gloria Vargo Personally, I thought Rhett's decision was more to make Scarlett feel mortified for the improperness of wearing a red gown after adultery rumors, rather than inspire Melony to lash out against Scarlett. He knew Melony was a kind sweet woman who could never do such a thing. The embarrassment of wearing the scandalous red gown was his only way he knew that could make her feel the pain he endured because he knew if her undying love for Ashley.
@@bonniehowell4259 Scarlett didn't really love Ashley - she just wanted to have him.
Whenever I watch GWTW, I'm always amazed at how graceful and well cut the costumes are. It's unfortunate that there wasn't an Oscar for costume design in 1939. I can't think of anyone more deserving than Walter Plunkett .
I remember when my drama teacher first showed us this movie and I was in complete awe of the gorgeous gowns. If I had all the money in the world I would buy so many of these dresses and wear them everyday they’re so gorgeous
Vivien Leigh has so much charm she makes all the dresses ten times better. What a talented and beautiful actress. Perfect casting in every way.
Vivien Leigh was a fantastic actress. This English woman managed to out-Belle real Southern Belles to snatch the role of a life-time.
@@xfhghe Well, she portrayed a fiery, spirited Irish/French young woman more so than a southern belle.
@@xfhghe No actual Southern Belles were in serious contention for the part. Paulette Goddard, the front runner before Vivien showed up, was a New Yorker. So was Joan Bennett. Vivien was the right actress in the right place at the right time. In many of her line readings, she sounds absolutely British.
She was the best and part Indian too you know w violet eyes
@@julietv3863 she was fully British with zero Indian blood..she was just born in India
I still can't forget Carol Burnett's Curtain Rod dress. Now that was hilarious.
Did you know that the curtain rod was a last minute thing. Nobody saw it coming until Carol stepped out. Harvey Korman laughed so hard they had to stop taping!!
I still remember that skit as the first time I laughed so hard as a kid, it hurt. I was rolling on the floor. And after, at the time, the longest sustained TV audience laughter ever was done as Carol descended the stairs, the first comments were hilarious too. "Scarlett! That dress is amazing.", "Thank you. I saw it in the window and I just had to have it!"
I remember the skit! HILARIOUS!!!
I know!!!! Sometimes I watch that just to LOL! Bad day? Watch Carol Burnett GWTW skit!
now THAT was the best dress of all!!!!!
What always amazed me about this film was how Vivian Lee was perfectly casted as Scarlett O'Hara.
Not just because she is an amazing actress, but for the simple fact that regardles of how over the top her fashion was, her gowns never overpowered her beauty. She wore the dress, instead of the dress wearing her...Which is hard to do based on how outrageous her costumes were.
I love soooo many of Scarlett's outfits, I cannot pick just one...
I ADORE her Twelve Oaks BBQ Dress and Straw Hat, as well as that GREEN Bonnet Rhett gave her...and of course, the DROP-DEAD RED (Scarlett-Red) Evening Gown, along with Vivien Leigh's KILLER Eyebrow & Shoulder Subtleties!!!!!!! (OMG...BEYOND WORDS, how Leigh NAILED that scene!!!)
And finally, I love her final Mourning Gown with the large carved ivory brooch and the stand-up collar...(plus, one if her earlier mourning bonnets, with the inset off-white pleated accent...beautiful detail work!) And also like the blk & white ensemble with the magnificent sleeves (she wears as she eating chocolates and unpacking her honeymoon goodies!)
Those 3, plus 2 extra hats...
No way could I pick 1...
Vivien leigh was more beautiful than her dresses and that's a damn fact
She was gorgeous and despite her classic delicate beauty she still had a lot of character and strength to her looks!
Amen. I don't know that I can name an actress I find more beautiful. Now OR back then.
@@EmphaticNod I find hedy Lamarr to be just as beautiful maybe even more so :)
@Lee Almonte i know this is going to be a bit controversial but i think Elizabeth Taylor can equal her pretty. But i love Vivien Leigh. I always thought Evan Rachel wood was her doppelganger but later i changed my mind
@@charmedprince I personally find Elizabeth Taylor to be the most beautiful girl of all time. The first time I saw her it was like I was struck by lightning I just couldn't believe someone could be that beautiful.
Honestly I can hear you talk about Scarlet's dresses all day and I'd be happy
Such a legendary film
Me too. I love the movie and the book
Yes indeed!
ME too! Me too! Saw the movie at 5 years old and so entranced, fell asleep in a chair w/ arm out - as if holding a ruffled dress but really in footed pajamas!
I love the white ruffles and the bbq dress! They really show off Scarlett’s flirtatious nature! Those hats were to die for !
Don't apologize for admiring the fashion or the movie itself. The tone of the book and the movie reflected that period of our history. It would be dishonest if it did otherwise.
She didn’t apologize. She somewhat acknowledged the controversy surrounding this movie, which was an appropriate thing to do.
@@jasperclydeinsd592 Tired of “disclaimers” from people. It was a movie made 80 years ago about a time 160 years ago. Everyone needs to lighten up.
a thousand times thumbs up.
Chloe Rodgers No one needs to lighten up when the imagery of darkskin black women in film is still little to nothing and mostly manly or negative.
Katherine Hong Racism is worse than sexism. No one debates those parts either they DO however debate the racism in the film and argue with black people who don’t like the film.
Someone *finally* mentions that tightlacing wasn’t common! Bless you!
This was a good vid.
so if they didn't use tight corsets, what did they use? just corsets, not tightened?
Danielle Chrysogelos
Corsets are necessary (for many of the period silhouettes)- _tightlacing_ wasn’t- they were just tied normally; if you were to watch the channel, PriorAttire, Izabel has some myth-busting vids, about the wearability of corsets.
Danielle Chrysogelos Karolina Zebrowska (I hope that’s how you spell it) has a video going into depth about corsets, you should check it out!
「 moonmochi ツ」
Yes! Karolina is another great channel.
i love costume history but am not a professional or expert. I didn't know tight lacing wasn't common! I knew it wasn't in Tudor times but no idea it was true of 1700s and Victorian? When you see the antique clothes displayed at museums, I feel like they'e always sort of tiny waists...but maybe that's just more weird patriarchy stuff.
Another reason green dominates Scarlett's wardrobe was to remind her of her Irish roots. Great video❤️ Personally, I'm more fascinated by the hair styles. About favorite dresses I love her in black!
Yeah, it's hard to talk about her as a character without making reference to the (albeit prejudiced) portrayal of her stubborn, hard headedness and temper as Irish. She also has that deep longing for home and her land. All of which make up big parts of her character.
@@user-K8T Margaret Mitchell was Irish American and aware of the prejudices. Apparently she didn’t know being Irish was a bad thing till she went to boarding school in Quebec as a child. In the book Scarlett is said to have too many Irish characteristics to be beautiful, along with those other traits which are called Irish and make her less then the ideal southern woman.
Yes, she does…in truth, Vivien Leigh was gorgeous in EVERY dress they put her in but I particularly liked her in red which is a color she could pull-off better than anyone I’ve every seen!👍
Vivien Leigh herself had Irish ancestry as well
They dressed Scarlett in a lot of green to make Vivien Leigh’s blue eyes appear green since it was a main characteristic of Scarlett in the book- they also used some filtering sometimes for the same effect.
I thought she had blue eyes,she was one of the most beautiful brunettes in movies
I like the dress that Scarlett wore when she loaded Melanie and the baby in the wagon and drove them home to Tara. She carried that sick mother and baby through the most dangerous, filthy, and miserable conditions to get them home safe and alive, and then Scarlett continued saving the entire family and Tara in that old dress which she wore with dignity. That is the dress that defines the WOMAN....the Great Scarlett O'hara!
I know like I said the movie focused too much on her supposed vanity and supposed scheming but she was the HEROIINE OF IT ALL although I think she actually thought Miami didn’t want a red silk petticoat in the book it’s different
I think her inner strength and intelligence is what attracts us women so much to Scarlett, along with her conscious grasp of feminine wiles which fooled everyone except Rhett.
Her “loyalty” in a way, is out of character - it was very reluctant but her mother Ellen’s morals kind of hovered over her at certain times (though I’m not sure they did in relation to her first 2 children!)
In the book Scarlett only looks after Melanie and her baby because she thought it would win her points with Ashley, so even when she was being “kind” it was still for selfish reasons.
@@destinyclark4133YUP!!😂
Too bad they didn’t have the Oscar category for this at the time
Favorite is the red dress
Please do evita next!
Timothy Nguyen it really is insane that it took The Academy another ten years after this film to actually make the category official
Joseph Clegg the great costume designer Adrien (who’s still regarded as one of the greatest in film) literally retired before he could get any Oscars!
Yes, Evita is a brilliant idea!
The red one was always my favorite
Since I have way too much time on my hands I compiled a list of what film and who should have won "Best Costume Design " if that category had been around since the first oscar year.
1 Sadie Thompson [?]
2 The Broadway Melody [David Cox]
3 Anna Christie [Adrian]
4 Svengali [Earl Luick]
5 Grand Hotel [Adrian]
6 42nd Street [Orry-kelly]
7 Cleopatra [Vicky Williams]
8 Becky Sharp [Robert Edmund Jones]
9 San Francisco [Adrian]
10 Camille [Adrian]
11 Jezebel [Orry-kelly]
12 GWTH [Walter Plunkett]
13 The Philadelphia Story [Adrian]
14 The Little Foxes [Orry-Kelly]
15 Holiday Inn [Edith Head]
16 Heaven Can Wait [Renee Hubert]
17 Meet Me in St. Louis [Irene Sharaff]
18 Mildred Pierce [Milo Anderson]
19 Henry V [Roger K. Furze]
20 Life With Father [Marjorie Best]
the deep red gown with the feathers on the shoulders is my FAVORITE dress... just, wow
Camera work, her beauty and acting and the makeup... all came together to make that wow feeling.
Breathtaking
That dress is not only gorgeous but also seems pretty timeless to me, you could have worn it (for a suitable occasion) in the 1950s or the 1980s or still today and it wouldn’t look particularly out of place.
I know she was the most gorgeous women I've ever seen. That dress is breathtakingly beautiful.
Yes, it is stunning and a show stopper! What I find interesting about that scene is if you haven't already watched the film and only seen that scene, you would think SHE wore it as a statement as part of her personality. When in reality, her husband made her wear that gown and attend the party she tried to ditch to make her feel embarrassed for her adultery.
The barbeque dress is my favorite. It's perfect the way there's a flirtiness with the use of organza, chiffon, not sure, but mixed with the intermittent color of green is just outstanding.
I appreciate how much he honored the descriptions in the book. He paid attention to detail so well you can picture her in every one of these dresses as you read through it.
The white and blue bustle dress is my favourite, it looks so light and airy but still regal because of the popped up collar. Just perfect!!
It's my favorite, too. She's breathtakingly beautiful!
She looked very beautiful in it
That's my favorite too.
And the hat! Both Queen Victoria and Princess Grace (Wedding Day) wore this style but this one is the most beautiful.
Totally agree!
Green IS Scarlett! 💚 It's the perfect color to represent a whimsical, immature, jealous but also joyful and fierce woman like her! I'm pretty sure she even says "I want to make them green with envy!" at some point. For the longest time in Europe, the green dye was volatile and it didn't last much on clothes, hence why is it associated with Nature's greenery and all things fleeting. Scarlett's story is one of a ritual of passage so those green dresses are absolute ON POINT. And of course, someone named Scarlett could only have red dresses to impress! 😍
Great video as always, I've just re-watched the movie some days ago so this was a tremendous pleasure!
She does say to Rhett that she wants to make the people that treated her badly green with envy when they see how rich they are.
I think I remember that in the book she wore green almost all the time (that's the impression I retained anyway) but in the film they went a different way to express more things and not tire everyone. Because what's the point of technicolor if it's all green all the time ?
Green is definitely her color! Then I’d say red. The blue and white outfit she wears is lovely...but I feel like it doesn’t really fit her cunning personality.
@@ameliecarre4783 The red "scarlet woman" dress was green in the book, I think with pink roses on the bustle. Plunkett made it red because too many of her other dresses were green.
Pea green with envy. 😉
My favorite was the burgundy "punishment" dress picked out for her to Melanies party. She looked striking!!!!
Almost all of her dresses, including the change in styles over the years, are described in great detail in the book. Fabric, colors, prints. Plunkett's designs followed the book's descriptions almost exactly.
I love that they have her in that fitted white dress with the small blue jacket when she was innocently embracing Ashley for missing the old days. Then at the party she is forced to wear a scarlet/red/maroon dress even though she isn't guilty of actual adultery.
I applauded Rhett for making her wear it. Owning her 'sin' over Ashley. A married man who never returned her boyhood crush.
@So Who's the Dummy Now? agreed on that knowing how scarlett could be
@So Who's the Dummy Now? Yeah her father, of all people, tells her point-blank at the very beginning of the book/movie she'd be miserable with him and "never know his mind." Yet it takes Scarlett 12 freaking years to understand this.
By standards of the time, she was absolutely adulterous. By DOUBLE standards of the time, he was just a man who did nothing wrong....
It's really sad that, despite her wanting to be with Ashley and run away with Ashley, it turns out they were caught in an absolutely innocent moment.
Her white and green dress she wears to Tara while with Rhett is grossly underrated. It’s perfection and I love it so much. It’s a tragedy it never got more screen time because it’s just so interesting to look at.
I never thought about a favorite dress, but I'd have to say the green "curtain" dress & think of Carol Burnett's comment ... "I saw it in the window & couldn't resist."
From a "Gone With the Wind" namesake - Suellen
LOL 😆 loved the parody too
I love them all but my favorite has always been the black and white "mules in horses' harness" dress that she wore in New Orleans.
Margaret Mitchell actually describes in great detail many of Scarlett’s dresses as well as their significance (within her life, history, plot). Another testament to the costume designer’s talent in adhering to the source material.
Yes, the book talks about how the materials were sourced. The long waits at the train depot.
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There is a documentary about GWTW where I found out that Walter Plunkett changed the color of that dress from green to red because he felt that Scarlett needed more colors in her wardrobe. The shape of the dress, however, matches the book description.
I fell in love with this bold red dress she wears at Ashley's birthday, so with help of dressmaker I designed a dress with a similar shape and vibe (of course it's impossible to replicate it, but I tried my best) and succesfully wore it with real peacock feathers on my prom night
Anne Lawless that’s amazing!
Oh boy that red dress really gets the point across , Rhet was so cruel to her she really was being abused by modern standards and that’s why she’s cry for the kind Ashley you know it’s a tragedy a tragic movie and she shows acts of heroism throughout in the book she wasn’t portrayed as scheming but the innocent brave heroine, the turned her into a scheming villain in the movie but it’s not the case if you think carefully about her choices
I WISH it would be socially acceptable to wear these beautiful dresses, especially the day dresses worn by most women at the barbecue, they are so feminine and beautiful! 💓💓 I would wear them everyday
It would be ok to wear them say a few times a year, but honestly, for every day wear , nothing can beat the comfort of jeans and a sweater (preferably with no bra! 😄)
I’d die happy if I could wear a crinoline every day!
@@FallenAngel9979do it we are in a free country no one can tell you not to
It’s been years since I watched this movie, but I still remember that red dress she wore to the party so clearly.
The dress Scarlett wears when she gets caught hugging Ashley is my favorite. I love that hat on her!
6:06 that red dress is iconic and definitely one of my favorites
The Green Curtain Dress will be forever my favourite. The sheer audacity of the idea of it! And she _did_ pull it off: it was her hands that gave her away! That's just iconic.
"Oh fidda lee de de! I'll think about that tomorrow" - Scarlett O'hara
"After all tomorrow is another day"
@@lis8814 @Sarah Jo, and you LC, Priceless!😉👍🏿👌💜
It seems like for Scarlett, red appears when she is most vulnerable.
@Mara L Be careful not to confuse culturally acquired fashion sense, be it from interest or education in fashion or a love of costume design in movies, with people's choices in real life. Yes, some people may use a particular color for a perceived effect, but many wear whatever suits their mood or even just their favorite color regardless.
Authors and costume designers, of course, need to be more mindful. I rather like the idea of red as vulnerability to be a nice subversion and not a mistake.
@Mara L Oh, I know it's not just a fashion thing. It's a cultural thing. If you've been cultured to see a color a certain way (by your family, education, region, media, country, etc.), of course you are most likely to lean on that culture for interpretation.
But it's not fair to the rest of the world to assume it's going to speak the same color language as you. There are some red-wearing brides and emperors, for example, that would not appreciate being told they look "cheap."
Even in fashion, even in American media, red is not exclusively a color of "desperation." For examples, see this very channel's list of the best red dresses in film.
Mara L I’m sorry but you are way off on this. Red is chosen in fast food because red and yellow have a phycological effect in relation to food and hunger. In relationship to clothing most people choose colors they feel flatter them most physically and has nothing to do with desperation or insecurity. I rarely wear red but when I do it is solely because the article of clothing is pretty and I like the way it looks on me. I’m far from insecure or desperate and have no desire to draw attention to myself. I also wear red at Christmas for traditional purposes. Red was a common royal color and most western countries used red wedding gowns for centuries.
@Mara L You are so WRONG! Nobody should be taking fashion advice from you. Red is the color that alerts us. It stands out more than any other color. That's why stop signs are red. It is the boldest of colors. In western culture, it is the color of passion and sexuality. In SE Asia, brides wear red because it symbolizes joy and youth. Rhett wanted Scarlett to wear the red dress because he wanted her to appear bold and confident after what happened earlier. He wanted her to attend Ashley's party and stand out and not be a wallflower. As for looking "cheap," that has more to do with the fit, style, and condition of the article of clothing than the color.
@@amourdeparis Nope! Rhett wanted her to wear red because it symbolized being an adultress. Similar to wearing a scarlet letter in puritan times.
The red dress, hands down, and the look on her face when she walks into the party. "You thought you caught me, you dopes."
Genius the way the camera zoomed in on her guilt despite that she hadn't physically done wrong. However throwing affections at a man who never returned her crush was well known. He remained civil to her at family gatherings mainly for pride and Melly's sake.
@@nettiegurl Exactly. It's as if she wore the scarlet letter on her forehead.
She was actually worried that Melanie would turn her out of the house, but Melanie remained loyal to Scarlett and forced her sister-in-law, India, to speak to Scarlett. Melanie forced all her female guests to be courteous to Scarlett.
@@themermaidstale5008 The burgundy red dress is my favourite and love her entrance when she gives that lift of her shoulder-up yours darlings!
My favorite dress is the white prairie dress she wears in the beginning because it’s gorgeous and I just LOVE ruffles!
You overlook the fact about red as a color.
"Scarlet" means red.
It's also not her first name. And her middle name has two T's. Her first name is Katie. She's Katie Scarlett.
@@samonella.s you should read the book. SO many things were removed from the book, because of course, the book is large. But it is great!
“The dress isn’t subtle.”
A mild understatement. lol
The costumes in this film are iconic! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on these looks.
This movie stands at the epitome of visual perfection.
I agree
Scarlett O’Hara is honestly one of the greatest, most complex, and compelling anti-heroes in all of fiction. She’s my all time favorite. If she had been a student at Hogwarts, she definitely would’ve been in Slytherin.
The white dress with the short blue jacket and small hat is also my favorite of Scarlett’s dresses. I love the draped skirt
Great job! Sorry to nitpick, but you are perpetuating a common misconception. Scarlett does not wear the same dress, but rather two different but very similar dresses during the middle section of the film.
I believe Plunkett was conveying the historical reality that fine fabrics were not available during and for a while after the war.
Scarlett wasn't just suffering the humiliation of wearing the same dress for months, but the additional humiliation of wearing two consecutive dresses, both cut from the same (or very similar) cheap fabric, a paisley percale. The collars and sleeves are different.
Think about it: war was raging, folks were starving. It would hardly be appropriate to have one's rags restyled.
Check out 'Scarlett Fever' by William Pratt. It features test shots of every costume. It's easier to see the subtle differences between the two looks.
BTW, Scarlett's wedding dress is a hand-me-down from her mother. Plunkett made the dress to fit Barbara O'Neil, then altered it to fit Vivien Leigh. It's also a style from twenty years prior. How's THAT for attention to detail!?
This is one of my favorite movies! I absolutely love this time period and OF COURSE it’s all about the dresses! My favorite was the barbecue dress! It was bitter sweet though, because she tried so hard to attract Whitney, but attracted Rhett (which I wasn’t mad about) instead! That scene of him staring at her when she’s on the stairs was everything!
This movie probably wouldn’t have won best picture without the fashion, because it was that good! Even the men were well dressed!
This film always has a special place in my heart because it was the first time little twelve year old me fell in love with costumes, and eventually put me on track to study Costume Design
“Gone with the wind” is one my favorite movies of all time!!! And MY personal favorite when it comes to costume design 😭💕 Girl, YOU A GENIUS
The red dress was absolutely amazing but I don’t see many people love the white dress she wore In the beginning maybe it’s just me but I love that dress so much it’s just amazing and beautiful 🤩
All time favorite movie snd book. The dresses in this movie are just stunning. One of my favorite is one we really never see her wear. It's the blue dress she wears in the portrait. For some reason have always love it. The story is a Timeless classic
The green curtain dress is one of the most memorable along with the red dress Scarlett wore to Ashley's birthday party, but the blue jacket dress is the most flattering on V. Leigh.
All my favorite dresses.
Another reasoning as to why all Scarlet's costumes are green is to make Vivien Leigh's blue eyes to appear more green in the camera.
Right, plus clever lighting.
@@geoffmartin947 And post production in the close-ups.
Green is the main color she wears in the book. I prefer the book to the movie in most ways, but I love the variety of colors she wore in the movie.
I loved all her dresses, however my favorite was the red number Rhett picked out for her to wear to Mellie’s party. How appropriate! It was stunning!
I love what you did with Scarlet's dresses; they are my favorite part of the film! I love all the green, of course, but my favorites are the ones with blue--the sewing scene and the scene with Ashley at the mill. I just love blue and white! Well done!
This kinda reminds me of Micarah Tewers “Little Women” video but in a different way. Love her channel and this one, you’d be a dream collab 💕
This is so true!!
I was just thinking that, in the context of the way Scarlett's dresses reflect the passage of time, and there are so many other clues in this story to tell you time is passing. Flash forward and back could really have used some easy timeline indicators especially for anyone who isn't already familiar with the story.
I watched the Little Women video. I think this channel is a LOT more knowledgeable about the importance of costuming in a film then the other channel. Because the latest Little Women made very purposeful costume decisions. It wasn't because they "didn't know any better." I would be very curious to hear ModernGurlz's take on that video actually.
Walter Plunkett designed the costumes for Little Women 1949.
@@emilynewhouse6956 the main problem was that Emma Watson took control of costume design in favor of 'feminism'
That doesn't even make any sense???? She has the slightest bit of knowledge about historical fashion and thinks her ideals are better, she thinks corsets are spawns of the devil and thus the costumes don't look as accurate or even appealing. In the end, they ended up becoming low-effort caricatures of the fashion of it's time
My top three favorite dresses that Scarlett wore in Gone With The Wind are: 1. The green and white barbecue dress.
2. The green and gold dress that were made from the curtains.
3. The red dress that she wore to Ashley's birthday party.
Agree except for #2. That was one of her ugliest dresses (I do give her credit for thinking outside the box). I would replace #2 with 6:57 except I'm not sure about those sleeve...perhaps the white-and-blue number when she hugs Ashley.
Thank you for creating such an insightful video. I saw GWTW when I was 8 years old, thanks to my mother, and have seen the film dozens and dozens of times over the past 53 years. I've always admired Scarlett's dresses and somehow missed the connection with the colors of green and red. Looks like I have to pull out the DVD - FTR
Still to the day one of my most favorite movies but I did not ever see the significance and meaning behind the wardrobes as you have explained. Thank you for this. Very interesting. God bless you.
This is my favorite movie and book of all time. It takes away from the well written story of a woman defying society's idea of proper ladies places when people want to be "woke" on a fantasy story. This is coming from a descendant of slavery. If I wanted a history debate, GWTW is not the movie I would use.
Just like people go on and on about Mammy. I actually collect GWTW Mammy dolls and figurines. Why ? Because the actress that played her, Hattie McDaniels was the first black person to win an Academy award. Halley Berry was the second. Scarlett is a spoiled brat. But the war changes her. She grows and her clothing goes with her exactly as she does. I loved all the dresses, but the barbeque dress and curtain dress are tops. I have those two dolls in those dresses standing next to Mammy, the one person that always told Scarlett the truth about herself.
Same here Lady! It feels like they're taking something away from Hattie McDaniels & all the Mammy figures that once were when they try to call GWTW racist. Its amazing how much I have in common with your comment. We both keep collecting tho & we can make sure their stories prevail. 😘
@@lizlip6303 And we can't forget Butterfly McQueen. She even said of her character Prissy, in an interview, I think Prissy was quite horrid. She said herself Scarlett should of smacked her harder. Where Mammy was strong but gentle, and always saw through Scarletts's bs. Prissy was weak and not honest at a time of real trouble. Two sides of the same coin.
@@tikolopez8884 yes that's true too. I have that lady's autograph on a playbill from when they put GWTW back in theaters in the 60s. ❤ She made lots of powerful statements during that time. A lady to respect for sure. It's odd the few times I've met & talked with someone who thought GWTW racist, they're not even aware of the scene you're referencing, or its contorted into something even uglier than Scarlett's gross display of frustration towards her.
@@lizlip6303 everyone wants to be "woke". Hey, if you see something unjust, then by all means stand up. But what many of the woke people don't get is their attitude alone is obnoxious and down right condescending. I know my history and I don't need someone to tell me about slavery. I am more than willing to discuss this terrible point in our nation's history, but being I was raised by a woman born in 1905, I think I would have more of an understanding. I refuse to play a victim to assuage someone's cultural guilt. It is because of those years of horror my ancestors endured that makes me stronger and more conscious of someone else's struggle. To say to me how terrible slavery was and coming from the decendants of slave owners, it is more than arrogant. My people are still fighting for equal rights and freedom. They asked Hattie why she would take roles where she was a slave or maid, her answer was, I rather get paid $400.00 for playing those roles than having to actually being a slave or maid. Savage.
@@tikolopez8884 gosh you gave me goosebumps. We're walking a similar path in mindset you & I. I always try to explain to folks that every person walking on this earth today is a testament of strength to our ancestors. They all had it rough by comparison to the "woke" world we live in today. They are not woke, they are hypnotized. They convolute history to reinforce their narrative. Problem with that is that it erases the very real struggles that our ancestors faced. It's easier to blame others than to accept that as human beings we are all fallible & imperfect so therefore we all have faults. Systemic racism is a thing, yes. But so are systemic politics & they have their own unapologetic agenda. I hope you keep up the great work. I have enjoyed "meeting" someone who articulates my own thoughts so very well. Sending virtual hugs to ya! 😚
This was my mom's favorite movie. I watch it once in a while as a memory to her♥️
Aww thats beautiful.. So sorry for your loss. I'm sure she watches it right along with you
I watch it often as it reminds me of my dad… he was a Clark Gable look alike. People commented on it when they met him.
Why can't period drama costume designers today take this movie as an example that people WANT beautiful and historically accurate costume design and hairstyles? Not the modernized stuff now.
LOVED this!!! Great analysis. My favorite dresses: the dress she wears in the opening scene; the dress she wears to the BBQ; and the dress she wears to Ashley's party.
I saw several of the Scarlett O'Hara dresses at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin and they were TINY. If the Academy had the costume category Walter Plunkett would have won. Thankfully he would eventually win for An American in Paris with Orry Kelly and Irene Sharaff. Love your channel and I am hoping to develop my own channel on fashion and costume design.
She's only 5'3! She WAS tiny 💜
I saw them at the Ransom Center, too. What a treat!
Oh man I am heading there to see them if it is open now.
Movies to watch
The Maroon evening own is my favorite, I remember being 6 years old and my jaw dropped......AND I was a tomboy that climbed trees
Same. The girly in me was just like, 'Wooowwwww...!' 🤯😄
Funnily enough, in the book Scarlett herself was something of a tomboy that climbed trees. 😊
EXCELLENT, INFORMATIVE Video!!! Can’t even count how many times I’ve seen the movie- and you just pulled it all together with your observations. Thanks!🌸 Also, the stark difference of Melanie’s dowdy costumes - with her peaceful, generous, secure personality- is another brilliance of the film.
Gone with the wind should not be banned as a racist book. Neither should the movie. And that’s on punctuation.
This UA-camr discussed that issue a year ago ua-cam.com/video/1fukTk8gJ3M/v-deo.html
To hell with the libtard book burnings! I will buy the dvd to keep forever! 🎉🎉
this has quickly become my new favorite channel!! thanks for enriching my quarantine experience!! Keep it up! You're doing great sweetieeee
The white one with the red ribbon around her waist is my favorite.
Some of the most gorgeous costumes ever in the history of film and she wore them all PERFECTLY.
I was actually enthralled by your narration & wanted to hear everything you had to say & I've watched this move 100000000 times. Great job.
I love ALL of her dresses and dressing gowns. I've always had a fascination with the sleeves of her Beetle juice dress.
YES!!!!! I LOVE those sleeves!
These types of videos are one of my favorite gems in all of UA-cam! I need to follow more costume people 💖
Wonderful, interesting analysis. I especially enjoyed the nuaces I never notced -- like Scarlett's red belt on that early, white dress.
I love the film, one of the greatest films ever made. I also loved the dresses, many thanks for the insight as to the meaning. Obviously much thought and planning etc., went into the whole film, that's what made it great.
I love the red dress Scarlett is forced to wear to Ashely’a surprise birthday party.
It’s gorgeous. Vivien looks breathtaking,l and sultry, the kind of woman you know would be caught in an embrace with another married man.
That’s exactly what Rhett wanted.
In the book it’s described as a jade green dress but I feel like red is far more impactful.
He literally tells her:
“Wear that...No modest, matronly dove grays and lilacs tonight. Your flag must be nailed to the mast, for obviously you’d run it down if it wasn’t. And plenty of rouge..”
I love the movie and imo all the small changes made to the film only made it far better.
Though I’m not sure they made justice to Rhetts character. He was far more complex than the movie.
He was cruel and made Scarlett think he didn’t really ever love her, that he married her because she was the only woman he couldn’t have. Don’t get me wrong, Scarlett for all her wit and her courage and her ability to fight like a man in a mans world, she was childish, immature and selfish. She didn’t see that Rhett loved her.
Star crossed lovers, but more real and flawed.
He wasn't trying to be cruel as much as self-protective. He saw how she treated anyone who loved her and/or that she considered "weak." If you read the book, you will really understand how she thought.
I love your knowledge of practically all movies, old or new. I really like ur channel
Love love love all of her dresses. I used to collect the Hallmark ornaments of the dresses. They made WAY to many in the curtain dress and the BBQ dress. Last year they finally were going to come out with the striped dress, but sadly they pulled it from the line up. Wish they would have done the others..plaid mill dress, shanty town blue dress, red dress after she married Frank Kennedy, the honeymoon dress, the dressing coat with the fur when Bonnie came home from London and the periwinkle blue skirt with the white blouse while they waited for the men to return.Walter Plunkett's work was a masterpiece of design.
I absolutely LOVED the white dress with blue jacket and the birthday party deep red dress they are so gorgeous!! I love them all but those two are stunning!
I wish we could go back to wearing dresses like these.
Just imagine how hot they would be during summer months and how inconvenient when you have to go to the bathroom. On top of that, there is the dirt factor. Dresses that drag the floor or yard would become extremely filthy. Laundry would also be a problem.
The reason they and every aristocracy family in the world could wear beautiful dresses like that was because they weren't the ones cleaning the house and maintenaning their clothes, and putting their hair up. We all know who did that. But yes, to get a chance to wear one every once in a while would be dazzling.
@@rainsongt189 Yeah but even if we don't wear *these* dresses, we would still be wearing nice-fitting more modest dresses, like the servants in the house. That's still better than the trousers and shorts and tanktop and whatnot we wear today. Yes it's less convenient because we wear next to nothing today but it's more beautiful and womanly.
@Kuchi Kopi Yes the 50s also had such a beautiful cut with emphasis on the waist and hourglass figure. I agree with you it's probably the best balance between comfort and elegance! I just love long skirts and dresses. I know right now the Urban Outfitters/Hollister type of dresses are very popular and they are beautiful but they are not elegant in my opinion. They are girly and don't cover much. Still it's something that fashion is returning to the dresses but I really am in love with old style dresses which say elegance and grace. And yes before anyone jumps my throat I know there were a lot of issues in society back then. I don't want to open this pandora box I'm only talking about the clothes.
I'm black and I don't care. I'd rather have dresses like this than the garbage we're wearing today.
Amazing video. I was obsessed with GWTW, starting in 1982 when I was 12. Thank you for sharing these details about these lovely dresses. There's no way a movie like this could be made today.
I think you're absolutely right. Each of her dresses/gowns was amazing. Even the "poor" one. Each had so much detail and reflected that portion of the story. I also thought the hair styles at each time were especially interesting, too, and added to her over all look.
Vivien leigh can pull off some amazing costumes. She stars in that Hamilton woman which is also beautifully costumed (though I admit I’m not sure how period accurate it is, lol.)
I loved this video. This is my favorite movie of all times and you just expressed perfectly why in the costume design area
WOW.. this is my favorite film of all time. I went to school for fashion and costume design. I agree with you 100% Plunkett was a genius of period costume design. My favorite dress is the barbeque dress. I have recently responded to a post on Facebook in which someone asked "who wore it better Vivian Leigh or Carol Burnett? " This always bothered me as I am so serious about costuming and felt the Carol Burnett dress by Bob Mackie was a mockery of the Plunkett design. I am subscribing to you!
Awe come on , it was a hilarious parody !! Classic comedy by Carol Burnett 🎭 so beloved by millions , just as Vivien & Clark were in Gone With The Wind
This video was excellent! I've seen this move multiple dozens of times, and never put the color of the dresses together with her motives. I LOVED it! My favorite dresses: 5) the opening scene gown, 4) the bbq gown 3) the blue dress in the portrait 2) the white/blue dress she hugs Ashley in and 1) the birthday party red gown. STUNNING.
Best 4 hours I have ever SPENT! 💅✨