Even before the show starts, there's plenty to talk about regarding the hair and wardrobe choices for the characters! Some quick thoughts.

1. Donald Sutherland's "leonine mane" is clearly going to give Kyle Chandler's hair a run for its money in the "most discussed masculine mop" press category. Well over 2/3 of the press reports about the show I've seen have mentioned it.

2. The show is putting a lot of money into planning the look of the characters--not the clothes themselves so much as the stylists who are choosing them. In the Karen Darling, pretty python character thread, there's an interview with Natalie Zea (the actor who plays Karen), and she says:



Has anyone noticed who they're using for any of the others?

3. In the Actor: Peter Krause topic, lockiecharms mentioned:



So do you think that's intentional? Is it supposed to show a contrast with the very rich? Or is he supposed to be the earnest issues lawyer who's always too busy to ever get a good haircut?

4. Has there ever been anyone other than Rose Kennedy and Letitia Darling (Jill Clayburgh) who stayed that thin after that many kids?

5. Do you think it's intentional that Jeremy Darling's look is so much more British than anyone else in the family? (He's the youngest "layabout" son.) He's almost into Clockwork Orange territory. Is it too much of a charicature?

In any show with so many characters, the individual look is important to help viewers distinguish them early on. Any looks you love or hate so far?

Edited to add Sept. 23rd:

A friend points me to a NY Daily News article article on primetime fashion this fall, there's a short interview with Roberta Haze, DSM costume designer, talking mostly about jewelry and accessories. Brief acknowledgement that Letitia Darling's style is based in part on that of Nan Kempner and "looks more artsy than conservative," which confirms the first impression.

I think that this show is going to be so much fun when it comes to makeup, hair, and wardrobe for the characters. Although it sort of worries me that Karen Darling and I share the exact same haircolor and style.

I actually loved how Jeremy looked. The one discordant note was Karen's bright nailpolish, which stood out against her sister's black polish and even Mrs Lawyer's navyish polish. What fashionista wears bright pink nailpolish in the fall these days?



I'm hoping its a character thing and as he gets sucked into the Darlings world he gets a better haircut. And I hope its soon, because he's a fine man but the hair is awful. However, I'm kind of digging Sutherland's lion mane.

And Jill Clayburgh looks amaaaaazing.

The play that Juliet is acting is in "Wait Until Dark," and the central character is a blind woman. It is not uncommon for a woman learning the part to wear a blindfold part of the time so that she can learn to move as though she were indeed blind. (Indeed, part of the staging requires that the set be dark at times.) I was amused at the attention to detail in Juliet's costume--she had a matching "jazzy" blindfold (pushed up on her head when not needed), obviously custom made to match the dress, rather than the standard black or white.

One can easily imagine her reaction when first presented with the standard black blindfold:

"Ewwww. I'm not wearing that!"
"It's not for the play itself, Ms. Darling, no one will see you in it. It's just for rehearsals."
"Take it away!"

And the wardrobe people coming up with the pink and purple patterned one as a solution.

Can't even remember the press for Commander in Chief, but he had the same "mane" then.

If they show Brian dressed in RC monsignor drag again, I will throw something heavy through the screen! They used the St. Bart's exterior - how difficult would it be to get a costume consult from the Episcopal Church?

What brand were those $1200 heels that Karen bought for Lisa? I'm still baffled that a pair of pumps (even in TV rich land) would go for that much. Manolo and Choo pumps don't even go for that much moolah.

Sure they do. If a woman is wearing a $7,000 daytime suit, she'll easily spend $1,000 to $1,500 for the shoes to go with it. Manolo's most expensive shoes are the famous $14,000 alligator boots. Chanel has $2,500 alligator pumps. Ferragamo has $2300 alligator pumps as well. Jimmy Choo has some $1800 crocodile stilettos in red. Bottega does some snakeskin shoes that are over $1,000.

Most women's shoes over $1,500 are made of exotic materials (alligator is typical), and available only in the line's signature boutique in New York, London, or Paris. But they're available.

Karen also wears Louboutin--even the low end shoes run around $800 a pair, and I'm sure Karen wears the more expensive boutique line.

I'm really fond of the little red lapel accent on Tripp's suits.

Does anyone know where I could get some decent screencaps of Lisa's haircut? I love it and I am thinking it's time for a change, I feel like cutting a good ten inches off my hair.

I need a haircut too, something short and cute. So I've been doing some looking around and taking notice of short hair. Lisa's hair just seems somehow off to me. It looked a little lopsided somehow in the pilot and just plain weird. In ep2 I thought they'd fixed it but then in ep3 it looked funny again. There's something I can't quite put my finger on but there's definitely something awkward about it. Does anyone else see it?

Try here

Lisa has a kind of inverted bob, somewhat tight in the back and long and mostly one length in the front. Her hair actually sorta falls between a traditional bob and an inverted one. Typically the front should be longer than the back with an inverted and hers seems like it's the same length as the back. I think it looks lopsided at times because they often style it with her hair pushed over her ear on one side. That style looks cute on a shorter, tighter bob but hers is too long. I have a shorter inverted bob right now but I recently had it cut from a longer bob which was around my shoulders and didn't look right styled like they often have Lisa's.

Thanks for the info and pictures, now I just have to try to make a decision about what to do with my hair. I agree with you, I like Lisa's hair sometimes, but sometimes it seems as if it styled badly.

Watched the first episode again. I prefer PK, DS and SG's hair in the pilot to the later versions, though they all still look great of course. Nick's was slightly longer and darker, had kind of an '80s soap look that oddly suited PK and made him look extra-cute. Jeremy's hair was slightly shorter and neater and IMO suited him better, and Tripp's hair wasn't curled like in later episodes but allowed to flow free in its natural leonine awesomeness.

I don't quite get what they are aiming for with Nicks muttonchops, but since Tripp has them it has to be on purpose.

I hope they never clean up Jeremy. His messy looks are part of what makes him unforgettable to me.

Lisa and Ellen (Patrick's wife, if I have the name right) have almost identical facial features. Anybody else notice that? If their coloring was the same and their haircuts were the same I think their heads would be indistingushable.

I agree...I always figured since they mirrored Tripp's, and Jeremy (and to some extent Brian) had similar sideburns, but Patrick had sideburns more like Simon's it was a outward manifestation of affiliation. To me, it was a visual representation of Nick being aligned (or pretending to be aligned) with Tripp, and it's interesting that in the last episode they started to get smaller, and it seems like that trend continues in the previews. Nick's hair has also getting a little better groomed at the same time, which to me seems like an outward manifestation of his increased wealth and social status since he's gone to work for the Darlings (his suits have also been a bit better tailored lately, too)

On one hand, I'm enjoying watching it, as a expression of the character's journey; on the other hand, the shallow part of me is enjoying it, too, because I think PK looks much better when his sideburns aren't overwhelming the rest of his features.

ETA: Once again, I can't believe I've spent this much time thinking about, or commenting on, sideburns. Oh, show! You make me a crazy person.

But young Dutch in the pilot also had sideburns. On the other hand, it was the late '70s so his were more understandable. I'm glad they didn't give Peter Strauss sideburns.

Patrick has sideburns as well? I never noticed, but maybe it's because I don't really focus that much on BB's looks, as opposed to Krause/Fitzgerald/Sutherland (yes, him too! Even though he's my granddad's age. It's so wrong. But then, he is The Sutherland.)

And speaking of Simon, I don't like his look. Yes, Blair Underwood is a good-looking guy, but here he's so...manscaped-looking? And those cheesy outfits/necklaces he wears aren't helping. Plus the fact that his character sucks, so I'm totally not feeling BU in the role.

This show has made me a crazy person too! I usually don't go on about people's hair.

He doesn't really. They're more like Simon's, kind of more than halfway up his ears and not very noticable.

My God, it's like the Priestley vs. Perry Sideburn Debates of the 90s...

We've never seen Brian out of priestly garb, have we? I think we soon will be. I can't imagine Brian being much on keeping up with trendy style, so I can envision him looking like jumbled crap, but that would be such a waste of GF's ex-model bone structure, so I bet we see Bri much more put togeter than we think he might turn out.

I, for one, love Lisa's style. Her hair, her outfits, make-up, etc. While a lesser show might make her a "lesser" compared to Karen and what beauty her wealth might bring her, Lisa more than stands on her own.

Talk about this show making me crazy: I've seen GF in other roles so obviously I've seen him in non-priestly garb, but I've never seen Brian Darling in non-priestly garb, and somehow it's going to be different and I'm looking forward to it.

I love how every Darling sibling has a distinct look when it comes to clothes. I don't think we'll ever see Patrick wearing something that Jeremy wears, and vice versa. Even Karen and Juliet dress so differently. And I have to say how much I love the twins' clothes. So colorful, and they suit the characters perfectly.

I've seen GF in a few things, but I don't think in any of those things I've ever, ever seen him in a suit, so seeing him all fancied up will be fun. (And he's been saddled in the Lord's black enough; a nice blue buttondown would bring out his eyes, wardrobe dept.!)

Tish's shapeless dress that she wore when telling Brian the truth was atrocious. Jill Clayburgh is such a slim woman and that dress (esp. n the neck area) just emphasized it.

Brian is very attached to his dog collar - he even wears it at the breakfast table. I bet he wears it in the bath - or, if not, then I think we should at least put the theory to the test. Maybe Episcopalians are very formal, but in the good old C of E, your average vicar wears normal clothes most of the time, unless he/she is out on official business or conducting a ceremony.

What is Tripp's (and why two 'p's in 'Tripp', that makes no sense) little red lapel pin? It has to have some significance.

I've noticed that too; though juding from the half-second shot of him in the promo, he's ditching it.

I've noticed that too; though judging from the half-second shot of him in the promo, he's ditching it.

Okay, ya'll were throwing me with the phrase, "dog collar." I thought perhaps I had missed some kinky detour in Brian's storyline.

wonky server--ignore.

Seeing a casual-wear Brian is one big ol' reason I'm excited for tomorrow night. IT would be cheesy, but I'd love to see Jeremy and Juliet try to dress him.

Keeps confusing me too! I've known many an Episcopal minister in my life, and none of worn the collar outside of church or functions directly related to their spiritual role (like, at a wedding reception, but not, for example, as the chaperone on a youth group trip).

I keep thinking that they're trying to remind us of his internal contradictions. It's a stronger statement to show someone cheating on his wife if he's doing it while wearing a clerical collar.

Between Lisa's great outfits (that high-waisted four-button skirt-to die for!) and Brian's hipster black suit, the wardrobe department was on fire tonight.

Except for that pink (or purple? I forgot) little dress that Juliet wore during breakfast (and then when greeting her new man). That's just awful. It looks a bit Burlesque-ish, looks more like a lingerie than a dress you wear for breakfast with your parents.

I don't think it's a pin. I think it's embroidered on. Bright red, so it's eye-catching, but far simpler and more understated than a real monogram. If I wore suits -- ok, if I wore tailored suits -- I would have wished I'd thought of that. Of course, now it's too late. (Does Patrick do anything like that? He can't, really, can he? He's already a IV, he can't adopt a variant on his dad's signature flourish.)

I loved Brian's non-priestly outfit but I was disturbed by Tripp's pink shirt and red suspenders combo.

I'm right there with you about Brian, but when I saw Tripp in the pink shirt with red braces, I had a sharp intake of breath, which I couldn't expel for a moment. He literally took my breath away in that scene.

But Donald looks so good in pink. It was just the red/tribute-to-Valentine's-Day,-two-month's-early, pairing that got me, too.

As far as the wardrobe goes, I think they dress Lisa the best. Her outfits are very 'New York'.. urban, stylish, and sharp. Karen does get great wardrobe too, only hers are a bit more classic than Lisa's. I also love Jeremy's British indie-rock style, it's so appropriate and refreshing- instead of him going the preppy route with the polo and sweaters and all that.

The only person that needs better outfits is Juliet. I wonder if they're really trying to portray her as a fashion victim. Oh, and I suppose Brian too - we need to see him in other colors than black.

I love courageous character driven fashion, so Juliet's crazy outfit thriilled me, as did Karen's almost-most-beautiful-dress-in-the-world. It was brilliant how almost-beautiful it was, but it, and her hairdo, just didn't make it, which was perfect for the story.

Picking up from the Peter Krause/Nick thread...



When I saw the pilot the first time PK's hairstyle kind of bugged, but rewatching it this week, I kind of liked it. It seemed to fit the character as we originally met him. He wouldn't be all slick with perfect hair, since that wouldn't be his top priority (I don't think)

I didn't notice Juliet's clothes in the pilot (except for her "Wait Until Dark" blind mask that matched the fabric of her dress during the rehearsal), but I did love Karen and Lisa's dresses.

Samaire is featured in the latest US, modeling holiday hairstyles and make-up. She looks very good, and the article gave no idiction of her troubles, either personally of professionally.

Can someone please tell me who makes the dress that karen was wearing in teh nutcracker? I want one, or alternatively I want to dream of ever being able to afford one.

I've only ever seen trailers for this show but think SA wears some pretty clothes. At one point in the promo, she's wearing a gorgeous emerald green dress with thin gold straps (slightly braided, two on each side, one on top of her shoulder and one going across he arm. Her hair is long (well, longer than the pixie cop she had in S1 of The OC) and she looks gorgeous. Anyone know any websites where I can see what else she & the other ladies on the show have worn? I'm intrigued by her dress & matching blindfold for the play!

Louisa, this site has a gallery of photos from the first season, including stills from the episodes, which should give you some of what you're looking for.

I always liked that outfit; it was pretty and it cracked me up, with the matching blindfold and all.

Is it just me, or does Lisa always end up looking smashing, while Karen looks kind of ... insane? The benefits of a clothing budget, I guess. Also, Simon Elder continues to dress like the world's richest porn star. Does someone in the wardrobe department hate Blair Underwood with a fiery polyester passion?

But I have to say I was completely distracted by Nick's tie in the party scenes. I would swear the bow tie he wore was brown, not black. It's making me crazy. Please tell me I'm not alone in this.

Here's a interesting note on wardrobe spending guidelines for ABC shows.

ABC 'desperate'


At first it worried me, looking at those limits for dressing these characters. (What! No more Armani suits for Tripp?) Then I remembered those crafty wardrobe people shown on the DVD (who were very creative at finding expensive items for cheap) and then, too, I read this:



Kind of ironic, though, that the one thing that the ABC rep mentions is the high-fashion expensive clothing needs of Nola Lyons, since many have been snarking in the forums about her unrealistically over-the-top lawyer wardrobe. It did make me feel better that she specifically mentioned leeway for DSM, since I can't imagine she'd do that for a show on the brink of going away.

Oh and Sandman, I apologize for the late reply on this: I rewatched that episode and thought Nick's tie did look black (sorry). Though I think in some scenes it looked not quite as sharp black as his tux (in the limo maybe?).

Thanks to justinvdk for pointing out this TV Guide Fashion Team interview with the DSM costume team.