Wardrobe | 'Dirty Dancing' Style

Twenty-five years ago, “Dirty Dancing,” one of the most iconic dance movies of the latter part of the 20th century, hit the big screen. It launched or rekindled acting careers, helped revive the shag dancing fad and is still well loved by people of all ages – male and female.

Photos: Dirty Dancing turns 25

It’s an impeccable example of Mid-century everyday fashion, flaunted through a myriad of dance numbers. What else could you ask for?

The lead character, Frances "Baby" Houseman, played by Jennifer Grey, may not seem the quintessential fashion icon, but her wardrobe in “Dirty Dancing” is perfectly simple and not overly quaint, sexy yet subtle.

The slight clothing changes Baby’s wardrobe goes through in the film are good markers for her personal growth. At first an awkward teen ready for college, she then begins to blossom and her character’s attire blossoms along with her.

The looks are both comfortable and sexy, easy, fabulous looks you can recreate, too.

Baby, Part 1:

Try getting the easy-going, laid-back look with three easy pieces. White canvas shoes, faded jean shorts and a simple striped or plain boat neck tee.

Her make-up is simple to non-existent, a fresh-washed look. Use just a little mascara, a light blush and a simple gloss for your lips.

It’s a pretty simple look to throw together, innocent, uninhibited and comfortable. You can accessorize with a straw hat, or switch out sandals to dress it up a bit, and even throw on some gold or silver for a bit of refinement.

Nobody puts Baby in a corner:

By the end of the film, Baby’s had to open her eyes to what life is like outside of her sheltered upbringings.

She’s taken on the challenge to help out Penny by learning her dances, and Baby’s wardrobe moves into a leaner look, tight tanks with a ballet-style.

Try some chiffon skirts with a black or neutral tone tee and a light, airy button-up shrugged over the shoulders.

Dance-style Mary Janes make the outfit complete, and in cooler weather, you can add some fun leg warmers.

For Baby’s big dance, try a flouncy skirt you can twirl around. A V-neck fit looks great on those with a more ample chest.

Pump up the makeup, with a dark liner, soft eye color, like mauves and browns and a shimmery lip color. For true “Dirty Dancing” style, add a strappy pair of gold heels and you are ready to hit the dance floor or cocktail hour, it’s not mutually exclusive.

Key ingredients:

The key to getting a great look without ending up a trite, overdone fashion statement is to take note in the color scheme of Baby’s wardrobe. Full of neutral tones, whites and light colors, there is a perfect mixture if innocence and trust with a smattering of daring and adventure.

The combination makes not only a great look, but can become an essential element of your style.

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Twinkle VanWinkle ponders, creates and discovers cool stuff about music, movies, food, fashion and so forth. Her thoughtful writings and interactives give great advice about healthy food, cooking tips, DIY projects, fashion and more. She’ll teach you a thing or two about music as well. Along with producing dynamic entertainment content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.

 

Have fun styling with this week's 'Dirty Dancing' Paperdolls!

 

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