TV Ate My Wardrobe

It’s been a big red carpet week thanks to the Emmys (for all our coverage head here) and so Out of the Box is going to return its focus to the costuming that has caught our eye on TV this week. Featuring characters that are Out of the Box regulars and some new faces this is a snapshot of the week on TV and costuming that has caught our attention.

The penultimate episode of Breaking Bad saw Walter White isolated and broken as he started a new life in a cabin somewhere in New Hampshire. It’s not much of a life as he has to spend $10,000 for an hour of company and two copies of Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is all he has to watch. His first attempt to leave the cabin begins with him putting on the Heisenberg hat; a symbol of the empire he had created and the elusive figure that was feared. Combined with the parka coat and the surroundings this takes any of the menace out of it and the trip is futile, with Walt returning to his cabin of solitude. The next time we see him venture outside he has ditched the Heisenberg hat and opted for a more sensible beanie and it appears as if Heisenberg has gone for good. That is until he sees the Charlie Rose interview with his former partners and for one last episode Heisenberg is set to return.

Oh Sleepy Hollow you are the most nonsensical fun that is on TV at the moment and the first two episodes have certainly squeezed a lot of mythology into them. The one thing that is grounding the show is the central relationship between Tom Mison’s Ichabod Crane and Nicole Beharie’s Lt. Abbie Mills. The crazy story part isn’t necessarily what hooks people into a show; it’s the chemistry between the characters that increases the satisfaction of a journey like this and it makes the ridiculous moments easier to swallow. Ichabod is still dressed in the clothes he arrived in and it’s unclear whether he will get a wardrobe update. This helps with the notion that he isn’t from this time and I can’t quite picture him in jeans and a t-shirt, though I also really want to see the inevitable makeover episode when they don’t have witches and headless horseman to deal with.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is another new show that benefits from a strong central pairing with Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher playing two very different cops. Braugher is the new Captain at the precinct Andy Samberg’s Detective Jake Peralta works at and the second episode reinforced the conflict between Jake’s easy going style and Captain Holt’s by the book attitude. Uniform has been a point of contention in both the pilot and with their undercover surveillance this week; Jake is seeing how far he can push his new captain. Jake’s minivan disguise is Harvey Norgenbloom and Harvey wears sandals, not the best footwear choice for chasing after bad guys. This push and pull works because Samberg is so good at doing the goofy manchild role and Braugher has the perfect level of deadpan. I’ve been impressed with both of these episodes and how quickly these characters have been established.

Jess got wasted on New Girl this week after Nick’s solid advice that drinking makes you cooler and her hangover outfit is wonderful; the plaid shirt she slept in – it looks like it could be one of Nick’s but it’s actually a woman’s shirt that you can buy here – the key is that it is baggy as you don’t want anything too tight after a night of heavy drinking and toilet bowl dancing. The sunglasses are an important addition as is the coffee cup that Jess is clutching (a can of Diet Coke is my preferred solution).

It’s April’s yellow mustard hoodie that is top of my clothing wish list and you’d be surprised how hard it is to find something this simple. Parks and Recreation returned for season 6 yesterday with a double bill episode and a trip to London (and Scotland). April’s dress at the awards ceremony is the same Alice + Olivia dress that Gossip Girl’s Kelly Rutherford was seen wearing at New York Fashion Week. Along with this mustard hoodie there are other repeated outfits featured in this premiere of Parks and Rec that are on my most wanted list including Leslie’s mixed polka dot blouse and it makes sense to reuse costumes with these types of characters.

Special mention has to go to the wardrobe of Jean-Ralphio and Mona Lisa; this more than double denim explosion is as amazing as Jean-Ralphio’s hair is huge.

Tags: Andre Braugher, Andy Samberg, Aubrey Plaza, Ben Schwartz, Breaking Bad, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Bryan Cranston, Heisenberg Hat, Jenny Slate, New Girl, Parks and Recreation, Sleepy Hollow, Tom Mison, Zooey Deschanel