Phryne Fisher's Fabulous Frocks

“A woman's dress should be like a barbed-wire fence: serving its purpose without obstructing the view.” ― Sophia Loren

[phrynefishersfrocks]

Phryne's second outfit of "Death & Hysteria" (Season 3, Episode 5) is a casual red coat with white polka dots and long ties, worn over her cream camisole and pants, with her fabulous straw beret with red feathers.

Known as the “Maroon Spot Frill Coat”, this long coat is an eye-catching polka dot pattern, lined with mushroom silk. It has long ties that extend from the neck nearly to the ground, and alternating frills along the elongated hems of her sleeves, featuring the same silk as the lining as a pop of visual interest, and frills along the lower side of her coat. We can also see that the coat has pockets as well.

"We've always had a lot of fun with Phryne's coats. Coats were a really important part of the 1920s ensemble. So all of Phryne's day outfits are composed around the coat and the hat." - Marion Boyce, Costume Exhibition

This looks to be of a very similar style to the pink embossed velvet coat worn in 2x11 "Dead Air", and while the polka dot pattern is very similar to Lord Henry's dressing gown worn in 3x06, they are in fact different costume pieces. His has large lapels and the polka dots are oval in shape with a small dotted outline along each one, while hers has frills and large bell sleeves, as well as the previously mentioned front ties and unadorned white dots.

Underneath Miss Fisher wears an ivory tunic with a wide waistband, and her classic cream silk faille pants. She accessorizes with fine lace gloves, a large red leather purse, crystal cylindrical earrings (seen on the bottom left of the exhibition photo), and her round Bakelite sunglasses.

Her hat can be seen previously in 3x01 "Murder & the Maiden", and is constructed from authentic 1920's straw beret and decorated with two mirrored thin maroon swirling feathers on top of a coral and maroon ostrich feather pouf and decorated with two gold buttons.

Season 3, Episode 5 - "Death & Hysteria"

Screencaps from screencapped.net, costume exhibition photos from Cake Law's Travels, Laura-Emily's Flickr, Marion Boyce's website, and Dayna's Blog (x, x).

[missfisherindata]

Most Worn Necktie

Have you ever wondered how many times Jack has worn each tie? Which tie is worn the most? In what order? Necktie continuity errors? If the answer to those questions is NO, AND WHY WOULD YOU?, that’s expected. But if you do find it at least slightly interesting, I will be showing some of this data in this and future posts.

Huge thanks to @foxspirit1928​​ for the posts showing photos of each tie worn per episode, I was halfway through checking each episode when I found your posts, they were very useful, thank you!!

And the winner of the most worn tie contest is…….!

Yes, the “Diamond Striped Tie”, or whatever you like to call it, being worn 20 times in total! Tied in second place we have the “Diamond Tie” and “Beige Tie” with 16 and the “Feathers Tie” (my personal favorite) with 15 in third place. (Yes, I named all the ties, and some of them have awful arbitrary names, but I had to, so don’t judge me) 

Let’s check the complete results:

Look at that beautiful curve. Naturally, we can see common ties to all seasons on the left of the graph and ties that are worn in only one episode of the show on the right. There are a few exceptions, such as the “Beige Tie” that, although it does not appear in season 3, still managed to reach second place. Also the “Rhombus Filled Tie”, even though is worn in all seasons, has a much lower appearance than expected.

Season 1

The “Beige Tie” wins as the most worn tie in season 1, closely followed by the “Diamond Striped Tie”. Apart from the bow tie shown in Ruddy Gore, all other neckties in season 1 are common appearances throughout the series.

Season 2

Our champion tie is also the most worn when considering only season 2, closely followed by four of the commonly used ties. The “Striped Tie”, although more popular in other seasons, does not appear that often in season 2. This season shows a greater variety in terms of colors, especially regarding ties exclusive to one episode.

Season 3

In season 3 we can see that the usage of each necktie is much better distributed than in previous seasons and there is a much stronger use of blue ties as well. And, of course, Phryne’s favorite tie is the one that he wears the most during the season (:

Note: these graphs are based on the number of times each necktie was worn and not the amount of time (percentage of scenes or minutes of screen time). I have already collected data on the movie scene by scene and I will be using it to do some tests on the kind of visualizations that can be made before I do the whole series again.

[missfisherindata]

Jack’s Neckties by Episode

After visualizing Jack’s ties by season, by number of episodes and by wardrobe mixups, we finally arrive at the (probably) final entry of this tie-focused series of posts. Today, let’s check a tie-wise overview of each episode of the series.

Each graph shows the ties worn in each episode, ordered by screen appearance, from bottom to top. There is a very strong correlation between the number of different outfits Jack wears with the number of days of each investigation, so these graphs can also show us the span of time of each episode.

Again, huge thanks to @foxspirit1928​ for the posts showing each tie worn per episode!! And if you are confused about the names of each tie, please check my other post.

Season 1

Notice how in The Green Mill Murder (S1E3) and Death at Victoria Dock (S1E4) Jack wears the exact same ties in the same order. I don’t know about you, but I don’t believe in coincidences. 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝔂 𝔁-𝓯𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓮

The “Beige Tie” appears quite frequently in the final scenes of the show, while the “Striped Tie” seems to be more commonly used in the middle of the episode. It’s also interesting to note that in the last episode of the season Jack uses the same tie twice, although in different suits. This only ever happens again in continuity errors (which I chose not to show in these graphs as it would disrupt the visualization, but if you are interested you can check them here ).

Season 2

We can clearly see how in season 2 Jack seems to start the investigation in darker blue ties and end the episode (usually in Phryne’s parlour) in his “Maroon Tie” or “Beige Tie”. One exception is the golden tie he wears in Dead Air (S2E11), when he is undercover. He also wears a special tie during his time on the 𝔪𝔲𝔯𝔡𝔢𝔯𝔬𝔲𝔰 ℭ𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔪𝔞𝔰 𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔬𝔩 𝔢𝔭𝔦𝔰𝔬𝔡𝔢 (S2E13) and a very random tie on Blood of Juana the Mad (S2E8) that never appeared again.

Season 3

In season 3 we have a strong prevalence of blue and a great variety in styles, with many new ties being introduced. It’s interesting to note that, after the first episode where the “Rather Nice Tie” is introduced and Phryne mentions how much she likes it, Jack is only seen using it in the final scenes of the show, usually private moments with her.

It’s also interesting to note that the “Diamond Striped Tie” is mainly a mid-episode tie both in season 1 and 2, but in season 3 is worn in the final moments of the show.

[phrynefishersfrocks]

The first outfit of Season 3, Episode 5 - "Death & Hysteria" is an afternoon tea dress in a stunning twilight blue, complete with a capelet and beautiful cloche.

Named the 'Twilight Ruffle Dress' by costume designer Marion Boyce, this afternoon tea dress is crafted from a 1920's embossed silk cut on the bias. The ruffles of the frock are built into godets (inserted triangles of fabric), which add fullness and lengthen the free edge of the garment, as well as adding visual interest and "flirtatiousness", according to the Costume Exhibition.

Her sapphire cloche has a wide front brim and is decorated with layers of blue and green dyed feathers. It had a fascinating transformation to become one of Phryne's many elegant headpieces.

"Miss Fisher initially wore this twilight blue afternoon tea dress in the daytime and needed a cloche to suit. 'We were having a really hard time trying to find something that was right for this dress. I was searching through a big pile of hats and there was this strange 1950's hat - it was an unusual colour but it suited the twilight blue perfectly. I looked inside the hat and discovered that the colour had not faded. I became quite excited about it and gave it to Costume Design Assistant Gareth Blaha and said "Oh now, this is it! I now want this hat inside out and a different shape. It needs to be quite a deep cloche." Gareth looked at me in total horror and said "Sure. I'll do that" (laughs). Which was really terrific of him because it was an incredibly big job and quite hard to do." - Marion Boyce, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Costume Exhibition

Phryne adds a capelet in a fabric patterned with series of circles, made from a fabric from Marion Boyce's collection that she had owned for years, waiting for the right project. The capelet is held together with ties made of lace netting. This same circular patterned fabric is used to cover her matching blue bag. She also accessorizes with her onyx earrings, dark blue gloves with two different types of lace designs, and strapped azure heels.

Season 3, Episode 5 - "Death & Hysteria"

Screencaps from screencapped.net, costume exhibition photos from Dayna's Blog, costume photo from Marion Boyce's website, promo photos from csfd.cz, allocine.fr, and the official Facebook (x, x).

[phrynefishersfrocks]

Phryne Fisher’s Fabulous Frocks Outfit Recap:

Season 3, Episode 4 - “Blood & Money”

This episode starts off with Phryne coming home in the morning in a flashy example of stunning sequinned eveningwear. The tone then changes into darker tones of black and white with her blouse and car coat, with a brief respite of an elaborate lace cardigan that reaches nearly to the floor, worn for the small soiree held in Phryne's home. The final outfit is the grey base of her elegant soiree underneath her matching tan car coat and hat.

Outfit #1 - 'Smokey' Sequinned Evening Gown

Outfit #2 - Tan Car Coat with Black and White Blouse, Black Pants

Outfit #3 - Black and White Blouse with Black Pants

Outfit #4 - Lacy Cardigan with Grey Scarf, Camisole, Black Pants

Outfit #5 - Tan Car Coat with Grey Scarf, Camisole, and Black Pants

Previous Recaps:

Season 3, Episode 3 Recap - “Murder and Mozzarella” (8 outfits)

Season 3, Episode 2 Recap - “Murder & the Maiden” (6 outfits)

Season 3, Episode 1 Recap - “Death Defying Feats” (7 Outfits)

Season Two Outfit Recaps

Season One Outfit Recaps

[phrynefishersfrocks]

The fifth outfit of "Blood & Money" (Season 3, Episode 4) is a different on-the-go ensemble, where Phryne grabs her classic car coat and matching linen hat to wear over her lacy party cardigan as she goes out to investigate.

Marking her haste and concern for Paddy, Phryne simply adds her linen travel coat and hat over her previous outfit. The long lace cardigan worn at the soiree is completely covered, leaving only the long grey scarf and straight neckline of her grey camisole to be seen underneath, paired with her black silk faille pants. This coat is clearly Miss Fisher's favorite, as it is the most reused article of clothing in the entire series, seen twenty separate times across all three seasons (twice in 1x02, 1x03, 1x04, 1x06, 1x08, 1x09, twice in 1x13, 2x01, 2x04, 2x06, 2x07, 2x10, 2x12, 3x03, previously in 3x04, here, then twice again in 3x08).

As usual in her adventuring, Phryne adds her linen bucket hat with her coat. It was dyed tan to match her car coat, designed by Marion Boyce specifically to reference the sweeping coats and capes of other fictional detectives. The hat has been used eighteen times throughout the series (twice in 1x02, 1x04, 1x06, 1x08, 1x09, 1x13, 2x02, 2x03, 2x04, 2x06, 2x07, 2x10, 2x12, 3x03, twice here in 3x04, and then in 3x08).

Phryne accessorizes with her gold and pearl-handled Smith & Wesson revolver, her onyx teardrop silver-capped earrings, and (while only the chain seen in the last scene) her authentic 1920's gold filigree pendant, seen in 1x03, twice in 1x12, an unaired dress from 1x09, 2x07, 3x03, and earlier in 3x04.

Season 3, Episode 4 - "Blood & Money"

Screencaps from screencapped.net, hat photo from the official Pinterest, costume exhibition photo from Jellibat's Flickr.

[phrynefishersfrocks]

thank you for this wonderful blog!! i was just thinking of making a gifset of miss fisher wearing red and i was like i bet theres a tumblr from like 2013 that catalogued everything she wore on the show and googled “miss fisher outfits tumblr” and there you were!! still active even this is very helpful thank you so much!! 🩵🩵

I'm so glad!! I made this blog after wondering the same thing and not finding any kind of catalog, and years later here we are!! Thank you so much for your kind comment, and feel free to ask me if you are looking for something specific. Thanks again! ❤️

[phrynefishersfrocks]

The fourth ensemble of "Blood & Money" (Season 3, Episode 4) is a lovely evening ensemble worn for a small party, and then again at the end of the episode.

Phryne wears a beautiful lace cardigan that falls nearly to the floor, with large scalloped edging along the cuffs of her long sleeves and hem, and small iridescent circles sewn along her neckline. Underneath, she wears a straight-neckline navy camisole and a loose gray tie (which can be seen later in the episode), along with her dark wide-leg pants.

She accents this outfit with her onyx teardrop earrings worn throughout the episode, and her beautiful 1920s filigree and crystal pendant, seen in 1x03, twice in 1x12, an unaired dress from 1x09, 2x07, 3x03, and here.

Jack adds the final touch to her look with a blue swallow pin.

Season 3, Episode 4 - "Blood & Money"

Screencaps from screencapped.net, costume exhibition photo from Nikki Johnson's Flickr.

[phrynefishersfrocks]

The third outfit of "Blood & Money" (Season 3, Episode 4) is the at-home version of Phryne's previous ensemble, worn at her house when she and Jack discuss the case.

Her black silk chiffon blouse, in the same style as many in Miss Fisher's closet, is patterned with white circular designs, and is worn over a straight-necklined black camisole, and has a matching tie worn loosely around the v-neck, with the damage done to it inspected by Jack.

She pairs this with her navy wide-leg silk faille pants and dark heels, and accessorizes with her onyx teardrop earrings capped in silver.

Season 3, Episode 4 - "Blood & Money"

Screencaps from screencapped.net, costume exhibition photo from Dayna's Blog.

[phrynefishersfrocks]

The second outfit of "Blood & Money" (Season 3, Episode 4) is a return to Phryne's classic car coat over a patterned blouse and black pants, perfect for sleuthing and investigating.

Like many of her detecting outfits, Phryne's blouse is a patterned silk chiffon v-neck with a matching tie worn loosely around her neck, and is paired with her dark wide-leg silk faille pants. Her tan car coat was designed as an "ode to detectives" by costume designer Marion Boyce, and is the most reused article of clothing, with twenty separate appearances across all three seasons (twice in 1x02, 1x03, 1x04, 1x06, 1x08, 1x09, twice in 1x13, 2x01, 2x04, 2x06, 2x07, 2x10, 2x12, 3x03, twice in 3x04 and twice in 3x08).

Miss Fisher accessorizes with her matching tan brimmed bucket hat, which has been worn at least eighteen times (twice in 1x02, 1x04, 1x06, 1x08, 1x09, 1x13, 2x02, 2x03, 2x04, 2x06, 2x07, 2x10, 2x12, 3x03, twice in 3x04, and in 3x08). She also wore black leather driving gloves, black heels, and onyx teardrop earrings, along with her white leather bag.

Season 3, Episode 4 - "Blood & Money"

Screencaps from screencapped.net, collage by me, costume exhibition photos from Marion Boyce's website.

[phrynefishersfrocks]

The first outfit of "Blood & Money" (Season 3, Episode 4) is a stunning purple sequinned gown and wrap, accented with a beautiful headdress and t-strap heels. Named 'Smokey' by costume designer Marion Boyce, this is an evening dress worn by Phryne as she finally arrives home in the early hours of the morning.

The dress itself is made of silk chiffon with dark purple bugle beads and luminescent discs that catch the various angles of light both inside and out. Hand-strung beading was used to create the shoulder straps, which made beautiful tinkling sounds as Phryne moves. The under-slip is a smokey mauve silk just seen through the leg slit. Her wrap is made of matching beaded and sequinned fabric, and is draped several different ways throughout the episode. Marion Boyce said, "It was extraordinarily cheeky of Phryne to be coming home at that time of night and then to exit the house in her evening-wear." (Costume Exhibition Placard)

She accessorizes with matching soft gloves, her onyx teardrop earrings, and a pair of dark blue t-strap heels, as well as a chainmail purse (seen in 3x03) and a beautiful silver faux-feathered headdress. The headpiece was seen previously in 1x06 as part of her fabulous theater outfit known as the "Silver Lady", and is made of cut fabric and silver beads.

Season 3, Episode 4 - "Blood & Money"

Screencaps from screencapped.net, production photos from the official Facebook and csfd.cz, Costume Exhibition photos from Laura-Emily's Flickr and Dayna's Blog, headpiece photo from the official Pinterest.

[phrynefishersfrocks]

Phryne Fisher’s Fabulous Frocks Outfit Recap:

Season 3, Episode 3 - “Murder and Mozzarella”

A well dressed episode set in somber tones of red, black, and purple, “Murder and Mozzarella” contains eight ensembles, featuring a truly gorgeous purple lace gown, classic cat burglar chic, multiple coats ranging from her practical khaki to luxurious lavender and exquisite red and black funeral look, as well as a patterned silk chiffon and fur stole (to go along with her gun), black silk shirt, and a tempting lace at-home outfit to greet Inspector Robinson.

Outfit #1 - Car Coat with Silk Blouse, Navy Pants, Tan Hat

Outfit #2 - 'The Italian' Purple Lace Gown with Necklace

Outfit #3 - Cat Burglar Beret with Long Velvet Coat

Outfit #4 - Purple Coat with Black Blouse, Pants, Hat

Outfit #5 - Black Blouse, Pants, Patterned Scarf

Outfit #6 - Black Funeral Coat, Camisole, Skirt, Black Cloche

Outfit #7 - Checkered Silk Blouse, Fur Wrap, Black Pants, Red Hat

Outfit #8 - Lace Blouse, Patterned Camisole, Black Pants

Previous Recaps:

Season 3, Episode 2 Recap - "Murder & the Maiden" (6 outfits)

Season 3, Episode 1 Recap - “Death Defying Feats” (7 Outfits)

Season Two Outfit Recaps

Season One Outfit Recaps

[phrynefishersfrocks]

Phryne's final ensemble of "Murder and Mozzarella" (Season 3, Episode 3) is a somber at home look, featuring a black lace blouse over a banded camisole adorned with a jeweled brooch, worn with her black pants and heels.

Her blouse is a sheer lace number with a low neckline and long billowing bishop sleeves. The camisole underneath has large black straps and the bodice alternates sheer antique lace with solid black to add visual interest. It has made several appearances in 1x07 (x, x) and 2x02 (x, x, x). She pairs this with her black silk faille pants and dark strapped heels.

She accessorizes with a large diamond sunburst brooch set to the lower side of her blouse that can be seen in 1x08, and also wears an exquisite pair of diamond earrings.

Season 3, Episode 3 - "Murder and Mozzarella"

Screenshots from screencapped.net, Costume Exhibition photo from the official Facebook.

[phrynefishersfrocks]

Phryne's seventh outfit of "Murder and Mozzarella" (Season 3, Episode 3) is a stunning ensemble of a checkered silk blouse, worn over a black camisole and pants, and accented with a dark fur wrap and fabulous feathered felt hat.

Known as "The Italian Blouse", this plaid design is laid out over silk chiffon, with cascading sections of fabric framing the deep v-neck, and fastened by a series of small self-covered buttons at the lower half. Her sleeves are ornamented with triangular accents on the cuffs, and her straight necklined black faille camisole is decorated with a small intricate trim. She completes this look with her classic black wide-leg silk faille trousers and dark heels.

Miss Fisher's accessories are, as always, luxe and complementary. Her hat is a high-pile felt with a slight brim, matching decorative hatband, and dyed ostrich feathers to accent her look. Her stole is made of a black faux fur with navy silk lining and is possibly the same as seen in 2x01 and briefly in 2x13, but with the lining changed from green to blue.

Her teardrop earrings color-shift between clear and gray depending on the lighting. A large gem-encrusted amethyst ring can be seen on her middle finger at home (although different than the large black ring worn for the promotional shoot). Along with her gold pearl handled gun, Phryne wears red leather gloves out on her adventures.

Season 3, Episode 3 - "Murder and Mozzarella"

Screencaps from screencapped.net, promotional photos from various sources (x, x, x, x), Costume Exhibition photo by Dayna.

[phrynefishersfrocks]

The sixth costume change of "Murder and Mozzarella" (Season 3, Episode 3) is a fabulously dark funeral outfit featuring a stunning coat with red embroidered lapels, black cloche with a large feather puff, all framed with a black camisole and black skirt.

Marion Boyce, the costume designer, wanted themes of rich reds and purples (see previous ensemble) within this episode, but couldn't find the right type and color of embroidery. Art Finisher/Buyer Margot McCartney found a piece of "glorious embroidery" but in the wrong color, and solved the issue by dyeing multiple samples until the right red was reached.

The "Funeral Coat", as it was named, is black silk with red hand dyed embroidery attached along the border of the collar, lapels, hems, and cuffs and framed with an imported black silk velvet ribbon from Japan to broaden the impact of the embroidery. Two gores below the yoke in the back add extra fabric to allow for dramatic movement.

Underneath Phryne wears a black camisole with a subtle yet intricate black trim attached at the neckline and a prim black A-line skirt with dark nylons and black high heels. To match, she accessorizes with her teardrop onyx earrings, black leather bag, silk gloves, and a round felt cloche decorated with a feather pom-pom repurposed from a 1920's feather collar.

While this is the first time this hat has appeared in the series, both the cloche and detailed camisole were worn in a promotional photoshoot as a version of Phryne's cat-burgling outfit.

Season 3, Episode 3 - "Murder and Mozzarella"

Screencaps from screencapped.net, promotional photos from a variety of sources (x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, (from presse.servustv.com, no long available), x)

[phrynefishersfrocks]

Phryne Fisher's fifth outfit of "Murder and Mozzarella" (Season 3, Episode 3) is the at-home version of the previous ensemble, featuring a black blouse, patterned scarf, black pants, and matching onyx earrings.

Her black silk blouse is beautifully accented by bright purple cuffs with small black fabric buttons to close them. Phyrne's gorgeous black silk scarf has gold and purple patterned embroidery near the hem, and is held together by a repurposed gold belt buckle.

Miss Fisher finishes her look with her classic black silk faile pants, silver-capped onyx conical earrings, and dark strapped high heels. While difficult to see, she also wears a gem-encrusted amethyst ring on her left hand, as befits a lady of her station.

Season 3, Episode 3 - "Murder and Mozzarella"

Screencaps from screencapped.net, promotional photos from a variety of sources (x, x).

[phrynefishersfrocks]

The fourth ensemble of "Murder and Mozzarella" (Season 3, Episode 3) features a gorgeous purple coat accented with a purple patterned scarf atop a black blouse and her black silk faille pants, and complimented by a black straw hat with purple feather adornments.

Phryne's vibrant purple velvet coat can be seen in 1x05 and 2x05 as well as here, with each appearance altered from the others, (2x05 changed the location of the button and unfolded the cuffs, while this version used the original button placement and removed the fur collar). We can see the flared cuffs and gold buttons, as well as the fabulous drape of the velvet.

Her black blouse is accented with a black scarf with purple and gold patterns at the edge, held together by a gold clasp, and hints at bright purple cuffs that peek out from under the coat. She complements this with her classic black wide leg pants, onyx cylindrical earrings, gem-encrusted amethyst ring, dark heels and black gloves.

Interestingly, this black straw hat has had multiple variations throughout the series, starting with the plain woven base with a black hatband worn in the somber moment of discovering her sister's grave in 1x13. It was then given decorations of black and white feathers in a variety of sizes, with a pair of smaller black feathers against a fan of fluffy white ones, then with two taller black feathers as accents in both 2x01 and 2x02. In this episode, a decorative purple ostrich feather was added on top of the others to compliment her amethyst velvet coat.

Season 3, Episode 3 - "Murder and Mozzarella"

Screencaps from screencapped.net, hat exhibition photo from the official Pinterest, promotional photos from a variety of sources (x, x, x, x, x)