Dressing the Story: The Art of Costume Design

Dressing the Story is a rare, inside-the-room account of how films are truly made-not just written and directed, but seen. In these vivid, candid conversations, celebrated costume designer Debra McGuire, whose film and TV credits include Friends, Freaks and Geeks, The Morning Show, Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad and Walk Hard, reveals how clothing becomes character, how fabric carries emotion, and how the smallest visual detail can shape an audience's experience without them ever realizing it. Drawing on decades of work across film and television, she takes us from first script reading to final fitting, from instinct to execution, showing how costume design is not decoration but storytelling in its most immediate, visual form. At once a practical guide, a memoir of creative life, and a love letter to collaboration, this book captures the exhilaration-and the sheer labor-behind the craft. McGuire writes with warmth, wit, and hard-won authority about working with actors, navigating directors and producers, building teams, solving problems under pressure, and trusting intuition when it matters most. Whether you're a filmmaker, designer, or simply someone who loves cinema, Dressing the Story opens your eyes to an essential, often invisible art-and leaves you watching every film differently. Presented as a series of conversations with independent producer Jim Stark, and enriched by contributions from Gavin McGuire and longtime collaborator Joe Mastrolia, this book offers a uniquely intimate portrait of the collaborative spirit at the heart of costume design. "After years of watching Debra take a script and transform it into a living breathing world through thread, silhouette and instinct, I'm so thrilled she's now letting everyone into her process" Gail Berman (producer), WEDNESDAY, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ELVIS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY "Deb McGuire ... has incredible vision and style (in) designing costumes, She has an immense artistic soul and is a BIG talent." Jay Chandrasekhar (writer/director), SUPER TROOPERS, THE GOLDBERGS, NEW GIRL, COMMUNITY "How do you make the wardrobe practical enough to work in any situation while still creating something appealing and iconic? Something that gets across who the characters are in a grounded but memorable way. This is Debra's gift... One of my favorite parts of prepping any movie is when she brings us into her department for a "show and tell" of proposed wardrobe. In Debra's hands, it's often the first time we feel our movie coming to life." Jonathan Goldstein (writer/director/producer), THE FLASH, SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING, GAME NIGHT, MAY DAY "Having worked with her since I was a 13 year-old actor on Freaks and Geeks, I continue to be impressed by the impeccable visual eye she has for characters. She creates iconic looks but maintains a naturalism throughout which is no easy feat." John Francis Daley (writer/director/producer), MAY DAY, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES, NATIONAL LAMPOON VACATION, GAME NIGHT