Red dress of Julia Roberts
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 | |
| Designer | Marilyn Vance |
|---|---|
| Year | 1990 |
| Type | Off-the-shoulder evening gown |
Julia Roberts wore a red dress in the 1990 romantic comedy film Pretty Woman. The ensemble was created by costume designer Marilyn Vance, and is worn during a "transformative" scene in the film where Roberts' character accompanies her love interest to a night at the opera. Thirty years after the film's release, Vogue Paris called the off-the-shoulder evening gown “iconic”, and said that it helped make the romantic comedy "legendary".[1]
Pretty Woman (1990) is a film depicting a sex worker who discovers high society while embarking on romance with a millionaire.[1] The ensemble is worn during a "transformative" scene in the film, in which Roberts' character, Vivian Ward, accompanies her love interest to a night at the opera.[1][2]
The production studio had instructed Vance to make the gown black to prevent clashing with Roberts' red hair.[1] But Vance pursued her concept, designing three dresses of various shades and putting Roberts through multiple screen tests to persuade director Garry Marshall.[1][3] Marshall was heavily involved with the fashion of the film and collaborated with Vance on the final look's design.[2]
The dress is a scarlet red sculptural column evening gown with a low back, off-the-shoulder detail, a plunging sweetheart neckline, and a drape tied around the hips.[1][4] The ensemble was accessorized with a complementary ruby diamond necklace and white opera gloves.[4][3][5][6] It exhibited ruffled detailing and voluminous sleeves, in line with 1990s fashion trends.[7][8]
In Pretty Woman, Roberts portrays Vivian Ward, a Hollywood Boulevard prostitute who entertains older businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) and subsequently falls in love with him.[1][4] Vance used her style to portray the character's evolution in the film as her fashion becomes more polished and minimalist, inspired by Edward.[1] The dress was designed to be "diametrically opposite" to her revealing outfits at the beginning of the film.[1] The gown is worn during a "pivotal transformation" sequence, which presents [Vivian] as a "real lady" before an evening at the opera.[1][9] The scene where Roberts wears the gown has been referred to as cinematically significant and an "all-time movie moment", featuring improvisation intended by Gere for the film's gag reel. In the film, Edward surprises Vivian by snapping a necklace case on her fingers, with Roberts letting out a "yelping" and "iconic" laugh.[10][11][12] Marshall later referred to it as "the trademark for the movie".[12]