#inside grace's wardrobe

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INSIDE GRACE'S WARDROBE 🪡 (V)~ The engagement shirt dress from Branell of NY.

This beige, silk, brocaded shirtwaist dress with a fitted bodice and flowing skirt, embodying mid-century American glamour was the piece chosen by Grace to announce her engagement with Prince Rainier 70 years ago 💍

Branell of New York was the fashion house that designed the iconic beige, brocaded silk shirt dress, nicknamed "To Catch a Prince,"❤️ that Grace Kelly wore for the public announcement of her engagement to Prince Rainier of Monaco on January 5, 1956 (pics 4 & 5) cementing Branell's place in fashion history as a purveyor of elegant, mid-century American style 🇺🇲

Grace had worn it before, at her friend actress Rita Gam's engagement party in New York City in the late 1955 (see pictures 2 and 3).

📸 Credits: Betmann Archives | United Archives & V&A Museum (@vamuseum).

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Edith Head sketch of Grace Kelly for the film "To Catch a Thief" 1955 

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Edith Head's initial costume sketch for Grace kelly in "The Bridges of Toko Ri" (1954). Initially the dress was thought in black but it end being sighly different in naby and withouth hat.

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Helen Rose's costume sketch for Grace Kelly in "The Swan" 1955

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Edith Head's costume design sketchs for Grace Kelly and "Georgie Elgin" in "Country Girl" (1954).

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HELEN ROSE'S COSTUME SKETCH FOR GRACE KELLY IN MOGAMBO (1953) This drawing depicts the character Linda Nordley, played by Grace Kelly, wearing a light blue, calf-length dress with short sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, and a full skirt. It is made of a sheer fabric with a check pattern. She is also wearing matching pumps and has a white bracelet on her right wrist. Her blonde hair is worn up, and she is standing with her right hand on her hip and her left hand on a wall.

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INSIDE GRACE'S WARDROBE 🪡 THE ARAN SWEATER (1962)

Princess Grace of Monaco, known for her timeless elegance, was often seen in iconic, understated pieces that highlighted both her beauty and her connection to various cultures. One such piece was the classic white Aran sweater, a quintessentially Irish garment that she wore on several occasions. After her official visit to Ireland with Prince Rainier in June 1961, the Princess was photographed wearing it while holidaying in Switzerland in February 1962 and, again later that year, by Howell Conant, during a leisure sailing day in Monaco by Howell Conant in this signature sweater, first during a leisurely day sailing in Monaco. The Aran sweater, known for its intricate cable-knit patterns, symbolised both grace and tradition, making it the perfect complement to the Princess's sophisticated yet approachable style. A symbol of her connection to Ireland and her love for the timelessly chic, the sweater remains a lasting part of her legacy.

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In a Lanvin dress, already worn on 18 April 1956 for the gala evening of her civil wedding and on October 12, 1959, for a reception at the Élysée Palace, Princess Grace was photographed by George Lukomski in the Salon des Glaces on 19 November 1962, with Prince Rainier III looking on.