Five Outfits to Build in Dress Up the Lovely Princess (and Why They Work)

The ballroom classic

Ivory or pale gold gown, hair up, a small tiara and long gloves if the wardrobe has them. The backdrop is the palace hall. It works because every piece is the same temperature — warm, pale, formal — and the tiara is the only thing that shines.

The garden party

A pastel dress with a shorter hem, hair down with a flower, flat shoes, the garden backdrop. Skip the jewellery entirely; a garden look is about colour, not sparkle.

The winter princess

Deep blue or silver gown, a cloak or fur trim if available, hair in a braid, the snow backdrop. Add one piece of white jewellery. Cool colours throughout, so the warm tone of her skin is the only warm thing on screen.

The coronation

Red or purple, the biggest crown in the tray, hair up, the throne-room backdrop. This is the one look where more is more — but keep the shoes plain so the eye goes upward.

The modern twist

Pick a gown in an unexpected colour — black, emerald, hot pink — and pair it with the simplest hair and no crown. The backdrop should be plain. It is the outfit that looks best in a screenshot.

The one rule

Choose one thing to be noticed. A big crown, a bold colour or elaborate hair — never all three. Everything else on the princess should be quieter than that one thing.