In the novel, Victor Hugo conspicuously, colorfully overdressed Cosette to the point of bad taste to illustrate that Valjean was overindulging her, and that Cosette, with no mother or other girls to guide her, was highly isolated from the rest of society. I think only in the French version of Les Miserables do they really capture that plot point in the dress.
But most years Les Miserables ran on Broadway, Cosette wore what I called the doily dress:
Not until the 25th Anniversary Les Miserables Concert, do we see something with way bigger sleeves, and in a color wealthy, young girl would have liked.
Claire Danes as Cosette in the Liam Neeson version. (I can't believe the little cherub is now portraying a wild-eyed, fouled-mouth stalker/CIA agent on the show Homeland.)
Virginia Ledoyen as Cosette in the French 2000 mini-series. I love the dress she is wearing. But um, can I just say I also have a girl-crush on her? Something about the French...
More costume photos from the movie can be seen here.
Here's a 1830s dress that Cosette might wear.
Description from the original listing written by ThimblesandAcorns: "By the 1830s sleeves became a new focal point. They grew to exaggerated proportions and combined with the large bell shaped skirts they worked together to further diminished the appearance of the waistline. There were at least a dozen different styles of sleeves for day wear with romantic names such as "Cavalier", "Donna Maria", "Sultan" and "Medici". This dress features a Gigot style sleeve also known by its less refined name as the leg-o-mutton sleeve. The fabric is a 19th Century reproduction print and the skirt is calf length, which was the appropriate length for a pre-teen girl during the Victorian Era."
Photographed without a crinoline...
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