What You Probably Never Noticed About Klaus' Wardrobe On The Umbrella Academy
The larger-than-life Hargreeves siblings in "The Umbrella Academy" wouldn't be as effective without the pairing of the eclectic and unique sets of costumes that the characters don in each season. Every Hargreeves has their own distinct style and sense of self through the tailored wardrobe, a crucial element of the series that helps to give the characters their own flare (via Deadline). With so many unanswered questions surrounding "The Umbrella Academy," at least fans can rely on great costuming each season.
Designing the costumes for the show is no easy feat, considering utilizing wardrobes and designing pieces from different time periods is tricky. Christopher Hargadon, the costume designer for the hit Netflix show (per Variety), had an interesting journey in developing the costumes for the seven siblings. In particular, there is a careful implementation of a certain style and precise thought that went into Klaus' wardrobe, the most eccentric and flamboyant of the seven children. Many have probably never picked up on or noticed this element of Klaus' costumes or attention to detail, as they're busy watching the crazy shenanigans Klaus and his siblings get mixed up in.
Klaus' wardrobe is largely comprised of women's clothing
The inspiration behind Klaus' wardrobe partially sprang from the actor who plays him (Robert Sheehan) and his own clothing choices, which are mostly women's clothing pieces. In an interview with Fashionista, Hargadon asserted that more than 50% of Klaus' wardrobe was women's clothing, often vintage finds — Hargadon mentions a 50-year-old tattered Edwardian skirt from a Shakespeare production which characteristically falls apart as Klaus wears it (via Deadline). Sheehan acknowledges his gender fluidity is a valid component of his personal life and Hargadon felt that was essential to integrate into Klaus' character and his adaptive wardrobe (per Fashionista).
Shifting between feminine and masculine clothing lends itself as Klaus' ultimate form of self-expression in radically shifting time periods and fashion trends that come and go as the eras pass. Starting off the first season in primarily gothic, dreary attire consisting of a black coat and black boots to becoming a colorful and free-spirited, Yogi-influenced cult leader in Season 2 (who wore a custom-made sherwani according to Cosplay Central), Klaus possesses the broadest costume evolution of all his siblings. Over time, it's intriguing to witness how his wacky style becomes a reflection of the era he's living in.