LEGION -- "Chapter 1" (Airs Wednesday, February 8, 10:00 pm/ep) -- Pictured: Jean Smart as Melanie Bird. CR: Chris Large/FX
Dr. Bird loves her beige.
Image: Chris Large/FX

Hawley knew from the start he wanted a 1960s vibe in the clothing—and a bit of the 1970s squeaks in too. The influence of those eras is apparent beyond just the retro colors. Two of the show’s biggest reference points are Stanley Kubrick’s films 2001: A Space Odyssey, released in 1968, and A Clockwork Orange (1971). Another is Pink Floyd’s 1973 album, Dark Side of the Moon. (The character Sydney Barrett, known as “Syd,” references Syd Barrett, the founding member of Pink Floyd thought by some to have suffered from undiagnosed schizophrenia.)

The style of the period, especially in Britain, became the template for many of the characters’ looks. The light green dress with blue flowers that Amy Haller (Katie Aselton) wears to visit her brother in Clockworks was directly inspired by British designer Mary Quant. Syd is done up in the style of 1960s starlets such as Brigitte Bardot, with her bouffant hairdo. David wears t-shirts with big graphic elements of the sort used by mod acts such as The Kinks or The Who.

LEGION -- "Chapter 1" (Airs Wednesday, February 8, 10:00 pm/ep) -- Pictured: (l-r) Katie Aselton as Amy, Dan Stevens as David Haller. CR: Chris Large/FX
The green jacket is a direct reference to iconic 1960s British designer Mary Quant.
Image: Chris Large/FX

(The name of The Who’s 1973 rock opera, Quadrophenia—also the title of the later film about mods in the mid-1960s—was a play on ”schizophrenia.” Everything in Legion can feel like part of the puzzle.)

Blue woolen dress from French designer Andre Courrege Spring-Summer collection in Paris on Feb. 19, 1969. (AP Photo)
A Courrèges dress from 1969.
Image: AP Photo

As research, Case and her staff looked at ”a lot of ’60s haute couture, but the stuff that was really focused on the future.” Some of the designers who defined the period, such as André Courrèges, were known for whimsically space-age garments, such as truncated, tubular dresses. The nurse uniforms at Clockworks are based on that retro-futuristic look.

Maybe the most distinct wardrobe in the group belongs to Lenny Busker, played by a gleefully maniacal Aubrey Plaza. Initially she’s in lots of oranges and reds, but as her role changes, her clothes—and hair—follow. In the recent episodes, black has taken over, and her wardrobe has become polished and “businessy,” as Case puts it. ”She’s got a job to do, and she’s determined to do it,” she explains.

LEGION -- "Chapter 6" – Season 1, Episode 6 (Airs Wednesday, March 15, 10:00 pm/ep) -- Pictured: (l-r) Aubrey Plaza as Lenny "Cornflakes" Busker, Rachel Keller as Syd Barrett, Dan Stevens as David Haller. CR: Michelle Faye/FX
“Doctor” Busker is all business.
Image: Michelle Faye/FX

Her look soon starts to “degrade” and become unhinged. At one point, the collar bar on her shirt is a Twizzler, a candy she’s frequently eating.

Case has worked as the costume designer for other shows, including Fargo (with Hawley), as well as Hell on Wheels and Heartland, but has never seen this level of response to a show’s wardrobe. People have been writing to her to find out where they can buy the show’s clothes, including those inpatient jackets. “I haven’t noticed it as much as I’ve noticed it in the last month and a half,” she says, “so I guess it’s more of a Legion thing.”

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