I Wore the Belle Dress for a Day in New York

May 2024 · 5 minute read

Disney princess aspiration was never really my thing, but I felt justified in loving Belle. The Beauty and the Beast heroine―with her bookishness, independence, and general disinterest in appearances―was different. I grew up watching and re-watching the VHS tape of Beauty and the Beast and used to reenact the scenes with my stuffed animals. The live-action version of the musical was the first Broadway show I saw when I was five–sparking a lifelong love for musical theater.

So, when news of a live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast came out, I was, um, ECSTATIC. I kept close tabs on every detail about the film–casting, music, trailers. The thing I was most curious about, however, was the yellow ball gown. The off-the-shoulder neckline! The bright yellow! The gigantic tiered skirt! The opera gloves! It's iconic, truly. And I was additionally invested: I'd had my very own Belle gown made for my Broadway-themed 18th birthday, when I wore it for a waltz along with an 18-person crew of friends.

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Disney

Because this gown is not exactly casual, I never wore it again. It has been sitting in my closet waiting for...well, there aren't many occasions to revive such an unsubtle sartorial homage. Unless this was the perfect moment? I wasn't the only one experienced a resurgence of affection for the film upon its live-action revival; why not indulge all that goodwill by taking it to the streets?

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Kathryn Wirsing

My day started where it usually does: the gym. I had to use both arms to hoist the skirt up on to the treadmills, where I promptly assumed a pace of about two miles per hour. Then I attempted doing sit-ups on an exercise ball and fell flat on my ass. "Is this what fitness gear looks like now?" a baffled man running on the treadmill next to me asked aloud.

"Are you already out of breath?" one of the gym staffers asked me. The truth is, the dress is corseted, so even just standing there felt like a core workout. Is this why waist-trainers are a thing?

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Kathryn Wirsing

My coworkers knew that I'd be showing up to work wearing a Belle gown and were generally unfazed. "It's just another day at Hearst tower," I overheard a woman say at the elevator. Another colleague passed by me in the hallway and whispered, "I don't know what's happening but I LOVE IT." I found myself maneuvering around the office in a more self-conscious way, yet, in that awkwardness, found myself being way more talkative than usual.

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Kathryn Wirsing

I was eyeballed by a famous editor in chief on my way out of the building, which didn't exactly increase my confidence about taking my costume to the streets. But once outside, most people just gave long once-overs. A few pulled out their phone for a photo. To my surprise, I found myself greeting total strangers with uncharacteristic friendliness.

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Kathryn Wirsing

Nothing really surprises New Yorkers–and that doesn't really surprise me.

I walked from my office building to Central Park to reenact one of my favorite scenes–Belle reading a book by the fountain. Aside from a few more stares, people mostly ignored me. Nothing really surprises New Yorkers–and that doesn't really surprise me. Although, I did hear "Congratulations!" on more than a few occasions, and one guy asked me and my photographer if he could give us a carriage ride to the courthouse. To get married, I think? Strangely enough, multiple people throughout the day thought it was a wedding dress.

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Kathryn Wirsing

I grabbed a coffee at the local Starbucks and told them to put "Belle" on the cup. The barista didn't even blink. A very handsome man complimented my outfit, and when I asked if he recognized it, said, "Of course!" In regular-person clothes, I never would have said a word, but in my daffodil-yellow dress, I was ready for any Prince Charming who might appear.

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Kathryn Wirsing

I had some difficulty fitting my dress through the subway turnstyle, and I took up about three seats when I was finally settled. An elderly woman started conspicuously taking photos of me. "Thank you!" she said, "It's not everyday you see this on the subway. I'm sending it to my friends in Seattle! New York is so different!"

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Kathryn Wirsing

Next stop: Times Square. After rather tepid reactions elsewhere, I was positive I'd impress the tourists. While most little kids were (disappointingly) unmoved, one woman walked up to me asking me what country I was from. "Your dress looks like the traditional outfit from Kazakhstan, my country!" she shared excitedly. When I told her I was actually dressed as a Disney princess–she didn't recognize the reference.

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Kathryn Wirsing

"HEY I KNOW YOU! YOU'RE THE BEAUTY FROM BEAUTY AND THE BEAST!" another Times Square dweller hollered at me a few moments later. Another guy asked to congratulate―the wedding thing, again. Someone "proposed" to me. One man, weirdly, gifted both me and my photographer two lollipops. (We threw them out.)

Meanwhile, two police officers assumed it was my birthday. I told one of them I was wearing it "just because." "Go 'head girl! Have fun," she replied.

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Kathryn Wirsing

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Kathryn Wirsing

My happiest moment of the day, was when I ran into a little 4-year-old girl named Reese in the subway. I was walking down the stairs as she and her father were walking up and she was immediately enamored. "I like your dress," she shyly told me, touching the organza skirt. "She's a little scared of tunnels," her dad told me, "But see, Reese? You never know, you might just run into a princess."

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Kathryn Wirsing

If I started the day with something like unease, I ended it with something like euphoria. Everyone I met seemed a little bit happier after encountering this sunshiny explosion of a dress. I had people laughing. I had people smiling. I waved at strangers on a tour bus as they barreled through Times Square. I greeted strangers I'd ignore on a regular day. At the end of the day, the dress went back in my closet. But, my attitude had shifted just a bit—as the Beauty and the Beast song goes, "there may be something there that wasn't there before." You're really never too old to play dress-up it seems.

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Kathryn Wirsing

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