Ranking Virginia Johnson's 10 best outfits from Masters of Sex
Masters of Sex was known for many things: the outstanding acting, the excellent set design, the hot ape-on-human action—but one aspect that never goes unmentioned with the show is the incredible costume design.
For those who don't know or who became Masters of Sex fans recently, the show had two main costume designers: Ane Crabtree, who did seasons one and two, when the show was in the late 50s and the early 60s; and Isis Mussenden, who did seasons three and four, the mid to late 60s.
Pictured above: Ane Crabtree (left) and Isis Mussenden (right)
Almost all of the costumes the main female characters would wear were hand-made, so if you happened to see an outfit on the show that you liked, you were pretty much out of luck. I own a couple outfits from the show (a couple of Bill's suits, one of Libby's sweaters, and one of Virginia's dresses—which I'll get to later in this post!) and not only does it feel like I own a piece of the show, but I also feel like I own a piece of fashion history in a way since this outfit does not exist anywhere else.
So in my opinion, no other character on Masters of Sex looked better in what they wore than Virginia Johnson (although Betty would be close behind), and I figured I would rank my ten favorite of Virginia's outfits/looks from throughout the show. So let's start!!
#10. Virginia's navy jumpsuit with patterned belt/scarf (season 4, episode 1—circa 1968)
This is one of the first outfits we see Virginia wear in season four, which begins in 1968. It's definitely a unique look, I honestly can't remember seeing Virginia wearing anything other than a skirt or dress.
#9. Virginia's blue polo dress with multi-color scarf (season 3, episode 4—circa 1966)
Right away I should apologize because I do not know fashion terminology, like at all, so I'll probably be using pretty generic terms for a lot of these outfits. But this was one of my favorite outfits of Virginia's from season three. It's very colorful and vibrant and I love the use of buttons.
#8. Virginia's orange/brown blouse and brown skirt (season 2, episode 8—circa 1960)
Although this post is dedicated for the clothes, I will take a moment to say that my favorite hairstyle of Virginia's is hers in the second half of season two, which she sports in this outfit. This is a great outfit, it feels reminiscent of the first season but slightly more modern, as this was the first episode of the show to take place entirely in the 1960s.
#7. Virginia's yachtcore red/white/blue outfit (season 3, episode 10—circa 1968)
Virginia wears this after going sight-seeing with Dan Logan in season three. This is definitely one of the more extravagant of her outfits this season. I like it, I think it really works, even if it does look like she just went boating.
#6. Virginia's abstract blue patterned dress (season 4, episode 9—circa 1969)
This is the outfit I mentioned earlier that is the only outfit of Virginia's that I actually own! I got it on eBay earlier this year. I'm obsessed with that black/blue abstract pattern, I've tried reverse-image searching but I couldn't find anything. This dress only appears in one scene but it still left an impression on me.
#5. Virginia's navy jacket and red/orange turtleneck outfit (season 4, episode 6—circa 1969)
It's interesting to compare Virginia's wardrobe from seasons three and four. It feels like she dressed more conservatively in season three and then went all-out 60s in season four. This is an incredible look, I love it.
#4. Virginia's blue/black dress (season 2, episode 5—circa 1958)
I honestly don't really have much to say about this one, it's just really beautiful. It looks somewhat imperial with the way the buttons are placed.
#3. Virginia's black dress with grey scarf (season 2, episode 10—circa 1960)
Very simple but at the same time it just works so well. It's honestly a look I've tried to recreate myself—and it's pretty easy to do! All you need is a black t shirt and a small strip of black fabric, sew it on, and you've got a little pocket thing for a scarf.
#2. Virginia's navy/orange button-up dress (season 4, episode 3—circa 1969)
Usually with this show, I'll fall in love with the costumes after rewatching the episodes several times. This particular outfit jumped out when I first watched the episode, I love it. It's a shame that it was only used in one scene. As far as I know, it was not for sale during the prop auction. I think only about half of Virginia's seasons 3/4 wardrobe was auctioned off, I'm very curious as to where the other half is, if Isis Mussenden or Lizzy Caplan got to keep them.
Of the two costume designers, I think I prefer Isis Mussenden's work on the show over Ane Crabtree's, but that's more so because I just prefer the style of the late 60s as opposed to the late 50s. However, it is one of Ane Crabtree's costumes that takes the top prize!
#1. Virginia's brown CBS interview dress (season 2, episode 11—circa 1960)
This really is the most elegant outfit from the entire show. It's a beautiful color, I love the unusual neckline, and the brooch is like the perfect cherry on top.
So what are your favorite outfits of Virginia's from Masters of Sex? Really, if you have any thoughts, please share them!! I love the fashion on this show, I love hearing people's thoughts on it and I could talk about it endlessly.
















