Miss Ellie's Sack Dresses

[Kenny Coyote]

I said they might look at crass and obvious displays of wealth with disdain or amusement.





Who says they don't? It's possible to live well in an understated way.





I consider the funds my friend - whose gender I hadn't specified - spends on charitable causes a good use of money. As is the time they freely donate to the same causes.





As I said, it gives one a choice. But if a wealthy person chooses to live simply, to wear t-shirts or sack dresses, there will always be those who tut tut and say they know better. Sometimes without having even met the person they're judging. It's a form of snobbery. Just like the old money clique quietly judging flashy medallions and cars.

It is possible to enjoy the money you've made and contribute to charity too. The Ewings did both.

I wouldn't have given it a second thought until you brought up that they look at people who work hard to build a successful business with amusement and disdain if they choose to enjoy their money by using to buy a good car, nice clothes or a nice watch. If they're going to judge a Punk Anderson or a Jock Ewing type of guy by looking at him with amusement and disdain because he enjoys having nice things they can't complain when they get judged in return for not knowing how to enjoy their money.

"Don't judge if you don't want to be judged." - The Holy Bible

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I wouldn't have given it a second thought until you brought up that they look at people who work hard to build a successful business with amusement and disdain if they choose to enjoy their money by using to buy a good car, nice clothes or a nice watch. If they're going to judge a Punk Anderson or a Jock Ewing type of guy by looking at him with amusement and disdain because he enjoys having nice things they can't complain when they get judged in return for not knowing how to enjoy their money.

"Don't judge if you don't want to be judged." - The Holy Bible

In hindsight, I probably could have said "some of the old money set", since I'd hate an entire group to be condemned for the actions of a few. A bit late for that now, clearly.

 

[Alexis]

And then they sacked her.

And Linda Gray, and Susan Howard and Donna Reed. Wardrobe had nothing to do with it. Unless you factor in that all of them wore dresses of some sort.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Wardrobe had nothing to do with it

I didn't say that.

 

[Top Jimmy]

In answer to Matthew's question, even though she may have worn some before, the "sack dresses" really become noticeable during the 1982-83 (fight for Ewing Oil) season. The season before when Jock died, she was slimmer and I believe her health and weight issues shortly after may have prompted Barbara to wear them. Alexis' link to Barbara's website shows that she looked perfectly fine in two piece dresses and business suits, and Miss Texas is right in that she looked better in dresses with cinched in waists. She should have worn more two piece dresses, in my opinion. As for Miss Ellie's wedding dress, I don't think it was hideous, granted, it's not really appropriate for a wedding dress, but it's nice enough for lunch out on the town and at least has some color to it. The problem with the sack dresses, beside their shapelessness, was that many of them had no color or had drab patterns to them. Barbara looked much better in dark, solid or bright colors. Here is one photo, where she is wearing a sack dress, but it doesn't look so bad because of the color.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Here is one photo, where she is wearing a sack dress, but it doesn't look so bad because of the color

Exactly. With a little detail to colour, fabric and some jewelry it can make all the difference. It's also how you wear it - as they say, you don't have to watch Dynasty to have an attitude.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

as they say, you don't have to watch Dynasty to have an attitude.

But it helps.

 

[Mustard]

Sack dresses fit her character, when she's at her home. The real Southworth that she is at heart. That's who Miss Ellie is.

 

[Daniel Avery]

I must admit this is the only place I've heard those referred to as "sack dresses," though I can see why they'd be referred to as such. Where I grew up they were referred to as "house dresses"--since it's implied it's something one wears around the house. If the lady of the house was going out anywhere (errands, etc.) she'd put on something more suitable, though some of the more carefree older ladies might be perfectly happy with wearing them to the grocery store or some place where dressing up is not really expected. Of course that was when I was growing up in the 1970s/1980s, when women were under much greater "appearance" pressure. I see older ladies wearing versions of Miss Ellie's house dresses when I'm out and about, since some ladies get used to one 'style choice' and never stop.

And if you're as beloved as Miss Ellie, no one will say an unkind word about anything she wears.

 

[Rove]

Miss Ellie looked good in jeans...

​

Kudos to the set dresser for having a sense of humour in naming the exercise bike. Talk about attention to detail.​

 

[DallasFanForever]

I never had a problem with the “sack dresses” as they’re called. To me, and this is just my opinion now, I never really cared about what anyone wore on the show. I was more into what was going on on the screen; the actors’ performances, the story, the drama, etc. The clothes didn’t matter to me one bit. Obviously the weddings, the Oil Baron’s Ball, of course the clothes are a big part of those episodes but I never once gave the sack dresses a second thought all those years. I was too busy enjoying BBG’s acting.

 

[Crimson]

I think Miss Ellie's house dresses were fine. She was an unpretentious lady living on a working ranch; comfort and practicality would trump fashion. I think even a soap should be rooted in verisimilitude. I'll take a character in a frumpy house dress over characters over-dressed in b'sequined Travilla gowns any day, but then I prefer the rustic, seedy early years of DALLAS far more than its garish mid-years.

 

[Ukdallasfan]

I agree with @DallasFanForever and @Crimson. Miss Ellie’s outfits suited her character and looked just fine on BBG. At the start of the show Sue Ellen had a much more muted wardrobe- almost preppy- and it suited her. I enjoyed the later glamour that was introduced but it was the story that meant the most to me

 

[cakepro]

Dowdy ! No excuse to look frumpy, especially since Miss Ellie seems to attract older wealthy gentlemen that just adore her ? In reality old wealthy men look for trophy wives. Preferably at least 20 years younger

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Dowdy ! No excuse to look frumpy, especially since Miss Ellie seems to attract older wealthy gentlemen that just adore her ? In reality old wealthy men look for trophy wives. Preferably at least 20 years younger

I always thought the same thing. Women like Miss Ellie would have dressed much more fashionably, especially after becoming wealthy.
I always thought Donna Reed should have been given more respect for wearing better clothes, and at least bringing that to the character.

Also, I admit, I never found Miss Ellie to be this strong, formidable woman. It seemed to me that she whined and threw tantrums when not getting her way.
The fact that anyone found her so alluring mystifies me.

 

[Mustard]

I always thought the same thing. Women like Miss Ellie would have dressed much more fashionably, especially after becoming wealthy.

At the Oil Barons' balls, she did. At home, no. She stayed who she was at heart when at home or when going out casually.

I always thought Donna Reed should have been given more respect for wearing better clothes, and at least bringing that to the character.

The whole point of Barbara's Miss Ellie is that she stays close to her rancher's daughter roots and happens to be an oil baron's wife. Donna's Miss Ellie went the other way, leaving behind her ranching past as just a heritage thing and she then became more fully an oil baron's wife in the more obvious sense. Barbara's character enables far more emotion of all kinds, and the Ewing vs. Southworth differences in philosophies, while Donna's was much more stoic. Donna's Miss Ellie has effectively left the Southworth tradition behind apart from living at Southfork.

I always thought the same thing. Women like Miss Ellie would have dressed much more fashionably, especially after becoming wealthy.
I always thought Donna Reed should have been given more respect for wearing better clothes, and at least bringing that to the character.

Also, I admit, I never found Miss Ellie to be this strong, formidable woman. It seemed to me that she whined and threw tantrums when not getting her way.
The fact that anyone found her so alluring mystifies me.

So what's your opinion on what Miss Ellie did in Season 5 DVD to bail out J.R. when Cliff, the Cartel and Vaughn Leland were about to foreclose on $200 million worth of loans? No chance that J.R. gets out of that on his own. J.R. had stockpiled 5 million barrels of oil at $35 per barrel when the market price was $33 per barrel at the time, and the market price had fallen to $30 per barrel and was going to fall even further for another month or two before it would start rising again. Miss Ellie did a deal with Clayton for $33 per barrel that Clayton would have paid originally, and then J.R.'s debts could be paid off. J.R.'s best hope previously had been that Mr. McCoy who had originally offered $31 per barrel (which J.R. turned down) and then Mr. McCoy refused to buy 5 million barrels of oil at all later because nobody was buying or selling oil at that moment and everyone was waiting for it to bottom out. Mr. McCoy then suggested that J.R. talk to Clayton Farlow, but we know Clayton would never have done business with J.R. after J.R. had tried the blackmail.

Miss Ellie would have bailed out Ray too, if Ray hadn't sold out before she could have given him the money.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

So what's your opinion of what Miss Ellie did in Season 5 DVD to bail out J.R. when Cliff, the Cartel and Vaughn Leland were about to foreclose on $100 million worth of loans? No chance that J.R. gets out of that on his own. J.R. had stockpiled 5 million barrels of oil at $35 per barrel when the market price was $33 per barrel at the time, and the market price had fallen to $30 per barrel and was going to fall even further for another month or two before it would start rising again. Miss Ellie did a deal with Clayton for $33 per barrel that Clayton would have paid originally. J.R.'s best hope had been that Mr. McCoy who originally offered $31 per barrel and then refused to buy 5 million barrels at all later because nobody was buying or selling oil at that moment and everyone was waiting for it to bottom out. Mr. McCoy then suggested that J.R. talk to Clayton Farlow, but we know Clayton would never have done business with J.R. after J.R. had tried the blackmail.

Miss Ellie would have bailed out Ray too, if Ray hadn't sold out before she could have given him the money.

I don't remember the details, but it would seem that Miss Ellie benefited from that bailout as well, since Ewing Oil was at stake, and by extension, her life of wealth and privilege. Miss Ellie 's interest coincided with Jr's - nothing more.
All he did was whine and throw tantrums during Takapa and the Battle for Ewing Oil.
Rebecca was right when she asked "What if it was your son" after Cliff's hospitalization? Oh wait
she would have defended her son since it meant defending Ewing Oil, and again, her life of
wealth and privilege.
It was laughable when she confronted Carter McKay. BBG is a fine actress, but the notion that Miss Ellie could intimidate McKay
is preposterous.
Prior to the fire at Southfork - yeah she was a tower of strength (Sarcasm)
When she didn't have Jock or Clayton to back her - I was not impressed

 

[Mustard]

I don't remember the details, but it would seem that Miss Ellie benefited from that bailout as well, since Ewing Oil was at stake, and by extension, her life of wealth and privilege. Miss Ellie 's interest coincided with Jr's - nothing more.

Those loans that J.R. accumulated were mostly done on a personal basis, but he did use about $50 million of Ewing Oil assets as collateral. J.R. had to put up that $50 million of Ewing Oil assets to convince Franklin Horner to buy into just half ($100 million) of the $200 million loan that J.R. asked Horner for. Horner called in Vaughn Leland to take on the other $100 million. Leland only agreed once he met an oil market predictor who claimed that in the following months, the price of oil would fall and fall and that anyone stockpiling 5 million barrels of oil had better sell that oil quickly or be prepared to hold on to it for at least a year, or he'd find himself on his way to the poor house.

Miss Ellie found out about the whole mess when she convinced Ray that she'd help him out of his land deal fiasco that had the high water table. But when she asked for the money, Franklin Horner told her about J.R.'s loans and that he had used Ewing Oil assets as collateral for some of the loan. Cliff Barnes and the Cartel later bought into Horner's share of the loans. If the worst comes to the worst here, J.R. defaults on his $200 million loans and interest payments because of the big fall in market oil price, while Ewing Oil loses $50 million of assets. J.R. would be bankrupt and Ewing Oil would lose a big amount of its clout in the oil industry. A complete disaster.

All he did was whine and throw tantrums during Takapa and the Battle for Ewing Oil.

Takapa was something that Miss Ellie latched on to because of Gary not coming back to Southfork, mostly triggered when Jock announced that Ray was being given his share of the sons' trust fund. If she had been less resentful at the time, she'd have probably come up with the Bobby compromise herself (for Takapa to be built on land outside of the environmental belt, instead of inside the environmental belt as originally intended) at an earlier time.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

Miss Ellie should've filled some of those sack dresses of hers with a few thousand dollars worth of paper money.

 

[Snowcat]

Donna Reed was smart enough to bring her own hairspray. Smart cookie that Donna!

But that was why no one could accept her as Miss Ellie. The character looked to different