Grace Kelly Style in The Swan - 12 Dazzling Princess Outfits
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Grace Kelly in The Swan wears a selection of stunning dresses for her role as an on-screen Princess.
We documented all of her stunning outfits that she wore in the movie.
Keep in mind that the movie was set in 1910, so lots of long dresses and no pants…she even fences in a full-length skirt!
Even though the movie is set is in the early 1900’s, elements of Grace Kelly’s trademark 1950s fashion come through with feminine gowns and styles that accent the waist.
This post is all about Grace Kelly The Swan and her Dazzling Fashion
The swan movie
The Swan movie is about a shy Princess Alexandra (Grace Kelly) who’s mother (Jessie Royce Landis) is determined to have her marry the crown Prince Albert (Alec Guinnes).
When Prince Albert comes for a visit to see Alexandra, not everything goes as planned, things are awkward between the two to start, and then Alexandra begins to develop feelings for the family tutor Nicholas (Louis Jourdan) instead of the Prince.
Will Alexandra take the crown or follow her heart?
Grace Kelly’s Style in The Swan
In the movie, Grace Kelly’s character Alexandra is compared to a white swan…thus the name of the movie.
The Swan is a graceful bird on the water, but awkward once it gets out…Grace Kelly’s character Alexandra is beautiful, but awkward and shy in certain situations.
To emphasize the similarities between her character and the white bird, her character’s wardrobe is dominated by white with a few pale pastel colors thrown in, mostly for accents.
The costume designer for The Swan was Helen Rose.
Helen Rose seemed to be a favorite designer of Grace Kelly’s as she worked with her in other movies, including Green Fire as well as Grace Kelly’s final movie High Society.
Helen Rose also designed Grace Kelly’s wedding dress, when she married Prince Ranier and became a Princess in real life.
Other posts you might like:
Grace Kelly Style | Her Stunning 1950s Fashion in Green Fire
Grace Kelly High Society - Her Insanely Feminine 1950s Fashion
Grace Kelly Style while filming The Swan
Not all the good fashion from The Swan comes from it’s costumes.
During the filming of the movie, Grace Kelly shows us her classy 1950s fashion.
Below is a photo of Grace Kelly during the filming of The Swan.
This look is quite different from her on-screen character who strictly wears long turn-of-the-century gowns.
This outfit is more aligned to Grace Kelly’s usual 1950s fashion…a full 1950s style skirt, with a blouse tucked in. Simple ballet flats complete the look.
Another one of Grace Kelly’s outfits during the filming of The Swan is simple and classic.
Here she is even wearing pants (her character didn’t get to wear any pants in the movie) and is wearing them in her usual way: high-waisted, with a belt accenting the waist.
Here she has paired her slacks with a black cardigan and a black pair of flats for a classy 1950s style casual outfit.
Grace Kelly The Swan Dress - Outfit #1
The first of Grace Kelly’s character’s Alexandra’s white outfits, is this simple white dress with a pistachio green belt accenting the waist.
Her mother, Beatrix, is so excited that the crown Prince Albert is about to pay the family a visit, doesn’t even wait to get dressed, but runs around in her nightgown to spread the news that the Prince is coming.
Rumor has it that he’s looking for a Princess to marry and after visiting the various other cousins is now down to Alexandra.
Beatrix catches Alexandra and tells her the good news.
Alexandra seems a bit overwhelmed, but also excited at the prospect of meeting Prince Albert.
In case you recognize the mother (Jessie Royce Landis) she also played Grace Kelly’s mother in To Catch a Thief!
Other posts you might like:
To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly - 10 Elegant Outfits You’ll Love
Grace Kelly Style in The Swan - Outfit #2
Alexandra has a daily fencing lesson with the family tutor Nicholas who seems to tutor every subject ranging from history, to fencing, to astronomy.
His normal pupils are Alexandra’s two younger brothers, but it seems that for fencing, Alexandra is his only pupil.
For her fencing lesson Grace Kelly’s character Alexandra wears a padded white fitted shirt combined with a full length black skirt!
Not quite what you’d imagine working out in today, but this is supposed to be 1905 after all, and women weren’t yet wearing pants.
Below, Grace Kelly practicing fending, in quite a different (and more practical) fencing outfit than what she wore in her role as a princess.
She wears a pair of high-waisted shorts with a polo shirt tucked in at the waist and what looks like a pair of loafers to practice fencing.
Notice how even Grace Kelly’s real-life workout clothes accented the waist.
Grace Kelly The Swan Dress - Outfit #3
Grace Kelly’s character Alexandra wears a long white gown to look at the stars through a telescope with the tutor.
Her Uncle Carl, who had been summoned to the house on the news of Prince Albert’s arrival, is now a monk.
As Nicholas points out the different stars to Alexandra, Carl seems to be a bit suspicious that Nicholas might have feelings for her.
A suspicion that turns out to be correct…
Grace Kelly Style in The Swan - Outfit #4
Grace Kelly’s character Alexandra wears a white nightgown with a blue ribbon detail around the neck and what looks to be a blue ribbon tied in her hair as she excitedly watches Prince Albert’s late arrival from her bedroom window.
Grace Kelly The Swan Dress - Outfit #5
To meet the Prince, Grace Kelly’s character finally wears something that is not white, but rather a pastel-colored purple dress.
She wears a matching purple ribbon in her hair as well.
Alexandra and Prince Albert don’t exactly hit it off. They’re both quite awkward towards each other to the frustration of Beatrix.
Grace Kelly The Swan Dress - Outfit #6
Everyday Beatrix tries to connive of ways to keep Prince Albert and Alexandra together, and everyday something seems to happen.
Alexandra is shy and Albert seems to like to hang out more with her younger brothers and the tutor Nicholas rather than Alexandra.
During one of their awkward encounters, Grace Kelly’s character wears a full length white gown with a square neckline, with a blue ribbon accenting the waist.
Grace Kelly Style in The Swan - Outfit #7
Another day, another white dress, and more awkward encounters with Prince Albert for Grace Kelly’s character Alexandra.
This white dress has slightly sheer shoulders and a simple pink ribbon accenting the neck. She also matched the pink ribbon with a ribbon in her hair.
Grace Kelly Style in The Swan - Outfit #8
With only a few days left of Prince Albert’s visit, Beatrix begins to get desperate.
She devises a new plan to make him jealous, and gets Alexandra out of bed in order to tell her.
Noticing how much time Albert has been spending with the boys and Nicholas, Beatrix wants Alexandra to ask Nicholas to the upcoming ball to try to make him jealous.
Alexandra is hesitant and doesn’t like the idea as she believes it will make Nicholas think that she has feelings for him.
Grace Kelly’s character is wearing a white nightgown and pulls on a sheer pastel floral wrap on top to talk about the plan with her mother.
Grace Kelly Style in The Swan - Outfit #9
Grace Kelly’s character Alexandra wears a pale blue dress with sheer white sleeves to ask the tutor Nicholas to the ball.
He’s very flattered (of course) and agrees to come.
Grace Kelly The Swan Dress - Outfit #10
…and now for Grace Kelly’s fairy-tale like Princess outfit.
Grace Kelly’s character Alexandra wears a gorgeous white dress with sheer sleeves and intricate beading detailing to the ball.
She accented the dress with a simple single strand of pearls and small pearl earrings.
After seeing this dress, it’s no wonder she had Helen Rose design her real-life wedding gown!
At the ball, Grace Kelly’s character dances with Nicholas in order to try to make Prince Albert jealous.
Flustered when she sees Prince Albert playing with the band instead of paying attention to her, she and Nicholas flee from the ball and go for a drive.
Nicholas tells her how much he loves her and Alexandra sadly confesses the whole plan…how she asked him to the ball in order to make Prince Albert jealous.
Meanwhile, the plan to make Prince Albert begins to work and he does start to get jealous of Alexandra and Nicholas.
There is a dramatic scene after the ball where Nicholas and Alexandra both drink too much…Nicholas gets mad at Prince Albert and then Alexandra kisses Nicholas, sending Beatrix flustered to her bed.
Alexandra then thinks that she’s fallen in love with Nicholas.
Grace Kelly Style in The Swan - Outfit #11
The morning after the ball, Grace Kelly’s character Alexandra wears a silk pale blue negligee.
She lay awake most of the night thinking about Nicholas.
Her nightgown is almost as fancy as her dresses, with semi-sheer lace detailing through the pale blue silk.
Grace Kelly Style in The Swan - Outfit #12
For her final outfit in the movie, Grace Kelly’s character Alexandra wears another white dress.
Again, it’s a white dress that emphasizes the waist and has some sheer lace detailing at the neckline.
Grace Kelly the Swan movie ending
Grace Kelly’s character Alexandra decides that she wants to run away with the tutor Nicholas. She packs her bag and tries to leave with him.
However, Nicholas has sobered up and has decided that it wouldn’t be good for the Princess to leave everything she has and be with him.
He leaves without Alexandra.
As Alexandra sadly watches Nicholas leave, Prince Albert finally reveals his true feelings for her.
Apparently Beatrix’s plot to make Prince Albert jealous worked after all!
This post was all about Grace Kelly’s Style in The Swan
What did you think of Grace Kelly’s style in The Swan?
Do you think the turn-of-the-century styles she wore resembled her 1950s style?
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