Wardrobe notes: The Playboy Bunny

Costume designer Isis Mussenden explains all the attention to detail (and history!) that went into designing the iconic costume

1. Ears
The ears look like they’re attached to a hair band, but it’s actually a detachable headpiece. That way, says Mussenden, ”they could pin it into those big [’60s] hairstyles.”

2. Color
Mussenden re-created the 10 colors used in the original club, choosing baby blue for Maureen. ”She looks innocent,” she says, ”like a young bunny.” The suits were then custom-tailored for the actors — and even the extras. ”It fits within an inch of their lives!”

3. Cuff Links
Provided by Playboy, the cuff links sport a bunny insignia — and their own rules. ”The bunnies must be facing each other,” she says. ”That was a note from Playboy.”

4. Tail
Mussenden went through seven types of yarn before finding a winner. ”We needed the right weight so it’s fluffy and so it doesn’t look like a dead rag.”

5. Tights
Each Bunny dons two pairs of hose. ”If you ever thought, ‘Those Bunnies have the most amazing legs,’ well, when you wear two pairs of hose — it pulls them in really tight,” Mussenden says.

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