Among the characters in the Frozen series, Anna is my favorite character.
Her red hair and blue eyes are inherited from her parents, proving her royal lineage, and the light sprinkle of freckles on her face adds a touch of natural charm. The two small braids in front represent her unstoppable youth, making her the most innocent little princess in everyone’s heart.
In Frozen 2, we can only see Anna with her braids during the brief moment before bed in the castle, which may hint that she will no longer just be a carefree little princess, but a queen who must take on great responsibilities in the future. In fact, the film cut a solo song for Anna called Home, which was originally supposed to be placed early in the story to express her love for the land and her people, and her desire to give more for them!
Perhaps we all feel this way. As we age and take on more responsibilities, we can only show our childish side freely during the most relaxing moments, in front of those closest to us.
In terms of clothing, Anna in Frozen 1 often wore an ankle-length, flattering skirt, which is elegant, playful, and easy to move in, resembling a Christian Dior umbrella skirt, closely aligned with Monsieur Dior's original design philosophy.
In Frozen 2, Anna's initial dress still carries Christian Dior's style, with a tailored top coat and a high-waisted umbrella skirt with ample pleats. To avoid making early Anna seem too mature, it was chosen in a light peach color to reflect her sweetness, perfectly complementing her hair and eye colors.
The dress has a shorter front and longer back design, modern yet approachable, reminding us of the eight-segment skirt Anna wore in Frozen 1, as if saying: 'Hey! Anna is still Anna.'
The princess-style updo is a symbol of royalty, elegant and noble, paired with a soft tweed jacket reminiscent of Coco Chanel. The lines of the upper body flow smoothly from the neck, shoulders to arms, making Anna appear a romantic yet spirited woman. With that diagonal bangs, she strongly resembles Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s!
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
In the mid-section of Frozen 2, Anna wears an all-black outfit with earthy yellow trims and a purple-red overcoat, embodying the essence of 'autumn'! Using elements of Nordic traditional clothing, it shares a similar sleek cut with Elsa's water-blue outfit from the same period. The long boots, pants, and long sleeves are designed for ease of movement, in line with the 'adventure' theme, echoing Coco Chanel's revolutionary spirit of women's liberation, and also resonating with the feminism frequently referenced in Western media in recent years.
Clothing is not merely a superficial display; it is a reflection of one’s inner state. Clothing often comes from personal conscious decisions, especially 'costumes in film' are intentionally arranged symbols that can exert silent power to convey messages beyond dialogues. Moreover, Frozen 2 also demonstrates 'female empowerment,' which is undoubtedly a great lesson for young audiences!
Frozen 2 concludes with a sudden door opening, and Anna makes her entrance as a queen, wearing a queen's gown that honors Elsa's coronation dress from Frozen 1. One can imagine that the blue-green and purple-red colors represent the 'official colors' of the Kingdom of Arendelle. Even the princess-style updo is transformed into a queen-style bun, lowered a bit and wrapping around the head with a thicker braid, paired with a tiara, exuding noble elegance.
The coronation gown of Elsa in Frozen 1 was designed to be tightly fitting, rigorous, and conservative to fit the plot needs, just like her at that time, who only knew to 'strictly guard' the secret of her ice magic, concealing her true self to conform to others, making her feel very uncomfortable!
Sticking to tradition may seem like a common and simple approach, but to express the contrasting emotions of the two queens during their coronations, Anna's queen gown had to be redesigned. Unlike before, where softer curves were largely used in Anna's costumes, the square neckline adds a touch of maturity, almost implying Queen Anna's open-heartedness toward Arendelle. The asymmetric yet harmonious cut and jewelry arrangement further showcase her self-comfort and confidence. It is touching that this gown retains the higher waistline and a blazer-like top, and though these two fashion symbols are slightly transformed, they seem to subtly remind us: 'Anna is still Anna!'
Autumn harvest embodies the core spirit of Anna's character. Autumn brings high, clear skies and warm sunshine, turning the earth golden, with plump wheat ears; Anna has hair as red as autumn leaves and sky-blue eyes, and her warm smile lights up the whole Arendelle. In Frozen 2, we can see the symbol of 'ears of wheat', representing 'fertile soil and abundant produce' directly as ornamentation for Anna, including headwear, clothing, and even her wedding ring, all emphasizing Anna's spiritual 'abundance' and her nurturing of Arendelle.
Anna is the second princess of Arendelle. Unlike her sister Elsa, who possesses ice magic, she is just an ordinary princess. However, seemingly ordinary, she has an extraordinary heart. I am glad that Anna did not, as rumored, become a fire magic girl. If Anna's uniqueness could only be highlighted through elemental magic, it would not only betray the original character setup but also indirectly deny the production team's ability in character development. Anna's magic is her heart, warm as fire, sincerely caring for those around her, believing that being the queen of Arendelle is the best place for Anna; she will fully unleash her light and warmth, illuminating every dark corner.
Anna is just ordinary Anna, yet also the most extraordinary Disney princess (or queen?).
