It’s been 20 years (and a couple of weeks) since “Ugly Betty” premiered on ABC. The show, starring America Ferrera as the titular Betty, was based on the Colombian telenovela “Yo Soy Betty, La Fea,” created by Fernando Gaitán, and was an instant hit, running for four seasons and winning Ferrera an Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Award for best lead actress in a comedy series. True to its source material, “Ugly Betty” was over the top and completely camp — the storylines were ridiculous, the dialogue was hokey, the performances were broader than a power lifter’s back, and the clothes were truly outrageous. And we’re not just talking about Betty’s clothes here. Costume designer Patricia Field really held nothing back when putting together these characters’ outfits. And audiences absolutely loved her for it.
So, in (belated) recognition of the 20th anniversary of the show’s premiere, we thought it would be fun to revisit the pilot episode and the outfits that were so essential to the show’s success. All these years later, is Betty’s style still as terrible as we were lead to believe in 2006? Or has she been redeemed by time and is it, in fact, everyone else who looks “ugly?”
The episode opens with Betty in a pink plaid skirt suit and green polyester ruffled blouse sitting in the lobby of Meade Publications, waiting for an interview. It’s a brilliant piece of costuming on Field’s part because it lets you know right away how completely out of her depth Betty is. It looks like an outfit one would wear on a dare, made up of clothes bought at a thrift store that charges by the pound rather than bothering to price garments individually. And yet, one could almost imagine an elevated version of this exact look walking the runway for Alessandro Michele’s Valentino. Or maybe even, dare we say it, Matthew Blazy’s Chanel? No. Let’s not go crazy here. But there is something about the pattern clash and color play that, in a better material, cut, and with different styling — those red glasses can (and do) ugly up every outfit Betty wears — could almost be stylish. Almost.
Of course, sitting next to Betty in that opening scene is a model in what the audience is supposed to interpret as a much nicer outfit. But is it? A fur-lined plaid poncho with 10-inch fringe? It’s hard to believe there was ever a time when this would have been considered chic, but even when the episode first aired, I feel like I remember thinking — as someone already working in the industry at the time — that they both looked pretty tacky, which, let’s be honest, is kind of Field’s whole vibe on this and every show she costumes.
Betty’s sister Hilda looks very early-2000s in her shrunken tank top and hoodie, low-rise skinny jeans, and silver hoop earrings. Betty’s family always dressed in more normal clothes, but this is also something you could absolutely imagine some Gen Z teenager wearing today. Whether that makes it ugly or not, I’ll leave up to you.
Here’s Daniel getting a blowjob from his secretary in his office. That shirt and tie combo is about as ugly as such things get. And it was ugly then too, right? Personally, I was never sure what the point of Daniel’s heinous shirt-and-tie combos was. And there were a lot of them. At least six in this episode alone. I think he wore slightly less hideous outfits as…