Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Style

    6 style lessons from Dirty Dancing we still swear by today

    Forget the corner, put Baby on that stage where she belongs

    Penny Goldstone's avatar
    By Penny Goldstone
    Published 9 March 2017 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    dirty dancing style lessons
    (Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Forget the corner, put Baby on that stage where she belongs

    Dirty Dancing is 30 years old this year. We’re just going to ignore the fact this makes us feel super old, and instead focus on the style lessons we learned from it.

    Yes, we know it’s all about the dancing and that lift, but there’s no denying Baby is one classically stylish lady, so much so that we’re still swearing by these fashion rules today…

    1. There’s no wardrobe staple like a men’s white shirt

    Baby can’t get enough of oversized white shirts. For a sexy take on things, she rolls up the sleeves and ties up the bottom around the waist, but when she’s feeling more casual, she wears it loose over a pair of cigarette jeans. Both look great.

    2. Bodysuits are not just for ballet

    Look at baby, totally owning her orange bodysuit and denim shorts while practicing her dance moves. And why not? If you’ve got it, flaunt it is our motto.

    You may like
    • White Stuff printed dress From Statement Prints to Breezy Dresses, Effortless Summer Style Starts with White Stuff
    • Skirt Suits Skirt Suits Are Back, According to the A-Listers in New York Right Now—Here’s How to Wear One for Summer and Beyond
    • @sarah.corbettwinder wears sarong and shirt Last-Minute Packing for Your Beach Holiday? All You Need Is Your Favourite Shirt and This Throwback ’90s Item

    dirty dancing style lessons

    (Image credit: Copyright © 1987 Vestron Pictures, Inc. © 1987 Vestron Pictures / Courtesy: Pyxurz.)

    3. Breton tops are king

    Baby rocked the red stripes back in the 60s, and there’s still very much a wardrobe staple today. Like Baby, we like ours classically paired with denim.

    dirty dancing style lessons

    4. White on white is a great combo

    Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Come summer, white tops and matching trousers are the combination of choice. Baby’s folk blouse is perfect for this summer’s 70s trend revival too. And FYI, Johnny's head-to-toe black look is pretty spot on also, especially with that biker jacket.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    dirty dancing style lessons

    5. Be true to your personal style

    Sure, Baby looked incredible in that bright pink dress with the jewel belt when she danced the Mambo with Johnny at the Sheldrake, but it wasn’t her, and her dad didn’t recognise her. So whether you feel at your best sans make-up in a simple outfit, or with lots of glitter and jewels, wear whatever feels ‘you’, not what trends dictate.

    dirty dancing style lessons

    6. Always wear underwear

    You just never know when you’re going to have to perform a lift in front of 100 people at summer camp. Or in a lake for that matter.

    dirty dancing style lessons

    (Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))

    And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why nobody should EVER put baby in a corner.

    Penny Goldstone
    Penny Goldstone
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Fashion Editor

    Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.

    She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.

    Read more
    White Stuff printed dress
    Fashion From Statement Prints to Breezy Dresses, Effortless Summer Style Starts with White Stuff
    Skirt Suits
    Shopping Skirt Suits Are Back, According to the A-Listers in New York Right Now—Here’s How to Wear One for Summer and Beyond
     
     
    @sarah.corbettwinder wears sarong and shirt
    Shopping Last-Minute Packing for Your Beach Holiday? All You Need Is Your Favourite Shirt and This Throwback ’90s Item
    Lace shorts
    Fashion Lace-Trim Shorts Aren't Just for Gen Z—Here's the Grown-Up Guide to Wearing Them
     
     
    Latest in Style
    Kinda Chic Trend
    Shopping Is "Kinda Chic" Kinda Cringe? Everyone's Favourite Fashion Word Just Went Completely Out of Fashion
    @nlmarilyn in transitional autumn outfits
    Fashion Goodbye Summer Dresses, I'm in Autumn Outfit Planning Mode—These 5 Are Fresh
     
     
    Kaia Gerber
    Shopping Everything Kaia Gerber Wears Is a Masterclass in Minimalism—These Are the Pieces and Brands She Always Goes Back to
    Reformation Sale
    Fashion The Reformation Summer Sale Is Full of Autumn Buys—So I Spent Two Hours Finding the Best Ones
     
     
    Latest in Features
    The long hair trend and the post-bob era
    Hair I’ve Spent Two Years Growing My Bob—Turns Out, There's a Reason Long Hair Is Trending
    @nlmarilyn in transitional autumn outfits
    Fashion Goodbye Summer Dresses, I'm in Autumn Outfit Planning Mode—These 5 Are Fresh
     
     
    Arsenal footballer and Lioness Chloe Kelly
    Health and Fitness Women in Sport 2026: Featuring Chloe Kelly, Elite Beauty Products, Grand Prix 2.0 and So Much More
    Mischa Anouk Smith on an astrology travel trip to Türkiye, where she got engaged less than 24 hours after a birth chart reading.
    Travel I Let Astrology Plan My Holiday—Less Than 24 Hours Later, I Was Engaged
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.