An appreciation of Dana Scully's giant X-Files suits

Jezebel

Gillian Anderson was just 25 when she played Special Agent Dana Scully, who was both a medical doctor and FBI agent. "Perhaps to offset the fact that Anderson was far too young for the role in which she had been cast, or maybe because it was the ’90s and shapeless garments were very in, or possibly due to the fact that the fledgling show did not have the budget to buy Gillian Anderson any clothing that fit, Gillian Anderson’s early-season suits are legendary for their frumpy appeal," says Emily Alford. "Perfect squares in shape and generally the color of unfired pottery, those Seasons 1-3 X-Files suits positively scream 'This is how a no-nonsense lady doctor detective dresses, right?' And the answer to that question is a resounding, it sure as sh*t is now. As the show became a hit (and Anderson aged into somewhat believably looking old enough for all her character’s credentials) someone in the wardrobe thought to nip in the waists of Scully’s suits and give Gillian Anderson a sleek chin-length bob that more closely resembled the impossibly attractive, yet undeniably competent detective character that would become Anderson’s trademark, in The X-Files but also in other roles like The Fall."