Although Tiana spends much of the film as a frog in the bayou, she is firmly in the world of 1920s New Orleans. Jim Crow laws were in effect during the 1920s, and New Orleans was a segregated city. At the same time, New Orleans was a cultural center and the birthplace of jazz.
Women in that era wore straight, curveless dresses with dropped waists. Hair was worn in a short bob, and small hats and headpieces emphasized the haircut. Makeup was inspired by Hollywood: penciled-in arched eyebrows, eyeliner, mascara, rouged cheeks, and dark red lipstick.