TV Ate My Wardrobe

It’s all about the color red on this edition of “Out of the Box” as both costuming on TV shows and public appearances have been hit by scarlet fever and as December is fast approaching (shh we have started our gift buying yet) we thought it was time to get into the festive spirit. Not that any of these outfits are celebrating the holidays, instead we have the uniform of the enemy, more coat envy, the launch of a new Banana Republic line and a bold red carpet statement.

First up it’s those pesky Hessian riders on Sleepy Hollow and their uniform is made all the more menacing by their black masks (no there isn’t an Eyes Wide Shut party around the corner). The masks have a slight beaked quality and while they’re not as severe as the plague doctor masks it’s an incredibly unnerving look. In this week’s Sleepy Hollow we found out the original identity of the Headless Horseman; he’s Ichabod’s former BFF Abraham. Abraham was engaged to Katrina and well we all know who she ended up marrying. This development was unexpected and Abraham’s transformation involved not only offering up his soul but shedding everything about his appearance. Red is seldom used as a clothing choice outside of these flashbacks with Abbie and Ichabod sticking to blues, greys and blacks. This makes it instantly identifiable with being the color of the enemy.

I’ve already discussed Jess’ red coat from this week’s New Girl and Mindy’s Smythe red floral brocade affair is yet another excellent outerwear offering. Mindy’s wardrobe is full of bright and bold pieces like this and costume designer Salvador Perez often puts Mindy in a variety of colors and textures. This ensemble includes two different monochromatic patterns (hearts and houndstooth) that shouldn’t go together with this crimson coat, but do. The red helps Mindy stand out in the sea of darker coat colors.

Christina Hendricks and Jessica Paré both shine in red tones at the launch party celebrating the new L’Wren Scott Collection for Banana Republic. While I would have preferred to see them without the draped sparkly cardigans and together they look super matchy-matchy, I do like the ruffled blouse with the fitted skirts (especially Paré’s combination).

Now here’s how you wear a red suit and matching shoes, while we wouldn’t recommend this look for everyone, it suits Alan Cumming’s daring style. It’s a big contrast to the grey suit stylings of Eli Gold on The Good Wife and Cumming likes to have fun with fashion when he hits the red carpet. It’s a really well tailored suit and it fits him perfectly.

Tags: Alan Cumming, Banana Republic, Christina Hendricks, costume design, Jessica Pare, L'Wren Scott, Mad Men, Mindy Kaling, Sleepy Hollow, The Good Wife, The Mindy Project