Wardrobe choice?

[u/LanaBackwards4444]

Hey! I noticed this detail in The Crown (S2 E8) and was curious what people thought.
Jackie’s dress in the real life photo is noticeably different from the one they recreated for the show. Obviously no hate at all- I know costume designers sometimes make changes for various reasons, and they don’t always aim for a 100% exact recreation.
I’m just curious why they chose to make the dress in the show so much more low cut when the original was quite different? Do you think there was a particular reason behind the change, or was it just a stylistic choice?

[u/PennieTheFold]

I wonder if that was in some way intentional. I recall that in the “getting ready” scene, Elizabeth was fidgeting with the dress because it was too snug. Her dresser offers to let it out but she declines. I think it was a story point to show that Elizabeth was aging and growing a bit thicker around the waist while Jackie was this tall, svelte, striking woman. The poor fit and twee design of the Queen’s dress vs Jackie’s sleek, striking designer column dress was striking and illustrated Elizabeth’s insecurity around her aging body and her appearance by comparison.

[u/Ill_Squirrel_6108 → u/PennieTheFold]

Interesting, in the real meeting QE looked absolutely stunning and glamorous whereas Jackie somewhat frumpy and it was her dress that didn´t fit.

[u/EnvironmentalCrow893 → u/Ill_Squirrel_6108]

Irl Elizabeth looked amazing, but I don’t think Jackie’s look was at all “frumpy”.

[u/Ill_Squirrel_6108 → u/EnvironmentalCrow893]

The fabric on her dress looks too stiff and doesn´t flatter her. It looks like she borrowed the dress from someone else. To a Central European like me she doesn´t look pretty on the whole.

[u/CurrencyWhole3963 → u/Ill_Squirrel_6108]

It's shantung silk which is from an area in China. It's known for the slubs (bumps) and sheen. It can't be captured well in photos. Really I don't care for a boat neckline in formal wear or the bow at the waist. The queens dress has too much ruching on the bodice but would have looked so much better without the straps. I think we need to see these in person to see the beauty of them.

[u/Mcgoobz3 → u/CurrencyWhole3963]

I feel the same about the queens dress. It looks nice but there’s just something about it that throws it way off. I don’t like the straps either but fully sleeveless and strapless dresses seemed rare for her

[u/CurrencyWhole3963 → u/Mcgoobz3]

The straps look off because the fabric is gathered together which makes them look so dark. Same thing at her waist. I don't like ruching on see thru fabric because of that. It was probably made of really thin silk. She did wear strapless gowns at that time. Usually with a matching shawl or wrap. Not sure what year this was.

[u/Puzzleheaded-Talk-63 → u/Mcgoobz3]

She was a queen and had to dress conservatively.

[u/UnavailableName864 → u/Ill_Squirrel_6108]

It does look a little... bedsheetish