The Castle Fashion Thread: The Good, The Bad, The (Very) Ugly!

[madmaverick]

I'm no fashion expert but I would never put grey together with that tan sweater Beckett was wearing with her grey suit for much of the finale.  Don't seem like those 2 colours would ever go well together.  The red dress was a good, classy dress for the occasion even if normally I'm not big on so much lace.  Too bad we didn't see Castle and Beckett looking great in their evening wear in a full body shot together.

 

Damn, poor Richard Castle another season of uninspired dressing beckons.

 

 

After Luke has thumbed through the women's Burberry catalogue over and over, and bought it all, he'll get on to poor RC's wardrobe.  Basically the same, old, uninspired stuff every season so it doesn't require much effort.  Someone make a joke about Firefly fans being called Browncoats and if Castle fans should be called sportscoats (since that is all Castle wears most days).  Black, navy and grey aren't bad colours on Castle/NF and they can be slimming, but with the lighting as dark as it is already, it would be nice to see him in some lighter shades too, or at least contrasting colours with a dark (well-fitted!) jacket.  Otherwise it's like a dark blob on screen.  Inject some zest into his wardrobe already!  Not as much as Martha, but there's some ways to go before that!  Still wish Luke would stop making bespoke jackets for Castle and just buy designer stuff but I don't think his ego will let him stop doing that at this point.

 

I rather liked the robe she was wearing when she was reassuring Castle at the end.

 

 

Me too.  Bit of a Japanese kimono vibe going on there.  I would have liked the robe even better if they were retiring to bed instead of preparing to go out, and we saw Castle slipping it off her!  Yes, as far as I'm concerned, robes are only good on Castle if it leads to undressing. ;)

 

Cherry Blossom Silk Robe by Meng  but I am not paying £989 for the privilege of swanning around in it.

 

Dear God!  Was it once worn by an empress? ;)  I guess Luke really has a LOT of budget if he doesn't even blink when pressing 'buy' for a robe costing that much to be seen for 30 secs on screen.  

 

Can't say with complete certainty, but I feel like Beckett has been wearing something different every time we've seen her in sleepwear.  Next time someone mentions that it's a good thing Castle's rich on the show I'll be thinking of robes.  Castle should use expensive robes as an excuse not to give more gifts to the guys. ;)

 

In what world does an Herve Leger dress get marked down from $1,340 to $149.60? Wow. And I thought (from what we could see), it was a very, classy black dress. I'd buy it if I had any occasion to wear it.

 

That does look like a nice, classy black dress that wouldn't go out of fashion.  But signature HL bandage dresses can be challenging to wear. I've seen them for even less than that at outlets if you're really lucky.  Past season stuff or samples do get marked down up to 90% off.  

Edited May 14, 2015 by madmaverick

[371012]

Reminded me of Beckett's blue dress from the book launch a million seasons ago...now I know why!!

[verdana]

After Luke has thumbed through the women's Burberry catalogue over and over, and bought it all, he'll get on to poor RC's wardrobe.  Basically the same, old, uninspired stuff every season so it doesn't require much effort. 

 

Thanks madmaverick I've got this amusing image in my head of Luke flicking through the catalogue over the summer hiatus going "oooh the tweetlings are going to sooo love Stana in this!"

 

I see when Luke was asked by a fan what Nathan was wearing he wasn't as forthcoming as he is with the female stars, he didn't answer but then we know he only uses custom made stuff, I wish he'd stop. 

 

He also designed the outfit the killer was wearing whilst roaming the woods which reminded me of a bad horror movie. 

371012.I love that dress she wore at the book launch, one of my favourites, Katic looked amazing in it. 

Edited May 14, 2015 by verdana

[madmaverick]

The S2 book launch dress is still one of my all time favourites and Stana definitely has the figure to work a bandage dress!

 

I've got this amusing image in my head of Luke flicking through the catalogue over the summer hiatus going "oooh the tweetlings are going to sooo love Stana in this!"

 

I think in his mind anything Burberry for Beckett = winner with the fans.  So splurge away!  Someone should also ask him innocently whether Burberry has a men's collection too? ;)

 

I see when Luke was asked by a fan what Nathan was wearing he wasn't as forthcoming as he is with the female stars, he didn't answer but then we know he only uses custom made stuff, I wish he'd stop.

 

Luke belongs to the school of Milmar where you only retweet the praise and none of the criticism, however gentle and politely made.  I remember he sounded quite put off when someone noted that Castle had been wearing the same jacket for the entire PI arc.  I suppose the vast majority of his customers for his side businesses of being a personal shopper or books on 'how to dress' are going to be women, so it makes sense for him to focus on dressing his female stars as he does try to translate his audience with Castle into his customers.  But even of the female stars, I find Martha has the most defined wardrobe that bears relation to her character.  With Beckett, it's all over the place by now and the only conclusion I can draw is that Beckett loves all sorts of designer clothes.  There's too much variety, down to her sleepwear.  Does she love online shopping because I can't see where she'd find the time to do so much shopping? ;)  It's different to early season Beckett dressed by Perez where like it or dislike it, there was a defined sense of character from her wardrobe.  The only defined thing about Beckett's wardrobe now is the black turtleneck, loved by Bowman.  To herald badassness. ;)

[McManda]

I remember he sounded quite put off when someone noted that Castle had been wearing the same jacket for the entire PI arc.

 

I thought it was kinda fun that Castle wore the same stuff. There was one shirt in particular that showed up in probably 17 or the 23 episodes ... that denim-washed (I'm sure it wasn't actually denim) grey/blue button down. Going back it showed up waaay before the PI arc.

 

I also like that it became part of Beckett's wardrobe later, too. :)

[madmaverick]

There was one shirt in particular that showed up in probably 17 or the 23 episodes ... that denim-washed (I'm sure it wasn't actually denim) grey/blue button down.

 

 

I know which one you're talking about!  It looked nice enough on Castle but it was getting to a point where I wondered if he washed it. ;)  I don't have a problem with his button downs though I would like to see more colour and variety; it's his badly fitting outerwear that I find more problematic.  And I would like to see him in casual wear other than plaid shirts.  

 

I also like that it became part of Beckett's wardrobe later, too. :)

 

It did?!  Remind me when this happened, please.  Always a fan of Beckett wearing Castle's clothes.

[McManda]

It did?!  Remind me when this happened, please.  Always a fan of Beckett wearing Castle's clothes.

 

It was the shirt she was wearing in 7x11 (Castle, P.I) when Beckett answers the phone call from Ryan in bed.

[madmaverick]

Ah, thanks!  If only we knew what Caskett had been getting creative about... ;)

[femmefan1946]

But even of the female stars, I find Martha has the most defined wardrobe that bears relation to her character.

And wasn't that style put in place by the former costumer?

 

I really don't understand the hatred/dislike of plaid shirts. They are a masculine way to add some colour and life to a wardrobe.

But left to himself... well there's that $5 flowered shirt he was wearing to every con circa 2005. 

And there is that pink Justice League tee that he has been wearing for about 10 years now.

[KaveDweller]

With Beckett, it's all over the place by now and the only conclusion I can draw is that Beckett loves all sorts of designer clothes.  There's too much variety, down to her sleepwear.  Does she love online shopping because I can't see where she'd find the time to do so much shopping? ;)  It's different to early season Beckett dressed by Perez where like it or dislike it, there was a defined sense of character from her wardrobe.  The only defined thing about Beckett's wardrobe now is the black turtleneck, loved by Bowman.  To herald badassness. ;)

 

The sleepwear is the only thing I ave an issue with in Beckett's wardrobe.  Sometimes they have her in leggings/baggy T-shirts and other times she is in more formal nightgown looking things.  I feel like the former fits more with Beckett's personality.

 

I don't have an issue with her daytime clothes being varied, because I think sometimes people just buy whatever is in style at a particular time (since that is mostly what's in stores).  Or they just like variety.  Beckett seems to switch between blazers/suits, jeans/leather jackets, and fashionista.stuff.

[verdana]

Man, that jacket. It should be in his contract that Castle wears it at least five times in a season.

http://i-blindside.tumblr.com/post/120342704000/walk-walk-fashion-baby-richard-castle-in

Couldn't agree more with the above blogger, he looks hot as hell in it.

Edited May 31, 2015 by verdana

[pepper]

Read this today and it reminded me of Kate Beckett, who sometimes has to run in heels...

[verdana]

This fits into the ugly category.

 

Susan Sullivan ‏@realssullivan  9h9 hours ago
The reason I have the great outfits on #castle I sidle up to the oh so talented @RedCarpetLuke
https://twitter.com/realssullivan/status/622171339344908288

 

Oh Susan....

 

One tweet called it vibrant, yeah that's one word for it, that outfit is giving me double vision and against the curtain too. I could cope with just the jacket may be but the matching trousers are a bit much. I laughed at one fan saying Luke brings the wardrobe Susan brings the talent and attitude ha.

[MaryM47]

If that's the curtain against which they design/evaluate outfits, no wonder some of them look batcrap crazy sometimes.  And while Susan's suit is a bit wild, I do like the fitted look of it, compared to some of the voluminous caftans she's wore over the years. 

[madmaverick]

Brave is the soul who wears that outfit!  Dear Susan's outfit is just especially epic up against that curtain.  I remember Susan mentioning that she really wanted to make an entrance with her wardrobe since Martha usually doesn't get to do more than to slip in and out of a scene.  Mission accomplished here!  A bit of an overkill even but maybe there's no such thing as overkill when it comes to Martha's wardrobe heh.  Martha's style has been consistent, consistently glaring, I'll give Luke that.  Well, Castle's has been consistent too ever since Luke took over.  Consistently old and unchanging.

 

I laughed at one fan saying Luke brings the wardrobe Susan brings the talent and attitude ha.

 

Heh. ;)  And yet the actors sing his praises so loudly.  That's the thing!  They're all too classy to say otherwise of course but I feel like they really think he does a good job.  Or at least want to give him credit.  Are we the fashion blind ones or the actors?  Honestly, I don't think Nathan has much fashion sense at all and might not be able to tell flattering from ugly, but Stana, I would think would be more discerning.  So I can't understand why she, her P.A./stylist, other people in the wardrobe dept., the exec producers including Marlowe who doesn't appear to have much fashion sense either, but Terri should have some, how they could have signed off on that utterly ugly disaster of a wedding dress?  Was it a case of the blind leading the blind?  The herd effect?  No one cared?  Only to waste tens of thousands of dollars. But for all their complaints about budget, they can't have cared much since Beckett actually was allowed to go through 3 wedding outfits.  I can't think of a TV bride who went through as much.

Edited July 18, 2015 by madmaverick

[verdana]

Yeah having three outfits was OTT and the costs eye watering for a show where TPTB would make comments about the budget restrictions as being one factor in why they are sometimes unable to do certain things. The Luke creation was thirty grand if they had done one for actual sale, we then got the real deal with that designer dress which was lovely by Alberta Ferretti, that was probably at least another ten thousand if not more. Finally there was her "casual" outfit which was yet more designer gear top and bottom and if I recall that was another couple of grand at least.  I figure they spent about fifty thousand dollars on the dresses alone. 

 

As for Susan if she walks in during the premiere dressed in that I hope to God she's standing against a plain background during her scenes because I need to concentrate. I suspect you're right madmaverick with Martha there is no overkill LOL, that pattern reminds me of an awful old pair of curtains my mother loved, she would have made a good assistant for Luke.   

 

I'm obviously not up in the fashion stakes if what Luke designs for them is considered wonderful. 

Edited July 18, 2015 by verdana

[madmaverick]

In the meantime, the former costume designer for Castle has been nominated for an Emmy for The Mindy Project.  Lucky them.  He obviously has no problem making a leading lady who is not Hollywood stick thin look good on that show (in colours other than black! ;)), so I bet he would be much better at dressing Nathan than Luke.

 

As head of his department, Luke should have considerable leeway to do his job and be trusted to do it well.  At the same time, the producers should be exercising some oversight for important stuff like wedding attire, and have some general pointers about style.  

 

There was a big transformation for Beckett between S2-3, both in terms of wardrobe and hair and makeup.  I'm still curious as to who was the impetus behind that? Was it Stana, Luke, Marlowe, network or a mix of all of the above who wanted the change?  It can be debated whether the change was good or bad, but clearly there was no looking back once the door to an endless parade of designer wear was opened.

 

I'm also curious whether Luke gets paid extra for being the maker of Nathan's suits and shirts, as opposed to buying off the rack designer wear.  I don't know if the costume designer on a show like Suits or Mad Men makes all the suits, but he/she sure does a better job!

 

Yeah, their wardrobe budgets seem a bit excessive and wasteful to us regular people but maybe it's the norm for productions.  But more doesn't always mean better.  It can lead to over indulgence.

 

It definitely takes a certain kind of flair to pull off Martha's outfits!  Not sure any of the other ladies on the show could pull it off.  Or maybe we've just become accustomed to it heh, except when juxtaposed with those curtains!

[KaveDweller]

Heh. ;)  And yet the actors sing his praises so loudly.  That's the thing!  They're all too classy to say otherwise of course but I feel like they really think he does a good job.  Or at least want to give him credit.  Are we the fashion blind ones or the actors?  Honestly, I don't think Nathan has much fashion sense at all and might not be able to tell flattering from ugly, but Stana, I would think would be more discerning.  So I can't understand why she, her P.A./stylist, other people in the wardrobe dept., the exec producers including Marlowe who doesn't appear to have much fashion sense either, but Terri should have some, how they could have signed off on that utterly ugly disaster of a wedding dress?  Was it a case of the blind leading the blind?  The herd effect?  No one cared?  Only to waste tens of thousands of dollars. But for all their complaints about budget, they can't have cared much since Beckett actually was allowed to go through 3 wedding outfits.  I can't think of a TV bride who went through as much.

 

I think it was like the Emperor's New Clothes.  Someone (Luke?) said the dress was awesome and no one wanted to sound like the unfashionable idiot that didn't like it.

[femmefan1946]

Mad Men's Janie Bryant and her team do make most of the costumes for the show. She writes and vlogs about it on the AMC Mad Men website.

 

Only to waste tens of thousands of dollars.

The Luke creation was thirty grand if they had done one for actual sale,

 

Sometimes, actually often, I think that the 'value' of a costume and the actual cost/price of a costume are being confused.

Here in Canada some years ago, one of our more flashy hi-tech millionaires bought his wife a black leather catsuit with a large diamond on the left nipple. Yeah, just as classy as it sounds. Oh, for the company Christmas party. The family one.

It hit the papers-- all Marlen's outfits did, for much the same reason we marvel at Martha's costumes-- and the millionaire was quoted as saying that the suit was worth a million dollars in publicity for him and his company.

Which promptly became the "million dollar catsuit'. 

 

The fugly gown was what 10 yards of satin -- maybe to be generous $100 a metre and about the same in silver metallic lace - lets say $200 a metre. Plus 10 to 15 hours of cutting, sewing and fitting (based on observing my mum's work on several hundred wedding and bridesmaid dresses over 40 years). 

Actual cost ?  Way way below the $30K claimed.

[femmefan1946]

I actually think most of the characters are dressed appropriately for thier parts.

Martha is flamboyant and enjoys being the centre of attention. Her clothing makes sure she never fades into the background.

Kevin is something of a dandy. Javier likes to show off his physique with lots of relatively tight shirts.

 

I think much of the problem is that Nathan is fashion impaired.  Seriously seriously impaired.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/328410997804902020/

And possibly that his is just not Luke's type. Maybe he doesn't like bears*? So he doesn't pay attention to dressing such a large man.

 

 

 

*Daddies? I'm not really up on descriptions of gay men's preferences.

[madmaverick]

I think it was like the Emperor's New Clothes.  Someone (Luke?) said the dress was awesome and no one wanted to sound like the unfashionable idiot that didn't like it.

 

Could have been the same case with Beckett's long lost wedding, burning car cliffhanger and Castle's school chum being an Al-qaeda operative. ;)

 

I think much of the problem is that Nathan is fashion impaired.  Seriously seriously impaired.

 

Nathan may be fashion impaired but that shouldn't impair Luke's ability to do his job well, which is to dress the characters and all body types well! 

[verdana]

I think much of the problem is that Nathan is fashion impaired.  Seriously seriously impaired.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/328410997804902020/

Oh dear that's not a flattering shot, I agree he's no fashionista but TBH he shouldn't have to be one because Luke's the expert (supposedly) with years of fashion experience so why does he consistently drop the ball when it comes to Castle's attire? Bizarre. 

 

There was a big transformation for Beckett between S2-3, both in terms of wardrobe and hair and makeup.  I'm still curious as to who was the impetus behind that? Was it Stana, Luke, Marlowe, network or a mix of all of the above who wanted the change?  It can be debated whether the change was good or bad, but clearly there was no looking back once the door to an endless parade of designer wear was opened

Stana seems to take a proactive part in putting together Beckett's look along with Luke and as long as it's not too radical I'm sure the network wouldn't interfere, I guess Marlowe must have some say too though. 

 

Here's a short interview Stana did about Beckett's changing look back in March 2012, it's on wetpaint but the original source was Parade but the link is dead.

 

“She's well-served by being able to be feminine and tough. The whole look is a balance between the hair, the wardrobe, and the makeup. I don't feel pressure to keep her hair long. It's more about where the character is. Right now she can let her hair down and show her feminine side and doesn't have to be as buttoned up. We get to see other parts of her. She's a little girl, she's a tigress, and she's a warrior. She's insecure and she's indomitable. She's everything.”

 

 

[WendyCR72]

Oh dear that's not a flattering shot, I agree he's no fashionista but TBH he shouldn't have to be one because Luke's the expert (supposedly) with years of fashion experience so why does he consistently drop the ball when it comes to Castle's attire? Bizarre.

 

Well, maybe Nathan has input. Not to defend the costume designer, but if the star has a say, I'm sure that weighs heavily on wardrobe choices.

[McManda]

Oh dear that's not a flattering shot, I agree he's no fashionista but TBH he shouldn't have to be one because Luke's the expert (supposedly) with years of fashion experience so why does he consistently drop the ball when it comes to Castle's attire? Bizarre.

 

I giggle at that photo because other than being dad jeans to the max, it looks like you could fit 2 of him in those pants.

[femmefan1946]

High waisted jeans are making a comeback!

I wonder if those jeans were still in his closet from his 'heavy' period when he was believed to be taking steriods for his knee problems. He seems to be like a lot of guys, wearing what comes out of the drawer first.

The $5 pink flower shirt circa 2002 seems to have been disappeared, but the pink Justice League tee is still in circulation after about a decade.

[McManda]

Every time he wanders out in the New Balance/dad jeans combo, I'm reminded of the shopping scene from Crazy, Stupid Love and it makes me laugh. That said, I think he just doesn't care much about fashion, and honestly, he seems to be doing okay despite the questionable combo.

 

And if he is hanging on to older jeans, I can't say I blame him. Maybe it's easier for men, but shopping for pants sucks.

[KaveDweller]

Every time he wanders out in the New Balance/dad jeans combo, I'm reminded of the shopping scene from Crazy, Stupid Love and it makes me laugh. That said, I think he just doesn't care much about fashion, and honestly, he seems to be doing okay despite the questionable combo.

 

And if he is hanging on to older jeans, I can't say I blame him. Maybe it's easier for men, but shopping for pants sucks.

 

I think it is, because you can buy men's pants by waist size and pant length.  I once told my brother that women's pants don't work that way, and he was all, "but that must make it so hard to find ones that fit."  He's pretty clueless about fashion too...

 

In the early seasons they did have Castle presented as a fashionable guy, so it's weird that they've had his taste decline.  At least with Beckett's wardrobe transitioning, it could be seen as a makeover/personal growth thing to be more in touch with her feminine side.  There's no story behind Castle losing that side of him.  

Edited July 20, 2015 by KaveDweller

[verdana]

Well, maybe Nathan has input. Not to defend the costume designer, but if the star has a say, I'm sure that weighs heavily on wardrobe choices.

Whilst I can picture Stana engaging Luke in regular discussions about Beckett's wardrobe I have a hard time imagining Nathan being interested enough to do likewise and this allows Luke free rein to do whatever he pleases. However, if he does have input and this is the result then I would argue he's doing his character a grave disservice. Sigh. 

[verdana]

In the early seasons they did have Castle presented as a fashionable guy, so it's weird that they've had his taste decline.  At least with Beckett's wardrobe transitioning, it could be seen as a makeover/personal growth thing to be more in touch with her feminine side.  There's no story behind Castle losing that side of him.  

You could definitely use the excuse that the changes in Beckett's is because she's loosened up, let her hair down (literally) and started to care more about fashion and her appearance because of the increased attention by Castle and her developing feelings for him but I agree with Castle it's a head scratcher. People who dress well don't usually move in the other direction, unless they're having some kind of crisis and their wardrobe is the least of their worries and I can't see that Castle has been affected by anything which has caused him to decide to dress as he does now in unflattering clothes. It's funny that his wardrobe has gone in the exact opposite direction to hers, they've flipped now she'd be the one I'd look to giving him advice on what to wear and he's the one that acts uncaring about fashion with ugly clothing stuffed in his wardrobe heh.

 

 

[femmefan1946]

Futzing around on eBay and noticed a fellow seller has a couple of costumes worn by Emily Deschanel for sale.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/BONES-PROP-DR-BRENNAN-EMILY-DESCHANEL-SCREEN-USED-WORN-JIGSAW-DRESS-COA-/201386310056?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item2ee38f39a8

Interesting to note that these are Made in China and not particularly high end fashion lines.

 

I wonder what happens to the garments worn on Castle? Not that any of the women are anywhere near my size.

[verdana]

Apparently they keep everything they use according to an old interview I read then if it's anything like the other shows when Castle ends they will keep some of the items in their main storehouse and the rest gets flogged off to the fans along with furniture etc. 

 

I'm trying to imagine fans queuing around the block to claim a piece of Rick Castle's extensive wardrobe of bulky jackets, blue button downs and plaid shirts.... but I do know that if Beckett's coats go up for sale they'll be blood on the floor as the fighting breaks out for that Burberry! 

Edited July 27, 2015 by verdana

[BellyLaughter]

So Luke styled Nathan for that Tyler Shields shoot?? Curious....didn't fans swoon over him in that?? Yet they are out for Luke's blood when it comes to dressing him for Castle! Kind of hilarious, really!

[madmaverick]

I don't know that Nathan was dressed that well for the TS shoot.  A step up from Castle in terms of being in a better cut suit, but still not up to Mad Men wardrobe standards if you ask me.  Still think Luke should try decking Castle in designer outerwear rather than making them on his own.  I'm sure menswear designers are capable of dressing men of all shapes and sizes and still giving them as sleek a silhouette as possible.

[femmefan1946]

Even 'George Richards- Big and Tall We Fit Them All' with no suits over $300CDN would do better.

[BellyLaughter]

I agree...I find it weird that Luke dresses "Ryan" the way he does but doesn't see fit to give "Castle" more style considering his wealth and social standing?? Especially compared to "Ryan" it's a mystery!

[turnitwayup]

Ikr? Tho I'm not sure what Luke was doing with this Ryan outfit but at least those ugly glasses are no where to be found in the fan pic.

[madmaverick]

It's funny especially because the guys gave Ryan grief for the ugly one month anniversary tie from Jenny way back in S1, but now he's the style guru of them all.  He takes on a second job to pay his bills to support his new baby but can still afford to have a whole wardrobe of three piece suits.  Supposedly, Jenny's a fashion buyer but I don't know if that was ever said on the show or just something made up to explain Ryan's posh wardrobe.  I had thought she was a kindergarten teacher.

 

Of everyone, I think Esposito and possibly Gates/Montgomery are the only ones who dress like real life cops.  

 

And now I recall an episode where some criminal spotted Castle's expensive watch and said he could be no cop.  Funny, you could say the same about Beckett's watch and clothes just about every episode. 

[WendyCR72]

And now I recall an episode where some criminal spotted Castle's expensive watch and said he could be no cop.  Funny, you could say the same about Beckett's watch and clothes just about every episode.

 

Beckett is definitely not dressing like a cop/detective. Meh.  :-)  We've talked about it before, though. Still, if the show was more gritty/real based like maybe the L&O franchise, it'd be funny to see how Stana Katic would rock the wool caps/bulky parkas without sort of waddling. (Then again, being filmed in L.A. and not NY as they are would make that sort of moot. The L&O detectives, when in such get ups, remind me of the Michelin Man.) Hee. (Last night, I was watching an episode and Mike Logan was in one of the ugliest winter hats I'd ever seen! But he and his partner, Barek, were at the beach in winter, so...)

 

But since Castle is like cotton candy, I guess it's fine. I just hope SK never breaks an ankle when running in those heels she seems to adore! Maybe now that she may become captain, those days will be behind her now.

 

Speaking of...and this may be unpopular: I think Castle's (the character) wardrobe fits. He likes his expensive toys and watches, but he doesn't seem too concerned with high fashion. I think NF has input into the clothes, and he likes to downplay things and keep things casual to the max.

[BellyLaughter]

I long for a return to Season 2 days....is it mean to say I was hoping for a new costume designer this season?? I mean why not reign in the changes to the show by dressing Nathan better?? And Stana for that matter! I have not been a big fan of a lot of the choices Luke makes for a female cop......

[madmaverick]

Speaking of...and this may be unpopular: I think Castle's (the character) wardrobe fits. He likes his expensive toys and watches, but he doesn't seem too concerned with high fashion. I think NF has input into the clothes, and he likes to downplay things and keep things casual to the max.

 

I think it's definitely true that NF doesn't care too much about clothes heh, and probably doesn't care much beyond that his clothes and shoes are comfortable, but Richard Castle was presented to me as a metrosexual guy.  He said it himself.  Remember that episode where he got all Sex and the City over shaving cream and stuff with the guys, and mocked by Beckett and Lanie?  Fun bit.  For a guy who cares so much about his hair and skincare products and has a streak of vanity, I find it hard to believe he wouldn't pay more attention to his clothes.  I'd think differently if he was characterised from the get go as one of those absent minded authors who didn't care about image and would just wear the same unfashionable clothes day after day.  

 

I long for a return to Season 2 days....is it mean to say I was hoping for a new costume designer this season??

 

 

You're not alone, but that S2 costume designer ship has definitely sailed to Emmy worthy waters elsewhere.

 

I don't really have expectations about Castle's wardrobe anymore, but I would like to see him dressed with more....energy if not pizazz.  Last season it seemed like he wore clothes from the same palate all season long.  Not that that greyish linen shirt was bad, but a guy's got to do laundry sometimes, right? ;)

 

It's funny when I think about how Beckett is dressed on Castle, and how other female cop characters I've enjoyed have dressed in non American shows.  Even a gorgeous woman like Helen Mirren dressed mostly in suits and blouses on Prime Suspect.  She didn't look any less attractive to me.  Maybe if Beckett was a fashionista right from the beginning then I could embrace it more.  But as it is, I still find it hard to reconcile clotheshorse designer wear Beckett with adorkable Beckett in S1 who had Lanie trashing questionable clothing from her wardrobe and asking her bff to wear lipstick.  Those Beckett/Lanie scenes were fun and we never get them anymore. ;) 

Edited July 27, 2015 by madmaverick

[WendyCR72]

but Richard Castle was presented to me as a metrosexual guy.  He said it himself.  Remember that episode where he got all Sex and the City over shaving cream and stuff with the guys, and mocked by Beckett and Lanie?  Fun bit.

 

Yeah, but Castle isn't the first show to deviate from its origins, and it sure won't be the last.  :-P  Sometimes, the evolution makes sense. Sometimes, it doesn't. Had the show started with NF's input, I'm betting the above would've never gotten off the ground to begin with. And now that he has time put in and a say, well, this is the result!

[madmaverick]

And that's why I believe the writers as well as the costume designers etc. have to make good judgment calls about what input to take on board from the actors, and what to say no to, in order to preserve the integrity of the characters as they envisioned.  Perhaps it's inevitable that characters take on aspects of the actor's real life as a show progresses, but the writers particularly have to be careful about staying true to their original characters, or if they've evolved, then addressing the evolution on screen well. 

[BellyLaughter]

 

It's funny when I think about how Beckett is dressed on Castle, and how other female cop characters I've enjoyed have dressed in non American shows.  Even a gorgeous woman like Helen Mirren dressed mostly in suits and blouses on Prime Suspect.  She didn't look any less attractive to me.  Maybe if Beckett was a fashionista right from the beginning then I could embrace it more.  But as it is, I still find it hard to reconcile clotheshorse designer wear Beckett with adorkable Beckett in S1 who had Lanie trashing questionable clothing from her wardrobe and asking her bff to wear lipstick.  Those Beckett/Lanie scenes were fun and we never get them anymore. ;) 

 

Exactly! The leap was too dynamic to be believable for me!  Don't get me wrong, some of the outfits Beckett wears I love but at the end of the day she's a cop!  It sort of reminds me of the days on Gilmore Girls where the writers were trying to portray a woman who could barely afford to feed herself as she got her Inn off the ground yet said woman always wore $1000 coats and carried around $3000 handbags LOL  Bless fashionistas!

[femmefan1946]

Even given that Beckett comes from money (both parents lawyers), her clothing in her 'all about the job' early seasons worked well. She dressed like the female cops I knew. There was one boatneck top that I think she had in maroon, blue and white, for example.

And once she was married to Castle, the designer wardrobe could make sense, especially with a 'metrosexual' husband and a MIL who loves clothing enough to keep her 25 year old leather pants in wearable condition. 

It's the in-between, when she did not have a sudden rise in income (and actually would be hard pressed after her apartment was blown up), that the sudden uptick in the price of her clothing became odd. To say nothing of All. Those. Coats.

[amensisterfriend]

Which of Beckett's hairstyles do you guys love most and least?!

[S55]

I liked the color of S3 and style of late S1 the best. I've disliked both from the start of S5 onward. 

[McManda]

Late season 2, for sure. The post-mullett stage where it was mid-length but pre-supermodel glamorous long. The end of season 1 is a close second, though, when it was darker and shorter and kind of flippy.

 

I don't mind the longer hair and the highlights. It's all pretty, but I think it makes her look generic. That's kind of the problem I have with supermodel Beckett ... she doesn't have any real style except glam! now. Darker-haired Beckett looks less like she could just be any pretty face.

[amensisterfriend]

I had unfairly dismissed S2 as all mullet, all the time, but you guys are right that her end of S2 hair is awesome. I'm usually partial to long hair overall, but I absolutely love Kate's S1 hair---it was stylish, unique and just 'fit' the character, for lack of a better way of putting it. S3's hair may objectively be the most gorgeous to me, but it's less unique and distinctive, which seems to correspond with the character becoming a little less unique and distinctive to me as well :) I dislike the highlights that come post-S3 both aesthetically and because somehow spending time and money on highlights just doesn't feel fully Kate-ish to me. Stana's always gorgeous, of course, but I prefer her as a brunette. And her hair looks too 'overdone' in many later season eps, kind of just overstyled and like there's too much of it...which is why in later seasons I usually prefer her hair up in a ponytail or bun.

 

As for NF, he looks best in S1 to me.

 

Oh, and EVERYONE looks gorgeous in Blue Butterfly IMO, but I'm a sucker for that era :)  

Edited August 13, 2015 by amensisterfriend

[turnitwayup]

S3 color and style is my fav but I also love s2 hair from A Rose for Everafter and on. End of s4 hair in Always wasn't that great since the middle part made her hair look heavy and scraggy. Same with s5 hair. S6 hair was kinda annoying since you knew those were extensions and were basically 2 hair styles (supermodel curls or ponytail) when they should just left it alone with her shorter hair.
 
Nathan had some distracting hair in The Dead Pool from the "one writer girl" scene. It was so round. I do think he looked the best in s1/2 and missed the sweaters he would wear at home like in Always Buy Retail and Tick, Tick, Tick... Nowdays he wear what ever button down or sleepwear t-shirt with optional robe at the loft scenes.

[Lucynda]

I liked her hair best in the second half of season 1. I loved the contrast to her skin and it was just so different. After that, for me, comes her season 3 hair. It looked so natural and kind of like she didn't spend a lot of time doing it?

That being said I absolutely disliked Kate's hair and make up in season 6. It was so overdone it sometimes distracted me.

I thought I'd love her hair in season 7 because I liked the length, but unfortunately it looked limp in straggly in almost every episode.

Edited August 14, 2015 by Lucynda