This legendary fashion moment from Pretty Woman almost never was
One of the most iconic fashion moments in Pretty Woman has to be the red opera dress, the crowning glory in Vivian's makeover. However you might be surprised to hear that it could've looked very different, as the movie studio originally wanted it to be black.
I'm guessing they just wanted a more classic look, however costume designer Marilyn Vance knew a red dress would have more of an impact (and let's face it, she was right).
So after lots of back and forth with the studio, and creating three different creations for several test shots, Marilyn finally managed to change their minds.
The result was of course the beautiful off-the-shoulder design that perfectly enhances Vivian's red hair. Whether the ruby necklace she wore was decided on after the dress or not, I'm not sure, but it certainly looks great with it.
Said necklace was also worth way more than what producers could afford. They had a relatively small budget of $14m to make the film, and the necklace was worth $250,00o, so a jeweller kindly lent it to Julia Roberts... however as they hadn't bought it, it came with an armed guard. So what we couldn't see in the background of each scene was probably a guard hovering behind the actress every time she wore the necklace.
And whilst we're on the subject of things that almost didn't happen, the moment Edward snaps the box shut on Vivian's hand wasn't part of the script at all, but after several slightly boring takes, he shut the box on Roberts' fingers, getting her to genuinely laugh.
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.
Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).
Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.
However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.
Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.
-
Zendaya's reaction to awkward kissing question during Challengers interview has gone viral
'Uncomfortable' doesn't begin to cover it
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Prince William feels 'immense responsibility' amid Kate and Charles cancer diagnoses
He has a lot on his plate
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Taylor Swift just teased a 'timetable' for her new album release
The wait is torture
By Iris Goldsztajn