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Lucy's TV Clothes


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Now on to Lucy on TV, starting with I Love Lucy.

 

Basically you can look at this as the show got better the wardrobe got better. We went from pulling things off the rack at Orbachs, to first having Elois design and then Edward Stevenson. Much from the first season is just terrible and I don’t think I even have any good picks from it. I love how in all her series Lucy rewore clothes more than once. She knew a housewife or secretary did not have the money for a new outfit every week. Let’s group my picks into categories.

 

Dresses:

 

Dancing Star- Excellent movement for the dance and of course so pretty.

 

The Ricardos Visit Cuba- Lucy wears 2 great dresses in this episode. The first is when she meets Uncle Alberto and the second is at the club in the evening.

 

Homecoming- The dress Lucy is wearing when she meets the reporter is a beautiful full skirt, and sweetheart neckline. Sadly we never see her wear this again.

 

Hollywood Anniversary- Very pretty, black dress and love seeing it move when they dance.

 

Causal Attire:

When you look at other housewives of the time on TV I don’t think you ever or very little saw them wear pants. When I think of Lucy at home, the image that comes to mind is that of black pants and ballet slippers. She may have had pearls on a few times and a dress doing housework, but my instant recall is not the high heeled, dress, and pearls housewife cleaning the house.

 

Maternity Attire:

Maybe I’m in the minority here but I think they all looked like giant tents on her. I’m going to assume that any hint of an expanding waistline was so taboo we had to make the woman look 3 times bigger overall to hide any sort of shape that may have formed.

 

 

The 1960’s and The Lucy Show.

 

Casual Attire:

For the run of the show when Lucy is shown at home the first thing that comes to my mind is stirrup pants. These have got to be the most unflattering type of pants and Lucy wore them a ton. Anytime she ops for a cigarette pant/fitted capri they look so much more flattering. The tops that went with these pants were for the most part just as bad. Ugly, no shape, bland colors. Viv was really giving Lucy a run for her money in wardrobe those first 3 seasons. With the beautiful DVD’s we now have that are so bright and clear I’m noticing a heck of a lot of tops you can see right through. There is a scene in the kitchen in either Season 2 or 3, Lucy has on a white button down and you can totally see through the back of it. Recently I was watching a 5th season episode. Lucy frequently wore a beige ribbed sweater under a jacket when at the office this season. In one scene she sits down in a huff. When she does, she pulls the sweater down and once again you can see right through it.

 

Suits:

Anytime Lucy was at the office or around Danfield her attire of choice was usually a suit. I like a good pencil skirt but it has to have the correct portions. For the most part Lucy’s skirts looked good on her. I always like the little touch Edward Stevenson did of lining a coat that went over a dress with the same fabric. Case in point the pink dress and jacket she wore to London.

 

Dresses:

 

Season 1-3- Anytime Lucy was going out on a date she always had on a beautiful dress, most of them with some sparkle.

Lucy and Viv in Las Vegas- The green dress is perfect for Lucy. I love redheads in green and that dress is so perfectly form fitting.

 

The Pink Chiffon Dress- I’m sure you know what dress I’m talking about as it was worn to death. It had red chiffon added, it was cut shorter, it got dyed green when Lucy fell in the vat. Lucy wears this in My Fair Lucy. What is interesting to note is when The Countess is drawing the map on Lucy’s back there is a little piece of string across the shoulders. You never see that on the dress again, including the end of the same episode. I wonder if they had trouble keeping the top up with so much movement. It sat right on the edge of her shoulders.

 

Lucy Dates Dean Martin Dress- The black dress. That is one of the best things she ever wore. So perfectly form fitting. The square neck line is gorgeous on her, the double slit is hot. PERFECT and she should have dressed more like this in the late 60’s instead of the overly flowy caftans she wore. She had a great shape and every time I see her cover it up it makes her look older.

 

 

 

Here’s Lucy and the early to mid 70s.

 

I haven’t seen much of Season 6 yet so I can only comment through Season 5. What strikes me about this time period is how many times I am watching an episode and think, “hey, you could wear that today and be in style.” Of course we had some really bad clothes shown too and Kim had some truly awful printed pants. Lucy was no escape to the awful prints at times either. Some of the flared pant styles would work today if they were longer but they stopped too short.

 

Lucy and Boots:

I love knee high boots (wearing a pair today) and they make Lucy look so good. They add an instant hip factor to her. I’ve noticed some photos of her on vacation in the mid 60’s and she sports boots a lot. What a great look. After the cast came off in the 5th season Lucy almost exclusively wears boots. This was to help provide support and strengthen her leg, but she was wearing them from season 1 on. I’m not a big fan of anytime she wore white. They remind me either of a drum majorette or a stripper.

 

Lucy’s Office Attire:

 

Lucy gets a little more fashion forward, at times, in her suits. We run a balance from the boring suits similar to The Lucy Show, to every once in a while breaking out with a print top and tighter skirt. My favorite is a mid-series outfit that is a black knee length fitted skirt with a slit in the front and back. It’s usually paired with a black and white print shirt and black knee high boots. From time to time she wears a black leather jacket with the whole ensemble and she looks so hot and so in fashion.

 

At home:

This is wear the 70’s fashion comes into play. Much of the stuff is either boring or pretty offensive in print. Not too much that I like to really comment on.

 

Lucy goes out:

I don’t think Lucy looked as glamorous in her more formal attire. We are back to those over-sized caftan numbers that were popular at the time and gave her no shape.

 

 

 

Now we journey through the late 70’s and into the 80s. We are down to specials, interviews, award shows and the like. Not much really strikes me as anything that stands out as “oh my gosh she looks great”, but she does vary a lot with her look through this time.

 

The only thing that comes close is a repeated theme of something that starts in the 60’s and continues through the 80s. We get many dance numbers with Lucy sans pants, shorts, etc.. The long chorus girl legs that go all the way up, usually covered in black nylons are amazing and she pulled that off right to the end.

 

There are times when I will see Lucy on a news clip, award show, or a photo from this era and think she looks great and years younger then she was, then turn around and see a photo from only a year or 2 later and she looks 10 years older. The 80’s were no help and everyday Lucy was rather boring in her wardrobe choices. Basic slacks, higher necked tops, nothing exciting. It’s nice to see that Lucy went out with glamour and looking great with that Oscar dress.

 

I know I have left some many great ensembles out. Feel free to comment on your favorites.

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Great post! I even tried to like it but apparently I've "reached my quote of positives for the day" LOL! Oh well, I disagree about HL thought. It's amazing how most of the HL outfits are so much more dated compared to TLS outfits. The only outfits I liked on HL were the office ones, simply because they were chic (esp the knee high boots).

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Yup, these threads are gonna go on for a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooog time, i'll add something every time i see a show. ILL, well the Holden outfit is to die for and she pulls it off so well. Was shocked to see it appear on the third season, BEFORE the Holden one, she had it on today for the Ernie Ford visit. You're right, the first season like all first seasons for any show are blah, but things quickly got much better and yes, as soon as Elois and Ed show up in her life, things got even better. When seeing some of these in color of course, you are sometimes shocked, that beautiful black number with the lace top was actually B L U E ????? Incredible!

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Wish you had had a seperate one for clothes at home or out for the evening . . . here are two reruns that i've talked about a hundred times . . .when co hosting The Mike Douglas show one week in Philadelphia, she modeled clothes for Gary and Mike and told the story of never having anything to wear and never having any time to shop, so she comes out in all these beautiful outfits, can't wait for this one to be out on dvd as this is the one where she wore that famous MINK dress. The other one of course is why she was number one on Mr Blackwell's WORST DRESSED LIST several years in the sixties, of course she was in good company, Blackwell only picked the top people in the industry to get people interested in his list and to make the news. Liz Taylor was on as often as Lucy. But if you look at pics of her in this period, yes, she could be seen wearing all her show clothes and over and over and over all the time. Lucy dressed very badly for comedic purposes, on shows Liz wore clothes like those for public outings.

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Ok Shel, what did you think of her famous LAST dresses, the blue aquamarine slit on the side and sparkles galore worn at the opening of the Bob Hope Cultural center and the Variety Clubs tribute? The black velvet gown worn on a Bob Hope special and Sammy Davis' Kennedy Center Honors and the TV Hall of Fame? The Oscar dress?

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Wish you had had a seperate one for clothes at home or out for the evening . . . here are two reruns that i've talked about a hundred times . . .when co hosting The Mike Douglas show one week in Philadelphia, she modeled clothes for Gary and Mike and told the story of never having anything to wear and never having any time to shop, so she comes out in all these beautiful outfits, can't wait for this one to be out on dvd as this is the one where she wore that famous MINK dress. The other one of course is why she was number one on Mr Blackwell's WORST DRESSED LIST several years in the sixties, of course she was in good company, Blackwell only picked the top people in the industry to get people interested in his list and to make the news. Liz Taylor was on as often as Lucy. But if you look at pics of her in this period, yes, she could be seen wearing all her show clothes and over and over and over all the time. Lucy dressed very badly for comedic purposes, on shows Liz wore clothes like those for public outings.

 

 

I’ve never seen the Mike Douglas one, would love to. What is the mink dress you speak of? Any pics?

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Ok Shel, what did you think of her famous LAST dresses, the blue aquamarine slit on the side and sparkles galore worn at the opening of the Bob Hope Cultural center and the Variety Clubs tribute? The black velvet gown worn on a Bob Hope special and Sammy Davis' Kennedy Center Honors and the TV Hall of Fame? The Oscar dress?

 

 

I can recall off hand what the Blue one and Oscar dress look like. One thing I do notice, and this blue dress has it, is when she wore something flowey on top the underneath layer was more of a spaghetti strap gown. You get to an age when you rather cover your arms. The Oscar dress I saw up close in the museum once. The slit in the dress really saves it, but I’m not a fan of the high neck. I did read once that Lucy in her 70’s was wearing more scarfs and high necks to cover up her neck. I only vaguely recall the velvet dress as I think I have only seen it on the Hall of Fame and it’s been a while.

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I was shocked the other night, seeing her at the end of the Club Dance with Ricky's band in drag. She has this beautiful evening gown, rather low cut too, but it reminded me of the one she wore at thei Ed Sullivan tribute, maybe it was the same one.

 

 

I have to go check this one out. I don’t remember it off-hand.

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I’ve never seen the Mike Douglas one, would love to. What is the mink dress you speak of? Any pics?

She came out in a mink dress, i was playing hookie from school to see it i think and there were no vcrs back then. I dun't thin i've ever even seen a pic of it anywhere BUT, i used to joke that when she had that MINK vest of hers, i think on the cover of Stern's book, you see it and i would joke that she had trimmed the mink dress into a mink vest. Now i know i'm taunting you here, but can you imagine Lucy, the Queen of all things, finally wearing something worthy of her, a friggin M I N K dress on a show when people were ridiculing her, my mom included, for always showing up in pants on talk shows with no glamor at all in spite of her position in the industry.
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I can recall off hand what the Blue one and Oscar dress look like. One thing I do notice, and this blue dress has it, is when she wore something flowey on top the underneath layer was more of a spaghetti strap gown. You get to an age when you rather cover your arms. The Oscar dress I saw up close in the museum once. The slit in the dress really saves it, but I’m not a fan of the high neck. I did read once that Lucy in her 70’s was wearing more scarfs and high necks to cover up her neck. I only vaguely recall the velvet dress as I think I have only seen it on the Hall of Fame and it’s been a while.

The velvet dress looks heavy as hell, but it's very nice and dignified, when she lifts it a little to walk to the stage and get her standing Ovation from everybody but asshole palance, you feel she might need a lift truck to get her started. It looked more elegant and less cumbersome at her induction of Sammy at the Kennedy Center the year after her own induction where she clearly wants to thank Sammy for that beautiful speech he did at her Variety Clubs gala. As for the Oscar dress . . . Isn't it funny that Brochu quotes her as saying when she got her last fitting for the dress and she wore it at the salon and brought her dog, STAY AWAY FROM ME TINK, IF THIS THING EVER FALLS ON YOU, YOU'RE A GONNER! Yes, i was stunned that the blue one and the Oscar dress are very similar, not just the slit on the side but the style and all. As for the covering the neck, gary had asked Irma to ask Lucy to get her neck done but not to say the suggestion came from him. Of course Lucy covered her neck as best she could but look at Katie Hepburn, she wore those neck covers in the movies too, look at Lion in Winter or Guess Who's Coming to Dinner from the same period as Lucy was still showing hers, late sixties.
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I have to go check this one out. I don’t remember it off-hand.

You're still doing better than me, i can't recall half of her clothing in any show or movie. But thanks to you, breaking it down on this thread, we can tackle her clothing in the few instances where it stood out so much or we've seen it that often that we've formed an opinion over the years. Ok, how about her three Emmy outfits where she was there to accept. The first one was that ugly tent of a dress with the sparkles only on the collar. The second was that colorful and dignified one that she eventually wore on The Lucy Show to say adios to Mooney. The third was probably HER favorite, the woman just loved those flashy feathers, again maybe to take the eyes off of her and focus on the gown. Shame we only saw it in black and white as i'd love to know the color of that one too. Nothing worse than when the dress does not reach the floor. I think it diminishes the dress. Also, did you notice how often she had the shoe match teh dress, now THAT was elegant. Only know of another lady who always did that, loved by Brock and the head of a family in England, know the one i mean. Famous for her hats too, which Lucy always looked more elegant, with hats, not the dinky little ones on ILL, but the big splashy ones, but not splash poroof though as evidenced by Hedda Hooper, LOL!
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The ILL Homecoming dress was used once more! In that famous photoshoot from the 50's

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dUyEY_aK_Fs/Tj3agqIq6LI/AAAAAAAAAzI/xEEAXIWb2vE/s1600/lucy+in+color+tan+dress.jpg

 

I'm not a huge fan of TLS wardrobe. ILL and HL is my favorite. I love Lucy in bows and polka dots what can I say? I will eventually add more to this.

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I cannot recall Lucy's clothes too much but my favorite Tv ones are the dance outfit from her later years showing the great break nylon stockings and I like the bottom of the Oscar dress but the top isn't that nicely done. I forgot the blue one was similar to the Oscar dress but the same comment. I find the TLS clothing much more appealing than HEre's Lucy. I love the dress Lucy's wears in My Fair Lucy and Lucy Meets a Millionaire. I also love the Dean Martin dress; she looked so glamourous that night. I don't like plaid anything. Even when it comes back in style I still can't stand it especially as a top. I love Lucy's skin-tight capri pants she wore; her legs always were sexy.

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The ILL Homecoming dress was used once more! In that famous photoshoot from the 50's

http://1.bp.blogspot...r tan dress.jpg

 

I'm not a huge fan of TLS wardrobe. ILL and HL is my favorite. I love Lucy in bows and polka dots what can I say? I will eventually add more to this.

And that's the famous necklace i recognized in another show one time.
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I cannot recall Lucy's clothes too much but my favorite Tv ones are the dance outfit from her later years showing the great break nylon stockings and I like the bottom of the Oscar dress but the top isn't that nicely done. I forgot the blue one was similar to the Oscar dress but the same comment. I find the TLS clothing much more appealing than HEre's Lucy. I love the dress Lucy's wears in My Fair Lucy and Lucy Meets a Millionaire. I also love the Dean Martin dress; she looked so glamourous that night. I don't like plaid anything. Even when it comes back in style I still can't stand it especially as a top. I love Lucy's skin-tight capri pants she wore; her legs always were sexy.

Whatchatalkinboutwill? Sorry, couldn't resist! The blue and the Oscar dress are dull and plain at the bottom, the tops are the parts that stand out, the sleeves on the blue and the gold appliques on the black Oscar one.
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She's been wearing a weird looking one on the last two ILL eps i have seen today. It's a black dress, and the skirt has this white part, maybe a sixth of the dress now being white in a fluffy thing that looks like the slip is showing. Hard to describe and very very different to say the least.

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She's been wearing a weird looking one on the last two ILL eps i have seen today. It's a black dress, and the skirt has this white part, maybe a sixth of the dress now being white in a fluffy thing that looks like the slip is showing. Hard to describe and very very different to say the least.

What episodes?

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I dunno, i can never remember which ones i saw recently, if i had to guess, i would say it's the third season and before the Tennessee Ernie Ford ones that are playing now.

I cannot think of it. Well I'm currently watching Here's Lucy so I'm looking at another era of Lucy at the moment.

I love the oversized collars in the ILL and HL years. Then the long tie like bows in the 70's and 80's she wears.

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I cannot think of it. Well I'm currently watching Here's Lucy so I'm looking at another era of Lucy at the moment.

I love the oversized collars in the ILL and HL years. Then the long tie like bows in the 70's and 80's she wears.

Dontcha love her outfit in the Ginger Rogers ep, nice blouse and that skirt that opened up so she could dance in the short shorts.
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Dontcha love her outfit in the Ginger Rogers ep, nice blouse and that skirt that opened up so she could dance in the short shorts.

I was about to say that! One of my all time favorite outfits of the HL era. She looked great! Plus the black leather vest, black skirt and leather knee high boots.

 

Also in Lucy Makes A Few Extra Bucks episode, when she is working at the carnival. Thay fabulous green feather outfit with the sparkly black nylons. She looked absolutely fabulous even after she fell in the water! Haha.

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