Out of the Unknown (1965 - 1971)

A science-fiction anthology series that has sadly been overlooked (and not helped at all by how a lot of its episodes have been lost, thanks to the BBC and its 'junking' procedures - a fate suffered by many old televisions series), Out of the Unknown was partly adapted from many existing scifi stories br writers including JG Ballard, Phillip K Dick, Isaac Asimov and John Wyndham. Though most of the episodes (that are surviving at any rate) just had their cast in contemporary clothing. It should also be worth noting that, sadly, most of these episodes have their costume designers uncredited.

'The Dead Past'

The cast of this episode wore futuristic suits with no collars or lapels, worn over vests with a similar design. One cast member wears a buttonless jacket made of a hexagonal fabric pattern - a time when that wasn't a hoary old scifi visual design cliche.

'Thirteen to Centaurus'

This episode involved a space colonization team, with the civilian members all lined jackets with leather straps on the collars and sides of the jacket, with the position of the straps reversed depending on the wearer's gender. Strangely, these uniforms would be regularly reused in other scifi productions such as; the Doctor Who serial 'The Ice Warriors', The Avengers episode 'The Living Dead' and The Tomorrow People serial 'The Dirtiest Business' - the latter two reuses were in colour, revealing the uniform's colour to be beige.

The military members of the colonization team wear vinyl-panelled tunics with large shoulders and a v-shape panel on the front - sometimes these uniforms are worn with a cap that seems to have been military surplus rather than made for the production.

'The Machine Stops'

Costumes by: Barbara Lane

This episode involved a society in thrall to 'the Machine' which cares for everyones needs under the ground, and had one of the more inventive costumes of the series yet, courtesy of Barbara Lane. Lane would go on to have a long career in costume design, but it is striking that the underground humans such as Vashti (Yvonne Mitchell) are wearing conical headpieces, as Lane would design similar headpieces such as the the one worn by the stone person Eldrad in the Doctor Who serial 'The Hand of Fear', as well as the headpieces worn by the Mutoids in Blake's 7, which Lane was costume designer on for its first series. Vashti doesn't get many good shots, but at first is wearing a slightly shiny bodysuit with the headpiece.

There is a female attendant wearing a jumpsuit whose leg bottoms end in frilly flares, with differently coloured stripes going around the waist. The jumpsuit is worn with flat headpiece that is curved in a way to resemble hair almost.

Vashti's son Kuno (Michael Gothard) wears a white (? who knows in the black and white) jumpsuit that is also worn with a padded armor piece for protection when attempting to escape the underground society and journey onto the surface. In other scenes, he wears a toga-like garment over a hexagon-patterned vest, worn with tights. Other men in this machine-controlled city dress similar, with the same diamond-like headgear as well.

'Too Many Cooks'

This episodes cast wore gowns with robes consisting of cross-crossing fabric stripes; the elder was only distinguished by their robe being in white rather than black.

'Immortality, Inc.'

The denizens of the future in this episode wear wide-shouldered tunics; one notable exception is the woman who wears a silvery dress with ornate jewellery around the collar.

'Liar!'

This episodes cast wear a variety of sleek futuristic jackets and jumpsuits; the jackets and jumpsuits tend to have vinyl lining around the cuffs and transparent patches on the chest, with one woman cast member wearing a jumpsuit with a colourful patterned v-neck panel.

'Beach Head'

Costumes by: Charles Knode

This episode involved a spacecraft crew on an alien planet, all clad in some of the most colourful uniforms ever worn in science-fiction, with the commander and his staff in striped tunics of grey and shades of pink, fitted with red pieces at the shoulders and worn with trailing bellbottoms. The security staff wear uniforms of the same pattern but are of a darker shade of grey and with yellow and brown stripes instead.

Just visible in the surviving production photographs is a security guard uniform consisting of an asymmetrically designed grey, yellow and orange uniform, with the same bell-bottoms as the other male crewmembers.

The women members of the crew are in less outfit colourful uniforms, though these still have the red shoulder straps, as well as being fitted with a see-through plastic piece around the skirt segment of the tunic.

For ceremonial duties golden vests with v-shape lapels are worn over the uniforms

'The Naked Sun'

Costumes by: Charles Knode

This episode again had its costumes designed by Charles Knode, though the futuristic uniforms this time were not as vibrant, being just grey shirts witn faux-pockets and blue panelling around the shoulders and collar.

The costume highlights were the denizens of the planet being investigated by space policeman Elijah Bayley (Paul Maxwell) - the women Gladia (Trisha Noble) sports two dresses, the first being an orange one with pieces on the top, and the second being a flowing pink one again. This episode is sadly lost and had to be reconstructed from surviving production photos like 'Beach Head' was.

The men of the planet are in simularly flowing garb, though in shades of stoney grey instead.

Some other striking outfits are worn by the robot humanoid servants; purple vinyl hooded outfits, with trailing silver skirt pieces that have purple stripes, and then being worn with sunglasses no less - absolutely one of the most striking designs of this serial in my opinion!

'1 + 1 = 1.5'

In this episode, the male scientists wear a variety of futuristic jackets, one of them appearing to have coloured panelling down the front and sides.

'Target Generation'

The future denizens of this episode wear a form of jumpsuit that is cut around the top half to resemble a tunic.

'Get Off My Cloud'

This was an episode of the third season that is, sadly, entirely lost (the fourth season would just entirely head into horror territory, with no science-fiction tales being adapted), just only existing now as a couple of production photos. The story would have involved a science-fiction author retreating into his own imagination, and as such coming face to face with his own characters - these included a space princess in a silvery shiny dress (sadly, no photos of her in full) as well as two space warriors in amazingly cheesy perspex armor and pointed helmets, these absolutely being a spoof of the designs in space opera comics such as Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers or Dan Dare. I only have to wonder who the costume designer for this episode was!

Blade Runner (1982)

Costume Design by Charles Knode & Michael Kaplan

Note: In all interviews, Ridley Scott brings up only Charles Knode as the costume designer for the picture, with Knode having drawn all the costume sketches for the main characters; presumably, Kaplan's duties were most likely in the realm of 'assistant costume designer'.

Blade Runner's visual style was intended to be both old and new, being a futuristic spin on the 1930s and 1940s fashions, as per the film itself being a futuristic noir.

The noir influence is seen very clearly with the costume worn by Harrison Ford as replicant hunter Rick Deckard, who always wears a brown trenchcoat over various custom-made patterned shirts.

It should be worth noting that he was meant to be wearing a hat in Charles Knode's costume sketches, but thanks to having just filmed Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ford was adamant to not wear any headwear at all!

Really, can we just take a minute to appreciate just how many quirky patterned shirts were custom-made for Ford's title role? Of course the highlight for me is the green and brown shirt crisscrossed with red and blue lining, but the other shirts are pretty fun too!

In some scenes, Ford wears a brown blazer instead of his trenchcoat. According to this auction listing, the blazer - and presumably the rest of Blade Runner's costumes - were constructed at Ital Costume, a Hollywood costume house.

(I don't know if the striped sweater and grey cardigan that Ford wears in Blade Runner's final scenes were custom-made items, or if they were just vintage clothing Knode or Kaplan had found)

Fellow detective Gaff (Edward James Olmos) is dressed more like an Edwardian 'dandy', wearing a yellow or silvery waistcoat under his slightly futuristic vinyl-lined trenchcoat along with bow tie and trilby hat.

Gaff also sports a grey variation on the vinyl-lined trenchcoat as well in some scenes, again obscured by the film's atmospheric lighting.

(As for other named LAPD characters in the film, I have no idea if the suit worn by Morgan Paull as Holden, or the shirt and jacket worn by M. Emmet Walsh as Bryant, were custom-made for each actor or just bought vintage clothing due to their minor roles)

Two sets of futuristic police uniforms were made for the extras playing the LAPD officers. The first uniform consists of a custom-made string top, with motorbike armor stuck on. The second uniform is a custom made brown vinyl coat and hat, only seen in production photos.

A futuristic trenchcoat was made for Rutger Hauer as the rogue replicant's ringleader, Roy Batty. The jacket has a slightly militaristic feeling, befitting the character's background as a soldier. The rest of Hauer's costume, like the trousers and vest, were most likely bought items.

Batty's lackey is the replicant Leon, played by Brion James. Leon's first costume is a futuristic prison uniform, that resembles a medical 'Howie coat'; I think this was custom-made for Brion James, not a bought item.

Leon's next costume is a vinyl trenchcoat and work jacket; I also feel these were custom-made for Brion James, due to the cut of the jacket being similar to the menswear Knode designed for the picture.

Batty and Leon pay a visit to the scientist Chew, played by James Hong. Knode designed and fabricated a thick furred coat for Hong to wear, as his character worked in sub-zero temperatures.

Much of the film's more glamorous looks are worn by Sean Young as the replicant Rachel. Again befitting the futuristic noir look, many of Young's costumes were inspired by the padded shoulder suits designed by Gilbert Adrian, combined with the then-emerging fashion trend of 1980s 'power dressing'.

Rachael's first costume is a shiny black two piece suit made out of silk with black snakeskin pieces fixed on the collar and shoulders. A prim yet glamorous design, made more evocative with Young's pompadour hairstyle.

Rachael's second outfit is a blue fur coat with a large high collar black fur wrap, lined with black silk going down in the middle, and with striped black and grey fur cuffs.

Rachael's third outfit (perhaps the most famous) is a fur coat patterned in chevron stripes of different fur colours of grey and white. The fur coat, with its high collar, slightly resembles a parka.

Rachel's fourth outfit is another tribute to Gilbert Adrian's designs, being a silk two piece suit made up of striped blocks of shiny fabrics, giving it a futuristic touch.

Rachel's last outfit is a charming brown-striped blouse, seen briefly towards the film's end.

A deep blue tuxedo was custom-made for Joe Turkel to wear as the scientist and corporate leader Tyrell.

Tyrell is next seen wearing a heavy dressing gown, made of a mosaic-like patterned fabric. The implication was that Tyrell was so opulent he could even wear a gown that acted as a bed in its own right. The gown is worn over a nightie, also custom-made for Turkel.

Sebastian (William Sanderson) wears one of the film's more colourful costumes; astudded multicoloured jacket and striped overalls, worn with a leather cap. The outfit gives him a slightly mischievous look, given that he is more or less a future equivalent of a toymaker.

For filming, the coat was weathered to give Sebastian a more dishivelled look, as if he had been in poverty for a long time.

Pris (Daryl Hannah), being a futuristic prostiture, of course wears a sensual costume. Hannah sports a tiger-pattern striped jacket, worn over a shimmering patterned romper, vest and stockings, finished with a studded choker and large white hairdo.

(More than likely Hannah's second costume as Pris, worn in the confrontation with Deckard, was merely a bought spandex unitard)

Zhora (Joanna Cassidy) is another rogue Replicant who works as an exotic dancer. As part of her work in the 'Snake Pit', she wears not much at all except translucent orange nipple pasties and underwear!

(Sometimes, almost no costume is still a costume!)

During her escape, she wears a leather bikini, and leather padded boots fixed with metal spikes, worn with a (possibly bought?) clear plastic raincoat. The kinky costume is in line with the character's role as a future sex worker.

I have neglected to include the various extras costumes, including these in behind the scenes and publicity photographs, partly as there's an infuriating lack of information on them, and partly as I feel most of them were not made for the film.

At least two extras in the 'Snake Pit' sequence are wearing costumes reused from the 1968 musical Star. No doubt the extras in the street scenes wore a mix of wardrobe stock, vintage clothing and bought contemporary clothing. Should any of these outfits be auctioned, or more information arise, I will amend this accordingly!

(A brief note - because of the film's more dynamic direction often not showing costumes in full or in clear lighting, a lot of production photos were used in this post, and I had to find most of them online with no clear sources. Apologies if it was distracting, or if I didn't manage to remember where I'd found the images! I know one of them was a public Imgur gallery.)