To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly - 10 Elegant Outfits You’ll Love

February 5, 2024 Classic Critic

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All of Grace Kelly’s 1950s fashion in the classic Hitchcock film To Catch A Thief

This post is all about To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly and her elegant 1950s fashion

In her third and final collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock, Grace Kelly provides us with a treasure trove of fashion inspiration in To Catch a Thief.

The fashion designer for this film was again Edith Head, possibly one of the most famous fashion designers from the old Hollywood era, she collaborated with Hitchcock on a number of films and had dressed Grace Kelly in Rear Window.

The clothes she designed for Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief give us a glimpse of 1950s fashion that suits Grace Kelly’s character as the wealthy heiress Frances Stevens.

To Catch a Thief Synopsis

Cary Grant plays John Robie, a reformed jewel thief known for his cat-like abilities to climb onto roofs in order to steal expensive jewels.

When a new string of jewel robberies point to him, he sets out to find the real culprit in order to prove his innocence.

Grace Kelly plays the wealthy Frances Stevens, an American oil heiress that falls in love with John Robie.

Grace Kelly Fashion in To Catch a Thief

Top costume designer Edith Head created Grace Kelly’s wardrobe to reflect her character Frances Stevens status and wealth.

After Rear Window, To Catch a Thief was the second time Edith Head worked with Grace Kelly on a Hitchcock film.

According to Edith Head The Fifty Year Career of Hollywood’s Greatest Costume Designer, Hitchcock wanted fashion to be front and center as the film was shot in France, and the plot centered jewels and high society.

Hitchcock wanted to portray Grace Kelly’s character as an ice princess, hence the ice blue evening gown, when Grace Kelly’s character first meets Cary Grant.

Grace Kelly was allowed more leeway in choosing her outfit, and worked closely with Edith Head on the outfits which were then reviewed with Hitchcock.

Grace Kelly was Edith Head’s favorite actress to work with, and the two became close friends.

To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly Swimsuit

Grace Kelly’s character Frances Stevens wears a retro swimsuit at the beach.

She’s wearing a yellow halter top one-piece swimsuit, with matching yellow horn-rimmed glasses and a classic 1950’s-style swimming cap.

She makes a point of noticing Cary Grant’s character as he steps out of the water and onto the beach, lying down in sand without a towel…although who wouldn’t notice Cary Grant at the beach?

To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly Blue Dress

Frances is with her mother the night they meet John Robie, and she is wearing the icy blue evening gown with spaghetti straps and a shawl that she drapes over one shoulder.

Here Hitchcock wanted Edith Head to play up Grace Kelly as an ice princess, and he succeeds, with Grace Kelly’s character acting distant the entire night until she kisses Cary Grant’s character good night.

To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly Dress

The morning after meeting him, Grace Kelly’s character Frances invites John Robie (Cary Grant) to go swimming.

When he arrives at the hotel room to pick her up she is wearing a yellow 1950’s style floral dress with a fitted waist and a white belt.

To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly Swim Coverup

Of course the plan is to go swimming, so she has to change into something more beach appropriate.

She comes down to the hotel lobby wearing a swim coverup that looks like dress.

To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly Swimsuit

Now we finally get to the swimsuit, two outfits later.

Unfortunately we don’t get a good glimpse of her swimsuit. We can only see from the shoulders up as she’s swimming, but from what we can see, it looks like it’s a retro black one piece, halter style swimsuit.

To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly Pink Dress

Grace Kelly’s character Frances wears a pink 1950s style dress accessorized with white gloves and pink scarf to take John Robie (Cary Grant) to allegedly search for villa.

Grace Kelly wanted to wear a dress for this scene, when she makes a play for Cary Grant while they are eating lunch.

We love the feminine pink dress that Edith Head chose for her, it’s very close to Grace Kelly’s style off screen.

By this time Frances has figured out that he is John Robie ‘the cat’ and plays a little ‘cat and mouse’ game of her own.

To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly White Dress

Frances (Grace Kelly) outdoes herself in a strapless white evening gown when she tries to corner John Robie into a confession.

The dress nicely shows off the necklace, which is supposed to tempt John Robie into revealing himself as the burglar.
The ploy doesn’t work though, as Robie recognizes the necklace as a fake.

That night the real thief strikes and robs her mother’s jewels, causing Frances to become more suspicious of John Robie.

To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly Dress

Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly) wears a simple 1950s style dress as she reads about the burglar being killed in the papers the next morning.

The white dress has yellow piping and is accessorized with a yellow belt, accenting the waist.

Frances feels remorseful for how she accused John Robie of being the burglar when it appears that the true burglar has now been caught.

To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly White Sweater

Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly) wears a white cardigan-like sweater over what appears to be a black turtleneck when she apologizes to John Robie about suspecting him.

He accepts her apology, but wants an invitation to the glamorous costume ball that she will be attending with her mother.

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To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly Gold Dress

In her final dress of the movie, Frances (Grace Kelly) wear an elaborate gold dress to the period costume party.

Edith Head specifically designed all the dresses at the ball to highlight the jewels which were the bait for the real burglar.

John (Cary Grant) is correct in his suspicions that all the jewels at the party would be too much for the burglar to resist, and in a grand finale, catches the real thief and clears his name.

This post was all about To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly

What did you think of Grace Kelly’s fashion in To Catch a Thief?

Which outfit did you like the best?