''Can-Can dresses'' were historically worn during the
can-can dance. Whilst the actual items of clothing can vary, but the general style of clothing remains the same. The main idea is that the dresses should be full of
frills and
ruffles and be multilayered. In one interpretation, designed for a play that was set in the 1890s, the cancan dresses were "in different colours with lots of ruffles and frills on their
petticoats and
pantalette style underwear...
fishnet stockings
In the field of textiles, fishnet is hosiery with an open, diamond-shaped knit; it is most often used as a material for stockings, tights, gloves or bodystockings. Fishnet is available in a multitude of colors, although it is most often sp ...
with ruffled
garters". The cancan outfit can also be adorned with some or all of the following accessories:
ankle boots, hats, gloves,
capes,
shawls, wraps,
boas, jewelry and feathers. Traditionally, women commonly wore
split knickers in their outfit.
In ''Celebrities' Most Wanted'', a dress "not unlike a can-can dancer's dress" was described as "short and bustled in the front, flowing into a long bustled train of messy black and white fabric in the back" Contemporary versions of the cancan dress have appeared in various media. For example, in the number "Zidler's Rap (The Can-Can)" in the film
''Moulin Rouge'', director
Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962), known professionally as Baz Luhrmann, is an Australian film director, producer, writer and actor. With projects spanning film, television, opera, theatre, music and recording industries, he is re ...
redesigned the can-can dresses into multi-coloured flower patterns and gave each dancer individual "personas", to make the otherwise boring dresses sexually tantalizing to modern day audiences.
References
French clothing
Erotic dance
Dresses
{{fashion-stub