#television costumes
Monthly “Dress a Day” Challenges for the Rest of the Year
The original “One Dress a Day/Week” challenge will end on June 30. I’ve really been enjoying this project, though, and I’d like to keep going! I have given some thought to some more monthly challenges to finish out the year, and I’m pleased to announce the theme challenges I’m setting for myself. Here’s what I have planned, along with the tags I plan to use:
Monochrome July: Best costumes from black-and-white movies. Real-life color unknown or irrelevant.
Multicolored August: Moving to the other extreme, this month will feature an explosion of color. Too many colors to fit into any single-color theme month.
The Men of September: From business suits to wizard’s robes, let’s give the men’s costumes some love!
Black-and-White October: Not to be confused with Monochrome July, this is for the costumes based around the specific and very classic combination of black and white. (One reason why I waited until today to make this announcement was because I wanted to see if I could get through the month of white and the month of black without using any black-and-white outfits!)
Not-a-Dress November: Pantsuits. Pajamas. Bathing suits. Really amazing hats. This month is for all those great costumes that aren’t actually dresses.
Anything Goes December: Just what it says. Could include runners-up, afterthoughts, clothes worn by stars “as themselves,” cases where I’m not quite sure how to classify the color, and generally anything else that just doesn’t fit into one of the other categories.
Anyone who wants to is, of course, welcome to join me for one or more of these month-long challenges. I’m looking forward to it!
One Dress a Week Challenge
April: Black
Shadow and Bone / Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov
For the transition from the month of black into the month of gold and silver, we have this spectacular embroidered long coat, known as a kefta in the setting. (Seriously, if you’re a fan of embroidery porn, this is the show for you.) The coat itself is made of some sort of heavy textured fabric, with what looks to be a plush edging. The embroidered rays of light in gold and silver signify Alina’s unique ability as the Sun Summoner. The belt buckle features the double eagle of Ravka.
It’s hard to get a good look at the whole garment, but it comes down to her ankles and seems to have slits at the sides for ease in walking. I like her hair ornament too.
One Dress a Week Challenge
June: Grey
The Norman Conquests / Penelope Keith as Sarah
I mean, it’s the 1970s, so that’s an automatic penalty in my book–but as 1970s dresses go, this one is actually kind of interesting. The long-stemmed, stylized flowers (poppies?) give it a sort of “Japanese print” aesthetic. The visible bra line is unfortunate, though!
One Dress a Week Challenge
June: Grey
Shadow and Bone / Daisy Head as Genya Safin
I love Genya’s kefta, but I debated where to put it. It’s sometimes described as white, but it looked too dark to fit in with the other white dresses. I considered silver, but it wasn’t very shiny, so I finally settled on grey.
Genya’s kefta is unique not only because she is a Tailor (a rare ability) but also because she is a member of the palace staff rather than attached to the army like most other grisha. It doesn’t follow the usual color scheme, and it also appears to be shorter and lighter-weight than the ones worn in the field; compare Alina’s black kefta, which is ankle-length. The belt buckle seems to have an image of the Ravkan double eagle, like Alina’s.
One Dress a Week Challenge
May: Gold & Silver
Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries / Geraldine Hakewill as Peregrine Fisher
Peregrine wears this dress to a New Year’s Eve party. It may be inspired by the famous Paco Rabanne silver dress from Two for the Road, although it has a different neckline and the decor is slightly more elaborate. The top part has beads mixed with sparse sequins, and the sequins get thicker going down the skirt. This creates a subtle effect in which the bottom half of the dress looks darker, but also shinier. See below for a comparison.
For accessories, Peregrine wears a gold openwork bracelet and ring, earrings that seem meant to match the dress (but I can’t quite tell what they’re made of), gold nail polish, and gold high-heeled sandals with laced straps. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a good screencap showing the sandals.
One Dress a Week Challenge
May: Gold & Silver
Batman (Batman 66) / Eartha Kitt as Catwoman
This is a deep cut, and to be honest, the dress itself is nothing special … but it made me chuckle, so I wanted to include it! Catwoman steals the famed “golden fleece” dress from Queen Bess of Belgravia (pictured below) because she’s angry at being left off Gotham City’s “best dressed list” while Batgirl, of all people, made the cut.
Before rewatching this episode, I had not seen Batman 66 since I was approximately ten years old. While I knew it was lighthearted, I never fully appreciated exactly how silly it was before seeing it as an adult. Eartha Kitt was having positively indecent amounts of fun with all the dastardly plans and cat puns. And Batman proclaiming solemnly, “Catwoman is evil, but she is attractive” made my day.
Oh, and the dress: it’s made of some fairly stiff material in a “fairytale princess” sort of shape. It does fit pretty well, at least! There’s a bit of rickrack at the sleeves and hem. Catwoman accessorizes with her trademark black mask, plus a fan and a necklace of gold medallions.
One Dress a Week Challenge
May: Gold & Silver
Leverage (“The Girls’ Night Out Job”) / Beth Riesgraf as Parker
Parker wears this gold minidress with matching pumps to a formal event (after stealing someone’s dry cleaning because she needed fancy clothes on short notice). For such a simple silhouette, the construction of the dress is surprisingly intricate. You can see the seams down the sides and darts in the back to make it more form-fitting, plus ruching in two directions in the front and multiple straps across the back. The complicated arrangement of straps might also be a plus for her, as it would remind her of her climbing harness!
As a bonus, Tara and Sophie also appear in their dresses in a couple of shots.
One Dress a Week Challenge
May: Gold & Silver
The Scarlet Pimpernel / Jane Seymour as Marguerite St. Just Blakeney
I thought at first that this gown was styled a little too early, but after doing a little research, I think it’s spot on. The story is set in 1792, which was about the last gasp of the “classic” 18th-century style before waistlines started creeping upward. Already, the panniers have disappeared, and the hairstyles are more wide than tall.
Costume design is credited to Phyllis Dalton. I doubt she had a huge budget, but this dress looks appropriately lavish for the wife of a nobleman to wear to a ball. The gold lace around the neckline is a particularly nice touch, as it appears in all the close-up shots.
The decorated underskirt only shows briefly when she’s walking or moving, but I managed to get a couple of screencaps where it’s visible.
One Dress a Week Challenge
May: Gold & Silver
Magic City / Elena Satine as Judi Silver
I haven’t seen this series, but according to the description, it’s set in Miami starting in 1959. This character looks to be a bombshell type, and the simple sheath dress covered in sequins is certainly eye-catching, even without the diamond necklace.
The popular image of 1950s fashion is of flared skirts, but the stripped-down sheath look existed alongside that style for much of the decade. The contrast is even a plot point in Bells Are Ringing, with the dress that was the subject of my very first “Dress a Week” post, here.