Dallas Styles – Dallas Decoder

TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘Endgame’ and ‘Brave New World’

September 28, 2014 by Chris Baker 1 Comment

“Dallas” ended its third season with heroes falling and villains rising — and their costumes reflected their changing fortunes.

John Ross (Josh Henderson) went rogue when he headed to Mexico to save Ewing Global and his mistress Emma — not necessarily in that order — and so of course he donned his trusty leather jacket, which has been a symbol of heroism and rebellion on “Dallas” from the original show’s earliest days. Later, when Emma (Emma Bell) stood in the Southfork driveway and delivered a heartfelt apology for all the trouble she caused this year, she wore a plain, no-frills hoodie, an ideal choice for a character baring her soul.

Meanwhile, Sue Ellen ended the season by gazing at J.R.’s portrait and declaring she finally felt free of him. “Hell, I might even find love again,” she told Bobby — and does anyone doubt she’s ready? Costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin dressed Linda Gray in a sexy blue dress, which suggested she’s feeling fun and flirty again now that she’s back on the wagon. Later, Judith (Judith Light) made a dramatic entrance with an outfit to match — a white blouse with a bold design, black skirt and killer earrings.

The most dramatic transformation belonged to Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace), who was revealed in the closing moments of the season as the evil mastermind behind the deaths of El Pozolero, Luis and — sniff, sniff — Christopher. For this scene, Kunin dressed Di Pace in a white suit, which highlighted his dark features. He’s never looked deadlier, has he?

I also love how Nicolas was walking with a cane, the accessory of choice for evil geniuses everywhere. Plop a purring kitten in his lap next season and his supervillain look will be complete.

What were your favorite looks in “Endgame” and “Brave New World”? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and read more “Dallas Styles.”

Filed Under: Dallas Styles, Dallas Styles (TNT), Features Tagged With: Brave New World, Emma Bell, Endgame, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo di Pace, Judith Light, Linda Gray, TNT, Which Ewing Dies?

TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘Boxed In’

September 19, 2014 by Chris Baker 10 Comments

Every outfit on “Dallas” tells a story, and so does every hairstyle. In “Boxed In,” this week’s episode, the characters’ tresses told us a lot about how they were coping with their latest crisis: the kidnapping of Ann and Emma.

Consider Judith, whose unkempt mane symbolized her emotional unraveling. Her hair was almost as wild as it was last year, when she wound up in the hospital after taking that nasty spill down the stairs. I admire Judith Light’s willingness to appear less than perfect on camera, but I also admire how “Dallas’s” brilliant hairstylist, Charles Yusko, uses Judith’s locks to serve the storyline. No matter what the writers give Judith to do, Yusko always manages to create the perfect look for her. One fan said it best the other night during #DallasChat: Judith’s hair has become a character of its own.

My favorite look this week belonged to Julie Gonzalo, who was striking in the scene where Pamela slyly persuades Nasir to loan the Ewings the money they need to buy the divisions of their company being liquidated by the cartel. Gonzalo’s bright red lipstick reflected the power and confidence she brought to this scene, and I love how her hair was pulled back in that no-nonsense ponytail.

In another clever touch, costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin dressed Gonzalo in a smart black-and-white suit — a nod to the black-and-white Stella McCartney dress Pamela wore during her trip Las Vegas earlier in the season. (Meanwhile, Josh Henderson’s hair seemed a little bigger than usual in “Boxed In’s” Las Vegas scene, just like it was during John Ross’s first encounter with Nasir.)

While we’re on this subject: Some of us out here in Fan Land feel like taking the “Dallas” writers to the woodshed after Luis (Antonio Jaramillo) attempted to charm Ann by taking a swipe at Harris. “I don’t see him deserving you,” Luis said. “Perhaps he was more handsome with hair.” Ouch! This is the second consecutive episode in which someone has made a wisecrack about Harris’s hair, or lack thereof. Last week, John Ross referred to him as “that bald bastard.”

C’mon, writers! How about a little sympathy for the follicly challenged members of your cast — and those of us watching at home?

What were your favorite looks in “Boxed In”? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and read more “Dallas Styles.”

Filed Under: Dallas Styles, Dallas Styles (TNT), Features Tagged With: Antonio Jaramillo, Boxed In, Charles Yusko, Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Judith Light, Judith Ryland, Julie Gonzalo, Luis, Pamela Rebecca Barnes Ewing, Rachel Sage Kunin, TNT

TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘Victims of Love’

September 12, 2014 by Chris Baker 10 Comments

The Ewings took their company public in “Victims of Love,” and with the whole world watching — even Wolf Blitzer was tracking their every move — each member of the family suited up for success.

“Dallas’s” ace costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin dressed the Ewings in outfits that fit their characters perfectly: Bobby (Patrick Duffy), the silver-haired patriarch, donned a gray suit with a conservative-yet-stylish striped necktie; Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), who recently gave herself a fresh start by sobering up, looked stunning in all white; and Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe), “Dallas’s” most upstanding character these days, went with all solids — a blue suit and a gray shirt, accented by a tie that bore a subtle pattern of dots. Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) was relatively subdued in her dark pants and sweater, but she doesn’t have much to celebrate these days, does she?

Then there’s John Ross (Josh Henderson), for whom business suits have become a symbol of power and ambition, much like they were for his daddy on the original “Dallas.” The Ewing Global IPO was the biggest gamble yet for Henderson’s character, who has been trying to make his mark in the world since the new “Dallas” began. Appropriately, Kunin dressed John Ross in a blue pinstriped suit and navy tie — a bold look for a bold character. Also, notice how he’s the only Ewing man to wear a pocket square in this episode; it’s another small detail that signals his determination to stand out from the rest of his family.

There’s symbolism in the outfits worn by the other characters involved in the IPO too. Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace), the corporate raider with blood on his hands, wore a crimson tie with his perfectly tailored suit. Meanwhile, Hunter (Fran Kranz), the videogame entrepreneur who shocked everyone when he seized control of Ewing Global, subverted traditional business styles the way so many techies do in real life: He wore a collared dress shirt under a T-shirt bearing his company’s logo (“Git It”), a tweedy jacket and bright blue pants. Later, when the Ewing cousins confronted Hunter about his takeover of their company, Hunter wore a gray sweatshirt — a sly nod, perhaps, to one of the world’s most famous corporate wunderkinds: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

“Victims of Love” also gave us two memorable coats: Ann’s twirly number (it’s the second cool outer garment worn by Brenda Strong’s character in recent weeks), and Judith’s gold coat. Like the red power suit Judith Light wore in publicity stills for this episode (that scene was apparently left on the cutting room floor), the gold was a fitting symbol for Madam Ryland, a character whose brazenness knows no bounds.

It’s also another example of how Judith has become one of “Dallas’s” most fashionable characters. I suspect a lot of fans aren’t just tuning in each week to see what she’ll say and do next; they also want to see what she’s wearing.

What were your favorite looks in “Victims of Love”? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and read more “Dallas Styles.”

Filed Under: Dallas Styles, Dallas Styles (TNT), Features Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Fran Kranz, Jesse Metcalfe, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo di Pace, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Rachel Sage Kunin, TNT, Victims of Love

TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘Hurt’

September 5, 2014 by Chris Baker 2 Comments

“Dallas” went back to basics this week, delivering a character-driven episode in the spirit of the original series. Fittingly, the cast spent much of this episode wearing basic black.

The episode, “Hurt,” opened with Drew’s funeral, although the action soon shifted to Southfork, where Elena confronted the Ewings about J.R.’s sins against her family and Bobby’s scheme to frame Cliff. My favorite look during these scenes belonged to Brenda Strong, who was radiant and regal in Ann’s elegant black dress. The costume worked on multiple levels: The sleek, clean lines draped Strong’s figure beautifully, but the simple design also fit Ann’s role in this episode as the no-nonsense voice of reason at Southfork.

I also love how costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin outfitted Strong’s on-screen husband, Patrick Duffy, who made his triumphant return to the “Dallas” director’s chair with this episode. Bobby spent much of “Hurt” in black suit trousers, a white dress shirt with a barely noticeable pattern and a striped, deep red tie. The contrasting colors were the ideal choice for Duffy’s morally compromised character; the black and white symbolized the struggle between the darkness and the light within dear old Bob.

Elsewhere, Linda Gray looked magnificent in her black suit, and I enjoyed seeing “Dallas’s” younger leading men in their dark suits, although no one pulls off a black suit quite like Juan Pablo Di Pace. Meanwhile, Jordana Brewster’s tight ponytail made Elena look a little severe, but the style worked for the revenge-minded character.

Even the characters who weren’t part of the Southfork showdown climbed aboard the black bandwagon: The always cool Mitch Pileggi sported a dark leather jacket when Harris met with the CIA agent in the alley. Not to be outdone, Pileggi’s on-screen daughter, Emma Bell, wore a knockout black dress with cutouts across the chest in the somewhat surreal scene where Emma negotiated with drug cartel leader Luis over tea and chit chat about the Beach Boys.

Bell looked fun and vampy here, but I couldn’t help but wonder: If Emma isn’t careful, the next funeral the “Dallas” characters attend might be hers!

What were your favorite looks in “Hurt”? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and read more “Dallas Styles.”

Filed Under: Dallas Styles, Dallas Styles (TNT), Features Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, Hurt, Juan Pablo di Pace, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, Rachel Sage Kunin, TNT

TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘Dead Reckoning’

August 27, 2014 by Chris Baker 3 Comments

Do you have a favorite coat in “Dead Reckoning,” this week’s “Dallas” episode? There were plenty to choose from.

This segment was filmed in the winter, and the cold weather matches the somber mood perfectly. The atmospherics also allow the cast to bundle up in looks that fit their characters: John Ross (Josh Henderson) sports his cool brown leather jacket, one of his signature looks since “Dallas’s” first season, while Bobby (Patrick Duffy), Ann (Brenda Strong), Elena (Jordana Brewster) and Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace) all appear to be wearing wool coats.

Then there’s Emma (Emma Bell), who sports what looks like a highly stylized, waist-length jacket to her nighttime meeting with Luis, the emissary from the drug cartel. The first time I saw the outfit, I couldn’t help but wonder: Is this what one wears during an a nighttime meeting with drug lords? I also worried poor Emma might not be warm enough.

Then I remembered: This is Emma Ryland we’re talking about. Something tells me she has no trouble keeping warm on even the coldest nights.

What were your favorite looks in “Dead Reckoning”? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and read more “Dallas Styles.”

Filed Under: Dallas Styles, Dallas Styles (TNT), Features Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Dead Reckoning, Emma Bell, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo di Pace, Patrick Duffy, TNT

TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘Denial, Anger, Acceptance’

August 22, 2014 by Chris Baker 2 Comments

The Ewings weren’t dressed to the nines in “Denial, Anger, Acceptance,” but that doesn’t mean their clothing should be overlooked. We can learn a lot about the characters, even when they aren’t runway ready.

Consider the brown coat Brenda Strong wears when Ann arrives at the hospital and lies to Bobby about her whereabouts earlier in the evening, telling him she was grocery shopping when the Southfork fire began. The cloak-like coat, which ties at Ann’s waist, conceals most of her body — a fitting choice for a character who is covering up her secret smooch with ex-husband Harris. Later, after Judith spills the beans to Bobby and he erupts at his wife (yet again), Ann is seen wearing a sweater with a wide neckline — an ideal way to symbolize how exposed and vulnerable she feels.

I also like the waffle-knit robe Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) wears during her visit to the hospital gift shop. The robe, which bears the hospital’s name (“Forest Park Medical Center”), reminds me of the kind of thing you might find hanging in a nicer hotel room closet — which seems entirely appropriate for Sue Ellen. You don’t expect her to give up her appreciation for the finer things in life just because she’s sick, do you?

Costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin and her team also deserve praise for making the blue shirt Bobby wears at the beginning of this episode look so convincingly distressed. Notice how the soot is concentrated around the neckline, the only area that would have been exposed by his jacket when he dashed into the fire to rescue his family. This is probably the most memorable look of all in this episode, which — let’s face it — doesn’t happen often with Patrick Duffy’s blue-jeans-and-boots character.

Even the folks at TNT had fun with Duffy’s costume, tweeting the following tidbit earlier today: “Fun fact: The scorch marks on Bobby’s shirt aren’t from the fire, they’re from Judith’s withering glare.”

At least she didn’t turn him to stone.

What were your favorite looks in “Denial, Anger, Acceptance”? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and read more “Dallas Styles.”

Filed Under: Dallas Styles, Dallas Styles (TNT), Features Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Denial Anger Acceptance, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Rachel Sage Kunin, TNT

TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘Where There’s Smoke’

April 18, 2014 by Chris Baker 3 Comments

Julie Gonzalo and Emma Bell donned Pamela and Emma’s green corsets again in “Dallas’s” midyear cliffhanger, but this time around, the question isn’t who wore it better — it’s who used the lingerie more effectively?

The corsets debuted earlier this season, when Pamela wore the sexy undergarment for John Ross on the night before their wedding. Little did she know Emma had worn an identical corset for him the previous evening, knowing it would spoil Pamela’s surprise. In “Where There’s Smoke,” this week’s episode, Pamela finally discovered John Ross and Emma’s affair and went to the Omni to interrupt their latest tryst. Emma had her corset on again, and as we soon discovered, Pamela was also wearing hers — part of a twisted plot to lure her husband and his mistress into a threesome before going into an overdose-fueled seizure on them.

Some fans feel the three-way sex scene was too graphic, but I was too busy pondering the symbolic value of the costumes: In the earlier episode, Emma wore her corset in a scheme to undermine John Ross and Pamela’s marriage; in “Where There’s Smoke,” Pamela wore hers in a scheme to ruin John Ross and Emma’s affair. Like J.R.’s wristwatch and Candace’s blue dress, it’s another example of how costumes play an important role in “Dallas’s” storytelling.

Two more looks in “Where There’s Smoke” caught my eye. Costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin smartly dressed Josh Henderson in another three-piece suit, which helped project John Ross’s sense of confidence when he finally met Judith Ryland. And even though many of us were heartbroken when Christopher shaved off his beard, the loss was eased a bit by seeing Jesse Metcalfe sport that nifty brown varsity jacket. Not only is the jacket stylish — the lettermen look is big in menswear this spring — but what could be a better accessory for all-American Christopher?

Let’s just hope the Ewings know a good dry cleaner; that jacket is going to be full of soot come August.

What were your favorite looks in “Where There’s Smoke”? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and read more “Dallas Styles.”

Filed Under: Dallas Styles, Dallas Styles (TNT), Features Tagged With: Emma Bell, Jesse Metcalfe, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Rachel Sage Kunin, TNT, Where There’s Smoke

TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘Like a Bad Penny’

April 11, 2014 by Chris Baker 2 Comments

I knew I’d found my look of the week the moment Pamela turned up in that black-and-white dress in “Like a Bad Penny,” “Dallas’s” latest episode. The dress was a brilliant choice for Julie Gonzalo’s character for many reasons, beginning with its symbolic value: Pamela increasingly reminds fans of her mother-in-law Sue Ellen, who long ago made black-and-white outfits one of her signature looks.

Pamela’s dress, a Stella McCartney design, is a work of art: It features a rounded neck, long sleeves and contrasting panels that create a sexy, hourglass illusion. I also love how Gonzalo moved in it: The first time we saw her wearing it, when Pamela and John Ross turned the corner and came down the hall in the Las Vegas hotel, notice how Gonzalo sashayed. She looked so striking, I’m surprised the show didn’t give her a bigger entrance; if ever a scene called for a dramatic, slow-motion walk, this was it.

The dress was costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin’s pièce de résistance in “Like a Bad Penny,” but let’s also hear it for hair stylist Charles Yusko, who once again showed off Pamela’s emerald earrings without putting her hair up. Instead, Gonzalo’s hair was swept back; it reminded me of one of Victoria Principal’s styles on the original “Dallas.” The dress may have been Sue Ellen, but the hair was Aunt Pam.

Not to be “out-blinged,” Josh Henderson sported a nifty tie tack and cuff links during the Las Vegas scenes, along with the much-loved J.R. wristwatch, which boomeranged back to him after he gambled it away. I also loved Emma Bell’s red, multi-zippered coat; it wasn’t a traditional trench coat, but it still made an ideal accessory for Emma, who went Nancy Drew on us and started snooping into her father’s scheme against John Ross. I also want to give one more nod to Jesse Metcalfe’s beard, which is slated to go away during next week’s midseason finale. Sigh.

Finally, a few thoughts on the sanitarium stylings of Sue Ellen Ewing. She spent much of this episode in a gray T-shirt and seemed to wear very little makeup, which allowed us to focus on Linda Gray’s moving, heartfelt performance. And yet Sue Ellen remained beautiful nonetheless. If there’s a lesson here, it’s this: Even when she’s wearing nothing more than a simple tee, Linda Gray still looks amazing.

What were your favorite looks in “Like a Bad Penny”? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and read more “Dallas Styles.”

Filed Under: Dallas Styles, Dallas Styles (TNT), Features Tagged With: Charles Yusko, Emma Bell, Jesse Metcalfe, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Like a Bad Penny, Linda Gray, Rachel Sage Kunin, TNT, Victoria Principal

TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘Like Father, Like Son’

April 4, 2014 by Chris Baker 8 Comments

The people who make “Dallas” gave us lots of drama to “fanalyze” in “Like Father, Like Son,” this week’s episode, but don’t overlook all the great looks from superstar costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin.

Top honors go to Emma Bell, Jordana Brewster and Julie Gonzalo, who all looked runway ready when Emma, Elena and Pamela hit the town for their girls’ night out. We never got a good glimpse of their outfits on screen, so this week’s collage includes a publicity shot of Brewster and Gonzalo in their fun, flirty print dresses. (For a good picture of the slinky green number that Bell wore in this scene, check out the latest edition of my “Drill Bits” news column.)

I’m also mad for the plaid necktie Josh Henderson sported during John Ross’s boardroom showdown and his confrontation with Sue Ellen. The tie reminded me of the one John Ross wore to J.R.’s funeral, which is appropriate since his ghost loomed so large in Henderson’s big scene with Linda Gray. Speaking of the magnificent Ms. Gray: I love the big, bold necklace she wore when Sue Ellen and John Ross clashed in her office at the top of the hour. The necklace looks like a wreath of crystals and so I imagine it’s pretty hefty, although it’s probably nothing compared to the heavy emotional burden poor Sue Ellen is carrying these days.

This episode’s other great look: the sexy sweater with the shoulder cutouts that Brenda Strong wore when Ann and Bobby (Patrick Duffy) sat on their den sofa and drank wine. What’s that, you say? You don’t remember that scene? Apparently it was cut from the episode, but TNT helpfully distributed a publicity shot from Bobby and Ann’s conversation, so I’m including it here. Here’s hoping the scene is included on the third-season DVD; not only do I want to know what Mr. and Mrs. Ewing are talking about, I want to see more of that sweater!

What were your favorite looks in “Like Father, Like Son”? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and read more “Dallas Styles.”

Filed Under: Dallas Styles, Dallas Styles (TNT), Features Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Like Father Like Son, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, TNT

TNT’s Dallas Styles: ‘D.T.R.’

March 28, 2014 by Chris Baker 2 Comments

The Ewings and the Rylands made one bold fashion statement after another in “D.T.R.,” this week’s “Dallas” episode. Nothing was more striking than the red jacket Linda Gray wore in the scene where Sue Ellen ambushed Governor McConaughey and sprung her trap for him. Red was the ideal color for Sue Ellen’s big power play, and did you notice the jacket featured star-shaped cutouts? I can think of nothing more suitable for Gray, who was the star of this hour. I also loved Steven Weber’s bright blue tie, which evoked a certain real-life Texas governor/White House aspirant who made blue neckties one of his signatures.

My other favorite looks in “D.T.R.” include Sue Ellen’s leather jacket, which pulled double duty: She wore it when she confronted John Ross in her office and told him he was being “reckless and dumb,” and she kept it on later that night, when she and Bobby eavesdropped on McConaughey. In both situations, the jacket reminded us how Sue Ellen is undeniably cool. Speaking of John Ross: Are you enjoying Josh Henderson’s three-piece suits as much as me? He looks sharp every time he wears one, but the suits also help symbolize how John Ross has become all business.

I also love every outfit that costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin chose for Brenda Strong in “D.T.R.” I described Ann’s tunic-blouse in the previous episode as a work of art; the same thing can be said about the beautiful dress she wore in “D.T.R.” when she returned from her shopping spree and kicked Emma off Southfork. I also like Ann’s blue sweater set in the scene where she welcomed Emma home; the sweater set is nothing flashy, but it perfectly fits the character’s casually elegant style.

Finally, there’s Judith Light’s pearl choker, which offers a window into Mother Ryland’s double life. The choker is a brilliant accessory for the scene where Judith drops all those sweet, grandmotherly pearls of wisdom (“Never let a man screw you for nothing”) on Emma in the restaurant. Later, when Judith came home at 3 a.m. — wild-haired after a long night at the bordello — the choker took on a whole other meaning. In this light, it looked a little like the kinky collars you sometimes see S&M enthusiasts sporting.

Hey, you don’t suppose Judith spent the evening entertaining canine-loving Commissioner Babcock, do you?

What were your favorite looks in “D.T.R.”? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and read more “Dallas Styles.”