03/23
I loved Alicia's black dress with the square neckline. It was classic and professional. Who's the designer?
That dress is by Michael Kors and was purchased at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Christine Baranski's red dress was outstanding Can you tell us about the designers?
The red dress is by Prada.
Can you tell me about the necklace Julianna wore in Unorthodox it was gold rectangle on a simple chain with a few small blue stones around it?
The stones hanging from the necklace are aquamarine and it was handmade in India from sterling silver. The necklace was purchased at an amazing store in Montclair, New Jersey called Dem 2 Hands. They carry many one-of-a-kind jewelry/accessory/clothing items that are designed by very talented and accomplished artisans. Their website is www.demtwohands.com and their phone is 973-783-8344.
Ms. Baranski is always put together in her look. How much does the character or the actress influence her look?
The actors and I work very closely to create their looks. I love getting ideas and suggestions from the actors. They have such amazing insight into the characters and it always helps to know how an actor is going to be playing a part. My philosophy is to let the wardrobe support the actors and the story.
There were some outside shots in the episode called Heart – do you ever have “options” for wardrobe items based on if the weather would change. Specifically talking about Alicia outside the hospital.
YES!! That weather can be a tricky thing. I try very hard to not get caught off guard. In fact, when we were shooting "Heart" we had a huge snow storm overnight and into the next morning of the day we were shooting the exterior parking lot scene. Luckily, Alicia's coat had a wonderful hood that framed her face beautifully. I did not have a hat planned for Martha Plimpton to wear as Patty Niholm. But the weather was wreaking havoc on the actress's hair, so it was better to add a knit hat and control the look rather than taking our chances on continuity take after take. We quite often have to add warmer layers or, quite the opposite, we'll be prepared for a freezing cold day and the weather will turn out warm. That often mandates a change in the wardrobe too. It's most difficult when we have started the day shooting in one weather and then we pick up a scene days later and the weather is a complete 180 from the previous day. The transition months are the most difficult when it comes to choosing weather related wardrobe.
03/10
Why does Kalinda always wear dark clothes
She definitely wears darker tones with punches of color. I think the darker tones seem to work for her character and what her character does. She is the in-house private detective. She has to be able to sort of not be noticeable at times and then stand out when she needs to. We also want there to be an air of mystery about her as well as a sense of strength and femininity.
You seem to dress Julianna in black most of the time. If black doesn't work for the scene, what colors and styles work best on her?
Actually Alicia wears very little black. She wears lots of neutral tones: deep purples, maroons, navy, browns, grays, creams. She can wear black skirts or pants to set off the jackets, especially for television when so much of what the audience sees is from the waist up and I want to throw the attention up to the actress's face.
Do you try and dress Cary in a certain way since he’s only a junior associate?
Cary's look is one that bespeaks money. He comes from a weathy family. We wanted his look to be a little trendier, a little more style conscious, and little more "upstart" feeling but still appropriate for a successful law firm. I like to use thin lapels as well as thin body shapes and ties on him. Additionally, his collars are smaller than standard dress shirt collars. I also like the way these slimmer looks accentuate the actor's muscular body and they help to keep him younger looking and perhaps a little less experienced than some of the other lawyers in the firm.
Do the actors ever come to you with wardrobe suggestions for their character?
Absolutely. I work very closely with the actors on "The Good Wife". Our actors are amazing and what better experts on their characters than the actors themselves. The actors quite often will see something in a store on their day off and recommend getting it for them to try on. Or they may have a relationship with a design house and the actor will want me to contact the house for the character. Again, our actors are great and I couldn't ask for a finer cast to work with.
I love Peter at home. How are you dressing him now that he’s at home?
Very casually. Jeans. Cords. He can do t-shirts, long sleeve polo shirts or button front casual shirts. I want to put him in the most comfortable thing I can to contrast with his prison wear. I use natural fibers on his home clothes versus his polyester uniform. His look is definitely a blend of casual politician and midwestern traditional.
Tell me about Zack and Grace’s style as kids.
We wanted them to be a little out of it at first. Before moving to the apartment, they attended private school, wore a school uniform and lived a fairly protected life. Then they were thrust into the public school system in a part of Chicago that they were not familiar with. Then as the season continues, their look will loosen up and become a little trendier and less preppie.
03/04
Who’s your favorite character to dress?
I don't want this to sound like a copout, but I truly enjoy dressing all my characters. Robert and Michelle King, our Executive Producers and Creators of the show, have created incredibly real and fully fleshed-out characters. They are like real people and as such it always feels like I am dressing a person rather than a character or an actor, which makes the process of designing the wardrobe for the show challenging and fun.
I love Alicia's handbags on the show. Can you tell us who makes them?
Alicia's handbags are by longchamp. The company designs stunning purses in a variety of shapes and colors, which are exquisite. The brand also makes beautiful men's accessories (wallets, briefcases, cardholders, etc.), ladies' scarves, and luggage, and they have recently started a small women's wear line. I have found the company to be extremely helpful and friendly while providing very chic products. Their website is www.longchamp.com.
Where can I purchase Kalinda’s clothing?
Kalinda's wardrobe comes from a variety of places, but a few of the stores that I use to find some of her signature pieces include Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Karen Miller and Elie Tahari.
The way Alicia dresses is how woman today should dress in the workforce – how did you go about choosing her wardrobe?
I always start with the character and what the script requires. My job is to help the actors and the writers tell a story. the wardrobe should underscore what the actors are doing and what the writers want to get across to an audience. i wanted alicia's wardrobe to be a collection of mix and matched looks. We wanted to take the closet of a former politician's wife and adapt it, as any person would, to suit her new life circumstances. I always wanted her to be very pretty and chic and perhaps ever so slightly conservative to help her contrast with the very young junior associates at the law firm whom she would be working with and competing against. When I first had fittings with Julianna, we figured out what looked good on her body, which, as it turned out, was pretty much everything. Then we tried to put her in wardrobe that made her feel sort of covered up, like she was just trying to blend in and not be the spectacle at work that her personal life had become. As the episodes have gone by and Alicia has loosened up a bit at work, I have tried to make the wardrobe do the same thing. Although it seems that every time Alicia starts feeling comfortable in a situation, the rug gets pulled out from under her. (I guess like how it is for all of us in real life!) I also wanted her wardrobe to be feminine even though she would be wearing suits and pinstripes.
What brand is Kalinda’s knee high boots?
Kalinda's boots are by Via Spiga. They are a knee-high boot with a solid platform and very high heel.
How much fun is it to dress Kalinda?
Kalinda is very fun to dress. We have a good time figuring our what is going to make her seem tough and sexy all at the same time.
How do you keep the office attire fresh and new and different each week?
Shop. Shop. Shop! Also, the scripts are so exciting and new. That "freshness" bleeds over to all aspects of production and makes each episode exciting to work on and to watch
I love the pinstripe slacks Dianne was wearing in the "Hi". Can you tell me about them?
They are by Armani Collection and they have a matching suit jacket. The wide-legged slacks are a beautiful gray wool flannel with a very light gray chalk stripe.
link
I loved Alicia's black dress with the square neckline. It was classic and professional. Who's the designer?
That dress is by Michael Kors and was purchased at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Christine Baranski's red dress was outstanding Can you tell us about the designers?
The red dress is by Prada.
Can you tell me about the necklace Julianna wore in Unorthodox it was gold rectangle on a simple chain with a few small blue stones around it?
The stones hanging from the necklace are aquamarine and it was handmade in India from sterling silver. The necklace was purchased at an amazing store in Montclair, New Jersey called Dem 2 Hands. They carry many one-of-a-kind jewelry/accessory/clothing items that are designed by very talented and accomplished artisans. Their website is www.demtwohands.com and their phone is 973-783-8344.
Ms. Baranski is always put together in her look. How much does the character or the actress influence her look?
The actors and I work very closely to create their looks. I love getting ideas and suggestions from the actors. They have such amazing insight into the characters and it always helps to know how an actor is going to be playing a part. My philosophy is to let the wardrobe support the actors and the story.
There were some outside shots in the episode called Heart – do you ever have “options” for wardrobe items based on if the weather would change. Specifically talking about Alicia outside the hospital.
YES!! That weather can be a tricky thing. I try very hard to not get caught off guard. In fact, when we were shooting "Heart" we had a huge snow storm overnight and into the next morning of the day we were shooting the exterior parking lot scene. Luckily, Alicia's coat had a wonderful hood that framed her face beautifully. I did not have a hat planned for Martha Plimpton to wear as Patty Niholm. But the weather was wreaking havoc on the actress's hair, so it was better to add a knit hat and control the look rather than taking our chances on continuity take after take. We quite often have to add warmer layers or, quite the opposite, we'll be prepared for a freezing cold day and the weather will turn out warm. That often mandates a change in the wardrobe too. It's most difficult when we have started the day shooting in one weather and then we pick up a scene days later and the weather is a complete 180 from the previous day. The transition months are the most difficult when it comes to choosing weather related wardrobe.
03/10
Why does Kalinda always wear dark clothes
She definitely wears darker tones with punches of color. I think the darker tones seem to work for her character and what her character does. She is the in-house private detective. She has to be able to sort of not be noticeable at times and then stand out when she needs to. We also want there to be an air of mystery about her as well as a sense of strength and femininity.
You seem to dress Julianna in black most of the time. If black doesn't work for the scene, what colors and styles work best on her?
Actually Alicia wears very little black. She wears lots of neutral tones: deep purples, maroons, navy, browns, grays, creams. She can wear black skirts or pants to set off the jackets, especially for television when so much of what the audience sees is from the waist up and I want to throw the attention up to the actress's face.
Do you try and dress Cary in a certain way since he’s only a junior associate?
Cary's look is one that bespeaks money. He comes from a weathy family. We wanted his look to be a little trendier, a little more style conscious, and little more "upstart" feeling but still appropriate for a successful law firm. I like to use thin lapels as well as thin body shapes and ties on him. Additionally, his collars are smaller than standard dress shirt collars. I also like the way these slimmer looks accentuate the actor's muscular body and they help to keep him younger looking and perhaps a little less experienced than some of the other lawyers in the firm.
Do the actors ever come to you with wardrobe suggestions for their character?
Absolutely. I work very closely with the actors on "The Good Wife". Our actors are amazing and what better experts on their characters than the actors themselves. The actors quite often will see something in a store on their day off and recommend getting it for them to try on. Or they may have a relationship with a design house and the actor will want me to contact the house for the character. Again, our actors are great and I couldn't ask for a finer cast to work with.
I love Peter at home. How are you dressing him now that he’s at home?
Very casually. Jeans. Cords. He can do t-shirts, long sleeve polo shirts or button front casual shirts. I want to put him in the most comfortable thing I can to contrast with his prison wear. I use natural fibers on his home clothes versus his polyester uniform. His look is definitely a blend of casual politician and midwestern traditional.
Tell me about Zack and Grace’s style as kids.
We wanted them to be a little out of it at first. Before moving to the apartment, they attended private school, wore a school uniform and lived a fairly protected life. Then they were thrust into the public school system in a part of Chicago that they were not familiar with. Then as the season continues, their look will loosen up and become a little trendier and less preppie.
03/04
Who’s your favorite character to dress?
I don't want this to sound like a copout, but I truly enjoy dressing all my characters. Robert and Michelle King, our Executive Producers and Creators of the show, have created incredibly real and fully fleshed-out characters. They are like real people and as such it always feels like I am dressing a person rather than a character or an actor, which makes the process of designing the wardrobe for the show challenging and fun.
I love Alicia's handbags on the show. Can you tell us who makes them?
Alicia's handbags are by longchamp. The company designs stunning purses in a variety of shapes and colors, which are exquisite. The brand also makes beautiful men's accessories (wallets, briefcases, cardholders, etc.), ladies' scarves, and luggage, and they have recently started a small women's wear line. I have found the company to be extremely helpful and friendly while providing very chic products. Their website is www.longchamp.com.
Where can I purchase Kalinda’s clothing?
Kalinda's wardrobe comes from a variety of places, but a few of the stores that I use to find some of her signature pieces include Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Karen Miller and Elie Tahari.
The way Alicia dresses is how woman today should dress in the workforce – how did you go about choosing her wardrobe?
I always start with the character and what the script requires. My job is to help the actors and the writers tell a story. the wardrobe should underscore what the actors are doing and what the writers want to get across to an audience. i wanted alicia's wardrobe to be a collection of mix and matched looks. We wanted to take the closet of a former politician's wife and adapt it, as any person would, to suit her new life circumstances. I always wanted her to be very pretty and chic and perhaps ever so slightly conservative to help her contrast with the very young junior associates at the law firm whom she would be working with and competing against. When I first had fittings with Julianna, we figured out what looked good on her body, which, as it turned out, was pretty much everything. Then we tried to put her in wardrobe that made her feel sort of covered up, like she was just trying to blend in and not be the spectacle at work that her personal life had become. As the episodes have gone by and Alicia has loosened up a bit at work, I have tried to make the wardrobe do the same thing. Although it seems that every time Alicia starts feeling comfortable in a situation, the rug gets pulled out from under her. (I guess like how it is for all of us in real life!) I also wanted her wardrobe to be feminine even though she would be wearing suits and pinstripes.
What brand is Kalinda’s knee high boots?
Kalinda's boots are by Via Spiga. They are a knee-high boot with a solid platform and very high heel.
How much fun is it to dress Kalinda?
Kalinda is very fun to dress. We have a good time figuring our what is going to make her seem tough and sexy all at the same time.
How do you keep the office attire fresh and new and different each week?
Shop. Shop. Shop! Also, the scripts are so exciting and new. That "freshness" bleeds over to all aspects of production and makes each episode exciting to work on and to watch
I love the pinstripe slacks Dianne was wearing in the "Hi". Can you tell me about them?
They are by Armani Collection and they have a matching suit jacket. The wide-legged slacks are a beautiful gray wool flannel with a very light gray chalk stripe.
link