The X-Files X File.

In the midst of the resurgence of 90s fashion it seemed only fitting to review the costumes of a piece so quintessentially 90s. One of the joys of being home has no doubt been the discovery of my parent's netflix account. While the costumes are not high-fashion, I believe the intentionality of each piece is about as subtle as the action sequences. Like many who have come before I am fascinated and drawn to the sometimes hokey nature of the show.

Trench coat, gun, flash light and transformation is complete. 

The dominating costume piece is undoubtedly the almost uniform long black trench coat. In a sea of balding white men even Skully blends in with her matching coat. I was unconvinced of the significance of the coat until an episode in which while on vacation Skully covers her casual clothing with the cloak as she takes on the persona of Agent Skully. A coat which is tucked away in her trunk until she is reluctantly sucked into an investigation in a small New England Town.
As an aspiring costume designer I am usually quite fascinated by the differences between costume design for theater versus costume design for television, I feel that film falls more between the two then distinctly on either side. The X-Files was in a unique position. The paranormal plot lines created an interesting opportunity. Alongside the contemporary professional wear of its protagonists, and the distinct 90s day wear of the 'middle of nowhere America' they encounter, is this fantastical world. This world commissions its own elaborate effects, and theatrical ensembles. However, the great success is keeping everything so pedestrian until the last moment. When that monster finally rears it's ugly head, you know the next cut will be one you view between your fingers.

Episode 'Arcadia' offers a great example of this juxtaposition of normal and paranormal.

While the writing lacks real suspense, the theatricality is enough to get a heart racing. Despite the contemporary professional wear, the stylization of the camera shots and even the acting seems to me like something out of a 1930s pseudo-noir murder mystery. An attempt which I believe is only aided by the before mentioned trench coats. Unlike a lot of other television programs I have seen, I noticed that the X-Files uses costume design tactics that I normally attribute just to theater. I believe that the costumes helped the overall production of the show to challenge norms established by shows within its genre by bringing a little bit of theater to the silver screen.