The Best TV Costumes of the Decade, Ranked

“The Crown”

The best TV shows make us forget how many pieces there are to the puzzle. But as we near the end of the decade and look back on the many television achievements of the past 10 years, it’s impossible not to consider some of those landmark series’ visual elements. From first impressions to trademark flourishes, costumes are one of the biggest ways that these shows have been able to distinguish themselves in an increasingly crowded field. 

Some of these outfits became cultural mainstays, instantly recognizable either on screen or in countless real-life replications. Other series have the benefit of working with an ensemble of ensembles, building out an entire world of individual aesthetics, all working toward a whole. 

Regardless of how these clothing palettes are built out — in ostentatious, period-appropriate pastels or muted, grounded looks across any era — these wardrobes signal so much about who these individuals are and the worlds they inhabit.

Here are the 15 shows with the most stunning costumes of the past decade:

15. “Archer” (2009-present, FX/FXX)

Across this decade, some of the best animated series used costumes to craft characters so recognizable, there’s no need for them to switch outfits. Think of Princess Carolyn’s fish dress, Louise Belcher’s pink rabbit-ear hat, or Rick Sanchez’s cyan shirt. Few shows have done as much for as many of their core cast as “Archer,” which leaned into its ‘60s-adjacent aesthetic and still found room to bring the black turtleneck back. As the show has woven its way through season-long arcs in swashbuckling tropical climes, dreamy noir streets, and the deepest reaches of outer space, “Archer” has found a way to reflect those changes while still maintaining a hold on what made each character distinctive in the first place. — Steve Greene

14. “Scandal” (2012-2018, ABC)

There are two palettes to Olivia Pope’s (Kerry Washington) wardrobe: shades of white and shades of black. (Conveniently, they are the two tones that ensure a glass of red wine always serves as the perfect accessory.) Contemporary costuming rarely gets the credit of period pieces, but Lyn Paolo’s work on the show was always a breathtaking mix of tailoring and tension that reflected the characters’ “gladiators in suits” professionalism amid messy private lives. Paolo also deserves credit for the unenviable task of making POTUS-caliber conservative menswear paired with an American flag pin look interesting. Hail to the not-boringly-pinstriped chief. — Ann Donahue

13. “Justified” (2010-2015, FX)

Like most of what made the show great, the look of “Justified” starts with its central character. Raylan Givens’ brand of marshal casual helped to separate him from other law enforcement figures — on this show and others. When he arrived in a new location, his outsider status helped to build the foundation of whatever tension flourished as a result. Harlan made a distinct baseline that never called attention to itself, but still gave rise to the contrasts that ultimately led to conflict. Charting the evolution of a character like Boyd Crowder or a more secondary figure, “Justified” knew when and how to set up — and then subvert — the audience’s expectations. — SG

12. “Outlander” (2014-present, Starz)

There are shows that care about adhering to period accuracy and shows that don’t and “Outlander” is definitely one of the latter. But that hasn’t stopped the epic romance from churning out costumes that make viewers swoon. From kilts to gowns to corsets to military finery, designer Terry Dresbach and team have done it all. And more than that, the costumes in “Outlander” exist to build out the atmosphere of a series that depends to much on selling the fantasy. You can’t have a love story that spans two centuries without dozens of bodices that demand to be ripped and the series innately understands the value of a shirt that looks best on the floor. — Libby Hill

11. “Killing Eve” (2018-present, BBC America)

A shopping-obsessed psychopath is going to wear what a shopping-obsessed psychopath wants to wear, and the fetishization that assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) brings to getting dressed is glorious. Her clothes are part of how she lures her prey as she flips between personas like clothes on a rack. A blue Burberry sundress to suggest innocence, a frilly pink Molly Goddard dress to convey hyperfemininity, cutoff jean shorts and a Chloe blouse to, you know, easily scale drainpipes outside of mansions before hairpinning someone to death through the eye. The work of Season 1 costume designer Phoebe De Gaye and Season 2’s Charlotte Mitchell goes hand-in-hand with Comer’s Emmy-winning performance to make the outre allure of couture part of its charm. Just like Villanelle. — AD

10. “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (2017-present, Amazon Prime Video)

Everything about the look of “Mrs. Maisel” is turned up to 11: the sets, the production design, even the color of Midge Maisel’s lipstick. It would be easy for costumes to be overshadowed – but in a show that’s all about subverting performative femininity, that would never do. Costume designer and Emmy winner Donna Zakowska’s ongoing dedication to creating custom clothes in period jewel tones and accessorizing with fabulous bags and hats is a stellar representation of how Rachel Brosnahan’s character is holding her own in her vibrant world. The polished perfection of her look is armor against the upheaval in her life — starting a new career, (maybe) splitting up with your husband and leaving your young children to fend for themselves with the housekeeper isn’t for sissies, you know. — AD

9. “The Deuce” (2017-2019, HBO)

Spanning two distinct decades, “The Deuce” costume team had to find the right looks for a bevy of characters who most people looked over. The sex workers, porn stars, pimps, mobsters, and bartenders of the ’70s and ’80s-era Times Square District weren’t the people New York wanted to highlight, but Anna Terrazas, Jenny Gering, and Hanna Shea all helped find the distressed double-breasted suits and worn-out feather boas, hiding their stars in authentic imperfections. But they also had to evolve their style as the series jumped forward in time, and the night owls that made up their cast graduated from bell bottoms to more tapered looks. Each season brought turnover, yet “The Deuce” always looked as real as its time, and true to the story it was telling. — Ben Travers

8. “The Knick” (2014-2015, Cinemax)

There’s something about the era-specific blend of formal wear and medical garb that gave the employees at the Knickerbocker Hospital an elegance that some of them didn’t always live up to. Whether in the operating theater or patrolling the hospital grounds, Ellen Mirojnick’s suits and white cloaks signalled a potent mixture of authority and uncertainty that made this series one filled with possibility. The city’s grittier underbelly and its more refined academic cornerss only made it that much more striking when those two sensibilities were thrust together, in one room or in a single person. — SG

7. “Empire” (2015-present, Fox)

You don’t have a show called “Empire” without clear signals of who’s at the top of that hierarchy. As members of the Lyon family battled for control over their musical kingdom, Rita McGhee and Paolo Nieddu’s various creations became their own kind of emphatic dialogue. The further out from Cookie and Lucious this series emanated, it showed with simple choices of dress which characters felt like they belonged in this cutthroat world and which sought to reject it entirely. When this show took the TV world by storm in its opening episodes, it was like a king, a queen, and their subjects had arrived from thin air, demanding everyone take notice. — SG

6. “Pose” (2018-present, FX)

The right costumes can transport audiences to a different world. That’s exactly what happens on “Pose,” where designers Lou Eyrich and Analucia McGorty bring ’80s African-American and Latino ball culture to viewers who can’t get enough. The costuming balances not only its period setting, but an income gap between its characters, fully capturing the creativity and ingenuity that served as the backbone of ball culture. It’s that we’re able to see the characters during their lowest times that makes the triumphs all the sweeter, and no one on television can do glam like “Pose.” — LH

5. “The Handmaid’s Tale” (2017-present, Hulu)

Never have such brilliant costumes been crafted from such restricted parameters. Adapted from the iconic Margaret Atwood novel of the same name, “The Handmaid’s Tale” adheres to a strict color palette to better signify the caste system in place in its totalitarian dystopia, and yet Ane Crabtree – and later Natalie Bronfman – found ways to drill down into the narrative itself to find their inspiration. Take the instantly recognizable handmaids costume, for example. Deceptively simple, the straightforward gown eschews modern conveniences, including buttons, zippers, pockets and shoelaces. The misogynistic fog that hangs over Gilead permeates the very clothing that the handmaids wear and has found new life off the screen, becoming a symbol of resistance and, apparently, a very nice Halloween costume. — LH

4. “Boardwalk Empire” (2010-2014, HBO)

“Boardwalk Empire” thrived on capturing a very specific time and place. But more than just being a handsomely designed series, it was show filled to the brim with characters who had plenty of secrets to hide. For many of those individuals, whether they were high-rolling bootleggers or immigrants wrestling with the challenges of new life in America, their clothes seemed to be one way to retain dignity. Whether it was one of Nucky or Chalky’s impeccable three-piece suits or one of Margaret’s dresses, designers Lisa Padovani and John Dunn found a way for these characters to hide guilt, shame, or the past, sometimes all at the same time. — SG

3. “The Crown” (2016-present, Netflix)

Queen Elizabeth II came of age alongside television; every moment from her 1953 coronation onward has been broadcast to the planet. This is a blessing and a curse for the costume department — on the plus side, her outfits for every public event for decades have been recorded for posterity to use as inspiration; unfortunately some of that wardrobe includes period clunkers that haven’t aged well, like the insane Klingon hat that makes an appearance in Season 3 at the investiture of Charles as the Prince of Wales. Ultimately, it’s this taste-blind attention to realistic and lush detail that makes the costumes on “The Crown” so outstanding. Thanks to the three “Crown” costume designers to date — Emmy winner Michele Clapton for Season 1; Emmy winner Jane Petrie for Season 2 and Amy Roberts for Season 3 — the historical looks reign supreme. — AD

2. “Mad Men” (2007-2015, AMC)

There are other television costumes and then there’s “Mad Men.” It’s not that the acclaimed drama series about Madison Avenue advertising executives was the first to delve into a bygone era for its setting, but Janie Bryant’s commitment to crafting period accurate wardrobes forced every show that came after — including our No. 1 pick — to up their game. Because as complex and nuanced as the characters on “Mad Men” were, Bryant’s costumes served as a window into their souls. As Peggy Olson’s career blossomed, so did her fashion sense, from Peter Pan collars to pantsuits, the costumes told the story as well as any words could. — LH

1. “GLOW” (2017-present, Netflix)

From its inspiring wrestling uniforms to period-appropriate leisurewear, Netflix’s excellent ensemble comedy is a creative costumer’s dream come true. With a challenge around every corner, costume designer Beth Morgan, along with her Emmy-nominated team of Alexandra Casey and Sharon Sampson, had to be resourceful — and show their resourcefulness — during Season 1, when the wrestlers were putting together dynamite uniforms on a shoestring budget. Season 2 asked them to keep matching a shifting ’80s aesthetic with every design, and without going so far into a time warp that modern viewers were turned off by the loud, outdated daily wear. And in every season, they had to do it all while enriching the show’s empowering ideals. “GLOW” bursts off the screen like a pulse of neon in a dimly lit ring, and viewers will never forget the costumes that helped make it shine. — BT