The first thing you notice is the tweed. There’s a lot of it in Peaky Blinders Season 6, and every season, for that matter. It makes sense. Tweed — along with wool, cashmere and silk — is an essential part of fine suiting, and suiting is an essential part of the gritty organized crime universe of 1920s Birmingham, England, where the Peaky Blinders story unfolds. In Season 6, after years of struggle and attempts at some level of social legitimacy, Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his network are enjoying the spoils of upward mobility. The characters have found their way into high society, and according to costume designer Alison McCosh, it’s reflected in their clothing. “When you come from the backstreets and now you’re established, everything changes,” McCosh tells Tudum. “You want to show your wealth in finer fabrics.”
McCosh joined the show in Season 4, right around the time the Shelby crime family was transitioning from a life of street crime to legitimacy in the worlds of business and politics. McCosh was tasked with outfitting the cast with a wealthier, more extravagant wardrobe — and much like the rise of a crime family, once they got started, there was no turning back. McCosh sat down with Tudum to discuss the costumes on the show’s final season, what happens to the Peaky Blinders wardrobe once the show ends and how she honored Aunt Polly on-screen while grieving the tragic loss of Helen McCrory, the beloved actor who brought her to life.
When first looking for explanations around the Peaky Blinders wardrobe, you’re inundated with articles about “how to dress like a character from Peaky Blinders.” They all basically say “three-piece suit.” What authentic details are they missing? [Tommy’s] cap was very, very important. Having the overcoat was very important also. It’s also about the textures of the fabrications. And I see a lot of people style it in different ways, and I think that’s great. I see a lot of women do it also; in Season 5, we introduced a suit for Polly, and it was based on Marlene Dietrich.
Helen McCrory brought a lot of powerful swagger to that suit. Did she contribute a lot to the costuming process? Helen and I were very collaborative, and it was such a joy because she really understood the importance of costume. She always had this sway in her hips, this kind of youth and confidence. [The costumes] were embellishing upon that. The actor is the canvas — whatever she was giving, I was dressing. Both Helen McCrory and Aunt Polly certainly left an indelible mark on the show. What are their respective legacies, from your point of view? On- and off-screen, Helen was the matriarch of Peaky. As we filmed Season 6, it was really difficult, but she lived on through the show. I talked to Sophie [Rundle, who plays Ada] about stepping into Polly’s shoes — not just as a character, but physically wearing the costumes I’d developed for Polly. It wasn’t just about stepping into Polly’s shoes, it was important that, visually, we saw her character was trying to be Polly. It was a way of carrying Polly on for us. Helen would have wanted that, I’m sure. We loved her dearly, and it was very difficult without her.
And that suit she wore was one of the most memorable fashion moments of the show. It’s a tough act to follow, but what about the other characters? Are there any moments you will always remember? I absolutely loved Ada’s story and Lizzie’s. She was a prostitute, and then she’s worked her way up in this world, and she’s really arrived in Season 6. She’s confident. She looks the part. There’s this moment in Season 6 where they’re at a benefit for Mitford and Mosley, and she’s in her glamorous evening gown. When we were on set that day, she turned around and she looked from the top of the stairs. It’s a great shot. It was as if she was looking down on society as if she had arrived. It was like her Hollywood moment.
How have the costumes shifted and evolved over your years working on the series, particularly as the core cast are experiencing a status shift in society? They come from this [world of] poverty and backstreet crime to legitimate business people. Tommy Shelby entered into the world of politics. Tommy’s coat was changed to a beautiful cashmere in an astrakhan color. The silhouette is very simple, it’s a stronger shoulder, and the level of attention to detail in the fabric was very important to show. Cillian and I talked about this: It was really important that he kept his cap. It’s the core of who [Tommy] is, and he never really wants to lose that center of himself. So even though he’s in the political world, he still wears his cap.
What’s special about Tommy’s cap? It’s based on a real cap from that period. Ours are tweaked and fine-tuned for the camera, for Cillian. They’re not as full as they would normally be from that era. They’re all handmade at a place called Herbert Johnson. One man, one by one.
Where does all of this clothing come from? Is it vintage? All of the clothes are made to order — all suits, coats, shirts, ties, our fabrics are printed. For some of the women’s pieces, I see private vendors. We have to be very careful with a lot of the original pieces for women because they’re very, very fragile. A lot of it is just historical research to make sure we’ve hit the right note. But for the most part, for principle characters, everything is [custom] made.
That makes sense, since the Peaky Blinders world would rely on bespoke tailoring. It’s a huge part of [each] character. Cillian’s tailor is located in Ireland, and he has worked with Cillian since Season 4, fine-tuning his suits and his coats. His shirts are made elsewhere, and then the boots somewhere else. It’s very important to have the fit correct. Can you imagine an established man in society not having his clothing fit perfectly?
Now that the series is coming to a close, what happens to all of those bespoke costumes? Normally, we put it in storage. We still have Season 6 costumes because we’re going to do some installations at some museums. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is doing an installation in their permanent collection. We choose the pieces that we think really serve the show and the fans would like to see.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
