11 of the Most Beautiful On-Screen Nightgowns
Shifts, chemises, and nightgowns… whatever they are called, these dresses are beautiful. I rank these character costumes from simple to impossibly romantic.
Elle Fanning as Catherine in The Great. This is one of the simplest dress in my list but it really looks comfortable, and that sash adds some elegance.
Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma in Emma. Just as simple as the first one, a bit shorter and a wider neckline.
Simone Ashley as Kate in Bridgerton. For being so simple at first glance, it really has a lot of great details up close! The empire waist adds to the young charm.
Keira Knightly as Elizabeth Swan in Pirates of the Caribbean. I couldn’t find a good picture of this one without the robe but both show her English refinement. The ruched neckline is darling.
Catherine Zeta-Jones as Elena in The Mask of Zorro. The corset on top of this shift gives it great shape. Elena sword fighting in this seems very Innocent-turned-Hero.
Lily Rose-Depp as Ellen Hutter in Nosferatu. I love everything about this one - long, simple and flowy, yet ruched in the right direction places. Those sleeve ruffles would be my equivalent of long sleeves with thumb holes. (iykyk)
Kate Siegel as Viola in The Haunting of Bly Manor. This nightgown seems somehow more modern even though it’s meant to be historical, maybe from the zipper in the middle and the v-neck. I’d still wear it.
Victoria Pedretti as Nell Crain in The Haunting of Hill House. This is stunning with a gauzy robe over it, and a darling bow and ruffles on the front.
Kate Winslet as Rose in Titanic. Beautiful and intricate beading very reminiscent of the art deco, 1920s vintage style.
Mia Wasikowska as Edith in Crimson Peak. Definitely more on the fantasy side of costume design, this high neckline and voluminous sleeves take inspiration from historical dress but add more gothic flair and drama to the visuals.
Emmy Rossum as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera. Everything about this is stunning! This is definitely underclothes rather than a nightgown she sleeps in, but it reflects the intimacy and dreamlike state of her first meeting the Phantom in a beautifully dramatic way.
These may not all be “nightgowns” exactly - some are more like underclothes. Though I’m interested in fashion like this I don’t know historically accurate terms! Still, this type of dress is symbolically seductive, dreamlike, and brings to mind a transition from reality to imagination or fantasy. In many stories including movies and TV, nightgowns typically symbolize more than sleepwear. They convey elegance of the historical period, innocence and vulnerability, and a dreamlike reality.
I like to draw characters with dresses similar to this often! It’s hopelessly romantic and feminine, and I love to embrace that sense.