The costumes in Disney+'s "The Remarried Empress" have sparked a debate, after viewers who called them cheap-looking learned what some of Shin Min Ah's gowns actually cost.
After the first four episodes were released on November 3, reactions to the drama's visuals were sharply divided. "Did the production team not watch 'Bridgerton'? The costumes look cheap, like something a middle or high school drama club would wear," one viewer wrote, while others criticized the hairstyles and line delivery as lacking polish.
Then the brands and prices of several of Shin Min Ah's dresses surfaced in online communities:
- Mint tulle gown: a Georges Hobeika design with silver embellishments and green embroidery, worn with a matching bolero, priced at $12,690 (about 18 million won).
- Sky-blue beaded gown: worn with a tiara, a Jenny Packham dress covered in beads from shoulder to hem with cape-style sleeves, priced at $4,356.
- Black cape gown: also by Jenny Packham, with a sheer neckline, silver beading and a floor-length cape, priced at $3,784.
According to Sports Kyunghyang, the red and white off-the-shoulder dresses made by Korean dress specialist Choi Jae Hoon Dress were generally well received, while some of the ready-made designer pieces drew mixed reactions on screen.
Once the prices came out, many viewers suggested the problem lay with the lighting and color grading rather than the dresses. "I wondered why all the dresses looked so shoddy, but they're expensive," one commenter wrote, while another said, "Beaded dresses need really strong lighting, like runway lighting, to look good on video." Others added that the dresses looked pretty but the lighting and filters fell short.
Shin Min Ah, who plays Empress Navier, said during a Q&A at the Busan International Film Festival that wearing so many dresses was a challenge. "It was tough because the clothes were unfamiliar, but I worked hard thinking, 'When will I ever get to film in clothes like this again?'"
"The Remarried Empress" also stars Ju Ji Hoon, Lee Jong Suk and Lee Se Young, with two new episodes released on Disney+ every Wednesday.
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