If you grew up watching Disney movies, then you can probably picture the evening gown that Cinderella wore to Prince Charming’s ball or what Jasmine was wearing when she took that magic carpet ride with Aladdin. What you probably never considered was whether or not these signature ensembles were historically accurate. LA-based illustrator Claire Hummel, an artist for Microsoft Game Studios Publishing, decided to do some research on the subject, and the resulting images, while not necessarily the stuff of childhood memories, provide an interesting glimpse into the history of fashion. Click through for a narrated look at the work that she’s done on the project so far; if you like what you see, prints from the series are available here.
Claire Hummel, Pocahontas. All images via My Modern Met.
“Oh, Pocahontas. Really not one of my favorite Disney films, but it posed an interesting challenge. Note that this is the Disney character, not the historical figure, so while I tried to make the outfit accurate to 17th century Powhatan clothing she is, most definitely, not a 12-year-old. It’s my happy middle ground when drawing a historical version of an inaccurate portrayal of a historical person. That’s a mouthful.
“My one big cheat on this was her necklace — the shell necklace should in theory be a deep purple (turquoise is a much more Southwestern commodity), but you lose so much of the Pocahontas visual identity without the splash of teal around her neck.”
Claire Hummel, Cinderella
“I went with the mid-1860s for Cinderella’s dress, the transitory period where the cage crinoline takes on a more elliptical shape and moves towards the back. Not that it accounts for Lady Tremaine’s sweet 1890s getup, but it’s also not unheard of to see it worn alongside Anastasia and Drizella’s early bustle dresses. It’s also worth noting that it was made by a fairy godmother, so it make sense that her tastes would be a little behind the times.”
Claire Hummel, Jasmine
“Let’s be frank — Aladdin is hardly an exercise in historical accuracy… It took some effort to track down some midriff-baring outfits but BY GEORGE I DID, thank you Persian fashion plates. I now know what sirwal are called (besides Hammer pants), and that Persian women wore some pretty sweet little jackets that I wish I owned.”
Claire Hummel, Snow White
“Snow White‘s time period is pretty easy to pinpoint in 16th-century Germany. Not that the film is accurate, but the clues are there — I took a wide swath from about 1500 to 1530 to come up with something that still maintained the spirit of the original design.”
Claire Hummel, Ariel
“The Little Mermaid is hard to place from a time period standpoint — Grimsby’s wearing a Georgian getup, Ariel’s pink dress with the slashed sleeves subscribes to several eras from the Renaissance to the 1840s, Eric is… Eric.
“I went with Ariel’s wedding dress as a starting point since those gigantic leg-o-mutton sleeves (so embarrassingly popular in ’80s wedding fashion) were a great starting point for an 1890s evening gown. It’s also not unfeasible that Eric’s cropped tailcoat could be from the same era, so I’m sticking with my choice.”
Claire Hummel, Belle
“Beauty and the Beast has always hovered hesitantly in the late 18th century (especially in the earlier concept art), so I redid Belle’s gold dress to match 1770s French court fashion.”
Claire Hummel, Aurora
“So Prince Phillip does specifically and emphatically say ‘this is the 14th century!’ at some point during the film, but Phillip’s an idiot (a handsome, handsome idiot) and I, never afraid to ignore source material, ignored him.
“Oddly enough Phillip’s clothing is a better point of reference than Aurora’s (since the hourglass, off-the-shoulder cut of her dress is straight out of the 1950′s), and there are far more examples of his get-up from the 1460s onward than in the 14th century. I went with my gut and ended up with something around 1485 — a little later than one might expect, but it’s such a (beautifully) stylized film that all bets are off.”
Comments (81)
[...] Claire Hummel Does Disney [...]
STUNNING! I’d love to actually make most of these! Beautifully done.
where’s Mulan?
I’m so glad she did Sleeping Beauty’s dress in blue! Even as a little girl, I preferred it in blue.
[...] can read about the rest of her findings over at Flavorwire. Prints are available on Claire’s site – wouldn’t they be a lovely addition to the room of a [...]
@Carlo, the series is a work in progress, so stay tuned for more characters
Now, can someone do the villains? Maeleficent is my fav…
oh, my goodness!!! I actually *squeeed* when I saw Snow White and Aurora! *runs off to reinterpret Snow White in a 1535 ‘Saxon Princess’” gown.*
Sadly, my hair is blonde…
Also, Maleficent is already basically a houpelande.
[...] Read More On flavorwire.com › Posted in BuzzFeed, News | Leave a comment [...]
[...] Princesas de Disney históricamente precisas (Flavorwire) [...]
They look the same as the Disney ones… I don’t get it. Sorry!
Ooh, where *is* Mulan? I mean, these are all stunning, but I would have LOVED to see her take on her too.
Any chance you’d offer these as prints? They are really lovely!
Apparently he took seriously that Victoria Secrets-style/go go dancer style outfit they slapped on Pocahontas to appeal to the horny fathers demographic….
Really, does anyone seriously think Indian women spent winters in Virginia dressed in slit skirts and off the shoulder tank tops?
These are beautiful, and the detail is insane! Look, Jasmine even has henna. I want prints of all the princesses.
I love the detail in Aurora’s dress specifically. Her underskirt is decorated with drop spindles and the “embroidery” at the bottom has historically accurate spinning wheels figured into it. Snow White’s skirt has an apple tree and apples. That made me chuckle! Beautifully done!
[...] rewrite, as they weren’t as accurate as they could have been to the time and locale. See what she says about this Jasmine resdesign: “Let’s be frank — Aladdin is hardly an exercise in historical [...]
Mulan isn’t a princess, and her outfits were historically and culturally correct (as far as disney goes anyway)
It’s funny….Sleeping Beauty’s Aurora has always been my favorite Movie/Character. The clothes you portray her in is very similar to what I remember her mother, the queen, wearing in the Disney version! Stunning artwork, loved all of them!
Even though they aren’t princesses I hope to see Jane from Tarzan & Meg from Hercules. Would have Cinderella & Belle reversed though. Beautifful work and because I like costuming it was very interesting to see what the reserach reflected. Just love the art!
Stunningly beautiful. I like how it’s focused on the clothes, and doesn’t become a commentary on if Disney princesses are good or evil.
[...] the full set and more of her narration at [...]
[...] probably seen this by now, but I don’t care: “Disney Princess costumes interpreted through a historical lens,” by Claire Hummel. I love everything about this! Disney films are usually such a stylized, anachronistic mishmash of [...]
[...] This artist re-interpreted the classic Disney princesses by drawing on historical images from each story’s setting and time period. Kristen likes the detail in the new images and in some cases thinks it makes them a little better than the original version! [...]
Agree with comment about Pocahontas outfit – ridiculous – and comic-con worthy.
[...] Period proper re-interpretations of Disney Princess dresses – beautiful [...]
For Ariel, an easy way to place her in history would be taking into account that Hans Christian Andersen, Danish, first published the story “The Little Mermaid” in 1837.
Re:Pocahontas, according to historical plates Powhatan women actually did wear one-shouldered dresses and skirts that gathered at the sides. SHOCKER. A large point of this project is doing the research.
Absolutely gorgeous!
[...] Los vestidos de las princesas Disney si fueran históricamente correctos. [...]
Hmmmm… I don’t think that scrap of Jasmine’s suitor’s underwear in Raja’s claw is historically accurate… ! ;)
[...] Reinterpreting Disney Princess Costumes Through a Historical Lens [...]
WOW these are gorgeous. You may have started a new trend.
PS Two things I love–Rajah (so sleek!) and Cinderella’s Victorian design. Not a lot of people catch that Cinderella takes place in the Victorian time period.
This is so weird! I just re-watched Sleeping Beauty and Snow White today and yesterday…the first to see how the Tchaikovsky music was incorporated (I didn’t even know who that was as a kid) and both for the interesting and distinct animation styles, especially in the backgrounds. These drawings are very interesting and make me very happy. :) I’d be interested to know how much, especially w/ sleeping beauty, the princesses were affected by the style of the time in which the movies came out vs. their set time periods.
1865 alice in wonderland would be interesting, though she is also not a princess.
What exactly are you trying to achieve? All you’re doing is redrawing the costumes, and attempting to take credit for it.
Hi Georgia! Maybe I can help explain. (I’m not Claire Hummel, but I do work as an artist in the animation industry, so take it for what it’s worth ^_^) Yes you are right, they are redesigns of the Disney princesses, which is a popular fanart and a valid artform as well. (Check out the book “The Art of the Disney Princess”, and popular digital artists like Sam Nielson & Katie De Sousa) Claire has taken the original designs & obviously has spent a lot of time researching the movies and the historically correct costumes to go along with them, and then rendered them beautifully, with sleek lines and appealing design. I totally think she deserves every credit she gets!
These drawings are very interesting. Love to see them all. But for Snow White (my favourite character), I still prefer the original detachable cape and matching bow headband.
[...] evolution An artist called Claire Hummel did some research on this and made a bunch of drawings: http://flavorwire.com/195401/rei…Here's a sample:Check them out, they're cool!This answer .Please specify the necessary [...]
[...] can find a full article with her notes here, and order prints [...]
These are gorgeous. What’s the date range for Jasmine? (One of my friends is very into historical Middle Eastern clothing–I think the midriff-baring outfit will break her brain.)
I particularly like the spindle patterning and spinning wheel trim on Sleeping Beauty’s dress. Lovely touch.
I’m wondering if the people trashing this can read. Because she clearly states over and over again what her goal was with this project, and the complaints don’t even need to be argued with, as her explanation negates all of them. :P
Shouldn’t Jasmine be in a burka?
vashra, are you really that dumb? oh and btw, its very obvious where you are from with a name like vashra and the tone.
think for a second and research. idiot.
Er, why is Jasmine wearing Persian clothes though? It’s set in a arab country what with the Arabian Nights. Or is that all brown people are the same? At Least you didn’t try and make her an Indian Mughal Princess or something.
Beautiful details:)…but why is Pocahontas, the only Disney character that is portrayed with thick legs and bigger feet? i’m not saying she should be extremely feminine, i just wanted to point out she was the only one.
even if she was historically correct, im sure not all women from the other characters’ eras were born with such delicate and ‘effeminate’ features.
Love love love this idea! @carlo, Mulan is not a princess, she’s a military captain’s wife.
These are amazing! I think my favorite is Cinderellas. But Jasmine is a close second.
This is amazing. If I still taught history I would put these up in my classroom. Excellent job, I’d love to see other princesses.
[...] 141はモニカ・ベルッチのことを言ってるんだろうが、かの女＝パーセフォニーはヒロインじゃないよ。 ヒロインはトリニティ姐さんっす。 ■「Reinterpreting Disney Princess Costumes Through a Historical Lens」＞● [...]
@slow.hands: You do make a valid point–Disney, as well as many others, somewhere along the way decided that princesses and heroines should be petite and gentle things that were meant to be looked at. Lots of people still think that about real women. However, one must also consider that it makes sense that Pocahontas would have strong legs and feet, since she actually used them on a regular basis. Personally, she is the most beautiful of all of these concepts simply because she isn’t just a cute little thing to look at. She is a strong woman with her own mind and a beautiful, muscular body, and that’s something I’d like to see more of. Also, if you check out her work, Claire tends to the more muscular and curvy leg, which is totally awesome. If you check out her DeviantArt gallery you will undoubtedly notice this (http://shoomlah.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=0).
@petiteruth
“Mulan is not a princess, she’s a military captain’s wife”
And Belle was the daughter of an inventor, but she got a picture. The poor girl can’t do ~every~ female disney character.
Anyway, these are all stunning; I think Aurora must be my favourite.
@Fatima, “Arabian Nights” is an inaccurate translation of the title, so somebody had their brown people confused, but it wasn’t Claire. The stories purport to be told by Scheherazade, who was Persian, to a Persian king (in Persia, which is now Iran, so it in fact was NOT an Arab country at that time). The correct title of the book is “A Thousand and One Nights.” That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed looking at these beautiful costumes. Sleeping Beauty has always been my favorite Disney movie for its stylized artwork – seeing Aurora in a dress not swiped from Dior is delightful.
@Tyree: I agree, and I had also considered that reason.:) Thanks for posting your comment and the link! :D p.s. wouldn’t ariel have ad a really muscular body?..just a thought lol
[...] but as Shine points out, sometimes these bargains aren’t as good as they seem… Reinterpreting Disney Princess Costumes Through a Historical Lens. Not only is this fascinating and a great fashion history lesson, the artwork is downright [...]
[...] Reinterpreting Disney Princess Costumes Through a Historical Lens. Not only is this fascinating and a great fashion history lesson, the artwork is downright beautiful. [...]
I love Aurora’s the best… it was worth the scroll down :)
[...] Reinterpreting Disney Princess Costumes Through a Historical Lens. Not only is this fascinating and a great fashion history lesson, the artwork is downright beautiful. [...]
[...] Reinterpreting Disney Princess Costumes Through a Historical Lens. Not only is this fascinating and a great fashion history lesson, the artwork is downright beautiful. [...]
While the idea and design of these costumes are quite pretty and the skill is obviously there, unfortunately the Artist completely disregarded the personality that each character had. So, these might as well not be the Disney Princesses at all. Also, why do none of them have their eyes open? It’s a weird design choice when it comes to the drawings.
LOL, why cant the artist draw open eyes?
lame
@slowhands: You are welcome! And yes, Ariel should probably be more muscular, although I don’t think mermaids use their arms as much as a swimmer due to the strength of their tails. Still, she should at least have *some* muscle. Then again, as we don’t have any mermaids to observe in their natural habitat, I suppose we’ll never really know, now will we? :D
[...] artist Claire Hummel outfits classic Disney princesses with period-appropriate costumes (check out Snow White – she gets a wonderful reinterpretation while still managing to be [...]
Hey, Cinderella dress looks more beautiful than it was in the movie^^
But, Snow White seems a little bit more weird.. LOL
Ariel’s wedding dress is also better than it was in The Little Mermaid.
Where’s Mulan? Rapunzel?
These images are soooo inspired!
Ariel=edwardian here?? I personaly would of placed her in the 1830′s…
your snow white is so fresh and pretty, shes geourgeous x shes well the best! Id love to see this version in one of the disney parks/parades/shows, its all good =]
Oh my god! You have actually answered my prayers! I was never happy with the cinderella design or the snow white one and I just thought it was an abomnination!!!! You have done a fantastic job and I couldn’t thank you enough!!! :D
LOVE IT! Especially Jasmine and Aurora! :D
Also, somebody said something about Pocahontas’ legs being the only ones that were stocky…what are you comparing them to? She is the only one with visible legs. The rest of them are covered by their skirts…
And in regards to the slim, petite girls: Snow White, Belle, Cinderella, and Ariel have been dated during/after the 16th century, which is when the first corset/corset-like bodices pretty much became a mandatory piece of clothing (apparently in the 1550s Catherine de Médicis, queen of France, put a ban on thick waists?), so the thin waists were a common thing to see in higher classes (which all of the women I pointed out become a part of when they marry/are already a part of because they’re royalty). Their costumes aren’t horrible for this reason. This is a HISTORICAL representation of the characters’ costumes after all.
I’m assuming that the rest of them are shown as skinny because they’re recognised like that from Disney, and since it’s a spin-off of the Disney characters she wanted them recognisable to people in her form? Just a theory.
WHERE’S ESMERALDA?!
If people are going to get that serious about Jasmine’s outfit; lets be real here al-aldin is supposed to be Chinese! It’s a story set in a Chinese town (albeit a china, the storyteller had likely never seen given its obvious islamic details). But, it’s about an islamic country (not pre islamic like claire claims) with muslims (and some jews), and I’m pretty sure it’s from an arab syrian and not a persian. Either way, jasmine likely would have had more on than that but like the artist said, she was still trying to match what disney made. It’s not all her fault that disney got the job wrong the first time. I would prefer to see her use a completely different style of dress (one that actually matches islamic society from that time period), but these are her drawings.
@Claire
Re: “Re:Pocahontas, according to historical plates Powhatan women actually did wear one-shouldered dresses and skirts that gathered at the sides. SHOCKER. A large point of this project is doing the research.”
If you read MrAngryIndian’s comments as intended, he was referring to Disney’s image of Pocahontas (unless you are a “he”?)
In your own words you admit you made the necklace turquoise to stick to the Disney visual element rather than to historical accuracy. Why bother with research if you are just going to ad-lib the bits that you want to?
Oh and do learn to take criticism without resorting to being a bitch in a public forum; the internets make quick work of people with similar attitudes and more talent than yourself.
[...] Ever wondered what Disney princesses would look like if their costumes were a little more historically accurate? You’re welcome. [...]
@bizenya
Don’t complaing about her “bad reaction on internet forums” when you just left a comment calling her a bitch.
[...] Disney princess outfits can be used at many events. There are many ways for your little princess to be a queen for [...]
They are all so lovley! But as soon as I saw Cinderella’s foot, I thought, “Why is her foot bare? Where is her glass slipper?” And I noticed that, save for Pocahontas and Jasmine, all the other princesses’ feet do not show. I love that her foot is shown, but I would have liked to see her shoe as well.
I think having her glass slipper would complete the artwork. :)
[...] Claire Hummel, Cinderella “I went with the mid-1860s for Cinderella’s dress, the transitory period where the cage crinoline takes on a more elliptical shape and moves towards the back. Reinterpreting Disney Princess Costumes Through a Historical Lens [...]
thanks for sharing such a great collection of trainload costumes. Please check my trendy clothing dresses at (http://www.thetrendystyle.com)
I am directing a play in March, called Beauty Is A Beast. I was wondering if I had your permission to use the picture of Belle on the flyers. Thank you so much for your consideration(:
Love these, thank you for posting.
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