Molly Ringwald Cried Over Prom Dress In ‘Pretty in Pink’

Molly Ringwald says she wasn’t exactly tickled about wearing the iconic prom dress in “Pretty in Pink.”

The actor reviewed some of her famous looks throughout her career in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar for the Feb. 29 episode of its “Fashion Flashback” series. During the episode, the 56-year-old “Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans” actor revealed that her character Andie Walsh’s final look in the 1986 film brought her to tears. 

“The dress is so iconic now; I really hated it at the time. It was not really what I had envisioned,” she said of the dress. “I cried; I burst into tears. 

The dress in question was worn by Andie to the prom and epitomizes quintessential 1980s fashion. It features pink satin, polka dots, cutout shoulders, slightly puffed sleeves, and intricate lace detailing.

“No one can really look good in this dress. This is not a very flattering dress,” Ringwald continued.  

The actor elaborated on her point of view, acknowledging some of the dress’s redeeming qualities. While she can now appreciate the halter, Ringwald admitted that she couldn’t entirely get on board the predominance of the inverted triangle, which was very much on trend in the ’80s.

“Considering that Andie was supposed to be this great fashion designer, I thought maybe she should have pursued something else,” Ringwald said of the character, who experiments with various eccentric outfits and accessories throughout the film.

“I kept everything from this movie with the exception of the dress, and it’s too bad I would love it now,” the actor added before sharing that if she could tell her younger self anything about the dress now, it would be to “have a sense of humor about it.”

“If you can look good in this dress, you can look good in everything,” she added.

Marilyn Vance designed the gown that Ringwald wears in the movie.

In 2021, Vance reflected on all that went into crafting the famous pink dress for the “Designing Hollywood Podcast.”

The costume designer explained that Andie’s modest economic background of being “from the other side of the railroad tracks” greatly influenced the dress’s design.

“That was really interesting because (the characters) come from the other side of the railroad tracks,” she noted. “They were undernourished as far as clothing. They created looks and things that made them feel unique and who they were. They tried anyway.”