Ranking the Winx Club Gowns

INTRO:

Yep. We did a video about the casual outfits, and now, it’s time to talk about some of the most iconic looks from the show. When you have yourself a show where fashion is a core aspect, you simply must have your characters dressed up for an important gala. Especially if said galas usually end in fire and dragon attacks. If you’re attending the end of the world, you must dress accordingly.

Now we’ll be talking about any type of formal gowns the girls have worn throughout the series. Note: I said gowns. So while the season 1 dance outfits are fair game, we will not be including the season 2 party outfits (as gorgeous as they are), nor the season 4 date outfits.

So without further ado, let’s begin.

NUMBER 7, Season 6 Gowns:

Ever since season 5, the Winx Club’s looks have become increasingly more uniform, most often with the same designs and different colors, but sometimes, even with one color palette for all of them. Which is atrocious.

The season 6 gowns are by far the least recognizable formal looks of the series. Though the designs have slight differences, they don’t do enough to help the girls stand out from one another, nor stand out as a look on their own. They simply look like generic princess gowns with generic wing decorations. The only looks here that stand out as genuinely great to me are Musa and Aisha, largely thanks to their hair styles, and also that their particular color swaps actually wound up working really well for them.

Season 6 also marked a trend where the designers tried to shake things up by trying out different color combinations for each girl, which I do appreciate. Some of these changes worked really well. Bloom’s lavender gown is pretty cute, and I love Stella in more lunar-inspired blue. But that said, the gowns don’t have enough to work with to make the color swaps worth it. Even if they had the girls’ usual colors, they’d still be boring to behold.

NUMBER 6, Season 5 Flower Princess:

Much like the season 6 gowns, the season 5 gowns, dubbed the Flower Princess looks, suffer from a similarly uninspired aesthetic. None of the gowns say anything about each girl. Rather, the designers tried to spice things up by having the gowns be smothered in flowers. It honestly looks like someone covered the girls’ dresses in glue, then stuck as many flowers onto the outfits as they could. It makes the designs look more cluttered and busy than anything else.

Beyond that, the designs don’t have much to offer. I do like some of the hair styles, especially with Bloom and Stella pulling their hair up for a more sophisticated, regal air. Musa and Aisha again prove they look the best in any look, with those side ponytails giving me so much life. Sonic Wave for life. And it’s nice to see Musa in red, even if it’s paler than I would’ve liked.

Beyond that, there’s not much to write home about. Honestly, the worst thing formal wear can do is be boring, and I hereby find seasons 5 and 6 guilty. Electric chair meme.

NUMBER 5, Season 8 Gowns:

I may rag on season 8 a lot, especially for the whitewashing, good god how did I ever excuse this tomfoolery? But the fashion surprisingly isn’t as bad compared to seasons 6 and 7, which… doesn’t take a lot of effort, but it’s something. When the ship is sinking, you dash for the life vests, even if they’re ratty and full of holes and tears.

The season 8 gowns are surprisingly eye-catching. They look good together as a unit, but the colors are surprisingly vibrant, and the unique belts and trails around the dresses do enough to set the girls apart from each other, along with the cute hair styles. Again, Aisha and Musa look the best. Aisha’s hair is absolutely stunning, and it’s so nice to see her in seafoam green (thank you Cynzi for deciphering what shade of green this is).

And MY GIRL MUSA IS BACK IN RED, AND SHE’S ROCKING IT. The colors in general look so good for each girl. I appreciate it whenever Bloom wears some darker shades of blue, and there’s something about Stella’s orange and gold that makes her look almost ethereal.

Rosesweety over on Deviant Art actually took it upon themselves to sketch up these looks in the original art style, and they did an amazing job. I’ll link their profile in the description, but it’s their take on these gowns that sold me on the look, so thank you Rosesweety. You are the true hero here.

NUMBER 4, Magical Adventure Gowns:

Magical Adventure was… weird. But weird timeline and pacing issues aside, one thing we must thank this movie for are its gowns. It’s in the older era of the show that we can appreciate some more individualized outfits. Each gown is tailored to the girls’ personalities. Like, the little frills of Flora’s dress that look like rose petals? Stunning. And again, Aisha serving the best hair objectively in a lively spring green. Queen.

Even Stella manages to pull off a return to her original hair style and make it fit the look perfectly. And can we appreciate the deep oranges of her dress? Oh my god, it’s everything.

That said, they’re nowhere near the best gowns of the franchise. They’re like… really good, bordering on great. But that’s okay. That’s why we have the rest of this list.

NUMBER 3, Secret of the Lost Kingdom Gowns:

These gowns deserved better. They were done so dirty, debuting at the very end of the first movie only to never be seen again. The whole point of the first three seasons culminating in The Secret of the Lost Kingdom was to conclude the original story of saving Domino and undoing the Ancestral Witches’ harm, as well as to show how much the Winx have grown up since the first season.

These gowns communicate that growth in spades. They seem deceptively simple at first, but it’s the fact they aren’t overly complicated that makes them so compelling. I especially love the darker blues and reds on Bloom and Musa, and the blinding gold of Stella’s look as she catches everyone’s attention. And for the record, Tecna’s blazer is EVERYTHING.

And the fact all the girls are showing off their Enchantix hair really sells that they’re at the end of their journey, or rather, the end of this part of their journey.

Unfortunately, because of how short-lived these looks were, there isn’t much stock art for them. That said, there are 2D versions floating around from I believe that old mermaid comic, as well as this gorgeous fanart by Liliadria over on Deviant Art. Liliadria actually altered the looks a bit to suit their own style, and the end results are breathtaking. Again, link in description.

NUMBER 2, Season 1 Dance:

The older seasons did such a wonderful job with looks that were a bit odd, but did an amazing job at capturing each girl’s personality. They somehow all work together, while being completely different from each other. Bloom’s blue lace dress is simple and cute, which matches her as the little bean from Earth who don’t know shit yet.

Stella’s look is meant to more alluring and a bit revealing, which like… it’s Stella. I also love the darker orange against the light blue and gold for her. Flora’s look is probably the most regal, focused on her nature aesthetic with laces meant to resemble vines, and the little rose headdress with the pink veil is so cute.

Tecna’s is a bit odd, but it does sell her vibe as a sci-fi diva. She just really likes the weird, impractical energy. Musa’s is by far the best though. The red and purple-pink is gorgeous, especially with the collar, the headband-themed bandana, the trailing sleeve cuffs, and… THE BAGGY PANTS. YESSSSSS.

Season 1 deserves more credit on delivering unique, out-there designs that tell you so much about the girls’ personalities without saying a word.

NUMBER 1, Season 3 Gowns:

Again, season 3 has the best looks. It just does. This look feels like it takes the best of both worlds from the uniqueness of the season 1 dance outfits, and the regal, grown-up aesthetic of the movie gowns, creating an absolute masterpiece.

The girls really look like they’ve grown up, from the more complicated hair styles, to the unique dresses tailored to their personalities, to the little details, like Aisha’s fur stole (thank you again Cynzi).

I also love some of the color departures, with Tecna decked out in green, while both Aisha and Stella are rocking the deep purples no problem. I especially love Musa letting her hair flow and embracing her feminine side a bit more, while Bloom’s braided hair reads to me like she’s still a cinnamon roll, but she’s matured a bit and is growing into who she wants to be.

I’m gonna be using Cynzi’s words to describe some of the dresses cuz zey know this better than I. *clear throats* Aisha’s got a bit of a trumpet skirt going on, while Bloom’s empire waist screams Regency era. And the others have a very classic A-line… do I know what any of it means? Not in the slightest, but the designers clearly did. I’d kill for the looks to go back to this style, where each look is tailored to each girl, and they’re more than the generic dresses of the newer seasons.

CONCLUSION & OUTRO:

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I’m the Unicorn of War, and season 7 did plaid dirty.