OVER THE RAINBOW

COSTUME PARTY

THE ESSEX SERPENT

Apple TV+

Claire Danes's character, Cora, cuts a handsome and out-of-place figure striding along a river in Essex, England, as she investigates what locals believe is the return of a deadly sea serpent. Cora is mourning (but not really) an abusive husband and trying, at last, to define who she is—so gray, fittingly, is the color of the day.

THE GREAT

Hulu

Nicholas Hoult's deposed czar Peter spends much of the historical comedy's second season on the skids, trying to win back the crown Elle Fanning's Catherine stole from him. But he does it in style, sporting statement pieces like this lustrous fur-trimmed coat—just the thing to combat a rough Russian winter.

THE GOOD FIGHT

Paramount+

Diane Lockhart, the formidable attorney played by Christine Baranski first on The Good Wife and now its streaming sequel, knows a thing or two about wearing a power suit— particularly one in a striking burgundy. The gold brooch helps ensure she'll stand out in the courtroom and just about anywhere else.

THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES

HBO

As profane, pathologically insecure Judy Gemstone, Edi Patterson wears this fittingly jewel-toned satin fuchsia gown to her husband BJ's (Tim Baltz) big post-baptism soiree. Not pictured: BJ's ice-pink formal romper, a garment that must be seen to be believed.

THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS

HBOMax

The sunny shade, high neckline, and strategic cutouts of this formal but fun sheath epitomize Amrit Kaur's aspiring comedy writer Bela: She's bold and sex positive but savvy enough not to show too much skin at a stuffy (and disillusioning) networking event.

WINNING TIME

HBO

In the early 1980s, Magic Johnson's future was as bright as the jerseys the L.A. Lakers wore on the court. Quincy Isaiah sports a perfect replica of that classic uniform in HBO's ebullient dramedy, which chronicles the period in the late 1970s when Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) bought the franchise—and ushered in the "showtime" era.

Televisions more memorable costumes cover the full color spectrum, from a Victorian widow's drab duds to a certain inescapable tracksuit

HILLARY BUSIS

QUEENS

ABC

Brandy's Naomi is at the center of a lot of drama on this juicy soap, which casts the breathy diva as a former hip-hop megastar reuniting with her old bandmates. There's just as much spectacle in the foursome's wardrobe, like this center stage-ready metallic coverall. It's just the sort of flash you'd expect from someone who proudly calls herself a Nasty Girl.

SQUID GAME

Netflix

If you own a single streaming-enabled device—or even just happened to wander outside last Halloween—you're intimately familiar with the forest green tracksuits foisted upon the desperate contestants, like Oh Yeong-su's wily Oh ll-nam, who have been roped into this South Korean hit's deadly central competition.

TED LASSO

Apple TV+

Did you know that Jason Sudeikis actually plays two characters on Ted Lasso? In the episode pictured here, he introduced Led Tasso, his ultra-nice coach's ultra-not-nice alter ego. But both wear the same cerulean AFC Richmond warm-up jacket and track pants, which can be accessorized with either a grin or a frown. (And a mustache, natch.)

EUPHORIA

HBO

Perhaps the frilly cropped jacket seen here on Sydney Sweeney's Cassie hasn't singlehandedly sparked a gingham craze. But it was a key component of season two's most talked about (and memed) scene, in which Cassie's friends devastatingly ask if she's wearing it because she's auditioning for a school production of Oklahoma!

THE GILDED AGE

HBO

Purple is a traditionally royal color, which may be why Denee Benton's aspiring writer Peggy embraces it after trading rural Pennsylvania for bustling nouveau riche New York City. The daring hue also nods toward the character's thoroughly modern ambitions.

THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL

Amazon

While the boisterous comedy's third season officially crosses the barrier into I960, Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) and her cohort are still donning prim '50s fashion. But Midge's demure trappings belie her spicy onstage persona, played up even more this season by her gig as the opening act at a burlesque club.