TV Fashion Reigns at FIDM

By ALYSIA GRAY PAINTER

Updated 6:14 AM PDT, Tue, Aug 4, 2009

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It's all television all the time right now, and that's okay by us. The fall season's just ahead -- we do like that there is still a fall season -- tradition and all that -- and the Television Critics Association members are chatting it up with the stars in Pasadena.

Adding to the cathode ray-tube cacophony (a joyful cacophony, we'll add): the latest exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandise. You know the film costume show that fills up the galleries at FIDM every spring; you love the film costume show (who knew Star A has such a tiny waist and Star B has such huge feet?). Now it is television's turn, with the Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design.

Over 100 costumes from recent shows are now on display at the FIDM gallery downtown. "Gossip Girl" -- a series know for its sometimes surreal sartorial choices -- is represented, as is the "Grey Gardens" miniseries (we'd like to see one of Little Edie's headwraps) and button-up procedural "Without a Trace."

Also of special note: "The Tudors" returns to the exhibit. All those flouncy ruffs and bejeweled hoop skirts made a bow in last year's FIDM TV costume spectacular; people can't get enough of Elizabethan-y dressing-up, we suppose. We know we can't. Also in the historical category: pieces from "John Adams"; we're guessing those aren't *quite* as high-styling as the kingly duds donned by Jonathon Rhys Meyers, but charming nonetheless.

As with the film costume exhibit, The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design is free. Lovely word. It's open Wednesday through Sunday, and we cannot recommend a stop by the FIDM gift shop highly enough. We try -- really try -- not to overuse the word "unique" -- it is pretty well banned from our vocabulary -- but sometimes we must indulge. The items sold there are pretty unique indeed, especially the jewelry near the front.

Exhibit runs from July 29th through September 6th.