Cosplayers have been dressing up as Disney princesses for years, and it’s nothing new that some create historical looks for the characters based on the time periods their movies seem to take place. Some make Belle appear as if she was actually from 1770’s France, or Cinderella in the late 1880’s Germany. But there has been a recent trend within Youtube’s historical costuming community to create historically accurate Disney princess cosplays based on their favorite time periods for fashion.
Historical costumers on YouTube have joined in on the fun by making videos of their crafting progress for each of their costumes. YouTuber Karolina Żebrowska (known to many as the “meme mom”) made her video based on Snow White in the 1530’s. She took multiple portraits from the time period and researched historical garments from the time period to create an absolutely stunning and “historically accurate” Snow White gown.
Angela Clayton also went with an early time period for her Rapunzel gown. She created Rapunzel with a historically inspired look from the renaissance period, while also taking modern elements such as sequins to add to the dress.
Historian Nicole Rudolph, known for her incredible hand sewing skills and knowledge on fashion ranging from the 18th to early 20th century, crafted a beautiful Maleficent gown based on the 14th and 15th centuries. She made a kirtle for the base, followed by a houppelande that goes over the kirtle, and finally a hennin for the headwear. You can check out both videos on her channel, where she breaks it into two parts for both the headwear and the gown itself.
Some YouTubers went to later time periods such as the early to late 19th century. Enchanted Rose Costumes crafted her historically accurate Belle gown based on the Romantic Period of the 1820s and 30s. Costuming Drama created a Merida bustle dress based on the 1880s using incredible plaid fabric. The historical costumer known as Sewstine also made an Anna gown from Frozen by turning it into an 1890s Worth Ball gown, which blends perfectly with the look from the movie and the time period she chose to recreate.
Other historical costumers are also still working on their historically accurate Disney looks as we speak. YouTuber and historian Bernadette Banner is currently working on a Mary Poppins gown based on actual Edwardian Lingerie gowns. Abby Cox is also making a historically accurate Disney look of Lady from Lady and the Tramp using actual photographs from the 1890s. So far she has completed the skirt, which includes the best bum pocket anyone can ask for (and yes, it can hold an entire bottle of wine).
More and more costumers are creating Disney-inspired historical dresses, and we cannot wait to see more revealed as they complete their projects. Who knows what Disney character they will make next!
