Costumer Janie Bryant’s early career was costuming for music videos in the 1990s. Around the turn of the 21s century, she transitioned to what would become known as “prestige television” on premium cable networks HBO and AMC, starting with the wildly successful series Deadwood (2004-06) and then from there, Mad Men (2007-15). In 2021, she returned to the Western genre with 1883 (2021-22) and its follow-up series 1923 (2022-25). Though her resume of historical flicks is still on the thin side, it’s clear that Janie Bryant can stick with a show through a multi-year run with her designs ultimately becoming part of its iconic status.
Deadwood (2004-06)
One of the rare Westerns that actually had consistently good costume content that wasn’t just droopy bustle dresses and dusty cowboy outfits. It’s also a great series; the female characters are just as interesting and unhinged as the male characters, which is a nice change of pace from the usual stereotypes of “lone woman out to get revenge for her murdered husband” or the “background whores doing whore things” tropes. I binge watched the first season when it came out, much to my utter surprise since you usually can’t get me to stick around for more than a single episode of any given Western. And it has Timothy Olyphant in it, and Ian McShane, and a whole bunch of other talent that made it hard to quit watching.
Mad Men (2007-15)
In case you were dead or something for the last 20 years, I shouldn’t have to explain to you the cultural juggernaut that this show was while it was on. Even late in its run, it was being covered breathlessly by bloggers and critics alike. Still to this day, shows set in the mid-20th century are held to Mad Men’s standards in terms of costuming, hair and makeup, and set design. The show starts in 1960 and follows most of the characters through to 1970 as they more or less craft the world we know today through advertising. Janie Bryant’s costumes are so good that my mother, who was a teenager in 1960, would constantly interrupt my viewing by pointing out outfits that she wore, swearing it was so close to identical to her wardrobe that she found it almost eerie to watch. I’ll take that as a ringing endorsement of this show’s historical accuracy.
The Last Tycoon (2016-17)
I haven’t watched this series yet, but it’s on my list. The Last Tycoon is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s posthumously published novel by the same name and is set in 1936 Hollywood. Main character Monroe Stahr (played by Matt Bomer and loosely based on producer Irving Thalberg) clashes with his boss, studio head Pat Brady (Kelsey Grammer). The costumes look great, and I’m not even put off by the subject matter, despite having a very lukewarm feeling towards Fitzgerald in general. Even though it got “eh” ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, the women’s clothing looks like wall-to-wall eye-candy.
Deadwood: The Movie (2019)
The OG cast reunites for the movie, taking place about a decade after the series. Costuming is still good, but I don’t care about that. I care about Calamity Jane. This post from Janie Bryant’s Instagram has some neat insights into how she went about designing for everyone’s favorite Deadwood denizen.
1883 (2021-2022)
First came Yellowstone, and I guess people liked it that much that they decided to do a show about the Dutton family’s origins. It’s another Western-y kind of show, which you know, not my fave. But since it’s jam packed with talent I love and it’s costumed by Janie Bryant, I may just give it a go eventually.
Mayfair Witches (2023-)
Based on the Anne Rice series of the same name, of which I read the first book and … well, ok. It’s very Anne Rice-y … This series covers the multi-generational Mayfair family whose female members are all haunted by a sexy demon named Lasher. Though the story is set in contemporary times, there’s a lot of time jumping backwards because all the Mayfair women are linked spiritually to one another so they can access the memories of their ancestors or some shit. Which is to say that there’s frequently “flashbacks” to various points in history, and therefore historical clothing to discuss.
1923 (2022-25)
The sequel to 1883. More of the same Dutton family shenaniganiry, but this time without corsets!
What’s your favorite historical show costumed by Janie Bryant? Tell us about it in the comments!
![Portrait of a lady said to be Jeanne de Valois, comtesse de la Motte [I would be shocked if this was accurate] by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, c. 1780 [I'd say post-1783], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i0.wp.com/frockflicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Jeanne_lamotte_valois.jpg?fit=300%2C175&ssl=1)
Janie Bryant is brilliant. I have nothing less than praise for her work on Mad Men!
I heard her speak through the Smithsonian lectures series. It was a wonderful slide slow lecture that featured mostly what was then her current work on Mad Men, but she covered her early work and influences, too. Also, what patterns, textiles, and colors don’t read well on the screen.Afterwards, there was an open Mad Men themed cocktails under the elephant at Natural History. I’ve heard many famous people in my years in DC, but Janievwas my favorite! My husband was the one that bought the tickets. He even asked her a technical question on how she tests how patterns read.
Mad Men will always be the gold standard for mid-century fashion! I look forward to checking out her other works!
Deadwood is one of my all-time favorite shows and the costuming is such a strong part of that. I did enjoy the last tycoon and loved the costuming in it as well, though I’ve always been peeved that Collins didn’t change her signature but distractingly non-era-appropriate eyebrows. Don’t take on a period role if you’re not willing to commit to the look!
Yes! Her eyebrows were super modern, but the costumes were so gorgeously of the period.
In all honesty, I haven’t seen any of the above shows, BUT had to comment based on the Mad Men photos. I lived through the mini-skirt era, getting my first one about 1968 when I was nine. The micro-mini didn’t come along until maybe ’69. I had a cream lace micro-mini I wore in middle school about ’72 that got comments for being * too * short. Around that time we also had the trend of sizzle pants, which were more like skirt-matching swim bottoms that went under your dress instead of hot pants, aka short shorts. If you weren’t wearing a micro-mini, you were wearing ultra low rise hipster jeans. That was through my frosh year of high school, ’73/’74. I worked in the social studies office, and the regular secretary showed me her yearbook (Class of 1966) and the cheerleaders in ’65/’66 still looked like something out of the 50s, with skirts that were below knee length while our girls were wearing short cheer skirts from the late 60s/early 70s. When I went to the Mary Quant exhibit in London, a lot of her early stuff was trendy but still just below knee length. Her first mini wasn’t on the market until ’66, so with Mad Men starting in 1960, the New Look or Balenciaga/Givenchy minimalist look was still going to be fashionable. I remember my mother and aunt still wearing the Happy Days Mrs. Cunningham middle class version of the New Look silhouette as shirtwaists, not unlike January Jones’ dress in the group photo. Living in a conservative suburb of a major metropolitan area, we saw the trends, but the city girls (or those local girls who socialized in the city more) were wearing the fashion forward stuff earlier than us stuck in the ‘burbs.
Never quite ‘Got’ MAD MEN, but any show that gave us la Hendricks and Ms Elisabeth Moss is one which we owe some gratitude.
Also, reasonably confident that the only period Dame Helen Mirren does not look stunning in is one she hasn’t worn yet (It amuses me to note that she isn’t even the fashion model in the family – her paternal cousin Ms Tania Mallet was so darned pretty they cast her in a Bond movie).
Also, absolutely love the photograph at the very top of this article for those poodles – the one on the left in here to make friends, but the one on the right is clearly WORKING IT like a fashion icon.
She also did some fabulous costumes for the series Why Women kill, both seasons I believe, the first takes place in the 1950s 1980s and modern day but the second season, though I haven’t watched it, I believe is set completely in the 1950s, and from what I see on her Instagram are divine!