Iconic Costumes
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Iconic Costumes#1
Posted: 11/1/22 at 10:56am
Mame's gold lame lounging pajamas are classic, so is Dolly's red Harmonia gown and Anita's purple dress in WSS.
What character (male or female) wore an iconic white cpstume?
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Stand-by Joined: 11/4/04
Iconic Costumes#5
Posted: 11/1/22 at 11:22am
Loretta Swit in Evita.
Iconic Costumes#6
Posted: 11/1/22 at 11:23am
Eva Peron on the balcony of the Casa Rosada.
"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene"
- Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
Iconic Costumes#7
Posted: 11/1/22 at 11:31am
Annie’s red dress and curly red wig.
Eva Peron’s white gown.
Iconic Costumes#9
Posted: 11/1/22 at 11:40am
Phantom’s mask is probably the most instantly recognizable article of clothing from Broadway. For a full outfit, the hat and long coat come to mind.
Evan Hansen’s blue polo and cast.
Both Joel Grey and Alan Cumming’s Emcees have pretty iconic getups.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/14/20
Iconic Costumes#11
Posted: 11/1/22 at 11:50am
Would you consider Hermes suit in Hadestown among this list?
Iconic Costumes#12
Posted: 11/1/22 at 12:01pm
hearthemsing22 said: "Would you consider Hermes suit in Hadestown among this list?"
No.
I think all the costumes from The Lion King are iconic but where is the line between costume/puppet?
Iconic Costumes#13
Posted: 11/1/22 at 12:13pm
Any of the Cats. That seems pretty obvious.
Iconic Costumes#14
Posted: 11/1/22 at 12:18pm
hearthemsing22 said: "Would you consider Hermes suit in Hadestown among this list?"
That audience captioning device is more iconic than that suit.
Iconic Costumes#15
Posted: 11/1/22 at 12:25pm
A few Bernadette costumes in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, such as the below. And then of course the homage in Tick Tick Boom. I mean, everything in the show is so god damn iconic. LOOK AT THE PHOTO OF BERNADETTE AND SONDHEIM IN THE RECORDING STUDIO FOR SUNDAY....THAT FEELS ICONIC.




Iconic Costumes#16
Posted: 11/1/22 at 12:42pm
Hard to define. There is a difference between great costumes and iconic costumes. For example, Gypsy has mostly utilitarian (and approprite) costumes, but Rose's dress is iconic. Coco had great costumes, but none are iconic...you don't immediately think of the show or the moment in the show when you see the costume. Iconic to me also means that a huge range of people would immediately think of the show if they saw the costume. It / they are part of theatre history.
Agree with most everything. Exceptions: mother in Ragtime (I don't remember what she wore and I saw it 5-6 times); My Fair Lady is too broad and I don't think there is any single outfit that is 'associated' with MFL. I also question Hermes' suit as being iconic, as well as Evan Hansen's outfit. I also don't think anything Christine Daae wears is iconic.
I would add:
-- Rose's red dress in Gypsy (I missed the last one, but every other production I have seen has been Red.
-- (This may be a stretch): Phyllis's red pant outfit in the original production of Follies. IT was everywhere, including the cover of Time and Life.
-- Charity's black dress in Sweet Charity
-- Mrs. Lovett's hairdo at a minimum.
-- Judy Holliday's red dress in Bells Are Ringing (red seems to be a theme)
-- Maria's white dress in WSS
-- All the costumes in the current production of Chicago
-- Peter Pan's costume
-- Mame and Vera's outfit from Bossom Buddies
-- All the costumes in Nine taken collectively
-- Little Eponine's outfit in Les Miserables
-- Carol Haney's Steam Heat outfit from Pajama Game
-- Roger DeBris' Chrysler Building dress from The Producers
-- Nellie Forbush's sailor outfit in Honey Bun
-- The closing of Act 1 Dreamgirls costumes
-- Dot's dress in SITHWG
That's it for now.
Iconic Costumes#17
Posted: 11/1/22 at 12:52pm
White only?
I'll say Peter Allen/The Boy from Oz.
Iconic Costumes#18
Posted: 11/1/22 at 2:03pm
What character (male or female) wore an iconic white cpstume?"
The full company of the original production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC in the first scene of Act II. Everyone in white, inspired by that one line of lyric in WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY. I remember hearing gasps from the audience at curtain rise. Dazzling.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Iconic Costumes#19
Posted: 11/1/22 at 5:34pm
I was looking for iconic WHITE costumes but thanks to everyone for their input.
Iconic Costumes#20
Posted: 11/1/22 at 7:21pm
Jarethan said: "Hard to define. There is a difference between great costumes and iconic costumes. For example, Gypsy has mostly utilitarian (and approprite) costumes, but Rose's dress is iconic. Coco had great costumes, but none are iconic...you don't immediately think of the show or the moment in the show when you see the costume. Iconic to me also means that a huge range of people would immediately think of the show if they saw the costume. It / they are part of theatre history.
Agree with most everything. Exceptions: mother in Ragtime (I don't remember what she wore and I saw it 5-6 times); My Fair Lady is too broad and I don't think there is any single outfit that is 'associated' with MFL. I also question Hermes' suit as being iconic, as well as Evan Hansen's outfit. I also don't think anything Christine Daae wears is iconic.
I would add:
-- Rose's red dress in Gypsy (I missed the last one, but every other production I have seen has been Red.
-- (This may be a stretch): Phyllis's red pant outfit in the original production of Follies. IT was everywhere, including the cover of Time and Life.
-- Charity's black dress in Sweet Charity
-- Mrs. Lovett's hairdo at a minimum.
-- Judy Holliday's red dress in Bells Are Ringing (red seems to be a theme)
-- Maria's white dress in WSS
-- All the costumes in the current production of Chicago
-- Peter Pan's costume
-- Mame and Vera's outfit from Bossom Buddies
-- All the costumes in Nine taken collectively
-- Little Eponine's outfit in Les Miserables
-- Carol Haney's Steam Heat outfit from Pajama Game
-- Roger DeBris' Chrysler Building dress from The Producers
-- Nellie Forbush's sailor outfit in Honey Bun
-- The closing of Act 1 Dreamgirls costumes
-- Dot's dress in SITHWG
That's it for now."
Agree entirely
I think the My Fair Lady costume that one might consider iconic, is the black and white dress that Eliza wears for Ascot, but it wasn’t in the show. I would said that’s one most people imagine.
Iconic Costumes#21
Posted: 11/1/22 at 7:33pm
I would say it's Eliza at the start, in her dirty streetseller clothes, before Higgins gets his hands on her.
Iconic Costumes#22
Posted: 11/1/22 at 7:39pm
NINE Broadway 
Iconic Costumes#23
Posted: 11/1/22 at 7:43pm
Dollypop said: "Mame's gold lame lounging pajamas are classic, so is Dolly's red Harmonia gown and Anita's purple dress in WSS.
What character (male or female) wore an iconic white cpstume?"
Chita in Spider Woman 
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Iconic Costumes#24
Posted: 11/1/22 at 8:24pm
Okay, now I have to 'fess up:
You all helped me name a plant. Yup, my Christmas cactus.
I have several--all different colors. The red one (of course) is Dolly. The gold/yellow one is Mame. The purple one is Anita and with your help, the white one is now named Evita.
With the exception of Evita, they are in full bloom right now and absolutely gorgeous.
Again, thanks for your help.
Iconic Costumes#25
Posted: 11/2/22 at 6:24pm
This is more recent: Bobbie's red jumpsuit in the Company revival. It looked great on Rosalie Craig and Katrina Lenk. Also on Nikki Renee Daniels when she filled in while Katrina was out with Covid.
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