Quantum Leap - Season 4 (1991)

Costume Design by:

- Jean-Pierre Dorléac ( notable efforts: Battlestar Galactica (1978), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), Somewhere in Time (1980), The Blue Lagoon (1980), Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (1981), Mae West (1982), The Lot (1999 - 2001) )

'The Leap Back'

The first episode of Quantum Leap's fourth season let us see a bit more of the not so distant future of 1999, which allows us to see more futuristic fashions, worn by the various scientists working in the scientific facility that controlled Sam Beckett's (Scott Bakula) original time travel experiment. The women of 1999 are in dresses that are easily as flashy as any of Al Calavicci's (Dean Stockwell), with one of them wearing a short shiny silver top over her dress, and like Al's suits these dresses have angular holes cut into the fabric as well. What really sticks out however, is how a good few of the women have flash-up lights as earrings or adorning their dresses.

'Play Ball'

This episode introduced perhaps one of Al's most memorable suits, this one being a cyan jacket and trousers, the jacket fixed with shiny blue lining around the lapels, pockets and sleeves. In later episodes it would be worn over a black shirt fixed with rectangular metallic pieces (a shirt that had actually originally appeared in the first season), but in this one it is worn over a white shirt with a futuristic tiepin.

'Hurricane'

This episode introduced a slightly more reserved look for Al, consisting of a brown leather jacket with dark mustard sleeves and worn with red trousers. In later episodes, this jacket was worn with a golden shiny tie over a patterned shirt.

'The Wrong Stuff'

This rather nonsensical episode where Sam ends up 'leaping' into the body of a chimpanzee(!), introduced a teal suit for Al, that was designed a bit similarly to the beige suit that was introduced for him in the previous season, with a similar cut to its lapels. In this episode it is worn over a shirt with circular holes cut into its collars, whilst in later episodes it is worn with a shirt with a serrated edge to the collars and a shiny green tie.

This episode also had Al wearing a pale pinkish-red double breasted suit, with triangular holes cut into the lapels and worn with black trousers and red shoes. In later episodes it would be be worn over more shirts with holes cut into their collars and futuristic tie pins.

'Unchained'

This episode had Al wearing a rather muted brown jacket, with lighter shades around the collar, as well as black patches around the shoulders - this jacket is also worn with a golden badge on one side, as well as with black trousers and golden shoes.

'Ghost Ship'

This episode introduced Al's bright pink suit, which would make several more appearances in the following season - again, all entirely sherbert orange, this suit also had a serrated edge to its lapels, as well as circular holes being cut in them, and worn with a circular futuristic tie pin as well. In later appearances, this would be worn with a more rectangular tie pin as well.

'It's a Wonderful Leap'

In this episode, Al's new wardrobe change was a purple version of the white suit that was originally introduced in the first season, worn over black trousers, and with a variety of purple or lilac coloured shirts and ties depending on which episode.

'Stand Up'

The last new outfit for Al was introduced in this episode, which was a green buttoned jacket with dark green leather lining the shoulders and sleeves, worn with a variety of metallic badges over one breast pocket and with black trousers.

Quantum Leap - Season 3 (1990)

Costume Design by:

- Jean-Pierre Dorléac ( notable efforts: Battlestar Galactica (1978), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), Somewhere in Time (1980), The Blue Lagoon (1980), Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (1981), Mae West (1982), The Lot (1999 - 2001) )

'The Leap Home'

The first episode of the third season involved Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) 'leaping' back to his youth, where Al Calavicci (Dean Stockwell) is once again there to guide him as a hologram with the trusty computer Ziggy. This season would have Al noticeably start wearing much more elaborate and futuristic suits than he did in the previous two seasons, ans in this episode he is introduced sporting a red suit jacket that has been cut to have serrated edges on the lapels, as well as on the bottom end as well. In this episode it is worn over a shirt and thin tie, but in later episodes would be worn over much more elaborately patterned shirts.

'One Strobe Over the Line'

This episode was set in the world of fashion in the 1960s, so perhaps fitting that in this one Al starts off with wearing a very snazzy and shiny orange jacket, with snakeskin patterns around the shoulders and elbows. In this episode, it is worn over a patterned shirt and golden tie, but in later episodes is worn over a silver tie with its collars popped. This would be the first of several jackets Al wore that were designed with such lining over the shoulders and sleeves.

Later in the episode, Al sports a grey pinstriped suit, where the pinstripes are of a faint shiny colour, and the insides of the lapels are black - these same lapels have been cut to be pointed as well as holes being cut into the sides of them as well, a design motif that would be seen on several other suits Al wore in the show's run, as well as the various shirts he wore having holes cut in the collars as well.

Naturally, being set in a fashion show required elaborate outfits to be made, with the various fashion models wearing what seem to be riffs on Middle Eastern fashion, with turbans, veils and bikines a plenty, all in pleasing pastel colours as well. Edie (Marjorie Monaghan), who Sam has 'leaped' back in time to protext, is distinguished by a a blue and pink turban that has had large feathers stuck on it.

'Miss Deep South'

In this episode, Al dresses in a manner similar to the first two seasons, wearing a patterned brown shirt with extra buttons on the collar, worn with a shiny tie, striped trousers, a dotted vest and golden shoes.

The episode's plot involved Sam leaping into the body of a beauty queen taking part in a pageant, which as per how this show depicted Sam when controlling others, meant Scott Bakula had to dross for the role! As such, for the beauty context song Sam wears a floral patterned skirt and top, both adorned with gold lining and red chiffon fabric over the shoulders and legs - and of course, a fruit hat!

This would be a good time to highlight the most notable outfits of Al that followed the previous two seasons design sense, of being multicoloured shirts worn with vests and trousers, often with odd looking metallic tie-pins and garish tiess. The most striking ones for me have to be the red and black shirt, as well as the yellow top with red, black and blue shoulders.

'A Little Miracle'

This episode was a bit of a spoof on Charles Dickens' A Chriatmas Carol, so Al comes dressed as the Ghost of Christmas Future, still wearing various futuristic garb but with an array of junk stuck on his jacket and hat - notice the red flashing light on one side of the hat! Whilst it can't be seen that well due to jacket, it seems there is a green vest worn under it, and of course the hat is green as well, presumsably to fit in with the imagery of the Ghost of Christmas Present as well.

'Runaway'

In this episode, Al sports another white suit, though here the suit is pinstriped and has thick-lined lapels that also have pointed outwards angles towards the bottom - in this episode, it is worn with a patterned brown shirt and circular collar pin, but in later appearances it is worn with another one of Al's 'bite hole' short ties.

'Future Boy'

In this episode, Al wears a patterned white suit again with specially cut lapels, the lapels having triangular holes fixed on the sides - in this appearance it is worn with another brown patterned shirt, but in later episodes it is worn with another one of the shirts cut to have holes in their collars.

This episode involved Sam trying to help out the actor Moe Stein (Richard Herd), who is starring in a children's science-fiction serial, where he plays the titular 'Captain Galaxy' and as such is clad in a loving pastiche of the kitschy outfits such space heros always are remembered as wearing, being silvery bodysuits worn with large boots, goggles and hoods with wings and antennae fixed on them.

'Southern Comforts'

This outfit was only very briefly glimpsed in this episode, so most of the screenshots are actually from later episodes in the season - but this was indeed the first appearance of this very fetching red and black jacket, consisting of various black patterns fixed over the sleeves, shoulders and back of the jacket. In pretty much all its appearances, the jacket is worn with red trousers as well.

'Glitter Rock'

If you couldn't guess from the title, this episode was a loving tribute to the era of glam rock that was popular in the 1970s, with Al thus having to wear something a bit less shiny, but still noticeable! Here he sports a green leather jacket fixed with black patterns that are shown to actually resemble roads, with large 'STOP' sign markings over the elbows and back of the jacket as well. This jacket is also worn with red trousers and golden shoes, as well as a green shiny tie - making Al look like he is going out dressed like a traffic light!

Naturally, being an episode about glam rock there are the usual garish rocker getups, with these ones seeming to be rather inspired by the likes of KISS, with Sam sporting a shiny golden top and red pants, the top fixed with epaulettes, and other singers in a variety of colourful and shiny outfits, though they don't really get full shots mostly - most of the concert scenes are in darker light after all.

'Nuclear Family'

The penultimate episode of the season, dealing with Cold War hysteria, involved Al wearing another jacket that would get lots of appearances in the next season - this was of course his purple jacket, designed in a similar way to the golden snakeskin one introduced in 'One Strobe Over the Line', with black snakeskin-like patterns adorning the shoulders, pockets and back, as well as the edges being of a shiny, slightly silvery material. From one brief full shot, it seems this outfit was worn with purple coloured shoes as well!