Costumes and Looks from Frozen 2

The movie we were all waiting has finally arrived! Frozen 2 has taken the world by storm – literally! If you thought the first one was good, part two took us on a crazy adventure none of us had expected. A tight storyline and catchy songs that resonate with millions are just two of the reasons the film has caught everyone’s attention across the world. As the season gets colder and the fur coats come out, Frozen has warmed everyone’s hearts.

While Elsa and Anna’s adventures have gotten everyone hooked, their clothing too has received a lot of attention. The famous sister’s dresses have been a common theme for Halloween enthusiasts and aspiring princesses alike. The detail and effort that have gone into designing their dresses in both the movies is evident – they are costumes everyone vouches by.

As the year comes to a close, we are going to take a close look at the costumes worn by the royalty of Arendelle. As they take yet another perilous journey across the land, their clothing needs to keep up. And that’s good news for us costume-lovers – more variety to pick from! So let’s get started.

Elsa

She is the Queen, the inextinguishable half of an epic: it is only fitting that her clothes revel in royalty. The designers have been careful to allow her clothes to exude royalty, but without overshadowing Elsa herself. The balance between the two is crucial. There is, after all, a very thin line between calm and poised confidence and obsessive narcissism. The last thing the viewers want is a queen insecure about her look or her place as queen.

Fortunately, they got the dress just right – Elsa looks mature, and comfortable in her skin. Her clothing does not restrict her; her stature as queen, far from stopping her from getting her hands dirty for the sake of her kingdom, enables her to do just that. She is a powerful figure, and her clothes help communicate just that.

The Travel Dress

Royalty must look, well, royal. And the designers of the movie have been very careful in picking the right designs for Queen Elsa. Her exalted position is communicated in a dual manner – to show her position as well as her readiness to fight (as evidenced by the military style epaulets). The dress is adorned with snowflakes, putting the small white dots in fierce contrast with the pale blue dress that serves as the background. A flowing cape that splits into two towards the back completes the set.

Since the fall wind was a big part of the movie, the designers wanted something that would respond to the environment. The split cape looks like wings on-screen, giving it a playful look as Elsa travels across the windy lands towards her goal.

The Illusion Neckline

The designers obviously love illusion necklines – you can see a strapless look that involves sheer fabric on Elsa for the better part of the movie. The one she wears is fairly straight and cuts across her clavicle. The layers of sequins and other beaded materials cascade down to create a seamless gradient up her body.

For a magical figure like Elsa, such a magical look is fitting. She makes her own clothes out of ice, so the illusion neckline is sophisticated and unique to her. We may have been a bit too late to make it to Halloween with this gorgeous look this year, but 2020 better watch out!

The Ice Boots

This is an important bit – for a movie that revolves around ice and cold, released in the coldest time of the year, the ice boots, arguably more than any other part of the costume design, have to be SPOT ON. Elsa’s raised hemline and travels across various terrains made ice boots an obvious choice for the designers, who have successfully provided the Queen with comfort and audiences with an awe-inspiring design.

In classic Elsa fashion, known for conjuring enchanting dresses out of thin ice, the boots are embossed with shimmering snowflake patterns from top to toe. For someone as royal and regal as Elsa, the design is more than fitting.

The heel of the boot itself is made of solid ice (a similarity to the first film), but the rest of the boots bend and move like suede would. It certainly gives her a look of assured strength, knowing that no matter how hard things get, she can rise to challenge. The key challenge, that of figuring whether you yourself would wear something similar, is what the designers have pondered upon, before creating the designs. And you can bet that just about all of us are dying to try on those snowflake-covered designer boots!

Anna

Queen Elsa’s younger sister has gone from being immature and impulsive to a watchful, mature character. She is taking strides in filling her sister’s shoes, while also being a support and companion as the two navigate life and circumstance together. Anna’s dressing choices reflect this change in personality – it reflects her growth and her ability to change with the times.

Without taking attention away from Elsa, or Anna herself, the costume gives her a quiet, earthly feel that is simultaneously both grounded and royal. Her dress gives her character a context – a definite role to play in the movie. It leaves little space for ambiguity, while at the same time giving the viewers a plethora of information about Anna herself. It would be safe to say the designers have truly outdone themselves.

The Travel Dress

She is a fairy tale character. It is only fitting that she has a classic fairy-tale silhouette: A-shaped, with a bell shaped skirt. Drawing heavily from a Norwegian folk costume called the bunad, Anna’s dress gives her a look of assurance and youthfulness. The decorative emobroidery and tiny loops of the cuffs and the delicate button patterns running up the back show that the designers have put in some serious effort in getting the dress just right. The tiny crocuses (the official symbol of Arendelle) on the bottons in the front, and the miniature stalks of wheat along the helm of the dress complete the look. It is a great boon of the age of computers that such animated detail can be faithfully recreated on screen – all the better for us to get geared as we buy our own Anna costumes!

The Travel Cloak

The second part of the Frozen series gets colder, and a cloak is just the accessory required to battle the harsh winds. We see Anna travel wearing a cloak of rich purple wool, clasped at the collar with a gold chain of interlocking wheat-patterned links. The amount of importance every aspect of the design was given is evident in the designing process. Take, for instance, their decision to make the hem of the cloak scalloped. It gave Anna a youthful look, but squaring off the hem made her look more mature. Ultimately, a saw-tooth edge was added to the fabric to give it an elegant look. Finally, to prevent the outfit from becoming too sombre (the sisters have matured, but the spark is still alive!), the silk lining was a brilliant magenta, giving out a pop of color every time Anna moves.

The Satchel

Now that the sisters are travelling difficult terrain, including woods and water, some form of a carry-bag is essential. Hopefully, something durable. The experienced design team came up with something durable and functional, but also stylish, in a way that matches Anna’s dressing sensibilities. The satchel, like much of Anna’s costume, has been inspired from Norwegian folk culture. The bag itself is made of small, interwoven strips of birch bark. The pattern is similar to what the audience sees on Kristoff’s sash (Anna’s love interest). While Elsa exudes a powerful and other-worldly vibe, Anna is much more earthy and grounded. The satchel, in this case, is a perfect fit.

So there you have it! Disney’s blockbuster hit was made of several parts, costumes making a big part of it. Queen Elsa and Anna risk their lives on this latest adventure, but only in style!  We wish the pair the best of luck with their future endeavours (hoping Arendelle undergoes another threat just so we can see them onscreen with their latest look yet again!). The times are getting colder, but with movies like Frozen 2, the warmth in our hearts is constant.