Josh Hartnett, left, as Calvin, wears a knitted sweater in the Newfoundland-set horror-mystery, Below. Many of the shades worn in the series draw from the characters’ surroundings.HO/The Canadian Press
As fisherman Calvin Penney, Josh Hartnett’s accent in Below may skew more Irish than Newfoundlander. But, much like the series’ culturally accurate cans of Pepsi, the character’s sweaters are authentic.
Filmed last summer in Pouch Cove and Brigus South, the Newfoundland-set horror-mystery is currently No. 1 on Netflix and the streamer’s biggest Canadian launch to date.
The striking coastal landscape proved to be as much of an influence on the costume department as it was on creator Jesse McKeown’s storyline. From Tough Duck and Big Bill workwear to heritage yarn from New Brunswick’s Briggs and Little, much of the clothing that appears onscreen is Canadian or Canadian-made, in shades drawn from the characters’ surroundings.
“I became obsessed with almost having the land of Newfoundland crawl up the clothing,” said costume designer Courtney Mitchell.
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It felt like the palette was written in the landscape, she added, from the aged buildings to the evolution of the flora and fauna over the course of the summer shoot.
“I really wanted it to be heightened naturalism,” Mitchell said. “You know when you go down to a rocky beach and get totally windswept? I wanted that feeling to be experienced in the colour and fabrication of things. Colours are salt-washed or sun-bleached; the garments have wear and tear and decay because that’s the relationship between clothing and the environment.”
Then came Newfoundland’s incredible culture of knitwear.
Costume designer Courtney Mitchell sourced many of the clothes worn in the series from Canadian brands and artists.HO/The Canadian Press
To outfit the actors, the first stop was Nonia in St. John’s, a non-profit founded in 1920 that works with knitters from around the province (the sweaters a young Calvin and his sister Ruth wear in the opening scene are from the brand). That visit activated the island’s word-of-mouth network.
“You’ll just get someone’s name and phone number,” Mitchell said of sourcing sweaters in Newfoundland.
That led her to Linda Lewis of Baynoddy, a knitting, spinning and weaving company. The costume designer used the sandy grey sweater Lewis’s husband wears daily as a reference for Calvin. Baynoddy’s witty novelty knits, such as one featuring a compass, are also worn by the Old Hag (Marthe Bernard) in the show.
The road trips continued: at Marie’s Knits in Clarenville, the team spotted the classic cable knit that Calvin wears in the finale. The costume department tweaked details such as the neckline, aging it for action scenes. It’s one of many deep Atlantic blues Calvin and his family wear to denote their connection to the water.
For the fifth episode, Little Pot Rock, a Fair Isle sweater with a halibut motif was modified to fit actor Shawn Doyle (playing Calvin’s old friend, Walton Budgell) using parts scavenged from other knits. The idea came from a chance encounter with St. John’s hairstylist and knitter Abi LeDrew, who happened to mention her eccentric patterned sweater. It was knitted in her size, but with the costume team’s DIY additions, it fit Doyle’s character of a man living a fringe existence.
“There is a separate sort of god in Newfoundland who must be specific to knitwear,” Mitchell said, “because I could not believe how often the island was on our side.”
In another serendipitous occurrence, after hearing online about the Newfoundland Guernsey – a regional variation of the traditional British seafarer sweater – Mitchell tracked down the classic pattern designed by Barbara Harpur and written by Lisa Chatzikirou. Harpur lived five minutes away from the old pub the team used as their costume shop.
“I would do the show a disservice if I didn’t find a way to get it in,” said Mitchell. Harpur herself knit the show multiples in Pitcher Plant, local yarn shop Cast On Cast Off’s exclusive purplish shade named for Newfoundland and Labrador’s emblematic flower.
Harley of Scotland, established in 1929, is a pioneer of the seamless (and zero-waste) knit sweater. The Scottish brand is known for colour schemes that echo its sustainability ethos.
“Globally, there is a strong interest in the provenance of knitwear and in the heritage knitting process married with modern technological advancement,” said sales director Susannah Murray, third-generation at the family-run brand. Harley’s current collection’s theme is called Elemental: A History of Place, and pulls from the Scottish landscape with hues such as Scots Pine, Amber, Hazelnut, Chai and Whisky.
“There is a unique timbre, a subtle texture and a soft rustic handle in a sweater made in super soft wool, and colours evolve naturally from that,” Murray said. “The look is organic and has an understated sensibility, which is timeless.”
Daisy Edgar-Jones in a scene from Sense and Sensibility. Similar to Below, costume designer Grace Snell experimented with natural pigmentation for the textiles, drawing on the characters’ environment.Alex Bailey/The Associated Press
Nature’s colour wheel is similarly influential in Georgia Oakley’s lush new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Costume designer Grace Snell interprets the 1790s-set story of impoverished sisters through an earthy, muted palette plucked from the countryside that surrounds them. If Bridgerton’s fantasy of sugary macaron pastels is one extreme, this is the other – a world washed in inky shadows, bark, lichen and moss.
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At the film’s outset, the family patriarch has just died, and Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is surrounded by freshly-dyed garments drying on a line in shades of grey that reflect a family in mourning. Snell has spoken about experimenting with natural pigmentation for the textiles and historically-based dresses, which change to warmer tones as the film progresses. Even the sisters’ unkempt hair is of a piece with their outdoor environment and emotional rawness which – at least by Regency era standards – feels almost feral.
The soft tones of Elinor’s homemade fingerless knitted cuffs, or muffatees, and Marianne’s delicate fichu (a scarf tucked into the neckline of a muslin dress) find their contemporary counterparts at Simons, with hand-embroidered wrist-warmers and an assortment of lace and knitted kerchiefs.
“People are more educated on textiles these days, especially with how they’re being dyed,” said Levi Gogolinski, owner of Penticton, B.C. clothing and home goods shop Ad Hoc. Okanagan artist Britt Bidlake’s plant-dyed landscape paintings hang above the shop’s latest arrivals, a further indication of what Gogolinski said is a renewed appreciation for artisan dyeing skills. The more neutral the tone, she noted, the better longevity of wear, which aligns with sustainable priorities.
“I am such an advocate for natural fibres and handmade things,” Mitchell said. “I do think when you see the beauty of things that are made in a place and reflect the land, it brings up more emotion.”
As the film progresses, the clothes change from cooler to warmer tones.Uncredited/The Associated Press
Shop the look
Openwork knit alpaca triangle scarf, $39 at Simons (simons.ca)
Scalloped lace floral triangular scarf, $29 at Simons (simons.ca)
Olivia wrist-warmer, $65 at Simons (simons.ca)
Fall sweaters by Harley of Scotland, roughly $245-$315 at Muddy George in Toronto, Mr Derk in Edmonton, Outlooks in B.C. and other Canadian retailers (harleyofscotland.com)
Raffia ribbon bag by Roem Textiles, $89 at Ad Hoc (shopadhoc.com)
Oversized shawl cardigan by Bare Knitwear, $478 at Ad Hoc (shopadhoc.com)
Azur tank long dress, $958 at Ad Hoc (shopadhoc.com)