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In her new miniseries The Kennedys, Katie Holmes looks perfectly poised in the role of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis — a task that, as it turns out, required some serious prep work in the costume department. Holmes’s 45-look wardrobe was created in part by costume designer Chris Hargadon, who said perfecting the outfits required meticulous attention to detail, something both he and Holmes were prepared for. “She came with a lot of research under her belt and she had certain likes,” Hargadon tells StyleList.com. “She loved Jackie’s style in clothes, the simplicity of the lines, the fabric and workmanship.” Among the challenging outfits in the mix was a pink day suit and pillbox hat the First Lady wore the day her husband was assassinated, created for the series by Giorgio Armani. “[Katie] and Tom [Cruise] have a relationship with Armani, and when they found out she was doing the project, they asked to make her clothes,” Hargadon explains. “So we told them she would need 45 or 50 looks for all the episodes and they had to be done in about 72 days. They came back and said, ‘Then, we’d like to do two.’” (They also designed her inaugural gown.) Hargadon’s ultimate favorite, though, was a pink silk ballgown the First Lady reportedly received from a king. “I took pictures to a friend who trained as an Italian textiles designer,” Hargadon explains. “She painted a silk fabric for me, the lotus blossoms, the fronds. It almost looks like Chinese embroidery. I don’t even know if the piece made the final cut, but it was an incredible effort.” The Kennedys concludes Sunday on Reelz. Tell us: What do you think of Holmes’s Kennedys looks? –Kim Peiffer
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