The Pretty Woman Red Dress
Costume designers don’t get enough credit, both in pop culture and in fashion media. The perfect example is the red dress in Pretty Women. Esteemed costume designer Marilyn Vance designed the outfits for iconic movies of the 80s, 90s, and beyond, like Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, The Untouchables, and more. One of the most memorable fashion moments from her oeuvre is the red dress that Julia Roberts’ character Vivian wore in 1990’s Pretty Woman, particularly in the opera scene.
That red dress had such an impact on the fashion industry that nearly 30 years after Pretty Woman came out, the popular brand Reformation created a dress that looked exactly like it. The trades took note, and fashion outlets like Harper’s Bazaar and Grazia compared the Reformation red gown to Vance’s design from Pretty Woman.
The sensual off-the-shoulders neckline in a body-hugging red satin makes the opera scene in Pretty Woman complete, since it’s a scene in which Vivian demonstrates her sensitivity and emotional depth when she cries during the performance. There’s drama to that gown, and it speaks to the way that a dramatic performance could penetrate Vivian’s seemingly unfeeling, matter-of-fact personality. Of course, with a talent like Vance had known that, and she even fought for that.
Julia Roberts as Vivian in the iconic Pretty Woman red dress.
The Pretty Woman Red Dress Was Almost Black
In an interview with Elle, Vance shared that three different dresses had been made for the scene, and that “the studio really wanted black.” She reveals, though, “I knew it needed to be red.” Fortunately, Vance’s vision came to life, as she tells Elle, Finally, “I was able to find the right shade and convince everyone to go my direction… I knew what I was doing!”
It’s no wonder that in a different interview with Dazed, Vance says, “John Hughes called me his ‘visual voice.’” It was wise for directors like Hughes to trust Vance’s vision since she had a hand at making the Brat Pack as memorable as they were. She created other memorable teen movie moments too, with the red bikini worn by Phoebe Cates in 1982’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High. You know the one. When speaking with Dazed, she reflects upon the red bikini that became so iconic, “That was a Norma Kamali bikini I brought with me from New York – weirdly I couldn’t find one nice bathing suit in LA!”
That two of Vance’s most memorable, cinema-history-making outfits happened to be that bright cherry red is no coincidence. It’s such an evocative shade that pops, and so it’s one that many less bold people would shy away from. Black may be classic, but it’s a much safer choice, so remember that next time you’re shopping. Who knows, you may make a memorable fashion moment of your own with a little Marilyn Vance red.