Recreating the Fashion of Agent Carter

By: Hannah Lodge Friday, January 9, 2015 0 comments

With a beautifully shot period piece like Agent Carter, a great deal of work is invested in the props, set design and costuming. Though Agent Carter features costumes created specifically for the show (and a few genuine vintage pieces), the looks aren't hard to create with the help of modcloth.com and other vintage-inspired retailers.  

Makeup

Peggy Carter's most signature look is, arguably, her deep red matte lips. Actress Hayley Atwell tweeted recently and revealed the brand and shade used to create her look - Besame lipstick in Red Velvet. 

Another steadfast staple in Peggy's itinerary is her deep red nail color, donned in the movie and on the series. Atwell also revealed the color used for shooting: OPI's Cinnamon Sweet.

Office 

In keeping with the post-war, conservative style, Peggy typically dons blazers with muted colors and flared skirts. Costumer designer Giovanna Ottobre-Melto said in a recent interview that she also made it a point to give Peggy access to black-seamed stockings:

"Her stylish black seamed nylon stockings, for example, were not readily available to the average woman in the marketplace, yet helped establish her fashion-forward look. You’ll see the other female characters in the show donning the traditional nude seamed stockings when they were available. If you didn't have access to these fancy seamed stockings, your roommate drew them on for you!"

Pieces shown above:

J Crew blazer

H M knee length skirt 

Tan stockings

Oxford heel shoes

Recreation 

Even when she's not at work, Peggy seems to draw from her patriotic leanings and often gravitates to either red, white or blue as her outfit's base, in homage to both her country and Captain America. Though Ottobre-Melto said that most outfits were created specifically for the show (in multiples, due to the risk of damaging the items during stunt scenes), she opted for a genuine vintage gown for the shot above. The look can be recreated with the above-featured below-knee, navy blue, long-sleeved '40s era dress, available here.

 Undercover

This is probably the least practical look for re-creating at home, but because cosplay will always be a thing, let's tackle Peggy's espionage look - the Veronica Lake inspired gold dress with blonde hair. Once again, this is an item you can't buy off the shelf - and the closest-looking items we can find come in with high price tags, but staying true to the idea of a glamorous, textured gold dress with capped sleeves and ample cleavage still leaves some more affordable options, such this Ralph Lauren metallic pleated gown. 

Accessories

Despite her mostly muted color tones, Peggy makes use of the color red to stand out from her male counterparts in the episode’s premiere with an iconic red fedora hat.

In a few months time, independent retailers from etsy will probably be all over this look and offer custom-made hats that closely resemble the one above for cosplay. For incorporating into daily wear, though, a basic red fedora from Amazon with a short brim is your best option. The trick in Peggy’s hat is the width of the brim, which appears to be slightly wider than most short-brim fedoras but not as large as the floppy, large brim sort. For cosplay, a basic red fedora can be modified by adding the navy and white ribbons to the base.

The brim on this hat is slightly thinner than Peggy’s, but is easier to pull off without looking too much like Carmen Sandiego. (But hey,  if that’s your bag – Carmen Sandiego looks are also available here).

Are there any looks from Agent Carter that you'd like to copycat using off-the-rack items?