The HBO western drama Deadwood is acclaimed for its realistic and detailed portrayal of life in the 1870s Deadwood, South Dakota. Named after a place transitioning from a distant rural community to a connected, incorporated city, Deadwood is a convergence of attitudes, styles, and ethnicities. The wealthy, traveling, and working-class merge in this relatively lawless zone.
Aside from memorable acting, extreme violence, and political commentary, Deadwood also contains some of the most accurate costuming from late-19th century America. Exacting and detailed, the wardrobe of every character - no matter how minor - matches up to the times and the landscape in the Dakotas. From decadent, tailored dresses to sullied undergarments, every outfit in Deadwood is planned. The show’s costume designer Katherine Janie Bryant worked continuously to bring the era’s clothing to life through all three seasons. She was brought back from the 2019 Deadwood movie, too.
Below are details about Deadwood’s fashionings that, while important, are often overlooked because of how flawlessly they blend into with the show’s action and circumstances.
Fabrics Are Meticulously Distressed With Dirt And Wire Brushes
Since there were no standardized clothes washing practices at the time, and since water systems were hard to come by in remote, unincorporated regions, it’s hard to find a character in Deadwood who isn’t a bit dirty. While women, especially sex workers, were expected to be clean and presentable, most of the working-class cast don ragged get-ups.
The show’s costuming department, instead of maintaining a regular dry cleaning routine, maintained a regular disheveling routine, where they would dig wire brushes and dirt into wardrobes for the cast. Epitomizing the Wild West, Deadwood stood at a crossroads between the great unknown and the more cosmopolitan Eastern United States. Many of the characters traveling through would have been dirty, sweaty, and covered in muck from extensive travels by foot or on a horse. Case in point: Calamity Jane.
Almost All Of The Women Are Wearing Victorian Corsets
Beauty standards in the Victorian Era required women wear form-fitting bodices under their feminine dresses and skirts. Calamity Jane’s masculine style was a rarity. Ladies were expected to be dainty and done-up.
Trixie, one of Al Swearengen’s girls, who develops her own autonomy over the course of Deadwood, wears a typical Victorian corset, designed to cut into her abdomen and make her look thinner and curvier. The corsets used for Deadwood are authentic and appropriate for the time. Female cast members were dressed in these foundation garments as part of the prep process before filming, remaining true to the 1870s Deadwood from head to toe.
All Characters Don Underpinnings Seen In The 1870s, Visible In Undressing Scenes
It isn’t just female characters who are seen in underpinnings; the men also remain true to the show’s Victorian style with their long johns and underwear.
This is demonstrated with the most regularity by Al Swearengen, proprietor of The Gem Saloon, who spends quite a bit of the show in his one-piece, off white thermals. No matter how warm - and boy did it get warm in Deadwood - bulky and scratchy undergarments were worn by everyone.
Wool Was A Common Fabric At The Time, And It’s Everywhere In The Show
The next time you watch Deadwood, count the number of wool clothing items you see. Look out for pants, jackets, hats, and socks. Wool is prominent not just with the show’s wardrobe, but with its furnishings. From blankets to rugs to saddlecloths to upholstery, Wool was everywhere in the 1870s.
Sheriff Seth Bullock rocks a gray wool coat here, one speckled with lighter shades of the color. Made by shearing fibers from sheep and then spinning them into workable fabrics, wool was - and is - a durable and lasting material. While it does a good job keeping the body warm in winter, it doesn’t do much in hotter months. Then again, many folks in the 1870s didn’t have the time or space to maintain seasonable wardrobes.
Bright Colors Are Rarely Seen
While color is used in the show, especially with female characters, bright bright colors are not common. The choice to focus on muted, stale color schemes for Deadwood’s characters is a reflection of the show’s setting and the harsh reality of establishing a settlement in far-away South Dakota.
The show is also quite violent, and the subdued clothing makes the bloodshed all the more dramatic. There are a few splashes of vibrancy in Season Two (see Joanie’s red dress). Since it is a TV show, Deadwood’s costuming department constantly struggled between being true to the times and creating clothes that look good when photographed and displayed on screens.
The Use Of Plaids And Stripes Creates A Lot Of Contrast Between Wardrobes And Sets
The look of each character serves as a reflection of their social status. Deadwood’s costuming department had fun incorporating patterns like plaids and stripes into outfits, demonstrated often by male business owners or those of a higher status.
Cy Tolliver, the Chicago transplant who opens The Bella Union and establishes a rivalry with Al Swearengen, is often seen in plaids and stripes, as well as other decadent patterns that solidify his status as a wealthy man in Deadwood. While his costuming may be regal, Cy turns out to be quite a brutal, unforgiving proprietor.
Alma Doesn’t Wear A White Dress For Her Wedding To Ellsworth Because It Wasn’t Customary
The white wedding dress hasn’t been customary forever. When Alma, who is pregnant with Seth Bullock’s child, is forced to mary Ellsworth, she wears an elaborate navy dress accented with brocade and fringes.
At the time, when women married, they tended to wear their best dress, rarely being able to afford a brand new dress for the special occasion. Alma looks stunning in her best get-up, though. In addition to the brocade and fringe work, a line of beautiful white buttons descend down the dress’s front.
Another Prevailing Fabric Of The Times Evident In The Show Is Velvet
Velvet was insanely popular during the Victorian era, and it would have made its way to Deadwood by the 1870s. This water-resistant and durable fabric gleans. With its softness and smooth finish, velvet rose in popularity as mass-produced textiles became more commonplace.
In Deadwood, velvet touches and outfits blend into wardrobes flawlessly. From Doc Cochran’s standard suit to Joanie Stubbs’ elegant, fitted purple velvet jacket, the inclusion and uses of velvet in the show are interesting to trace. Made from silk, cotton, and other synthetic fabrics, velvet has been around for hundreds of years.
That Suit Made Famous By Al Swearenger Is Authentic Pinstripe
Al Swearenger may be one of the most infamous characters on the show, but his signature suit may, according to some fans, be more memorable than the man himself. A sign of the times, most of Deadwood’s characters have a few clothing items they cycle through. Large wardrobes were not common, as funds and access to suppliers were limited. Al is no exception, and the three-piece pinstripe suit he wears throughout the series is a testament to this.
High-waisted with a vest and jacket, Al wears his suit with varying degrees of professional appeal. Sometimes, viewers see an undershirt below the vest. Other times, Al will go all out, finishing his suit off with a western tie-neck.
Brocade Fabrics Are Employed To Add A Touch Of Decadence To An Otherwise Brutal Place
Brocade, mentioned early as an accent on Alma’s wedding dress, dots the outfits and the landscape in Deadwood. This woven fabric, usually made of silk, is embossed with elaborate designs and usually has gold threading.
Brocade would have been worn by the wealthier residents of Deadwood, and its incorporation maintains the delicate balance between the harsh daily reality of life in a place as remote as South Dakota and the cinematic quality of documenting such life for television.
