The first dress that Louise wore for “Gilligan’s Island” was a beige gown with silver beading. “It was crepe and very thin, very easy, and very close to your skin,” Louise said. “They were very critical of not showing any cleavage at the time.” Ginger was presented as a dazzling, attractive character, so Miller made her as stereotypically “Hollywood” as he could. 

There don’t seem to be any fashion connections to Ginger Grant and Lucille Ball, except, maybe, for their matching red hair. The Lucille Ball reference is likely just to denote that Ginger is supposed to be flip and funny and comfortable in any situation. Ginger was a movie star, but not a self-absorbed egotist. As for the Marilyn connections, Louise affected a breathy, high-pitched bedroom voice similar to Monroe’s in her performances. 

As for her costume, the beige dress seemed to fit the bill perfectly, fashionable without being outwardly titillating. Louise even revisited the dress many years later when she was invited to Nolan Miller’s 2002 Oscars party. She recalled:

“I usually go to the Academy parties in New York City, but there was one year when I went out to Los Angeles. Nolan took me out and, of course, I wore his dress. He picked me up in his Rolls-Royce. It was the year when ‘The Pianist’ won so many awards. They put the dress on me and it fit perfectly. […] It was one of those beaded creations that you couldn’t wear anything under, and, of course, you had better be in great shape”

It had been nearly 40 years since she wore the dress on “Gilligan’s Island,” and one can assure themselves that Louise was still glamorous and fashionable in it.