5 Shocking Ways Rachel Zegler's Snow White Costume Reimagines The Iconic Disney Gown

The highly anticipated Disney live-action remake of Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler, is set for release on March 21, 2025, and no single element has sparked more intense debate than the titular character’s iconic dress. For nearly a century, the original 1937 animated film’s costume—a blue bodice with puffed sleeves and a full yellow skirt—has been a global symbol of fairytale innocence. However, based on the latest official details and behind-the-scenes glimpses available in December 2025, the reimagined gown is a dramatic, high-fashion evolution rooted in historical accuracy, thanks to three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell.

This fresh, updated look is a deliberate move to modernize the princess for a new generation while honoring the classic color palette. The transformation goes far beyond simple fabric upgrades, introducing significant design shifts that reflect the film's contemporary themes, which have been championed by star Rachel Zegler and screenwriter Greta Gerwig. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the most surprising and significant changes to the costume that everyone will be talking about when the film hits theaters.

Rachel Zegler: Biography and Filmography

Rachel Anne Zegler is an American actress and singer who has rapidly become one of Hollywood's most prominent young stars. Her casting as Snow White in the live-action remake of the 1937 classic has placed her at the center of a global conversation about diversity and modernization in cinema.

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• Born: May 3, 2001, in Hackensack, New Jersey.
• Heritage: Her mother is of Colombian descent, making Zegler the first Latina actress to portray a Disney Princess in a live-action adaptation of an animated classic.
• Breakout Role: She gained wide recognition for her performance as María in Steven Spielberg's 2021 film adaptation of West Side Story.
• Accolades: Her performance in West Side Story earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, making her the youngest winner in that category.
• Notable Filmography: West Side Story (2021), Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), and the highly anticipated Snow White (2025) and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023).

The Radical Costume Overhaul: Sandy Powell's Vision

The responsibility of redesigning one of the most recognizable dresses in cinematic history fell to Sandy Powell. Powell is a legendary figure in costume design, a three-time Academy Award winner known for her work on films like The Aviator, The Young Victoria, and Disney’s own live-action Cinderella (2015). Her approach to the Snow White gown was to maintain the core identity while injecting a sense of realism, texture, and high-fashion sensibility that moves away from the flat, cartoon-like appearance of the original.

Powell's work on the 2025 film is described as keeping the costumes "rooted in tradition but made them feel fresher, darker, and way more high fashion." This design philosophy is a direct response to the demands of a modern audience and the cinematic style of director Marc Webb. The new costume is a crucial part of the film's overall aesthetic, contrasting sharply with the glamorous, revamped look of Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen.

The 5 Biggest Changes to Snow White's Iconic Dress

1. The Introduction of Long Sleeves and Historical Accuracy

Perhaps the most noticeable departure from the 1937 animated classic is the change in the sleeves. The original Snow White is famous for her bright, puffy, blue and red short sleeves. The live-action version, however, features long sleeves.

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According to reports on Sandy Powell's design choices, this change was intentional to make the dress more historically accurate. While the blue top retains the *puffed* element at the shoulder, the sleeves extend down the arm, providing a more grounded, period-appropriate look. This subtle-yet-significant alteration immediately shifts the gown from a purely fantasy costume to something that feels more tangible and realistic within a historical fairytale setting, a hallmark of Powell's design work.

2. A "Darker" and More Textured Fabric Palette

While the classic colors—blue, yellow, and red—remain the foundation of the costume, the texture and tone have been dramatically updated. The cartoon's colors were bright and primary; the live-action fabrics appear richer, deeper, and more textured.

The blue of the bodice is a deeper shade, and the yellow of the skirt has a more muted, perhaps mustard or gold, tone rather than a pure primary yellow. This choice of a "darker" palette adds a layer of sophistication and depth, preventing the costume from looking overly cartoonish in a live-action setting. The inclusion of red-and-white accents, including the iconic white collar, ensures the visual connection to the original princess is instantly recognizable, even with the modern updates.

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3. The Absence of the Prince's Traditional Role

The costume design, along with the narrative updates spearheaded by screenwriter Greta Gerwig, reflects the film's focus on a modernized, less "damsel in distress" Snow White. Rachel Zegler herself has made comments about the film's updated themes, emphasizing that this Snow White is not dreaming of a prince, but of becoming a leader.

In the original film, the dress represents the traditional princess fantasy. In the 2025 film, the practicality and historical grounding of Powell's design—like the long sleeves—suggest a character more prepared for action and adventure alongside her companions, rather than passively waiting for a rescue. This is a subtle but powerful thematic change woven directly into the fabric of the costume.

4. The "Controversy" of the Set Leaks

The journey of the Snow White costume to the screen has not been without controversy, a recurring theme for the film overall. Initial behind-the-scenes set photos showed a surprisingly screen-accurate rendition of the gown, which some online commentators criticized as looking "cheap" or "disappointing."

However, it is crucial to note that these were often low-resolution, candid shots taken during production, not official stills or trailer captures. The official trailer and featurette releases, highlighting the work of a designer of Sandy Powell’s caliber, confirm a high-quality, meticulously crafted garment. The initial online backlash was often mixed with the broader controversy surrounding Rachel Zegler's casting and her own remarks about the film's direction, making it difficult to separate genuine costume critique from general online noise.

5. The High-Fashion Press Tour Uniform

Beyond the film's official gown, Rachel Zegler has embraced the character's core color scheme in her limited press tour appearances, creating a secondary, modern "Snow White uniform." During public appearances, Zegler has consistently worn outfits—ranging from minidresses to elaborate gowns—in a striking combination of black, white, and red.

One notable look included a "Disco Look" in New York City, reimagining the classic uniform with a modern, feminine, and powerful edge. This deliberate choice of color palette for the red carpet serves as a powerful, contemporary homage to the original character, keeping the visual identity fresh in the public eye while the world awaits the official release of the highly anticipated 2025 movie.