Cast Member Uniforms Mega-Thread

[CraftyFox]

As someone who has always been interested in fashion both in history and in the Disney parks, I was surprised to see a distinct lack of discussion about them on the forums. I’m hoping to alleviate that with a thread dedicated to cast member uniforms, their designs, and historical inspiration. I’m not sure if anybody else is really interested in this topic but I hope to at least pique some curiosity!

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Some of my favorites are the more formal look worn by Main Street Operations, Railroad Conductors, and Soarin in Florida.

*Edit to add Haunted Mansion to my list of favorites that fit that “formal” look.

The more loose fit “breathable” costumes that have become more popular lately work better in some areas than others.

The uniforms are very important.... anyone can hand an employee a polo shirt that says “six flags” - but the CM uniforms help tell the story.

 

[marni1971]

 

[CraftyFox]

The Haunted Mansion - Historical Inspiration Part 1
I recently tried to track down the historical inspiration behind what is likely one of the most well known cast member costumes in the Disney parks, the maid and butler uniforms from the Haunted Mansion. The first thing to note about both these costumes is the colours. The Haunted Mansion has always really had this strange fixation with purple and green. It’s definitely the attractions central colors and this is reflected through the uniforms. Next, both these costumes are sort of a mish-mash of 19th century styles so don’t expect anything completely exact.

Starting with the butler’s uniform, we find an outfit that most closely resembles those worn in the Regency period (1811 - 1820). During this period there was the rise of the dandy which is reflected in this uniform. The green tailcoat and purple straight edged waistcoat are the iconic silhouette of this period. The buttons on the tailcoat are also Regency in design. The white button up shirt underneath is typically paired with a black tie in the parks. In an actual Regency garment, a cravat would likely be worn instead. The pants are also cut for modern comfort, rather than being the fall front breeches of the period. The frock coat and attached capelet are also distinctly Regency in inspiration. Below are some examples of corresponding clothes from this period.

 

[danlb_2000]

I am surprised there isn't an on-line archive of cast member costume pictures.

 

[CraftyFox]

The Haunted Mansion - Historical Inspiration Part 2
So all in all, the butler’s uniforms can quite uniformly fit into a decade of fashion. However, the situation with the women’s wear is much more complicated, spanning many more years.

This outfit is much harder to pin down historically to any one movement. Starting with the innermost layer and the one most often seen, we have a green striped blouse with puffed Gigot sleeves and a matching apron featuring a ruffled edge. This is paired with a green floor length skirt. Now first and foremost this is most definitely not of the same time period as the men’s outfit. Despite the fact it has quite a narrow silhouette, something many Regency dresses have, it is not from that timeframe. Regency dresses were generally light colors and emphasized the Empire waistline and simple decoration. This dress most closely resembles 1890’s womenswear, a stark contrast to the 1810’s menswear. The key giveaways here are the puffed sleeves, separate bodice and skirt, and the use of lace made commonplace during the second half of the 19th century. While 1890’s womenswear is known for bell shaped, A-Line skirts, it seems that the lack of petticoats was done here for practical reasons, making the silhouette automatically more narrow. The Nightmare Before Christmas Jacket also matches this 1890’s look, but with a distinct lack of Gigot sleeves. The entire outfit however, completely changes when we add the overcoat.

During the 19th century, specifically the Victorian era, statement sleeves were extremely common and changed quite frequently. One of the easiest ways to know when an outfit was worn during this period is to look at these sleeves. While the first look had Gigot or Leg-O-Mutton sleeves commonly found in the 1890’s, the overcoat features Pagoda Sleeves, a look iconic to the 1850’s. The maid’s overcoats completely transforms the outfit from one of the need of the Victorian period, to one in the middle. The broad black velvet trim and white lace give it an almost Civil War era appearance. Below are a picture of a fashion plate from 1896 and another from 1854.

 

[surfsupdon]

Worst costumes ever were the old WDW bus drivers costume of purple pants, green and yellow on white shirt. Close by is the Dino-Rama bizarre outfit. Lol.

 

[NelleBelle]

Worst costumes ever were the old WDW bus drivers costume of purple pants, green and yellow on white shirt. Close by is the Dino-Rama bizarre outfit. Lol.

LOL--I forgot how horrendous those bus driver costumes were! BAD!!

 

[larryz]

Of course, who can forget