It’s been quite some time since a show has given us such profound outfit envy, but Amazon Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel serves that and so much more. Apart from its witty, relatable content following Miriam “Midge” Maisel’s rediscovery of herself (read more about why we love this show here, this Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning show, Midge’s wardrobe is just the icing on this comedic small screen cake. And it’s no surprise the costume designer Donna Zakowska was also nominated for Outstanding Period Costumes at the 2017 Primetime Emmy Awards. If you’re already watching, consider this a refresher on some of Midge’s best outfits (The coats! The hats!)—and if you haven’t jumped on board the Mrs. Maisel train, maybe this will sway you.
The ‘50s were a different time, but one thing we could take a cue from is dressing for occasions a little better. In episode 3, titled “Because You Left”, Midge finds herself seeking legal counsel and decides to “dress for the meeting.” While she’s just a tad overdressed for the occasion, she’s an elegant class act in her floral dress and coordinating fuchsia coat and hat.
Arguably one of the best outfits of the entire series (if only because it’s so different from the others and really shows how Midge is working to set herself apart and find her own way in life), the party circuit outfit from episode 6, “Mrs. X at the Gaslight” is cool and still put together. The colour-blocking of Midge’s top, shorts, tights and flats (and even her lipstick) helped solidify her as a standout character.
In the season 1 finale, we see Mrs. Maisel fully emerge and own her new journey. While her set is what hooks us (as if we weren’t already hooked), the Breakfast at Tiffany’s vibe her on-stage outfit serves certainly helps. It’s the perfect balance of witty (and even a bit crass) and elegant that is so quintessentially Midge.
We could write a whole piece on Midge’s work outfits alone. It’s apparent that B. Altman’s (the department store where Midge eventually works as a makeup counter girl) has high standards for how its employees dress, but even still Midge manages to steal the spotlight. Especially with this grey number.
In episode 2, titled “Ya Shivu v Bolshom Done Na Kholme,” in an attempt to reconcile Midge and her now-separated husband Joel, Midge’s mother Rose Weissman (who serves up her own outfit inspo, if only for her collection of robes) suggests she wear a very eat-your-heart-out red dress. While the night doesn’t go exactly as planned, Midge’s outfit dazzles.
The series premiere had multiple drool-worthy outfits, including this green number. Few people can look flawless and fearless when they’ve just gotten out of jail (and when they’re bailing someone else out), but Midge manages it and then some.
When Midge is introduced to fellow comedienne Sophie Lennon (played by none other than the fabulous Jane Lynch), she’s invited to Sophie’s home. It proves to be an interesting meeting in the season’s penultimate episode, but Midge’s teal dress and matching wrapped hat look even better against the mink coat that Sophie sends Midge away with.
This rose and magenta number sets the tone for all of the fabulous fashion moments we see throughout the series in the show’s opening scene. Not to mention gives us a real glimpse into who the confident and fearless woman that leads the show really is.
Midge’s downtown comedy club wardrobe is in all honesty something we’d wear today. It’s got that cool uptowners hanging downtown vibe with the all-black ensemble with a chic headscarf and ballet flats instead of the heels Midge is usually shown in (that even she complains about at one point in the series, further solidifying her character as one of the most relatable on the small screen—even if it’s set in the ‘50s).
Perhaps not the most popular opinion for a best outfit roundup (there are so many to choose from), but there’s this particular outfit Midge wears when she measures herself daily (yes, daily—and, no, they never change) that happened to have caught our eye. Midge’s black ballerina-like bodysuit looks super chic against her pantyhose and flat combination. While the context of the scenes are somewhat problematic (though, again, another time), Midge manages to make even that look elegant.
Catch the first two seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel only on Amazon Prime Video by getting your free 30-day trial.
This post was sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, but opinions are our own.
