Besides great storytelling, nuanced characters, compelling dialogue, and great direction, costume design is one of the most important facets of a TV show. Well-dressed and era-appropriate characters keep an audience coming back for more, whether they realize it or not. Careful costuming pushes the narrative forward, helps build the personality of a character, and shares a symbiotic relationship with various visual aspects like settings and colors of a show.
In fact, the outfits of a TV show sometimes become its identity (a good case in point being Gossip Girl where outfits were ahead of their time). In the age of streaming, fans turn to Netflix first to watch new content, and the streaming giant has a plethora of television shows to choose from, with some of them standing out sartorially.
The Crown
Amy Roberts was tasked with the enormous feat of recreating the real-life costumes of the Windsor family while adding a touch of originality to them. By virtue of being royals, the British monarchy wore some really complex outfits and jewelry pieces and Roberts translated them to the reel beautifully (especially with some of Diana’s best dresses).
Apart from replicating iconic looks, she also created vibrant original costumes which were inspired by the Queen, Charles, Prince Philip, the Queen Mother, and Lady Diana among others. Through Diana’s and Margaret Thatcher’s wardrobe choices, she brought through their tense relationships with the royals and their emotional mindsets, which is no mean feat.
Stranger Things
The costuming of Netflix’s runaway hit sci-fi and horror show was achieved by several designers: Kimberly Adams and Malgosia Turzanska for season 1, Kim Wilcox for season 2, and Amy Parris for season 3. The show takes place in the 1980s, an era famous for its style, and the designers kept the clothes historically accurate.
The bright colors, psychedelic prints, the pleated shorts and t-shirt combo, baggy jeans (now known as mom jeans), big accessories, high-cut swimsuits, and crew socks made Stranger Things a visual treat to watch. The vintage look and feel of the show were achieved by actually sourcing vintage clothes and also creating them from scratch.
Elite
Cristina Rodriguez explored several themes while designing the costumes for the suspenseful and dramatic, Elite; some of the themes being Spanish Gen Z style, personalized preppy school chic, modest dressing, and unisex fashion. Each character had a very distinct dress sense (like Lu with her hairbands and pearls) but that didn’t mean that their wardrobes didn’t evolve with their stories.
The customized school uniforms were a highlight on the show, which were done with the addition of small but important details like accessories, the roll of a sleeve, or a certain type of bag to represent each classmate’s personality. The Spanish show continues to enthrall audiences with its cool costuming.
Bridgerton
Nobody can deny the fantastical world of dresses and jewels that was Bridgerton. Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick didn’t focus on historical accuracy, but on creating aspirational confections of organza, tulle, and embroidery which were inspired by the era. The 1800s empire-waistline dress with half corsets were given modern twists and bonnets were done away with.
Each family had a color palette, which represented their social status and wealth. The generationally wealthy Bridgertons all wore tasteful blues, greens, and silvers, while the nouveau riche Featheringtons donned too-bright citrusy yellows, pinks, and oranges. The costume design was absolutely perfect for the kind of sexy, vintage show that Bridgerton was, and really pulled in crowds.
Glow
The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling had some of the most interesting costumes seen on-screen. The spandex suits, sparkling glitter, and stand-out applique work on the wrestlers is the doing of Beth Morgan, who made sure that the most important trend of the ’80s appeared on Glow: shoulder pads.
Much of the show’s costuming was inspired by 80’s JCPenney and Sears catalogs, and the costuming was kept as real and authentic as it would have been in the time period, with the use of vintage fabrics, ruffles, headgear, and cuts. Glow captured the best of the women and men’s clothing beautifully and realistically, making it a fashionably standout show.
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina
Helmed by Angus Strathie, CAOS‘ wardrobe was gorgeous because of its themed colors and the feel of the perennial autumn that it brought with it. The time period that the show was set in was undefined, and Greendale seemed to exist in its own semi-vintage and semi-modern time pocket.
Sabrina’s red and black felt like a signature and was inspired by the late ’60s and early ’70s fashion. Ambrose wore velvets and ruffled shirts, and Prudence had a sort of bohemian aesthetic, which fit right into the witchy universe. The very best bit of the show’s closets was when it surprised audiences — with Sabrina’s unconventional all-gold gowns come to mind.
Peaky Blinders
Styled by Stephanie Collie and Alison McCosh, Peaky Blinders is easily one of the most influential shows in fashion. Tommy Shelby’s three-piece suit look, with his lethal baker boy hat and iconic overcoats was instantly emulated by people across the world, including the rich and famous.
The ladies on the show made a mark too, with their huge fur-collared coats, and drop-waist ’20s dresses, which signified their ostentatious wealth and gang connections subliminally. Helen McCrory’s Polly, who was Tommy’s right hand, especially went through a wonderful evolution from dresses to pantsuits, which really reflected the power she had gained over the seasons.
The Umbrella Academy
This show was a maverick when it came to costume design, because no one character was dressed similarly, and some (like Grace who was a 1950s housewife inspired, along with Hargreeves who also had few old-world elements). Christopher Hargadon led the wardrobe on The Umbrella Academy and had an eclectic range of characters to style, and even veered from the comics in terms of some of their looks.
Luther, who was half-ape was dressed in eccentric space suits, Hazel and Cha-Cha wore matching suits, Vanya wore gender-fluid clothes, and Klaus had an all-black aesthetic. The diversity in looks made this a special show, sartorially.
Cable Girls
When one thinks of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby comes to mind instantly. However, for some scrumptious 20’s and 30’s fashion, viewers should turn to Helena Sanchís-designed Cable Girls on Netflix. Another show where there was a uniform to be designed, the show stayed faithful to the ’20s in terms of the dropped waist, straight fit with knife pleats, and little collar and button detailing, but chose a brighter blue palette to depict the colorful decade.
Many of the stunning beaded evening dresses on the show were actual vintage pieces restored for the show, and the evolution of the fashion from ’20s flapper to ’30s peplums, tailored suits, and belts was as natural as breathing. The flapper headbands were an absolute hit with fans too.
I Am Not Okay With This
If thrift store chic is what viewers are looking for, they’ll find it in Bex Crofton-Atkins-styled I Am Not Okay With This. Oversized jackets, chunky knits, band tees, corduroy, Bretton stripes, and converse are sprinkled generously in the show, along with Stanley’s moment of glory: a huge-lapelled, dramatic blue suit.
What stands out about the costuming of the show is how well coordinated it is with the visual palette of the show: comforting blues, yellows, and browns dominate the screen in total tandem with the clothing. While fans may not get answers to their burning questions about the show, they have these beautiful outfits to drink in.
