The Country Girl Grace Kelly Style – Drab or Fab 1950s Fashion?

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The Country Girl Grace Kelly Style

This post is all about The Country Girl Grace Kelly Style

For her role in The Country Girl, Grace Kelly once again teamed up with the legendary fashion designer Edith Head.

However, instead of the glamorous outfits that Edith Head designed for Grace Kelly in Rear Window, and again in To Catch a Thief, The Country Girl has a different aesthetic.

Grace Kelly plays Georgie Elgin, a woman who has neglected herself after caring for her alcoholic husband (played by Bing Crosby) for the last 10 years.

The clothes were designed to make it believable when Grace Kelly’s character says that “no one has looked at me as a woman for years and years”.

Not something you’d associate with Grace Kelly, right?

Continue reading to see how Edith Head made Grace appear more drab for her role.

In order for Grace Kelly to be convincing as the depressed Georgie Elgin, Edith Head dressed Grace Kelly in very “plain Jane” clothes, slightly loose without Grace Kelly’s typical defined waist…but honestly? They’re not too terrible.

Perhaps more notable is how she wears her hair differently with minimal jewelry, and undetectable makeup.

During a flashback scene we get glimpses of more typical Grace Kelly style, a fitted 1950s style dress with a full circle skirt.

And then again, at the end of the film once her troubles are over, she wears a slinky evening dress with a low cut V neckline, and a full skirt.

Below, an example of the types of dresses that Edith Head chose to dress Grace Kelly in for her more “drab” looks.

Grace Kelly Oscar the Country Girl

Grace Kelly won an Oscar for her authentic performance as Georgie Elgin, the overwhelmed wife who had given herself up to prioritize caring for her alcoholic husband (played by Bing Crosby) in the Country Girl.

Shortly after winning the Oscar, she quit Hollywood and married Prince Ranier of Monaco, becoming a Princess at the age of 26.

Below you can see more typical Grace Kelly style, when she won her Oscar wearing a gorgeous blue dress accessorized with white gloves and a pearl earrings.

Grace Kelly’s Oscar dress was also designed by Edith Head.

What was the movie the country girl about?

In The Country Girl, Grace Kelly stars as Georgie Elgin, the wife of a has-been actor Frank Elgin (Bing Crosby), who became an alcoholic after their sons tragic accident.

When playwright Bernie Dodd (William Holden) signs up Frank to be the new lead in his play, he doesn’t realize the full extent of Frank’s alcoholism.

In fact, he thinks that it’s Frank’s overbearing wife Georgie (Grace Kelly) who is the cause of her husbands problems.

After a drunken relapse on Frank’s part, Bernie finally realizes how much Georgie had been taking the brunt of caring for her husband for the last decade.

To complicate matters, he also falls in love with Georgie after realizing the kind of woman she is.

As her husband finally recovers and again becomes a successful actor, Georgie then faces a tough decision.

Does she want to stay with Frank in hopes of some good after the 10 years of bad? Or or does she want a fresh start with Bernie?

Grace Kelly also starred opposite William Holden for a bit part as his wife in The Bridges at Tokyo Ri.

She later starred opposite Bing Crosby again for her final film, High Society (full of gorgeous 1950s fashion, more typical of Grace Kelly style as we know it.)

The Country Girl Grace Kelly Style – Dowdy, or not?

Grace Kelly’s role in the The Country girl was that of an exhausted woman who had given up caring for herself after struggling to care for her husband for the past decade.

In order to make her role appear more realistic, her style is dressed down from her normal Grace Kelly style. We do get a couple glimpses of the more classy 1950s fashion that Grace Kelly is known for — both in a flashback and at the end of the movie—after her husband recovers and regains his career.

For the most part though, she doesn’t look that bad, her clothes are definitely a notch down from her usual glamour—and there are no pearls in sight until her husband recovers—but see what you think.

When we first see Grace Kelly’s character Georige, Bernie (William Holden) is trying to convince Grace Kelly’s husband to star in his new play.

Frank had done a half-hearted audition then left the theater without waiting around to talk to anyone.

Not to be deterred, Bernie goes to where he is living with his wife, Georgie, in a tiny studio room.

Grace Kelly’s character Georgie opens the door wearing a blouse with a cardigan and a sweater on top, along with glasses.

Bernie is quite rude to her right away, thinking that she is overbearing and makes a comment that some woman think too much about their appearance, and others not enough…implying that Georgie fell firmly into the latter category.

They fall into a pattern of arguing almost every encounter they have. Bernie thinks that she is the reason that Frank isn’t dependable, and she tries to convince him that Frank needs her help.

The Country Girl Grace Kelly Style Coat

Bernie and Georgie are able to convince Frank to do the show.

Bernie continues to think that Georgie is holding Frank back and that she is smothering him.

One evening at dinner, they continue to argue. She is unable to convince Bernie that Frank is helpless without her.

Grace Kelly’s character Georgie is wearing a wool coat over one of her simple dresses, and no makeup, but this time she is also actually wearing some simple earrings.

Here is a good example of her supposedly drab clothes that really don’t look so drab… It’s more the light makeup and her depressed attitude that seem to affect her appearance.

What do you think?

The Country Girl Grace Kelly Style Dress

In contrast to her first two outfits, during a flashback scene, we get a glimpse of some true Grace Kelly style 1950s fashion as we see Georgie and her husband before their son’s accident.

Georgie and her son come to visit Frank at the recording studio where he is recording a new song. This is the only glimpse we get of the boy during the entire movie.

Grace Kelly’s character wears a typical 1950s fashion outfit, with a circle skirt, and a fitted top. She accessorizes the dress with white gloves, high heels, and a netted hat.

After Grace Kelly’s character Georgie leaves the recording studio, she leaves their son with his father for the afternoon.

Frank (Bing Crosby) takes their son out for walk in the city, but loses track of him while getting his photograph taken, and the boy is hit by oncoming traffic.

Frank blames himself for the accident, and thus begins his drinking and suicide attempts.

Above, another shot from the film that wasn’t in the movie, of Grace Kelly leaning on the piano as Bing Crosby plays and sings.

The Country Girl Grace Kelly Casual Style

After the brief flashback to happier times, it’s back to harsh reality for Georgie and Frank.

Grace Kelly’s character Frankie is back to her more shapeless clothes.

Gone are the gloves, the hat, and the heels, and she’s back in her skirt and blouse with a loose cardigan and no makeup…and maybe most notable for Grace Kelly, no defined waist.

From the side view of Grace Kelly’s outfit you can really see how for her it de-emphasizes the waist with the way the cardigan is longer than the waist.

Not your typical Grace Kelly style!

Frank gets triggered hearing the song that he was recording the day in the studio before their son got killed and goes on a drinking binge.

It’s after this drinking binge that Bernie finally realizes it really has been Georgie supporting Frank the entire time and the Frank had been lying to him about Georgie.

This changes his attitude completely towards Georgie.

Bernie also manages to get through to Frank, and Frank gets the desire to turn his life around and sober up.

1950s fashion – Grace Kelly’s gorgeous evening gown

For her final outfit in the movie, when Georgie Elgin is herself again, we get another glimpse of true Grace Kelly style.

Fast forward 6 months, Bernie finally through to Frank, and Frank quit drinking and is back on top of his acting game.

The play is successful, and finally back in New York after touring the country.

Although now, Bernie has fallen in love with Georgie, and he wants her to leave Frank for him. Bernie thinks that now that Frank is able to stand on his own, that Georgie will be able to leave him.

Georgie seems torn and we don’t know until the very end who she will end up with.

Grace Kelly’s character Georgie wears a black silky evening gown that is cut in a deep V both in the front and back.

She’s got her pearls back, with a simple strand around the next and a pair of pearl stud earrings.

Gone are the flat loafers, and she is also back to wearing high heels.

She does still sport her glasses, but now they look quite glamorous compared to when we first saw them!

Frank realizes that Bernie is in love with Georgie and leaves to let her make up her mind.

In the end of the movie Georgie runs out after her husband Frank, leaving poor Bernie behind.

Despite the ten bad they had been through together, she is still in love with her husband.

This post was all about The Country Girl Grace Kelly Style

What did you think of Grace Kelly’s style in The Country Girl?

Do you think that Edith Head did a good job with her costumes in making her appear more dowdy?

Or was it more of her personality and the lack of makeup that changed her appearance?

Other posts you might like:

Grace Kelly Movies – A Vintage Fashion Lovers Guide

Recreate the Iconic Grace Kelly High Society Wedding Dress – Your Vintage Wedding Dress Inspiration

Grace Kelly Espadrilles – 5 Classy Ways to Wear the Classic Shoe

Grace Kelly in Dial M for Murder 1954 – Storyline and 1950s Fashion

Last updated: Sep 04, 2024