Margot Robbie delivered so many chic looks both in her new movie Barbie and on the red carpet promoting it. However, there’s a good chance that you missed a lot of symbolism in one of the outfits.
In a new interview, the movie’s costume designer Jacqueline Durran broke down all of the hidden meanings in the final outfit that you see Margot‘s Stereotypical Barbie wearing in the movie.
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t seen Barbie yet, you might not want to read too much further.
Read more about all of the layered meaning in Margot Robbie’s final Barbie look…
Here’s your last warning about SPOILERS!
In the movie, Margot‘s Barbie decides to leave Barbie Land behind and give being a real human a shot. The final scene sees her arriving at an appointment with her gynecologist, which director Greta Gerwig explained was deeply meaningful.
So was the yellow dress that she wore.
Speaking to Variety, Jacqueline peeled back the layers to explain everything that was coded into Margot‘s outfit.
For starters, the cut of the dress was one that drapes and “clings to the body” unlike the typical silhouette you’d see on a Barbie doll. This was to emphasize that the character had become a real human and was leaving the other garments in the past.
The color was also meaningful after all of the vivid colors we saw in Barbie Land and Margot‘s earlier, often very hot pink outfits. “We wanted a soft yellow and wanted it to have less pop,” she explained.
On the topic of the dress, you might be surprised to learn that it is loosely modeled on one of Barbie’s most popular outfits. Yes, you read that right. The most popular Barbie look in the last decade is yellow and not pink!
“I was keen to track the history of Mattel in the costumes,” she explained. “I asked them what was the most popular costume in the last 5 to 10 years. It turns out it’s a yellow dress. I was going to copy that dress, but it wouldn’t really be recognizable enough.”
Margot wears a wedge instead of the heels you will usually see the character in, too. That probably gave her more arch support after she lost the doll’s signature pointed feet. Jacqueline described her choice of heel as “something softer.”
Finally, the character’s heart-shaped necklace is also supposed to contrast with earlier heart accessories she wore: “So, earlier in the film, she has heart accessories that she wears in the block party, and she has huge heart earrings, but there’s something about that locket and scale that makes it more human.”
Did you know that many of Margot Robbie‘s red carpet looks while promoting Barbie were modeled on actual dolls?!