Disney Princess outfits from over the years have always been rather unique, but some are far more impractical than others. Whether it is a live-action or animated Disney movie, it isn’t uncommon to see a character wearing a look that realistically makes sense to the situation they are in. Although these stories always put action and drama at the forefront of the narrative, it is still strange to see a heroine in an outfit that just isn’t practical.
Of course, the definition of a Disney Princess often varies, but the outfit typically comes with the official or unofficial label. While there are technically only 13 Disney Princesses, times have changed a lot, and plenty of other characters have proved themselves to be worthy of the title, regardless of their royal status. Disney Princesses often show off their bravery, prowess, and dedication to saving the day. Unfortunately, their wardrobes aren’t always made aware of their plans, and a lot of outfit choices aren’t ideal.
10
Snow White’s Cleaning Outfit
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Snow White’s blue and yellow dress is an iconic garment, and it’s easily her most notable look. The 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs introduces the titular character as a helpful person, and despite working as a scullery maid for her evil stepmother, she doesn’t hesitate to start clearing up after the seven dwarves shortly after she meets them. This dress is not particularly realistic to clean in, though. The bright yellow skirt likely gets marks all over it, especially if the dwarves’ home is always as dusty as this scene depicts.
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She also never seems to change out of this outfit, and although audiences know that there will not be a washing machine nearby, it’s odd, considering she wears other clothes throughout the film. The flowing bottom of the dress may be beautiful, but Snow White catches it on a tree branch while running away from the Huntsman, which really is a sign that she needs to switch up her wardrobe, quickly. While it’s unlikely the Snow White live-action adaptation will rectify this, hopefully, she’ll at least have more clothing variations.
9
Jane’s Jungle Outfit
Tarzan (1999)
Disney’s 1999 Tarzan features Jane, and although she isn’t technically listed as one of the franchise’s princesses, she proves herself to be a royal ruler of the jungle very quickly. It isn’t her fault she gets stuck in the jungle wearing a gorgeous yellow period dress, but it’s silly of Jane to think it’s an ideal outfit to wear while studying gorillas in the wild. It’s no surprise that she struggles to pull herself through the bamboo reeds, considering the hat that falls in her eyes, the silky white gloves, and her trying to simultaneously carry a book and umbrella.
The dress looks unbelievably heavy, too, and without Tarzan’s help, she probably would’ve succumbed to the angered baboon she later faces. Of course, the rain later on weighs it down even more. Thankfully, Jane swaps for more practical clothing later on, but it’s bizarre she chooses to still sport a skirt. Jane’s attire is appropriate for the era, as Tarzan is set in the late 1880s, but in the context of studying wild animals, it’s still a very weird choice for her.
8
Cinderella’s Glass Slippers
Cinderella (1950)
Even children who are reading the original story for the first time can acknowledge that Cinderella’s glass slippers are ridiculously impractical. Even though Cinderella is a fairytale, and the titular character’s iconic shoes are made from the Fairy Godmother’s magic, the fact they are specifically identified as glass implies that they are extremely fragile. Although the one slipper she loses while running from the palace at midnight lands on a carpeted floor, it’s a miracle that there isn’t even a slight crack in the shoe.
Plus, the fact the shoe is made to fit Cinderella perfectly, only for one to fall off, makes no sense whatsoever. Glass is not a very wearable material. While the likes of Lady Gaga wear many pairs of shoes that appear to be made out of unusual materials, there’s no way the foundations are ever formed of something like glass. Even though Cinderella is a children’s film, she realistically doesn’t have any grip wearing glass slippers, and she should be falling all over the place, or at least lose her shoes far quicker than she does.
7
Merida’s Long Green Dress
Brave (2012)
Although the design of Merida in Brave is much better than some of her other Disney Princess counterparts, her staple green dress could be more practical. She’s definitely dressed more sensibly than other Disney characters, but the beautiful dress still isn’t an ideal outfit when she’s riding horseback, for example. Despite this, she manages to shoot arrows at each of the targets with ease. However, at times, the skirting puts her in more danger than she already is.
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When Merida climbs a cliff during the “Touch the Sky” musical number, one of Pixar’s best movie songs, she slips at one point. The dress is so long that her feet are hidden, and with the wind blowing, it’s a shock that she doesn’t hurt herself. Scotland is also a very cold country, and with Brave being set in the Highlands, there’s no way that this dress realistically keeps Merida warm enough. Although the outfit doesn’t seem to cause any delays or obstacles for Merida, it doesn’t mean it’s practical.
6
Giselle’s Wedding Dress
Enchanted (2007)
Technically, Enchanted‘s Giselle also isn’t a Disney Princess. However, she is almost a royal, and very much deserves to be one, setting up a standard that every upcoming live-action Disney Princess should closely follow. Giselle doesn’t expect to suddenly turn up in the real world while wearing a massive and puffy wedding dress, and it’s easy to feel sorry for her when the overwhelming atmosphere of Times Square gets to her. However, it’s baffling how long she continues to wear the beautiful white gown after her abrupt arrival.
Robert rudely doesn’t find something else for Giselle to wear when she stays the first night, and it’s no wonder Nancy is so shocked. This is especially true considering how dirty New York is, and that Giselle runs through the city while dragging the poofy skirt along with her. Giselle then cleans Robert’s apartment the next day, while still in the dress, and entices various small animals into helping her. While this may be fine in a Disney animated world, New York’s rodents are filthy, and it’s almost certain that Robert’s apartment is also dirty.
5
Elsa’s Ice Dress
Frozen (2013)
Elsa is the Queen of Arendelle in Frozen, initially introduced as a child princess alongside her younger sister. Elsa’s ice dress is legendary, highlighting her powers and abilities brilliantly. Although Elsa states that the cold doesn’t bother her, she means the actual temperature, and she never explicitly states that the weight of her outfit made of ice isn’t unbelievably heavy. Additionally, her cape is supposedly also made of ice, yet it flows about while she’s fighting, and strangely never shatters.
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Elsa has to constantly wave her arms around and pull up the helm to run, but it’s amazing she can move at all in this look, if her powers are connected to her, rather than the outfit. Elsa trips and falls over her cape while running to avoid falling ice when she is fighting the guards, and even though the huge icicle smashing on the ground plays a part in this, it’s clear that the outfit doesn’t help matters either. While there are plenty of useful things about Elsa’s dress, the physical design could be better.
4
Elizabeth Swann’s First Dress
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003)
Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann from Pirates of the Caribbean typically wears a lot of comfortable and appropriate attire for adventuring on the high seas, but there are a few times in which her outfits are far from ideal. One of these is in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Although Elizabeth doesn’t pick out the dress herself, as it’s a gift from her father for Norrington’s promotion ceremony, it’s still not a desirable choice. The corset is the main issue. While it’s a historically correct garment, whoever makes the piece is clearly incompetent.
Elizabeth faints due to the tightness of the corset — which she voices her concern over earlier in the film — and is sent falling into the sea. But there’s more about the outfit that puts her at risk other than the corset. The ridiculous amount of layers of the dress, the thick socks, and the clunky shoes all weigh her down. The moment Elizabeth is underwater, her outfit becomes heavier, and she sinks right to the bottom of the seabed. Without Jack Sparrow jumping in to save her, it’s likely Elizbeth would have drowned.
3
Mia’s Beach Outfit
The Princess Diaries (2001)
Mia Thermopolis isn’t officially listed as a Disney Princess but actually is the Princess of Genovia in The Princess Diaries. Mia’s looks are very accurate for the early 2000s, especially her outfit at the beach party. While it’s not impractical, per se, the fact she pairs a purple sweater with a barely there tie-round green skirt is a baffling fashion choice. It’s astonishing that the skirt doesn’t completely fly off when the paparazzi arrive via helicopter.
She also wears a pair of thick, foam-like, flip-flops that she has to dramatically pull off in order to run up the sandbank, away from the eyes of the journalists. The only redeeming thing about this moment is that at least Mia realizes the impracticality of her outfit, but sadly, it’s only when her privacy is invaded. Thankfully, Mia’s taste in clothing improves in the sequel, and it’s exciting to think about what looks she’ll pull as Queen of Genovia in the upcoming movie The Princess Diaries 3.
2
Jasmine’s Escape Outfit
Aladdin (1992)
Princess Jasmine’s outfit to escape the palace and dwell among the commoners in Aladdin may be practical for the temperature, but it is relatively useless as a disguise. The long, brown robes blend into her surroundings, and if she bothered to swap out anything underneath, she would likely have remained undercover. It’s irritating, seeing as her intentions are to try to stay off the royal guard’s radar.
Jasmine is one of the best Disney Princesses and her character design is iconic. She is immediately recognizable because of her statement jeweled headband and large gold earrings. However, that’s the issue, and when Jasmine pulls the scarf off her head, the guards know who she is straight away. While she only reveals herself to save Aladdin, it doesn’t work, and it’s bizarre it doesn’t occur to her that her underlying jewelry may break the illusion before this.
1
Ariel’s Makeshift Dress
The Little Mermaid (1989)
How Ariel’s makeshift dress in The Little Mermaid comes about is rather comical. When Ariel arrives at the surface, she has nothing to wear, having not realized that Ursula’s deal would cause her to transform into a human completely naked. Scuttle recommends Ariel should dress like a human, and so he takes a ship sail and rope to form a dress for her. It’s hilarious that both Ariel and Scuttle believe this is how humans dress themselves, let alone the fact that it’s not practical whatsoever.
Realistically, Eric should be deeply confused by Ariel’s attire, but he doesn’t really notice. It’s difficult for Ariel to move around in the material wrapped around her, and she even struggles to climb onto the rock when an eager Max starts jumping and barking at her. However, it’s easy to ignore the impracticality of the Disney Princess outfit because of how happy Ariel is when she first tries it on, and her wholesome excitement is simply adorable.