The Queen’s Gambit Set in the mid-1950s into the 1960s, tells the story of orphaned chess prodigy Beth Harmon, who struggles emotionally and with addiction in a quest to become the greatest chess player in the world. Beth is not only known for her genius but also for her stylish mod looks as she travels the world ranking up in chest tournaments against the greatest players.
Costume designer Gabriele Binder created Beth’s looks as a reflection of her inner self as she grew to be more confident, decisively chic, elegant, and sophisticated throughout the show. Often materializing elements of chess into her personal style as well to capture Beth’s thoughts on the journey and love for the game tangibly. She not only incorporates parts of the game into her looks, but also has a cultured worldly influence from her travels to places such as New York City, Paris, and Moscow.
As a young girl, Beth was reserved and sullen until she began to play chess which makes her more intuitive and clever as she indulged in books and the game. Chess was her escape from the isolation and past trauma that endured that gives her control and allows her to take comfort in logic. She began to develop a dependency on pills so that she could visualize the chessboard and play games in her mind. She is adopted and by the age of 16, she is competing for the US Open championship.
Though adopted, Beth is still detached from the world around her and strives to have chess in her life in any form. At school, she doesn’t feel that she belongs as there is a disconnect between her and the girls around her.
Prior to her death, Beth’s biological mother embroidered her name with a heart design into a worn green dress. The dress provided comfort and a connection to her. The simple muted light green hue is described by costume designer Binder as her home color that makes her feel as if her mother is with her.
Beth goes shopping with her adoptive mother and they share a moment together while browsing the store, signifying their relationship as mother and daughter through clothing. Beth has a moment of her own at the store. Costume designer Binder states, “It’s at this moment that she is searching everywhere for something [and someone] to connect to, and, in the absence of a real person, she connects to the dress on the mannequin.” Clothing gives her a connection to the world the same way the dress from her childhood gave her a connection to her mother. The act of shopping brings Beth and her mother together as they go on to bond over their shared love of fashion, beauty, and travel which is an extension of how they care for one another.
Beth still feels that she is too different than the people around her because she does not get any enjoyment out of the things she is quote-unquote supposed to and sees the world in a different way. She desperately needs something to find solace in.
Beth’s isolation and the past make escapism very appealing, she learned to cope with pills at a young age and does so again as a teenager, hence developing an addiction and dependency to mind-altering substances.
Addiction is a disorder in which an individual takes a substance or engages in a behavior that is pleasurable but eventually becomes compulsive with a harmful consequence. This is marked by physiological and/or psychological dependence, tolerance, and withdrawal. Beth’s addiction is driven by her need for hypnosis for her emotions in a state of mind, Even stating, “Well, what I need are the pills..the booze.. I need my mind cloudy to win. I can’t visualize the games without them.”
The connection between this and chess is actually a very real experience, psychology has proven that playing chess lulls the mind into a state of hypnosis. Players will function in a trance that is regulated by the pulsating rhythm of the same. In an experiment, a player was put under hypnosis and performed as usual- proving that chess requires the abstraction of time and space.
Beth begins to compete in tournaments and her mother supports her in her endeavors. She travels to compete and at this point, Beth is still a young girl finding herself. She is learning how outfits can be an extension of oneself and create an image of feminine identity. Other characters are beginning to notice Beth for her looks that are put together and beautiful. This look is one of the first that mimics visual elements of a chessboard in a subtle mature way rather than straightforward and girlishly. A styling approach that will become prominent in her fashion. This also gauges her mental being- the degree of the lines, structure of the pieces, and tones of the pattern give viewers a glimpse into Beth’s state of mind.
In Mexico, Beth incorporates more bright colors and wears rigid cultivated looks that have beauty in the details. For instance, in this look titled afternoon tea, the shoulder straps have a crosshatch pattern that mirrors the lines of the board in the manner the fabric overlaps in the center of the dress. Also the texture of her pieces is highly detailed up close, but from afar are indistinguishable.
Beth begins to introduce 1960s New York counterculture pieces into her wardrobe through silhouette and pattern, much like Benny who stands out against the typical chess player they both embrace looks that are very untraditional, yet captivating.
This is Beth’s casual go-to outfit, which is very effortless yet polished consisting of a tee and trousers with a light flare. The simplicity and divisions of black and white mirror the divisions of a chessboard. She wears this in her free time from housework to spending time with friends, it’s a versatile outfit that is laid back, yet self-assured.
Her more casual outfits are fitted and well-proportioned, she often wears a high-waisted pant or skirt with a top that consists of a mock neck or collar- anything that creates clean lines.
While in Paris, Beth is mesmerized by the women’s fashion (clip). Even in her downtime, she takes note of this look for example while studying, she does so stylishly like this look when she relaxes in a soft pullover and black pants, a timeless look that is functional, yet still sleek and modern. For her first European chess tournament, she buys one of her most chic looks, a black and beige Acrylic jersey fabric swatch inspired by French designer Pierre Cardin, a designer who had a great interest in architecture which translated into his work as geometric shapes that went on to become his trademark in the 60s.
This beautiful dress has an ease to it, but also has a high fashion aesthetic. Beth wears this outfit to one of her most pivotal matches in the series. From a production point of view, the scene with this dress involves Beth running through a hotel, and the light fabric flows beautifully as the character moves throughout the space.
Beth purchases many high-fashion outfits while in Paris, making it quite evident that she has a preference for the elegant designs of mid-60s French designers. Her being drawn to this type of fashion not only suits her look but also her personality as designers were beginning to break fashion traditions and mirror social movements during the time, much like how Beth was breaking the norms of being a woman in chess.
This is also her connecting with her adoptive mother, who enjoyed high fashion. For important occasions like Beth’s graduation and tournaments, she would often wear a homemade recreation of a Dior design since she could not afford an authentic designer piece. After her passing, Beth is also seen wearing pieces from her mother’s wardrobe and incorporating it into her fashion.
In another Pierre Cardin-inspired green, she looks stylish with a high-fashion aesthetic for one of her most crucial matches. The dress is delicate and dynamic, it’s simplicity mirrors the one she wore as a child. The hue of the dress is her home color, Binder states that the color “gives her strength.” and Beth sports this in an attempt to be strong and composed.
After her loss in the tournament, her dependency peaks. Beth pushes away those who care for her. Her fashion is less elegant and more bold and cold. For instance, she does a high-end makeup look, her cap is the light green of her biological mother’s dress, and she has a very high-end dark mod look. She reconnects with her friend Jolene after the passing of the man who taught her chess. Jolene gives her support, love, and the push needed to get out of her rut so that Beth stops holding herself back. This is where Beth’s addiction has a turning point and she begins to push away her dependencies.
She begins to look sophisticated again in Moscow. wearing chic pieces like this white mock neck paired off with a coat that mirrors the structure of her others, but with the waist cinched in. In Moscow her style matures and adapts to the environment, she still has the chess and high fashion elements in her style, but evolves them.
The little black dress made famous by Givenchy and Chanel is a staple garment that is essential to one’s wardrobe. The dress is known for its long-lasting nature and versatility. It functions in many manners as it works in both casual and formal settings depending on how it is styled. It’s a piece that displays intellect without being overly scholarly while creating elegant and chic undertones.
For instance, Beth has a little black dress- a piece that is known for its long-lasting nature and versatility, paired off with a unique checkered coat that is much bolder and more sophisticated. Her sartorial fashion makes her stand out, it signifies her confidence as she is interviewed and signs autographs in a new country.
She still likes to reference designs, for instance in this ensemble with a decorative bow adornment and detailing across the back shoulders, Beth is inspired by Biba, a London-based boutique that epitomized the style of the Swinging 60s. She is still fashion conscious, but in a more understated serious manner that matches her demeanour to compete. It’s elegant, yet intellectual while still being feminine but not so overtly.
More open in nature, Beth wears a black and white shift dress titled the I’m Chess-Dress, like many of her looks it has strong lines and is two-toned. She wears this to a tournament in Moscow. It’s a look of duality and confidence, she is no longer an unsure girl, but a woman who knows who she is. She is comfortable with her place inside and outside of chess.
and is comfortable with her place in chess as an international star.
The endgame outfit is one of the last in the series. A dress with minimal simplicity that directly mirrors her dress as a child suggests Beth feels connected with the world and fully comfortable in the moment. This dress is the adult version of Beth’s first look, the nature of the look is suggesting a conclusion in Beth’s mind as she wears her home color. She plays the game with her strength and is sober, ultimately winning.
In the final look fittingly titled the white queen, Beth is wears a fully white look, unlike her many previous black and white looks in the series. The hat and jacket paired together were intentionally made to mimic the profile of a white queen in chess. Meaning that Beth has won and overcome all that held her back. This is not just a look of a chess victory, but one of inner victory as well as she has overcome her inner demons such as insecurity, isolation, and trauma. Despite being famous, she walks the streets of Moscow and happily plays with local players meaning that despite being done up with a new title, she did not lose herself despite the hardships she went through.
Though she holds the greatest title in chess, she is still the young girl showing that she is a woman who shamelessly enjoys the finer things such as clothing, beauty, and travel, but is still a humble, kind, and studious girl asking her mother for a chess board and connecting to the dress on the mannequin. Despite the odds against her, Beth always embraced herself and never gave in to who she was supposed to be in the eyes of others. Though she was the one holding herself back, she was able to let go of her self-destructive tendencies to go onto a life that she worked so hard to create. Her intellectual high-end fashion provided the comfort she needed wherever she went, she clothed herself in pieces that tangibly encapsulated her loved ones and her greatest love of chess.
SOURCES: Beth Harmon’s Fashion- https://www.thequeenandthecrown.com/view Chess Psychology- https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Jou… Psychology in The Queen’s Gambit- https://blog.usejournal.com/a-psychol… Vogue Interview With Costume Designer Gabriele Binder- https://www.vogue.in/fashion/content/… The Queen’s Gambit Costume Gallery- https://variety.com/gallery/the-queen…
