Even if the dark clothes came much later than Scully’s abduction, I still think there are changes in how Scully looks after her abduction. Her hair got much redder, and her make-up colours (both lips and eyes) much brighter. Maybe it’s not so much a ‘darkening’ as a ‘brightening’ for Scully?

Her hair colour in ‘One Breath’ is a much deeper red than it previously had been (her hair colour in season 1 and early season 2 was more reddish brown or brownish red – depending on light and the colours of her clothes). But in ‘One Breath’ her hair is bright red; in the scene where Scully sits in the rowboat wearing a black coat her hair is shiny red. Soooo beautiful!
And from ‘Firewalker’ on (the episode after ‘One Breath’), she always wears bright red lipstick - even when she is “roughing it” out in the wild.

I like the idea that the use of brighter colours indicates a character development for Scully.
We know the abduction was traumatic for her – so could the use of brighter colours have been a celebration that she survived something horrible and came out feeling good about that? Or that she started to use more make-up as a protection or mask against a world she now felt more vulnerable in?

I don't really know much about this stuff, but don't many pregnant woman avoid using hair dye because of the noxious chemicals? It's possible they had wanted to change Scully's hair for a while, but had to wait until GA gave birth before going ahead.

I'm pretty sure that the hair dye/preggers women thing is a thing of the past now. They make hair dye out of natural stuff now - my colorist uses a german product that has no chemicals in it and has been using it for quiet a few years now. I think that even 7 or 8 years ago (how old is Piper?) they had natural products to use.

Why I know so much about hair dye is none of your business. (Except I've been coloring my hair since 1983 - oy)

Any wardrobe decision that doesn't involve Scully wearing Season 1's hideous white tights is okay by me. The first time that season was repeated, it took about 4 episodes for me to stop wincing everytime they got screen time. Were they supposed to signify naivety or did the budget not run to more than one shade?

I like all of the fashions with the exception of the early episodes. I was never a fan of the fashions of the 90s. In my opinion, it looks like the stylists bought Scully's entire wardrobe before they realized they should shop in petites. The trenchcoats were ugly, and no one figured out before the promo pictures that neither Duchovny or Anderson is flattered by white. See here.

Aside from that, I loved all of the fashions. I, too, have gotten a Scully haircut. I loved her clothes in the movie. Also the nice suits and sweaters. I'm so tempted to buy the cute high heels from FTF, but then I realize that I'm 5'9" and really don't need 6" heels.

I have never seen that promo picture before! We're they being ironic with all the white and light? And THIS one?
http://newxfiles2000.tripod.com/R09.jpg
It looks like an ad for a soap opera!

I like our duo best shrouded in darkness:
http://xfphotos.fredfarm.com/extras/promos...os/ms/ms_89.jpg

And I defy you NOT to laugh at this one!
http://newxfiles2000.tripod.com/R30.jpg

Is that really a "serious" promo picture? Oh, dear.

Am I the only one who can't see ejluther's first and third images? The link goes to a page that says, "This image hosted by Tripod" but doesn't contain any images.

Yes, I believe the white clothing was meant seriously. Notice that you never after that picture see our characters dressed in white...

You might want to copy and paste the links into your browser; sometimes they get all uppity and stop "hot-linking" (i think that's what the kids call it), you know, when a photo (and not an actual website) is linked to from outside said website...

What was going on with Scully the Flying Nun? It looks more like something zany she would have been made to do on a magazine shoot than a promo picture.

I agree that white is neither actor's color, but they still both looked cute in that first picture. So happy and innocent. Sigh.

IIRC, the Flying Nun picture was part of a Gillian Anderson article in Entertainment Weekly (or US, I can't remember which). They had her posing as different characters from TV shows - I remember that she was Morticia Addams in one and Lucy (from I love Lucy) in another.

They did look cute, happy and innocent, yes. That doesn't exactly say X-Files, though, does it?

ETA: just saw that flying nun pic. Hilarious!

The flying nun is hilarious!



There are oodles of pictures with shippy MS. A lot of which are from the first few seasons. I always assumed it was either to have some fun with the stressed MS dynamic, or to draw viewers.

Back on topic... What do you think were the most out of character clothes they ever gave Mulder or Scully? I remember in "all things," Mulder was wearing the ball cap and windbreaker, and it really didn't look like his clothes at all.

i still can't see the photos you're all talking about. that pisses me off.

as for out of character - yeah, the baseball cap in all things and also in Amor Fati. and - for heaven's sake - Scully in Darkness Falls. but i am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for that one as GA was expecting and Scully had yet to become the epitome of elegance under professional strain and personal peril.

but, and i know this may be controversial, but stylistically speaking i always found the fact of the red speedos quite shockingly out of character. i mean, they surely can't be FBI regulation issue? i just think Mulder would have chosen something less flashy and more modest.

I always assumed the speedo was the choice of those who thought it would draw more female viewers and would not have been Mulder's choice. Doesn't fit with anything else he ever wore.

Well, as far as the Speedo, I understand they really are superior for serious swimmers, less drag and all that, so perhaps if Mulder was serious about swimming, he'd wear them. Plus, he just looks good.

Oh, and Glasgow? If cutting and pasting links into your browser won't work, then try this link:
http://newxfiles2000.tripod.com/X-Files.html
That's the home page for the photos - go to "pictures" and then root around and you should find them all. Worst comes to worst? Let me know and I'll email them to you or something...

the flying nun photo was in enertainment weekly. i remember reading the article. this photo was also from that same feature.

thanks for the additional link, ejluther. were you talking about the shoot with both of them in white, including the trench coats? i'm fairly certain that one was done for the UK's Radio Times (so called because it has been published weekly by the bbc since before the advent of household television), so it's not strictly speaking a promo shoot. i think it's a blast, they both look kinda relieved to be doing something different. i can't fins the flying nun one, but as i'm on my sister's pc and it's very old and slow so i'll wait to get back to the office before i try it.

Oh, GA as Lucy is great!

Can't get the "this photo" picture from the link. Can someone post the url so I can copy/paste?

Here you go:
http://newxfiles2000.tripod.com/R29.jpg

Just an FYI: if you right click on a weblink and choose "properties", you'll see the address and be able to copy it there, too...

Thanks for the url and the tip!

right-click "copy shortcut" also works.

and the fact that she's dressed up as lucy ricardo never, ever occurred to me. how oblivious am i?

This one features some style choices that never really made it onto the show . Although GA's isn't too big of a difference than the pants suits Scully always looked wonderful in.

I love GA's hair when it got really short and brilliantly red somewhere in the late middle of the series. Although her hair looked fabulous in season 9, it drove me crazy because she'd were it down and then have a turtle neck on and it was just too much coverage for me. Plus, the short cut just seemed so much more practical since it just ended the need for ponytails when digging into chest cavities.

I don't know, slaughteredlamb. While it would be tough for GA to look less than beautiful, I did not love her season 9 long hair. I think she's more flattered by a short cut. Her stylists started to get it right partway through season 4 (bangs grown out, sides feathered back), and just perfected it on through season 6.

I actually love her S8 hair - absolutely wonderful! Such a vibrant colour and beautifully styled, with the wavy bits at the back.

I loved S9 Scully hair. I think part of it with the autopsies is that I always thought GA looked great in a ponytail. Lots of people can't pull them off, but she had that Audrey Hepburn hair-up look.

Although in seasons 1 and 2, when she had those short bangy things on the side hanging down (like in Ice) from her ponytail, it looked horrid.

I have to say that despite the badness of Scully's S.1 wardrobe, I really liked it for the sake of realism. She pretty much looked like the Jaclyn Smith collection from Wal-Mart or something like that, which actually was quite perfect. Think about it, what else would an FBI agent be able to afford? Her character isn't likely to be big into fashion anyway, so her ill-fitting, cheap-looking, off the rack wardrobe was exactly what Scully would be wearing.

Granted, I didn't start actually coveting anything from her wardrobe until the movie (loved that belted-waist suit), but I don't think Scully would have had the time to go shopping for that nice stuff. And in the later seasons when she got all boobalicious, it's not that I don't appreciate Scully-cleave, but really, would Scully wear a white button-down shirt that was so small on her that she could only button the buttons under her boobs, leaving the chest buttons open to reveal a little wife-beater and her ample, post-baby bosom? Who do they think she is, Buffy?

Heh. I have nothing - just Heh!

Well, I think as you grow older you start to really develop your sense of style and maybe Scully finally started working it.

Of course, she's not a real person, so I think it was just that Fox started throwing more money at the wardrobe department.

I agree. Plus people in general seemed to wake up and realize that DD was not the only gorgeous person on this creepy little show...

and that if they wanted to stay gorgeous they had to ditch the high-talking, and evidently the spectacles as well.

has anyone charted the last appearance of either M's or S's specs?

Aw, the specs. I like the specs. On both of them, really, but especially Mulder.

As for glam-Scully - I think she makes her first appearance around Season 4. It seems like after Season 3, GA just got more and more movie star-like. And you?

you know, GA recently gave an interview on Parkinson saying that once she had had Piper she had spent the best part of two seasons feeling like the goodyear blimp and she felt that she had to compensate for that by showing another side of how she could be, so Scully and GA both ditched a lot of the frumpy stuff they had been used to wearing (and that she personally did a couple of photoshoots that were cheesy or revealing that she kinda now thinks of as misguided).

i think that, having taken that decision, it probably took her season three to start jibing properly with wardrobe department so season 4 would most likely be my bet.

...only, which season is War of the C? she's at home with hair up and has reading glasses then, i seem to recall. and she's wearing that awful primary school teacher waistcoat (a la Jersey Devil). that could be the exception that tests the rule. but in Bad Blood she has a snazzy cut-slim-to-the-body trouser suit, in which she bounces around on the magic fingers...

maybe i'm confused.

WOTC is Season 3. I don't know when the specs last appeared but my hunch is that it was later for Scully than Mulder.

When I watch later season episodes, I kind of miss frumpy Scully--the poor girl hardly ever gets to wear casual clothes in Seasons 3/4 and beyond. She's so cute in Darkness Falls and Ice. The Jersey Devil date outfit was fairly hideous though.

WoTC is in Season 3 - I have to say that, although I love-love-love glam-Scully, I find the early, more dorky Scully endearing, too.

As for GA feeling "like the Goodyear blimp" (a bit harsh on herself, but I understand the concept of self-criticism), I remember thinking during Season 9 that if she'd gained that little bit of weight back in Season 8, it would have helped the pregnancy line; she was one skinny pregnant lady...

Scully wore the specs as least as late as "The Sixth Extinction". Not sure when Mulder's disappeared. Maybe after "Paper Hearts"?

She was cute in Darkness Falls, despite the weird hair situation. I just watched that again last night. She looked so young, I can't believe she was only 24 in that first season. Makes me feel OLD.

The thing about Scully and bad wardrobe is that she was a total nerd, and rightfully so. She had spent the majority of her life up to that point as an overachiever in school. She's a big geek and it's believable for a big geek not to care much for fashion or hairstyle. It was fitting for her at a younger age. But I have no problem with her evolving and growing up a bit in the fashion sense. Remember, it was the early 90's at the beginning and none of us can claim innocence from bad fashion choices back then. It was still pretty much the 80's fashion-wise.

Wasn't Scully wearing her glasses in either Within or Without when she was doing the background check on Doggett?

Yeah Naycapa. It's nice to see that someone else also prefered the earlier, less stylish, but more realistic costumes. It always hindered my suspension of disbelief in the later seasons when M&S joined the FBI, Special Couture Division.

Count me in on this one as well. I LOVED the fugly old clothes. As a matter of fact, Darkness Falls was my first episode, and a large (really -- a LARGE) part of what I liked about the show was that the two leads were so grubby and non-glam. Soon after, I saw Red Museum, and the "She Is One" girl came wandering out of the woods, and I was impressed by her underwear, because it looked all plain and ordinary, like the kind of underwear you might be wearing when you DIDN'T know you were going to be on TV.

I also adore Scully's Deep Throat outfit. In later years I was always nostalgic for the days when they'd get back to their hotel and immediately change into casual clothes. After a while you were lucky to even see Scully kick off her high heels.

I do think they both looked great in their fancy couture digs (well -- until wardrobe/Gillian/whoever got on the kick for wrinkly, unbuttoned blouses and that leather coat that everyone else loves but I detest). But part of me just ADORES that hideous plaid jacket Scully had in the first season, and her furry clumpy winter boots, and her big-ass clunker of a digital watch. And this outfit. Hee hee heeeee. I'd take that ensemble over this one any day. It's expensive AND hideous, instead of Hideous, But With Spunk, Dammit!

And how increasingly high the heels became! That scene in the movie after Scully appears before the panel (the one Mulder got booted from because he was late) wherein she tells him she'd quit if she was reassigned? She sort of teeters back and forth on her nine-inch heels at the end, and I always wonder if this is the time she topples right over.

I don't know how GA did it. I wore three inch heels to a wedding last October. It was terrible- and embarassing. I kept having to lean on things as I walked. Did Gillian wear high heels in her spare time to practice? Is this something someone is born with or can it be learned? I seriously want to learn not to look so awkward in heels. Sometimes a girl wants to be tall-- or above 5'2. Whatever.

I can see how Scully was able to wear the heels, but her feet must have been killing her! I can do pretty much anything in heels: dance, run, climb up a mountain. BUT I always pay a high price at the end of the day. Scully must have had gel insoles or something.

I think the heels were not only an asthetic choice but a practical one. GA probably got tired of standing on boxes for every scene.

This reminds me of the blooper Fox ran as a promo before the Burtisode. GA falls backward off her applebox and grabs Robert Patrick's shoulders and Annabeth Gish just starts cracking up. Too cute.

apeygirl, it definitely seems like an inherited trait to be able to wear high heels, and I didn't inherit it either. I have one pair of 3-inch heels that I wear for fancy occasions, and I had to break down and put a gel pad where the ball of my foot goes.

I was just watching a season 1 ep (I'm going through the DVD set in order), I think it may have been Genderbender but I'm watching so many every day that I may be confused. But she was running in a dark alley and I noticed that she had little heels on, maybe 1.5 inches at the most. And even then I pointed out that I seriously doubt an agent in the field would where any sort of heel, considering the high possibility that you could be running after or away from a crazy killer. In an ep I watched the next day, she was wearing flats and I was satisfied.

Why would they make GA stand on boxes? Everyone knows that she's small, who are they trying to fool?

I think part of the time it's done just to get to people of disparate heights in the same shot, not merely to make the one look taller. If DD is a foot or so taller than GA, their heads might not both fit in a tight shot of them standing and talking.

Whyever they do it, once you notice it's fun to watch for Scully's constantly changing height. One second she only comes up to Mulder's shoulder, and poof! a second later they're almost eye to eye.

Seems like the emotion of the scene dictates Scully's height. When she's upset and gets a hug from Mulder, she always looks shorter to me. Or maybe that's just because DD's 9" taller...

Yeah, it always tickles me when I notice it. I remember one emotional conversation in particular -- I think it was the one at the end of Amor Fati, the contant/touchstone one. And she is reeeeeally tall in the closeups -- almost taller than he is. Like, what did they have her standing on, an end table? A pony? It's a little silly.

Oh, I know -- it's the one when she kisses his eyebrow, and I remember thinking, she shouldn't even be able to REACH his eyebrow, man. At least not without him bending a whole lot more than he is. Heh.