The Hilarious Costuming Routine Olivia Newton-John Endured Daily On Grease
Out of all the roles in her repertoire, the late Olivia Newton-John is best known for her iconic portrayal of Sandy Olsson in "Grease." Despite the obvious plot holes, like the fact that only a few of the actors can pass for high schoolers, the movie has firmly cemented itself in popular culture. The story plays on mid-century nostalgia with a catchy soundtrack, saccharine tropes, and distinct characters. Needless to say, fans won't be forgetting the lyrics to "Greased Lightnin'" or "Summer Nights" anytime soon.
One of the main aspects of the film that helps to successfully evoke the era is the amazing costumes, courtesy of designer Albert Wolsky (via IMDb). The movie wouldn't be the same without period-appropriate clothing like the Pink Ladies' signature getup of the T-Birds' casual flair. As the narrative progresses, Sandy's outfits are used to represent her character's journey throughout the film. As a tried and true good girl, Sandy is often shown wearing pastels like pink, yellow, and white, a color palette she maintains up until the film's climactic finale.
Viewers will recall that Sandy undergoes a significant change leading up to the last scene, and as it turned out, Newton-John had no problem getting to the finicky mechanics of her character's closing look.
Sandy's final look proved cumbersome
In between the ballads and bops, Sandy and Danny Zuko's (John Travolta) romance is at the heart of the narrative. Following their picturesque summer love, they struggle to circumvent their respective cliques. Although Danny tries his best to fit in with the preppy crowd, he's beside himself when Sandy arrives at the school carnival rocking a new style. With the help of the Pink Ladies, Sandy shows off her rebellious side with skin-tight leather pants, an off-the-shoulder black top, and a bold red lip. Newton-John penned an insightful essay for PerthNow about Sandy's stunning transformation, and in here, she touched on collaborating with Albert Wolsky on her character's jaw-dropping final costume ... and the awkward situation she dealt with upon initially trying it on.
"When I tried on those pants for the first time, the zipper was broken and Albert didn't want to rip them trying to put in a new one or remove the old one. Instead, I'd be sewn into them each morning!" Newton-John revealed in the article. "My first thought after hearing this complex fashion fix: What if I need to pee? What am I going to do?"
Despite how difficult it was to get into the costume, all the hard work certainly paid off. The concluding musical number, "We Go Together," is accompanied by some fabulous choreography, and Newton-John doesn't miss a step. Sandy embraces her new identity as she waves farewell from the passenger's seat of Danny's airborne car, a scene that feels oddly poignant in the wake of the actress' passing.