The Fashion Guide to Series 5 (1967–8)

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There is a separate guide for Steed’s clothes, now fully illustrated.


Navy and mustard catsuit

Fighting catsuit with stretch and movement in navy Crimpelene with mustard side-stripes. Zippered with a ring on the zip. Quite a popular outfit this one, worn in three different episodes. In From Venus With Love it’s worn at both the beginning and end of the episode, and establishes Mrs. Peel’s character for the colour series.

The fashion shoot notes mention that ‘Echo are making these up - not only for fighters, but for après-skiers - for 8gns. Selincourt are making Avengers furs; suede and leather togs come from Sirela.’

Worn in:



Lilac crepe dress with wide shoulder straps

Lilac crepe dress with wide shoulder straps, mini length, straight hem and cleavage, with matching jacket with a navy trim. I love this outfit.
Quite a business-like and conservative costume. It maintains a degree of informality by virtue of the smooth lines and short hem line of the dress. The wide shoulder straps with their metal rings connecting them to the body of the dress make it a much more informal garment.

The fashion notes read:
"I love this," says Diana Rigg. “It’s the kind of thing I wear in ‘real life’. All the new Avenger things are.” Stunningly simple crepe dress and jacket by Alun Hughes for Thomas of Mayfair, sizes 10–16, about 12 gns. Larger-than-life watch by old England, about £5.

If you look very carefully, you can see that Mrs. Peel is carrying a blue and white jacket as she walks into her flat, then puts it down on a chair just before she examines the box of chocolates at the beginning of The Fear Merchants. (bottom right)
She’s wearing it again at the beginning of the outro for the same episode. You can view a swatch of the blue jacket’s pattern.

Worn in:



Tan ‘Little nothing’ a-line dress.

Only on screen for a short time, when they investigate old Sir Freddy Hadders observatory. Obviously a favourite colour with Alun Hughes, he uses it often. This dress reappears with a matching jacket.

The notes for the fashion shoot (near right) read ‘“Little-nothing” dress, epitomizing the new Avenger fashion thinking. “No gimmicks,” says Alun Hughes, “just elegant, modern clothes to counter-balance an Emma Peel-type life. Girls on the move can’t be bothered with bits and pieces.” By Thomas of Mayfair, about 8 gns.’

Worn in:


Blue coat with lavender skivvy.

This wide, a-line coat has a high, ribbed collar and similarly ribbed hem. Note the buttons at the lefthand side of the high collar and low on the left side, near the hem and pocket.

Worn in:


Orange & white catsuit with wide belt, ring at high neck, zippered.

A rare outing for this costume, worn only in From Venus With Love. This pale orange catsuit has a white flash along the front inside leg, accentuating the calves and thighs (see below). It’s almost invisible from the back.

Worn in:

Towel or sheet

Only on screen for a short time, It’s difficult to tell what it is. Anyway, it’s obvious that Diana Rigg is already wearing the pyjamas (below), as you see a glimpse of them under the towel. But then, it is television, not reality. Remember this.

Chinese red and purple silk pyjamas.

Almost Palazzo pants to this pair of pyjamas, which are made of a generous amount of Chinese silk.

A similar pair of pyjamas, purple and burgundy, was worn in the tag scene of Death’s Door.

Worn in:

Khaki coat

Khaki coat with white trim over ivory dress and khaki scarf. The coat is a strange one - quite thick, with a very rounded look to the cut. The thickness of the material emphasises the curves of the design. The first image best reveals the ivory dress and scarf underneath the coat, the coat is opening up a little as Mrs. Peel turns the corner of the corridor in the hospital.

Ivory sundress with khaki scarf

She wears an ivory sundress with khaki scarf at the decolletage. You can see the detail quite well in the black and white image.


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