Agent Carter (2015-16) is a Marvel Cinematic Universe show that I’m still kind of amazed was even made, let alone got two seasons of airtime. It stars Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, who was initially introduced in Captain America (2011) as the love interest of Steve Rogers who was divided from him across time.
The show explores how she put her life back together following Steve’s presumed death, working her way up in the chain of command in the Strategic Scientific Reserve as she tackles corruption within the SSR and the forces outside it that are attempting to undermine Howard Stark’s research and credibility. It’s less superhero flick and more spy thriller, which is frankly what I love about it. The characters exist in the same world as superheroes, but it’s also a world where most of those supes are still largely underground due to prejudice and ignorance. And happening alongside the early years of the space race and the Cold War is the race between the U.S. and their various allies and enemies to create another Captain America to become the next “super soldier” (i.e., human weapon). Agent Carter fits into the same category of MCU shows like Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, where people aren’t flying around and blowing shit up with their brains. The thing that makes Agent Carter stand out, however, is that it’s set in 1946-47 and the costumes are fabulous.
Giovanna Ottobre-Melton headed the costume team for all 18 episodes of the show, and she and her team put together a cohesive look for the main characters that feels authentic with just a little bit of a classic comic-book patina. Another thing I appreciated about the show is that I recognized a number of off-the-rack, vintage-inspired outfits from small labels like Trashy Diva. I’m not entirely sure how many outfits were custom-made for the series versus pulled from stock or sourced from other vintage-inspired modistes, but I’d hazard a guess that most of Peggy’s outfits were a mix of custom and vintage. Honestly, every episode is packed with some excellent outfits on all the characters (their costuming budget had to be pretty respectable because most of the characters get at least two-three changes per show; Peggy often gets four or more), but these are a few of the standouts!
Did you watch Agent Carter (2015-2016)? Tell us what you liked — or didn’t like — in the comments!
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