Styling ‘The Girls on the Bus’
The new show about four campaign trail reportersTheGirlsontheBus streaming now on HBO’s Max, tells the story of four fictional campaign trail reporters covering an imaginary Democratic primary. Think: West Wing meets Sex and the City with a dash of The Newsroom. Amy sent me screeners, which Matt and I devoured. Having met on the campaign trail — our first date was a snowy night at the Des Moines airport bar — my husband and I delighted in this nostalgic trip back to the swing states, reminiscing about frantically filing stories, racing to catch the bus, and the steady diet of plastic-wrapped turkey sandwiches.
There is so much to The Girls on the Bus that feels familiar. But what really made my heart sing was hearing Amy talk about the thought she put into the fashion. Each of the four women on her show has a distinct look, representing who she is and the outlet she represents.
I wrote about the sartorial strategy of The Girls on the Bus for InStyle — I hope you will have a read I particularly appreciated Amy’s comments about splurging on an Isabel Marant coat that worked as well as in Iowa as it did in New York. “You need a wardrobe that can span the red and blue states,” she said.
The first five episodes of The Girls on the Bus are out HBO’s Episode 5 dropped this week. It was written by Amy and another friend of ours (and former
Styling ‘The Girls on the Bus’
The new show about four campaign trail reporters brings fashion to the swing states.
I love watching people I worked with in earlier chapters of my life go on to do very cool things. Take my friend Amy Chozick — she made a whole television show!
Amy and I were campaign trail reporters for the Wall Street Journal in 2007 and 2008. Neither one of us had covered politics before when we were thrown into the crowded candidate mix. I was sent to follow Mitt Romney and John McCain while Amy was assigned to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. In 2016, she returned to the trail with Clinton as a reporter for the New York Times. Amy wrote a best-selling book about her experience, called Chasing Hillary, which served as inspiration for her new show.
Thegirlsonthebus streaming now on HBO’s Max, tells the story of four fictional campaign trail reporters covering an imaginary Democratic primary. Think: West Wing meets Sex and the City with a dash of The Newsroom. Amy sent me screeners, which Matt and I devoured. Having met on the campaign trail — our first date was a snowy night at the Des Moines airport bar — my husband and I delighted in this nostalgic trip back to the swing states, reminiscing about frantically filing stories, racing to catch the bus, and the steady diet of plastic-wrapped turkey sandwiches.
There is so much to The Girls on the Bus that feels familiar. But what really made my heart sing was hearing Amy talk about the thought she put into the fashion. Each of the four women on her show has a distinct look, representing who she is and the outlet she represents.
I love watching people I worked with in earlier chapters of my life go on to do very cool things. Take my friend Amy Chozick — she made a whole television show!
Amy and I were campaign trail reporters for the Wall Street Journal in 2007 and 2008. Neither one of us had covered politics before when we were thrown into the crowded candidate mix. I was sent to follow Mitt Romney and John McCain while Amy was assigned to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. In 2016, she returned to the trail with Clinton as a reporter for the New York Times. Amy wrote a best-selling book about her experience, called Chasing Hillary, which served as inspiration for her new show.
The Girls on the Bus, streaming now on HBO’s Max, tells the story of four fictional campaign trail reporters covering an imaginary Democratic primary. Think: West Wing meets Sex and the City with a dash of The Newsroom. Amy sent me screeners, which Matt and I devoured. Having met on the campaign trail — our first date was a snowy night at the Des Moines airport bar — my husband and I delighted in this nostalgic trip back to the swing states, reminiscing about frantically filing stories, racing to catch the bus, and the steady diet of plastic-wrapped turkey sandwiches.
There is so much to The Girls on the Bus that feels familiar. But what really made my heart sing was hearing Amy talk about the thought she put into the fashion. Each of the four women on her show has a distinct look, representing who she is and the outlet she represents.
I wrote about the sartorial strategy of The Girls on the Bus for InStyle — I hope you will have a read here. I particularly appreciated Amy’s comments about splurging on an Isabel Marant coat that worked as well as in Iowa as it did in New York. “You need a wardrobe that can span the red and blue states,” she said.
conversations I had for the piece, including Amy’s vision for her characters and how costume designers (and sisters) Claire and Lily Parkinson styled the women accordingly. So many thoughts! Both of these chats have made watching the show all the more satisfying.
The first five episodes of The Girls on the Bus are out now on HBO’s MAX. Episode 5 dropped this week. It was written by Amy and another friend of ours (and former WSJer) Candace Jackson — so good!
·
Styling ‘The Girls on the Bus’
Please note: Both of these conversations have been edited and condensed.
Why did you want fashion to be a part of this story?
Amy Chozick: For one, it was about differentiating the girls. I had no idea how intricate the costume process would be, how every single piece of clothing on every character — not just the main four — is approved by me. Each character had to be so specific to keep them feeling unique to their own backgrounds and stories.
I also wanted this to be aspirational as well as realistic. I wanted you to pause your TV and be like, “Oh my God, where is Grace’s purse from? Or where do I get Lola’s jacket?” And it all needed to fit in a suitcase.
What was the process of finding costume designers like?
Amy: You interview a lot of people and they put together a pitch for what they would bring to the show. The two versions we got were: Well, clothes are just an afterthought. They’re married to their job, it’s just going to be super serviceable, whatever, fits in a suitcase and gets the job done. That hurt my soul! [Laughs]
The other version was full-on Sex in the City, Emily in Paris, with tutus — fashion forward. One pitched wild hats. I love that stuff. I would have loved to have a Carrie Bradshaw closet in our show. But did she pack that in a roller bag? Is she schlepping that to the swing states? It was really a challenge. And Lily and Claire managed to strike a really good balance.
interviewed with Amy [Chozick] and Rina [Mimoun] and they said they wanted it to be aspirational but still grounded and authentic.
Lily Parkinson: You could tell from the script that there were some extra elements that Amy was bringing from the past that were very exciting, the whole Hunter S. Thompson aspect of it. The script, right away, pulled us in.
Amy said she wanted the pieces to fit into a suitcase. Was that a challenge?
Claire: We definitely talked a lot about the suitcase and how much they could bring, and also that some of them stop in their towns halfway through. We talked about everything feeling grounded and lived in; we didn’t want everything to feel completely new. We definitely repeated a lot of pieces in this, compared to other contemporary shows. It’s very rare to even repeat a pair of shoes on some shows.
buy lots of things at malls and department stores. We have always asked: “How can we change that?” Our footprint matters as a part of the production.
We try to steer clear of fast fashion, too. We’re always just trying to find the special pieces. We want it to be more unique.
Let’s talk about each of the characters and their specific influences.
SADIE MCCARTHY
Rising star at the New York Sentinel (inspired by the New York Times); played by Melissa Benoist
Amy’s vision: Inspirations for Sadie were Diane Keaton, Annie Hall, Jane Birkin, menswear, vintage — and tapping into this nostalgia for a bygone era. What does a classic newswoman, or newsman, look like?
being a little nonchalant about her wardrobe. Everything could go together. Of all the characters, I think she cared the least [about fashion] when she was on the road. It’s all about the writing for her.
GRACE GORDON GREENE
Seasoned veteran reporter at the Washington Union (similar to the Washington Post); played by Carla Gugino
Amy’s vision: Grace is classy, old enough to know what looks good on her and what travels well. A crisp white shirt, great pants, a silk scarf. I always thought of Andrea Mitchell — she had beautiful Hermès scarves on the trail — and Sofia Coppola.
above the suit, almost like a men’s tux shirt. That was a great moment for her character; Grace’s dad had always been in the spotlight and now it was her time to shine. We wanted it to be in a way that Grace would want it, not a stylist offering a million dresses and a million different pieces of jewelry. She wore her classic earrings and a classic poplin shirt and a black suit. Her story didn’t have to be colorful or sexy. It was confident.
KIMBERLYN KENDRICK
Making a name as an on-air reporter at Liberty Direct News (a la Fox News); played by Christina Elmore
Amy’s vision: Kimberlyn is a Reagan Republican conservative. She’s ambitious and trying to pop, so she wears bright colors — as well as colors the other girls don’t wear, like purple. Right when you meet her, she has a big pink suitcase.
about what she wears when she’s not in front of the camera. That took us a little bit longer to find.
Claire: We were continuously looking for that throughout the season, because it’s not so obvious at the start. We did things that were very opposite of what she would wear when she was in the spotlight — she would never, for example, wear a boxy sweater on camera with a slim-legged pant. But she would pack that for weekend wear. Throughout the season, she was unraveling a little bit, too.
Lily: She is still very aware of her appearance, but where do you find those little moments, to show those changes in subtle ways? As the season went on, we started to have a little bit more fun with the shapes that she was wearing, slightly more asymmetrical stuff and bolder colors.
LOLA RAHAII
Gen Z influencer, new to covering politics; played by Natasha Benham
Amy’s vision: Lola was so fun, so colorful, unabashedly sex positive and body positive. She is completely her own person. Everything she is wearing says that she could care less about being part of the establishment.
Claire: Lola doesn’t change who she is for the campaign trail. Maybe towards the end — when she’s trying a little bit, to be taken more seriously? But then she realizes that’s not authentic to who she is and she quickly resorts back to who she is.
Lily: She is an influencer and we liked the idea of people sending her things. We talked about that in the beginning, that she would be gifted something or she would have to wear something in a TikTok video.
The new show about four campaign trail reportersTheGirlsontheBus streaming now on HBO’s Max, tells the story of four fictional campaign trail reporters covering an imaginary Democratic primary. Think: West Wing meets Sex and the City with a dash of The Newsroom. Amy sent me screeners, which Matt and I devoured. Having met on the campaign trail — our first date was a snowy night at the Des Moines airport bar — my husband and I delighted in this nostalgic trip back to the swing states, reminiscing about frantically filing stories, racing to catch the bus, and the steady diet of plastic-wrapped turkey sandwiches.
There is so much to The Girls on the Bus that feels familiar. But what really made my heart sing was hearing Amy talk about the thought she put into the fashion. Each of the four women on her show has a distinct look, representing who she is and the outlet she represents.
I wrote about the sartorial strategy of The Girls on the Bus for InStyle — I hope you will have a read I particularly appreciated Amy’s comments about splurging on an Isabel Marant coat that worked as well as in Iowa as it did in New York. “You need a wardrobe that can span the red and blue states,” she said.
The first five episodes of The Girls on the Bus are out HBO’s Episode 5 dropped this week. It was written by Amy and another friend of ours (and former
Styling ‘The Girls on the Bus’
The new show about four campaign trail reporters brings fashion to the swing states.
I love watching people I worked with in earlier chapters of my life go on to do very cool things. Take my friend Amy Chozick — she made a whole television show!
Amy and I were campaign trail reporters for the Wall Street Journal in 2007 and 2008. Neither one of us had covered politics before when we were thrown into the crowded candidate mix. I was sent to follow Mitt Romney and John McCain while Amy was assigned to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. In 2016, she returned to the trail with Clinton as a reporter for the New York Times. Amy wrote a best-selling book about her experience, called Chasing Hillary, which served as inspiration for her new show.
Thegirlsonthebus streaming now on HBO’s Max, tells the story of four fictional campaign trail reporters covering an imaginary Democratic primary. Think: West Wing meets Sex and the City with a dash of The Newsroom. Amy sent me screeners, which Matt and I devoured. Having met on the campaign trail — our first date was a snowy night at the Des Moines airport bar — my husband and I delighted in this nostalgic trip back to the swing states, reminiscing about frantically filing stories, racing to catch the bus, and the steady diet of plastic-wrapped turkey sandwiches.
There is so much to The Girls on the Bus that feels familiar. But what really made my heart sing was hearing Amy talk about the thought she put into the fashion. Each of the four women on her show has a distinct look, representing who she is and the outlet she represents.
I love watching people I worked with in earlier chapters of my life go on to do very cool things. Take my friend Amy Chozick — she made a whole television show!
Amy and I were campaign trail reporters for the Wall Street Journal in 2007 and 2008. Neither one of us had covered politics before when we were thrown into the crowded candidate mix. I was sent to follow Mitt Romney and John McCain while Amy was assigned to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. In 2016, she returned to the trail with Clinton as a reporter for the New York Times. Amy wrote a best-selling book about her experience, called Chasing Hillary, which served as inspiration for her new show.
The Girls on the Bus, streaming now on HBO’s Max, tells the story of four fictional campaign trail reporters covering an imaginary Democratic primary. Think: West Wing meets Sex and the City with a dash of The Newsroom. Amy sent me screeners, which Matt and I devoured. Having met on the campaign trail — our first date was a snowy night at the Des Moines airport bar — my husband and I delighted in this nostalgic trip back to the swing states, reminiscing about frantically filing stories, racing to catch the bus, and the steady diet of plastic-wrapped turkey sandwiches.
There is so much to The Girls on the Bus that feels familiar. But what really made my heart sing was hearing Amy talk about the thought she put into the fashion. Each of the four women on her show has a distinct look, representing who she is and the outlet she represents.
I wrote about the sartorial strategy of The Girls on the Bus for InStyle — I hope you will have a read here. I particularly appreciated Amy’s comments about splurging on an Isabel Marant coat that worked as well as in Iowa as it did in New York. “You need a wardrobe that can span the red and blue states,” she said.
conversations I had for the piece, including Amy’s vision for her characters and how costume designers (and sisters) Claire and Lily Parkinson styled the women accordingly. So many thoughts! Both of these chats have made watching the show all the more satisfying.
The first five episodes of The Girls on the Bus are out now on HBO’s MAX. Episode 5 dropped this week. It was written by Amy and another friend of ours (and former WSJer) Candace Jackson — so good!
·
Styling ‘The Girls on the Bus’
Please note: Both of these conversations have been edited and condensed.
Why did you want fashion to be a part of this story?
Amy Chozick: For one, it was about differentiating the girls. I had no idea how intricate the costume process would be, how every single piece of clothing on every character — not just the main four — is approved by me. Each character had to be so specific to keep them feeling unique to their own backgrounds and stories.
I also wanted this to be aspirational as well as realistic. I wanted you to pause your TV and be like, “Oh my God, where is Grace’s purse from? Or where do I get Lola’s jacket?” And it all needed to fit in a suitcase.
What was the process of finding costume designers like?
Amy: You interview a lot of people and they put together a pitch for what they would bring to the show. The two versions we got were: Well, clothes are just an afterthought. They’re married to their job, it’s just going to be super serviceable, whatever, fits in a suitcase and gets the job done. That hurt my soul! [Laughs]
The other version was full-on Sex in the City, Emily in Paris, with tutus — fashion forward. One pitched wild hats. I love that stuff. I would have loved to have a Carrie Bradshaw closet in our show. But did she pack that in a roller bag? Is she schlepping that to the swing states? It was really a challenge. And Lily and Claire managed to strike a really good balance.
interviewed with Amy [Chozick] and Rina [Mimoun] and they said they wanted it to be aspirational but still grounded and authentic.
Lily Parkinson: You could tell from the script that there were some extra elements that Amy was bringing from the past that were very exciting, the whole Hunter S. Thompson aspect of it. The script, right away, pulled us in.
Amy said she wanted the pieces to fit into a suitcase. Was that a challenge?
Claire: We definitely talked a lot about the suitcase and how much they could bring, and also that some of them stop in their towns halfway through. We talked about everything feeling grounded and lived in; we didn’t want everything to feel completely new. We definitely repeated a lot of pieces in this, compared to other contemporary shows. It’s very rare to even repeat a pair of shoes on some shows.
buy lots of things at malls and department stores. We have always asked: “How can we change that?” Our footprint matters as a part of the production.
We try to steer clear of fast fashion, too. We’re always just trying to find the special pieces. We want it to be more unique.
Let’s talk about each of the characters and their specific influences.
SADIE MCCARTHY
Rising star at the New York Sentinel (inspired by the New York Times); played by Melissa Benoist
Amy’s vision: Inspirations for Sadie were Diane Keaton, Annie Hall, Jane Birkin, menswear, vintage — and tapping into this nostalgia for a bygone era. What does a classic newswoman, or newsman, look like?
being a little nonchalant about her wardrobe. Everything could go together. Of all the characters, I think she cared the least [about fashion] when she was on the road. It’s all about the writing for her.
GRACE GORDON GREENE
Seasoned veteran reporter at the Washington Union (similar to the Washington Post); played by Carla Gugino
Amy’s vision: Grace is classy, old enough to know what looks good on her and what travels well. A crisp white shirt, great pants, a silk scarf. I always thought of Andrea Mitchell — she had beautiful Hermès scarves on the trail — and Sofia Coppola.
above the suit, almost like a men’s tux shirt. That was a great moment for her character; Grace’s dad had always been in the spotlight and now it was her time to shine. We wanted it to be in a way that Grace would want it, not a stylist offering a million dresses and a million different pieces of jewelry. She wore her classic earrings and a classic poplin shirt and a black suit. Her story didn’t have to be colorful or sexy. It was confident.
KIMBERLYN KENDRICK
Making a name as an on-air reporter at Liberty Direct News (a la Fox News); played by Christina Elmore
Amy’s vision: Kimberlyn is a Reagan Republican conservative. She’s ambitious and trying to pop, so she wears bright colors — as well as colors the other girls don’t wear, like purple. Right when you meet her, she has a big pink suitcase.
about what she wears when she’s not in front of the camera. That took us a little bit longer to find.
Claire: We were continuously looking for that throughout the season, because it’s not so obvious at the start. We did things that were very opposite of what she would wear when she was in the spotlight — she would never, for example, wear a boxy sweater on camera with a slim-legged pant. But she would pack that for weekend wear. Throughout the season, she was unraveling a little bit, too.
Lily: She is still very aware of her appearance, but where do you find those little moments, to show those changes in subtle ways? As the season went on, we started to have a little bit more fun with the shapes that she was wearing, slightly more asymmetrical stuff and bolder colors.
LOLA RAHAII
Gen Z influencer, new to covering politics; played by Natasha Benham
Amy’s vision: Lola was so fun, so colorful, unabashedly sex positive and body positive. She is completely her own person. Everything she is wearing says that she could care less about being part of the establishment.
Claire: Lola doesn’t change who she is for the campaign trail. Maybe towards the end — when she’s trying a little bit, to be taken more seriously? But then she realizes that’s not authentic to who she is and she quickly resorts back to who she is.
Lily: She is an influencer and we liked the idea of people sending her things. We talked about that in the beginning, that she would be gifted something or she would have to wear something in a TikTok video.
Claire: She was also supporting LGBTQ+ designers and indie designers, BIPOC designers, body positivity. We wanted her to be the one who considers all of those things as she progresses and decides who she supports. She knows that her TikTok is watched by many, so she’s conscious of how she is presenting herself in that way — more than the other because that world is so foreign to them.Claire: She was also supporting LGBTQ+ designers and indie designers, BIPOC designers, body positivity. We wanted her to be the one who considers all of those things as she progresses and decides who she supports. She knows that her TikTok is watched by many, so she’s conscious of how she is presenting herself in that way — more than the other because that world is so foreign to them.
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