Television Inspiration: Pushing Daisies

Last week, through the magic of Netflix, I was able to catch up on season 1 of Pushing Daisies. I'd started watching the show from the beginning given that I love Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls, but as the pressure to finish my novel grew, I gave up most of my television programs. I'm so happy that I'm caught up and can begin season 2. What I love about the series is not only the premise (man who can bring people back to life with a touch but with some conditions) but also how visually interesting each episode is. The colors are hyper-saturated, almost as though a dial on the world has been turned up. Each setting is familiar yet vaguely surreal. The Pie Hole restaurant's pie crust roof seems like something out of a fairy tale while the houses are all picture book Victorians and Queen Annes.

From a fashion standpoint, Pushing Daisies hits the mark every time. Ned, our main character, dresses in well-cut suits and skinny ties. His partner in crime solving, Emmerson, has a 1970s feel to his wardrobe given the brightly patterned dress shirts he favors. The Aunts each have their own style, one favoring a late 60s early 70s loungewear look, the other in Asian inspried mini-dresses and tops. Olive, my favorite character, has a mod look to her with, for example, acidic green dresses trimmed in white complimented by the occassional sundress. But the real show here, for me at least, is Chuck. Chuck has every 50s-60s inspired outfit that I wish I could buy. She always looks tastefully pulled together from her large sunglasses to her pumps. So here's some Chuck inspiration to get our week started.