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44 The Costume Designer Fall 2019 As best as he can, the Scoundrel dresses like a gentleman, but for all his efforts, he misses the mark. He may attempt to find a look that fosters trust and respectability, but there's always a hint of sleaze that reveals the impurity of his motivations and inevitable villainy. A Scoundrel may enter the front door, but he's always ready to sneak out the back. That extra bit of shine on the gangsters' suits that Richard Bruno used in Goodfellas or the skinny black ties Betsy Heimann put on the hoodlums in Reservoir Dogs that give the audience a clue that something is just a bit off. Kathleen Detoro gave Walter White (Bryan Cranston) his pork pie hat, and the audience knows his transformation is complete. Think of the "respect- able" suit that Janie Bryant put Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) in when he went calling in Deadwood, the touches of purple worn by Kilgrave (David Tennant) that Stephanie Maslansky used in Marvel's Jessica Jones that reference the lurid comic book version of the villain. Costume Designer Sarah Trost had a whole family of scoundrels to costume for The Righteous Gemstones, but the most corrupt of the bunch is Jesse Gemstone (Danny McBride), the eldest son of the evangelical preacher family. Half preacher and half gangster, his exploits and misadven- tures are often the driving force of the show. "It's a fine line between, like a borderline, not quite sleazy, but you can see it from there." Trost creates a carefully composed ensemble to give the character that subliminal sordid appearance. "It's also because it's aggressive in the way that it's put together and just the shapes and the colors and the textures." This emphasis goes right down into the cut of the clothes and heels of his shoes, physically influencing the actor's pos- ture, which Danny McBride uses to flesh out his character. "Because of how the costumes are fitted and his shoes, it makes him stand differently and he really leans into it." For the Scoundrel, character is often found in the accessories, and this is where the archetype crosses over into other archetypes. He may picture himself a Maverick and aspire to be the Suit, but aspects of his personality mean he can't help but be the Peacock, and the combination is always just a bit wrong. Trost put together jewelry sets that are just a bit too big and ostentatious. "Everything goes together in a set and you wear it out," Trost explains. "You don't see it very much anymore. I think that's why it's a little arresting to see now." Even preparing for bed in the silk pajamas that she made for the character, he's wearing his full jewelry because the Scoundrel schemes even in his dreams. "I'm definitely a big fan of more is more but I think it's incredible, and he loves it." THE SCOUNDREL Photo: Sony Pictures Danny McBride as Jesse Gemstone