Category: TV Series

Star Trek: Spock’s Pea Coat in “The City on the Edge of Forever”

Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock on Star Trek, Episode 1.28: “The City on the Edge of Forever”

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Leonard Nimoy as Spock, time-traveling starship officer

New York City, Fall 1930

Series: Star Trek
Episode: “The City on the Edge of Forever” (Episode 1.28)
Air Date: April 6, 1967
Director: Joseph Pevney
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Costume Designer: William Ware Theiss

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

Last year, a BAMF Style reader smartly suggested writing about the classic workwear commandeered by two USS Enterprise officers upon “passing through ripples in time” and landing in Depression-era New York City in the landmark Star Trek episode “The City on the Edge of Forever”.

Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his part-Vulcan first officer, the brilliant Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), were forced to leap through a portal on a mysterious planet, in pursuit of their cordrazine-crazed medical officer “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley), whose actions on the other side of the portal inadvertently altered the past to a degree that erased the Enterprise and its crew from existence. Without their advanced technology at his disposal, Spock is forced to improvise “to construct a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bearskins” and determine how Bones’ actions affected the future, eventually finding Kirk’s new love interest, pacifist missionary Edith Keeler (Joan Collins), to be at the center of it all.

As actor Leonard Nimoy died ten years ago today on February 27, 2015, today’s post follows up on my previous entry about Captain Kirk’s found workwear by exploring Spock’s purloined pea coat and jeans. Continue reading →

Severance: Milchick’s White Winter Gear at Woe’s Hollow

Tramell Tillman as Seth Milchick on Severance (Episode 2.04: “Woe’s Hollow”)

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Tramell Tillman as Seth Milchick, devoted Lumon Industries floor manager

“Dieter Eagan National Forest”, Winter 2024

Series: Severance
Episode: “Woe’s Hollow” (Episode 2.04)
Air Date: February 7, 2025
Director: Ben Stiller
Creator: Dan Erickson
Costume Designer: Sarah Edwards

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

Now more than midway through its second season, Severance fans know shit’s about to get real when Milchick pulls up in a turtleneck. Whether it’s spinning defiant jazz for our first on-screen music dance experience (MDE) or asserting his power after a promotion, Milcheck’s roll-necks are his defining sartorial signature to distinguish him from the everyday short-sleeved white shirts and ties he wore in his lower supervisory position.

“I really wanted to tap into this ten-toes-down, more locked-in character, this energy that he has,” Tramell Tillman explained of his character to Killian Faith-Kelly for GQ UK ahead of the second season premiere. “His hair is more quaffed. He’s no longer in the short-sleeve shirts and the tie anymore. Now he’s wearing turtlenecks. His clothes are a bit darker. His approach is darker. I think he’s enjoying this new place of leadership that he’s in.”

One of the most chilling episodes—if you’ll forgive the pun—illustrates Milchick’s leadership style as he hosts the first-ever Outdoor Retreat and Team Building Occurence (ORTBO) for the four troublesome macrodata refiners: Mark S. (Adam Scott), Helly R. (Britt Lower), Dylan G. (Zach Cherry), and Irv B. (John Turturro). Continue reading →

The White Lotus: Ethan’s Cream Jacket and Navy Cap in Sicily

Will Sharpe as Ethan Spiller on The White Lotus (Episode 2.01: “Ciao”)

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Will Sharpe as Ethan Spiller, prosperous tech entrepreneur

Sicily, Summer 2022

Series: The White Lotus
Episode: “Ciao” (Episode 2.01)
Air Date: October 30, 2022
Director: Mike White
Creator: Mike White
Costume Designer: Alex Bovaird

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

The White Lotus returns tonight with the premiere of its third season, set in Thailand. Each season of Mike White’s darkly comic anthological series is loosely connected, following different casts of characters across exotically located resorts under the fictional White Lotus hospitality chain. The first season was set in Hawaii, chosen as its seclusion provided ideal conditions for filming under safety protocols informed by the then-new COVID-19 restrictions. Following the success of the premiere season, the sophomore season took the action to Sicily, retaining the themes of illicit drugs, romantic intrigue, and unexpected violence.

The appropriately named second-season premiere “Ciao” welcomed the guests arriving at the White Lotus resort in Taormina for the week, including the newly wealthy but emotionally unfulfilled Ethan Spiller (Will Sharpe) and his wife Harper (Aubrey Plaza), a haughty lawyer initially repulsed by his gauche college pal Cameron Sullivan (Theo James). A gregarious finance-bro to Ethan’s sullen tech-bro, Cam and his trophy wife Daphne (Meghann Fahy) approach life with more outward enthusiasm, though Harper initially pushes through to discover the imperfect cracks of the Sullivans’ surprisingly complex union. Continue reading →

Succession: Tom’s Cashmere Puffer Vest and White Sneakers in Norway

Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans on Succession, Episode 4.05 (“Kill List”)

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Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans, obsequious corporate media executive

Møre og Romsdal, Norway, Fall 2020

Series: Succession
Episode: “Kill List” (Episode 4.05)
Air Date: April 23, 2023
Director: Andrij Parekh
Creator: Jesse Armstrong
Costume Designer: Michelle Matland

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

Working my way through the winter blues, I’m returning to some of the luxuriously simple cool-weather looks from the final season of Succession—specifically the fifth episode trip to Norway, where the Roy siblings hope to land a deal with tech giant GoJo.

Included among the Waystar RoyCo contingent is the spineless yet calculating Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen), whose machinations and devotion to the company’s late CEO Logan Roy (Brian Cox) placed him in a better position for advancement than Logan’s own children… including his daughter Siobhan (Sarah Snook), whom Tom had married before betraying to advance his good graces with Logan. Continue reading →

Magnum, P.I.: Tom Selleck’s Red Jungle Bird Aloha Shirt

Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum on Magnum, P.I.
Based on his red “jungle bird”-printed aloha shirt having a breast pocket—as well as his personalized belt buckle, MIA/POW bracelet, and Rolex—this promotional photo was likely taken sometime during the final seasons of the show’s eight-year run.

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Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, private investigator and former Navy SEAL

Hawaii, 1980s

Series: Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988)
Creator: Donald P. Bellisario & Glen Larson
Costume Designer: Charles Waldo (credited with first season only)
Costume Supervisor: James Gilmore

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

Happy 80th birthday, Tom Selleck! Born January 29, 1945 in Detroit, the actor rose to stardom as the Hawaii-dwelling private investigator Thomas Magnum across all eight seasons of Magnum, P.I. 

In addition to highlighting Magnum’s aspirational life on a lush Oahu estate with a red Ferrari at his disposal, the series further humanized Vietnam veterans and addressed their post-war struggles and successes.

Frequently nominated by both groups, Selleck was awarded an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Magnum. His familiar appearance of ubiquitous mustache and the usual aloha shirt and Detroit Tigers baseball cap has kept Magnum a recognizable character even among folks who haven’t seen the series.

Among Magnum’s dozens of aloha shirts, the red “jungle bird” print that appeared in more than two dozen episodes remains the most iconic—to the extent that Selleck donated his screen-worn shirt to the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History after the series ended in 1988. Continue reading →

Rafe Spall’s Colorful Plaid Jacket in the Black Mirror Christmas Special

Rafe Spall in the Black Mirror Christmas Special (2014)

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Rafe Spall as Joe Potter

Set on Christmas… somewhere

Series: Black Mirror
Episode: “White Christmas” (Episode 7)
Air Date: December 16, 2014
Director: Carl Tibbetts
Creator: Charlie Brooker
Costume Designer: Sharon Gilham

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

Black Mirror‘s Christmas special—considered one of the series’ best episodes—aired ten years ago today on December 16, 2014. Written by series creator and showrunner Charlie Brooker, the episode takes a yuletide twist to Black Mirror‘s trademark tech-infused dystopia, centering on a new kind of “Christmas cookies” that you would not want at your holiday gathering!

We’re introduced to Joe Potter (Rafe Spall) as he wakes up on the morning of December 25th to the sounds of Christmas music and the sounds of cooking in the mysterious remote cabin here he’s evidently lived for five years. Stepping out into the kitchen, Joe discovers his apparent colleague and co-resident Matt Trent (Jon Hamm), a loquacious former social interaction engineer whose work included creating “cookies”—digital clones of people to serve as their own assistants.

“No one ends up here without things going to total shit for them back out there,” Matt observes when discussing their respective pasts with Joe. Continue reading →

Star Trek: Captain Kirk’s Depression-era Workwear in “The City on the Edge of Forever”

Thanks to a suggestion from reader Rob Sundquist, today’s entry will boldly go where no BAMF Style post has gone before!

William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek, Episode 1.28: “The City on the Edge of Forever”

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William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, time-traveling starship captain

New York City, Fall 1930

Series: Star Trek
Episode: “The City on the Edge of Forever” (Episode 1.28)
Air Date: April 6, 1967
Director: Joseph Pevney
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Costume Designer: William Ware Theiss

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

Fans of Star Trek who are familiar with BAMF Style may not be surprised to learn that my inaugural post from this groundbreaking series covers “The City on the Edge of Forever”, the penultimate episode of the first season which has endured to be considered among the series’ best.

The episode begins on the USS Enterprise as first officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) reports that the starship’s turbulence is the result of “actually passing through ripples in time”. An accident results in medical officer Leonard “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley) accidentally injecting himself with a massive dose of cordrazine, an in-universe stimulant that sends the doctor into a paranoid frenzy.

Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) recruits Spock, communications officer Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), chief engineer “Scotty” (James Doohan), and two redshirts onto the mysterious planet where Bones beamed himself, where they discover a time portal with the ability to transport entrants back to any time and place.

Bones leaps through the portal to evade capture, resulting in altering the past so dramatically that the crew’s reality—and ship—cease to exist. Thus, Kirk and Spock thus have no choice but to leap into the gateway in pursuit of Dr. McCoy… landing them in New York City, circa 1930, at the intersection of the Prohibition era and the Great Depression. Continue reading →

Succession: Kendall’s Brown Leather Tom Ford Jacket

Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy on Succession (Episode 4.07: “Tailgate Party”). Photo credit: David Russell.

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Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy, ousted media conglomerate exec and self-described defender of democracy

New York City, Fall 2020

Series: Succession
Episode: “Tailgate Party” (Episode 4.07)
Air Date: May 7, 2023
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini
Creator: Jesse Armstrong
Costume Designer: Michelle Matland

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

It’s Election Day in America—a tense, centuries-old national tradition determining the fate of all those in the country not privileged enough to see politics as a mere game… which is exactly how the billionare Roy family experiences it on Succession, hosting their usual pre-election “tailgate party” fueled by money, gossip, and flag-waving finger foods.

Hosted at the apartment shared by Siobhan “Shiv” Roy (Sarah Snook) and her sleepy husband Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen), the party provides an opportunity for the Roys to rub elbows with political insiders and industry bigwigs to position themselves for success over the next four years.

“They’re not all crypto-fascist and right-wing nutjobs, we also have some venture capital Dems and centrist ghouls,” Kendall (Jeremy Strong) observes of their late father’s guest list. “Dad’s ideological range was… wide.” Continue reading →

Miami Vice: Sonny Crockett’s Peach Linen Jacket in the Pilot Episode

Don Johnson as Detective Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice (Episode 1.01: “Brother’s Keeper”)

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Don Johnson as James “Sonny” Crockett, smooth Miami-Dade vice detective

Miami, Spring 1984

Series: Miami Vice
Episode: “Brother’s Keeper” (Episode 1.01)
Air Date: September 16, 1984
Director: Thomas Carter
Creator: Anthony Yerkovich
Costume Designer: Jodie Lynn Tillen

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

Miami Vice premiered 40 years ago tonight on Sunday, September 16, 1984 when NBC aired the feature-length pilot “Brother’s Keeper” at 9:00 p.m., introducing audiences to stylish Metro-Dade Police Department detectives Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas). The two-part episode established the show’s signature pop-scored blend of fashion and fast action, set against the sun-bleached days and neon nights of Magic City. Continue reading →

The Rockford Files: Jim’s Navy-and-Beige Houndstooth Jacket for “The Kirkoff Case”

James Garner in The Rockford Files (Episode 1.01: “The Kirkoff Case”)

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James Garner as Jim Rockford, wisecracking private detective and ex-convict

Los Angeles, Summer 1974

Series: The Rockford Files
Episode: “The Kirkoff Case” (Episode 1.01)
Air Date: September 13, 1974
Director: Lou Antonio
Creator: Roy Huggins & Stephen J. Cannell
Costume Designer: Charles Waldo

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

This is Jim Rockford. At the tone, leave your name and number. I’ll get back to you…

Following the TV movie “Backlash of the Hunter” that served as the pilot when it aired six months earlier, The Rockford Files officially premiered 50 years ago tonight when NBC aired the first canonical episode “The Kirkoff Case” at 9 p.m. on Friday, September 13, 1974. Continue reading →