This Sunday, the first installment of the two-night miniseries Bonnie & Clyde, starring Emile Hirsch and Holliday Grainger, airs on A&E. Wardrobe designer Marilyn Vance (Pretty Woman, Pretty in Pink) created more than 100 costumes for the criminal couple whose portrayal triggered a fashion revolution after they were played by Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty in Arthur Penn’s 1967 classic. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow began their run from the law in the thirties, but Penn’s film was shot in the sixties—so his Bonnie is a hotheaded, gun-wielding, cigar-smoking broad, who wears A-line skirts, but with loose-fitting tops and a bit of beatnik edge. A beret and head scarf are her signature, and she trades in a kind of pared-down glamour (minimal makeup, clean hair). The look won costume designer Theadora Van Runkle an Oscar nomination and lent a visually stunning element to the visceral thrill of the chase. As we anticipate the latest take on Bonnie’s outlaw style, we turn to the original for inspiration on how to dress the part.
Bonnie & Clyde airs at 9:00 p.m. ET on December 8 and 9 on A&E.