The 10 Most Iconic Costumes in Classic TV

Throughout the entire Comfort TV era, television has introduced characters that will forever be associated with the clothes they wore. 

When we think of Laura Petrie we picture her in those snug capri pants, and we always remember Col. Robert Hogan in his bomber jacket. Some characters even inspired fashion crazes among viewers, from Davy Crockett’s coonskin cap to Alexis Colby’s shoulder pads. 

All of these looks are familiar to fans, but which costumes are the most iconic?

After giving that some thought, here are my selections. I disqualified animated characters, so Fred Jones’s ascot and Fred Flintstone’s orange animal skins will not be included. The list is in chronological order, as it would be too difficult to select a favorite from such a striking field.

The Lone Ranger (1949)

One of TV’s most successful early westerns had visual cues to follow when it came to the masked rider of the plains – the character had already been depicted in comic books, big little books and a newspaper comic strip dating back to the 1930s. 

However, artists could never reach a consensus on the color scheme, which is why you’ll find versions in red, blue, yellow and brown. But once Clayton Moore saddled up, blue got the nod. 

The Mouseketeers (1955)

“I owe everything to those ears” – Annette Funicello

The costume designer on The Mickey Mouse Club was a man named Chuck Keehne, but the creation of those famous Mickey Mouse ears is credited to series regular Roy Williams. 

According to The Official Mickey Mouse Club Book, they were made from soft felt and wired so the ears wouldn’t flop. “Every time we lost a pair we were docked fifty dollars from our paycheck,” Annette recalled. “I personally paid for three pairs, but I guess it was a great way to teach us kids to be responsible.” If Roy had a cut of every pair sold at Disneyland over the last 60 years, his family would be as wealthy as Bill Gates. 

Gilligan and the Skipper (1964)

Obviously some people pack better for three-hour tours than others. While Ginger and the Howells spent their years in exile selecting from an inexhaustible supply of outfits, Gilligan and the Skipper stayed in the same bold primary colors they wore when the Minnow set ground on an uncharted desert isle. 

Jeannie (1965)

Gwen Wakeling won the Best Costume Design Oscar in 1950 for her work on the film Samson & Delilah. But to Comfort TV fans, she should be revered for creating the pink and maroon harem outfit worn by Barbara Eden on I Dream of Jeannie. While it’s not radically different from the kind of harem garb glimpsed in countless movies – velvet bolero top, chiffon pantaloons, satin shoes – the bold colors and Eden’s obvious charms made this costume among the most recognizable ever designed for TV. No expense was spared either – the shoes were imported from Italy and the braided cording trim was imported from France. If you look closely you’ll see that Eden is also wearing a teardrop diamond on a herringbone chain, a gift from her husband Michael Ansara. 

Starfleet (1966)

Many costume designers accepted the challenge of speculating on what humans would be wearing in a distant future century. I’m guessing they’re all going to be wrong, though none of us will be around to verify it. An accurate prediction was not the objective here anyway – it was designing uniforms that would pop on the color televisions people were buying in 1966. The color-coded ranking tunics introduced in the original series, with basic black slacks and boots, remain the gold standard for Star Trek uniforms. 

Mr. Rogers (1968)

There has been a renaissance of appreciation toward Fred Rogers over the past few years. Maybe that’s due to the critically acclaimed documentary released in 2018, or just a general sense that the kindness, patience and empathy he expressed through his PBS series have disappeared from the public discourse. Either way, the generations who grew up with his life lessons always remember him the same way – saying hello to his neighbors as he changes from a sport coat into a brightly-colored cardigan, and slipping out of dress shoes to put on comfortable tennis shoes. It makes me feel better just to think about it.

Columbo (1968)

Proving that clothing doesn’t have to be stylish to be memorable, we present Lt. Columbo. In his rumpled garb and dirty trenchcoat, he looks like the downtrodden guy you hand your restaurant leftovers to before ascending the highway on-ramp. The coat appears heavier than it is because Peter Falk is always slouching, as if his body is folding in under its weight. 

The Partridge Family (1974)

They didn’t always wear the maroon crushed velvet pant suits and ruffles for their (allegedly) live performances, but it’s the look that will always be associated with TV’s best fake band. Only Paul Revere & The Raiders looked more ridiculous on stage. But at least the music holds up.

Fonzie (1974)

Fans recall that Arthur Fonzarelli spent much of Happy Days’ first season wearing a white windbreaker. 

But when his t-shirt and jeans were paired with a black leather jacket, he became The Fonz – and arguably the most famous television character of the 1970s. And while many recall that “jumping the shark” was a phrase connected to this series to denote the moment when good shows started going bad, real fans know that the turning point for Happy Days was when Fonzie switched to a black t-shirt. 

Wonder Woman (1975)

Her patriotic outfit had been around for decades in the comics, and it is to our everlasting gratitude that television, for once, decided it didn’t know better, while creating a radical re-design that was more practical for fighting crime. As great as Gal Gadot was in the recent film, Lynda Carter still personifies Wonder Woman for the Comfort TV generation. 

Daisy Duke (1979)

The original plan was for Catherine Bach to wear vinyl boots and a miniskirt that matched the tablecloths at the Boar’s Nest. Instead, Bach designed her own costume, based on the outfits she saw waitresses wearing in the roadhouses of Georgia. She sewed the first pair of denim shorts she wore on the show, which came to be known forevermore as ‘daisydukes.’ When the outfit is named after you, that’s as iconic as it gets.