THE GOWNS THEY DANCED IN CHEEK-TO-CHEEK

In the days of dancing cheek to cheek, the gowns were a big part of the thrill. There was no mistaking that the big-city look of the 1930s dancing gown was to show sex appeal. Evening gowns were mostly backless, and dancing close gave the generous opportunity for hands on bare backs. The fabrics and materials of the gowns themselves were those that accented the shape of the female body - especially those created for the dancing stars of the Hollywood movies. Gowns made of glass bugle beads not only shimmered under the lights, but hugged every contour of the body. Chiffons could be see-through and given volume to swirl in a dance like the one worn by Rita Hayworth above in You Were Never Lovelier. Added sequins could provide decoration and that touch of sparkle. The gown above was designed by Irene, invariably a sign of something wonderful. The movie came out in 1942, but the gowns were a carry-over of 1930s glamour.Rita dances with Fred Astaire, who partners with all the ladies in this series.

                                                                                              

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire were the classic dance partners - the ones that danced to Irving Berlin's Cheek to Cheek in Top Hat. In this photo they dance to Smoke Gets in Your Eyes in the musical Roberta in 1935. Ginger wears a gown designed by Bernard Newman, who favored the "wet look" of black satin, which reflects beautifully the highlights of Ginger's body. This one is also decorated  at the bodice with a rhinestone fur clip.  

Bernard Newman designed several of Ginger Rogers' favorite movie dancing gowns. The one below  is made of silver lined glass bugle beads and includes a fur stole. The gown looked maginificent on Ginger in Follow the Fleet (1936), and the dance scene was one of Fred and Ginger's best. Fred wasn't thrilled with the gown though, since the wide sleeves slapped him when Ginger twirled away.  The polished floors and the Moderne style stage sets at the RKO studio help make this a truly great scene. 

                                                                                

Costume designer Walter Plunkett designed Ginger's gowns in her first two movies with Fred Astaire at RKO. He designed a basic silhouette of a tightly- fitted hip, waist, and bodice with a fuller skirt that opened out in dance. The gown below is from The Gay Divorcee (1934), their first film in which they were the stars. Plunkett also included the fringe at Ginger's shoulders with the same fabric at the skirt bottom to accentuate her movements.

Rita Hayworth again dances with Fred Astaire in a  publicity shot for You'll Never Get Rich (1941)  below. This gown was also designed by Irene. The photo was actually shot on the roof of the Columbia Studio in Hollywood back before they photoshopped these kinds of shots. This was Rita's favorite movie she starred in.

Getty Images

The beautiful gown below is also designed by Bernard Newman who dressed Ginger in some stunning gowns. It too is made of silver bugle beads sewn onto a turquoise chiffon fabric base. The weight of the bugle beads hugs the body. Bugle beads also form the belt, collar, and stripes on the skirt. Even the shoes are of turquoise color stitched in silver, though the film was shot in black and white. Wonderful.

 The first movie Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire made together was Flying Down to Rio (1933). The top billing went to Dolores Del Rio, the Mexican beauty, and Gene Raymond. Del Rio dances with Fred below in a gown designed by Irene.

These gowns are beautiful and wonderful to look at on film. They not only enhance the beauty of the star but are an important part of the dance scene itself. The costume designers fulfilled dual roles in creating these pieces for film - beautiful gowns designed for a particular star to wear in a particular scene that climaxed in a dance. While the look today for dancers in  shows like Dancing With the Stars is  beautiful and the outfits even more revealing, they are much more of a costume, much less of a dress or a gown. Although the movie "costume designers" usually bore that title, they designed the wardrobe for actors to wear in all types of scenes and settings. Some preferred the film credit "Gowns designed by" or "Wardrobe designed by." Regardless, over the years they have designed stylish, sometimes fashion-setting, and even iconic looks of beauty and glamour.