the comment about how people mostly aren't dressing up as historical princesses made me giggle, because I was a disney princess every year for halloween growing up, until i ran out of new princesses my cousins hadn't done before (i wanted my own costume, not to borrow one of theirs!) and branched out to Marie Antoinette and Elizabeth I in late elementary... bless my mother for putting up with her 10 year old's fixation on time-consuming historical accuracy lol

They might technically be queens, but the real reason that Anna and Elsa aren't part of the Disney Princess lineup is that Frozen is such a huge cash cow that Disney can sell the IP for licensing separately and make twice as much lmao

Although not Disney, I was, and remain to this day, in love with the dress Anastasia wore to the opera in the 90s animated film. I always joke if I won the lottery I would have someone make me every outfit she wore in that film. But for Disney, Ariel coming out of the water in the sparkly dress towards the end of the Little Mermaid definitely left an impression on me!

Apparently as a very young child I wore out our first VHS copy of the little mermaid and my grandmother had to make us a new copy. However it’s Mulan I remember loving the most. Honestly they had me from that trailer; anyone else remember how epic it was? The lightning and the stone dragon in the rain? Still slaps.

I was absolutely an Ariel fan, probably due to timing, but also we were both equally obsessed with shipwrecks. I wish that was a joke!

It’s beyond me how there aren’t more eyeballs on this series. Keep up the great work!

So the design lesson we have learned: hourglass silhouette is a classic and will always be in style. If you want an enduring look, make it hourglass. It's interesting how even Mulan, Pocahontas, and Moana had distinctly hourglass shapes. Like, their dresses may not be European, but they clearly tried to impose that shape in an attempt to create a through line. I'm totally fine with them continuing to churn out inappropriately hourglass froth dresses for every time periods as long as they look good. Emma Watson's bell dress was sad, and I don't think anyone would prefer it for a costume over one based on the cartoon, while I would absolutely love to wear anything from the live action Cinderella. I also think it's an interesting design challenge to make that one shape recognizably represent another time period. I could see them doing an incredible costume piece for Princess and The Frog if they just lean in harder to the cartoon looks.

Ever since I first watched this video I have been unable to stop thinking about how disney played themselves and because their brand is so strong they are literally unable to diversify since audiences have such a specific idea of what a disney princess is. fascinated by how strong a grip these images have on our cultural consciousness.

I don't see the Rococo influence on either Belle's or Ariel's outfits, but I definitely see 1860s in Belle's gold silk dress with its wide, off the shoulder neckline and round full skirt. Ariel's dresses shout 1830s with the big puffed sleeves and medium-full skirts. As beautiful as the Rococo era was, I can't imagine Disney taking much influence from its fashion. Like you point out, our modern day vision of a princess owes more to the the New Look than history, and there's something quite "flowing" about the silhouette. The petticoats are soft and have plenty of sweep, the girdles allow more freedom of movement. The aesthetic is graceful and emphasises an idealised, but naturalistic, feminine form. That sums up the Disney princess ideal to me: their vision of a princess is naturally graceful, with unaffected manners and a free-spiritedness and naive beauty. That image feels really at odds with the stiff Rococo fashion, and its gigantic angular panniers and cone-shaped stays. I always notice how the ugly stepsisters in Cinderella are wearing dramatic 1880s-inspired bustles-- unnatural, restrictive silhouettes feel like Disney visual shorthand for falseness and a lack of integrity. It's fascinating how they use fashion to evoke a psychological reaction in their audience, and what it says about our cultural image of "ideal" femininity.

My favourite Disney Princess movie growing up was definitely Beauty and the Beast, I really enjoyed the songs and the whole aesthetic of the servants transformed into furniture was so good. I appreciate that brief mention of the live action version of Belle's dress being underwhelming. Good vid.

I was all about The Emperor's New Groove as a kid, but of the classic princess lineup I guess Jasmine was my favourite. I haven't seen Moana, and this video really made me want to watch it. Finally, a use for that Disney plus subscription that isn't Star Wars related.

Belle was my first princess. B&B hit me at the right age (12, gift of a library, SONGS) since we didn't have a video in the 80s and the only 80s disney princess is from the (rightly forgotten and glided over because it's so crap) Black Cauldron. Mind you I'm now a Moana/Rapunzel person and *will* get into fights with small children about Tangled vs Frozen. We normally end up agreeing that Moana is awesome.

i could listen to Gav talk about disney princesses for weeks

I really like this video, but l think the comment that Cinderella, the literal tale of a victim of domestic abuse , not being "aspirational" is reading the story way too thin on its surface.

I love that 2/3rds of the way through, we learn it was Capitalism all along.

Great video. It's always fascinating to hear someone speak with expertise on a topic they love. Keep'em coming!

I/m not a fairy tale guy at all but (and I know it's not Disney) but one my fav movies ever is Drew Barrymore as Danielle de Barbarac in Ever After. "I can take anything I can carry?" "Yes, you have my word as the king of the gypsies." (proceeds to pick up the Dauphine and carry him off). Tell me THATS not a strong female character ;-)

My faves were Pocahontas/Mulan (my sister and I were obsessed with the concept of there being a *second* brown princess, we are brown hahaha). My best friend and I used to argue over the precise words in quotes from Pocahontas (we watched it so much), and in hindsight I wish I didn't love it so much cos well, genocide. I loved Anastasia so much when I watched it I managed to finangle my way into seeing it three more times! but she's not a disney princess lol

Mine's Frozen because it's just... amazing! and it was super big when I was like 8. But nit Disney wise, it'd DEFINITELY be Anastasia. 😍

i can’t hear the background music without thinking about ‘santa clau’.

I count Princess Leia also among those ladies. She is royalty (even doubly, in a sense), Star Wars is now owned by Disney, and she appeared in a cartoon. And, she wore a very beautiful princess gown. So she fits all the bills...just not officially.

Her name is aurora not sleeping beauty

A Cinderella Story! My sisters and i can quote like 90% of that movie verbatim.

Non-princess-burn have to use opera cloves; i love it

I'm afraid my ideal girl growing up was Ripply from Alien/Aliens. Since then I guess I prefer a woman in a boiler suit (or ship suit).

Belle

Today's Disney princesses are more assertive and independent to do work and combat skills but also multicultural to beyond a traditional Eurocentric model. Did you see Production story board sketches for Disney's "Gigantic" about "Princes Inma"?.

Well Raya is a official disney princess