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Villanelle's 30 Best Outfits From 'Killing Eve'

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With a name as theatrical as Villanelle, it's no wonder the Killing Eve character has a flair for the dramatic. And her wardrobe is just that — gratuitously expensive, loud, mismatched, and completely gorgeous. The Russian assassin uses clothes to change her personality — a necessity for her job. A blue peasant dress transforms Villanelle into an Italian partygoer, while a simple white blouse and cropped slacks allow her to fade into the background as a waitress. Whichever persona she's embodying, one thing is clear: Villanelle's best outfits on Killing Eve are all beautiful and off-kilter, just like her.

As lead writer Emerald Fennell said in a behind-the-scenes interview, Villanelle is an “iconic dresser." But even "iconic" feels like an understatement. In each episode, costume designers Phoebe De Gaye (Season 1), Charlotte Mitchell (Season 2), and Sam Perry (Season 3) up the ante for Villanelle's wardrobe. She's also a reckless spender, buying extravagant pieces and quickly blowing through her paycheck. "[Villanelle] just loves clothes," De Gaye told Vogue. "That's how she rewards herself for her kills; she just goes out and buys something else. She's also a good chameleon, you know, the idea was that you could never really pin her down."

For inspiration, Mitchell turned to vintage fashion. “[I looked at] how '80s Yves Saint Laurent suit jackets and blouses were worn — incredibly feminine and powerful — and wondered how this could work for Villanelle," she said during a BBC Q&A. "It's such a striking silhouette, almost like a Spanish matador, that this led me to consider women wearing men's suits with a twist."

She continued, "I loved finding interesting pieces and putting them together in an eclectic way (not particularly matching) which would lead to playful looks, perfect for Villanelle." But even though the character's clothes don't always go together, she makes them work because of her unyielding confidence. Here are 30 of her best outfits so far.

by Rebecca Patton and Ivana Rihter
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30. Retro Babydoll

Season 3, Episode 4. The retro-hippie feel of this printed yellow dress stands out in a sea of impeccable suiting, yet still feels right for Villanelle's trip to Spain. Since Villanelle always goes all out, she pairs this bright little number with some Western-inspired knee-high boots. The whole thing feels very Laurel Canyon.

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29. The Concerto Blazer

Season 3, Episode 1. Of course Villanelle would wear black to a wedding. The Comme Des Garçons tuxedo-style blazer she wears in this scene makes her look like a cross between a concert pianist and an old-timey groom. To keep it sexy, she pairs the blazer with a romantic Simone Rocha blouse and some strappy Jimmy Choos.

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28. The Italian Job

Season 1, Episode 1. Villanelle wears this impractical outfit on a motorbike ride out to a villa in Tuscany. Per The Cut, her get-up consists of a gorgeous Chloé top, Paige denim shorts, and Doc Martens. This is not the kind of motorcycle outfit professionals would recommend zipping down Italian backroads in, but Villanelle is not afraid of silly things like asphalt burn and death.

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27. The Psychedelic Suit

Season 3, Episode 8. Straight from the Halpern spring/summer 2020 collection, this retro suit is unreal on Villanelle. The print is decadent, the colors are bold, and the flared leg adds just the right ‘70s touch. This outfit looks perfect on the dance floor Villanelle and Eve suddenly find themselves on as they sway cheek to cheek, jazz music playing gently in the background.

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26. Green With Envy

Season 2, Episode 4. After Villanelle buys some drugs from a dealer on the street, she wears this incredible satin jacket out clubbing. She is already freaking out when a random girl decides to cut her in line for the bathroom (to which Villanelle responds by trying to choke her to death). At the end of the episode, Villanelle is broken down and crying what appear to be real tears at the horrifying thought that Eve has forgotten all about her.

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25. The Polka Dot Shirt

Season 3, Episode 3. This blouse and pant combo feels effortless yet powerful. Villanelle walks into a perfume shop with a wad of cash and demands the perfumer concoct her a scent that serves, “Roman Centurion, who’s come across an old foe who in battle once hurt him greatly, since then the Roman Centurion has become emperor and is now powerful beyond measure.” Should be simple enough!

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24. The Tuscan Temptress

Season 1, Episode 1. Villanelle's beautiful blue dress is from Burberry. It fits the assassin like a glove, but it's not hers: she found it in a closet upstairs before setting out to kill Cesare Greco. After she lures him into a bedroom, she uses her beautiful gold hairpin to stab him in the eye brutally.

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23. The Green Golf Fit

Season 3, Episode 7. Ordinary people golf in pastel-colored polos and cargo shorts. Villanelle golfs in a green-fur-trimmed tartan jacket and oversized Gucci trousers. This monochrome ensemble makes her blend into the grassy colored knolls and totally stand out at the same time. It feels fitting for a jaunt in Scotland with Dasha. The two stand at the top of a hill, lips curled in disgust at the loud Americans below as they debate who will be the one to make the kill.

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22. The Sateen Royal Blue Suit

Season 3, Episode 6. Villanelle is no stranger to a beautifully tailored suit. She has worn a variety of statement blazers throughout the show, but this radiant ‘80s-inspired blue suit feels special. Paired with her messy hair (wild after a not-so-great family reunion in Russia) and eye bags, the suit still manages to make her look put together for her meeting with Helene.

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21. The Dramatic Floral Dress

Season 3, Episode 2. Florals are a rarity for Villanelle, though you’d never know it seeing her in this stunning ankle-length gown. The dress, by the designer The Vampire Wife, is equal parts dramatic and subdued. Villanelle breezes through the cobble-stone streets of Barcelona, pairing it with a floral headpiece and woven leather bag. She looks picture-perfect inside her new Barcelona apartment. (Fun fact: The Vampire’s Wife has dubbed this “The Villanelle dress”).

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20. The Superhero Jammies

Season 2, Episode 1. Gabriel, the boy who shares a hospital room with Villanelle after the Eve-stabbing-incident, lends her his pajamas before she murders him. Per Entertainment Weekly, these pajamas were custom-made in a stretchy fabric. "We wanted to give it a sense of awkwardness," Mitchell told the magazine. They absolutely succeeded because watching Villanelle walk around in these is a fashion low point for her.

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19. The Professor Trelawney

Season 2, Episode 3. Villanelle appears to channel Emma Thompson's Harry Potter character with this particular persona, which she uses to cozy up to Niko's coworker. When the girls gab over cigarettes in the stairwell, Villanelle encourages the poor teacher to go after Niko, married or not. Her big jewelry and over-the-top glasses feel far too easy to trust.

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18. The Annoying American

Season 2, Episode 6. Villanelle begins attending AA meetings to get close to Aaron Peele's sister, Amber. Her outfit and pastel pink wig help transform her into Billy, a girl who's "just arrived from New York after one too many nights on the wrong side of the bridge.” Her accent is extremely annoying, but her charade works and she is able to get through to Aaron Peele, who turns out to be a fellow psychopath.

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17. Mixed Signals

Season 1, Episode 3. After stealing Eve's zebra scarf, Villanelle begins wearing it constantly, which clashes with her usual aesthetic. Though in this case, the power-clashing sort of works, showing us a mushier, more romantic side to Villanelle with her passionate dedication to the scarf.

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16. The Handler Mustache

Season 1, Episode 4. Villanelle has a great (if not twisted) sense of humor, which prompts her to dress like Konstantin for his surprise birthday party. The result is not fashionable, per se, but creative, bizarre, and surprisingly accurate. Plus, a costume party is always fun, even if you are the only guest and you're throwing the event for your terrifying Russian handler who manages your assassin career.

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15. The Mustard Coat

Season 3, Episode 10. Villanelle always knows how to go out with a bang. For her final look of Season 3, she wore this gorgeous oversized Loewe coat paired with some cool biker boots and a show-stopping mustard coat. The little bow detail makes her look almost innocent, though we (and Eve) know better than to believe the façade.

14. The Furry Jacket

Season 1, Episode 10. Our beloved psychopath wears this glorious teddy bear coat in the Season 1 finale, because obviously you have to stay comfortable when holding a child hostage and continually threatening to kill her in front of her father. Villanelle sheds her furry coat when she finds Eve in her apartment, the ladies tussle and the season ends dramatically after Eve stabs Villanelle in the stomach.

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13. The "Normal" Outfit

Season 1, Episode 2. Villanelle dons this Miu Miu dress after Konstantin advises her to "do something normal." Unfortunately for Sebastian — the sweet artist she has sex with, then accidentally kills — it feels rather unfortunate that the normal thing she chose to do was get ice cream with him. They look sweet strolling around Paris together, but this sweetness (much like an ice cream cone on a hot day) is short-lived.

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12. Confessions of a Shopaholic

Season 1, Episode 1. Here, Villanelle wears a Burberry Mac coat, Lanvin blouse, and Balenciaga boots, per The Cut. She nails the look of a “rich girl on a weekend trip,” which is not quite the reality of her life. Villanelle is always jet-setting around Europe and shopping up a storm, but her weekend trips are usually centered around carrying out a grizzly murder. She looks great nonetheless.

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11. Silk Pajamas

Season 3, Episode 2. No one thought Villanelle went to bed in a ratty old t-shirt, but this Olivia Von Halle silk pajama set feels especially luxurious. The print is unique (lime green with various crustaceans on it) and the cut looks divine on her. This set continues Villanelle’s tradition of fabulous housewear, including everything from intricate kimonos to stunning house dresses.

10. Tough As Leather

Season 1, Episode 3. According to The Cut, this jaw-dropping leather top is from JW Anderson. Villanelle camps outside of her latest crime scene in it, waiting for Eve to come and investigate. She pairs it with a pair of cat-eye tortoiseshell glasses that effectively hide her in plain sight. As chaos swirls around her, she waits patiently for Eve, always playing cat and mouse.

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9. Dressed to Kill

Season 2, Episode 3. Villanelle does not do a lot of “muted” looks, which is why this cater-waiter outfit stands out. Our anti-hero goes undercover in this simple yet chic ensemble, cornering a major business executive and poisoning her with perfume. Outside of all the guns and knives, Villanelle’s ability to blend in is her most lethal weapon.

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8. The Posh Oxford Scholar

Season 2, Episode 5. When Eve's husband, Niko, gets sent to Oxford to chaperone a spelling bee, Villanelle follows him. This outfit is more masculine and monochromatic than her usual fare, but she still makes it look elegant. Never one to mince words, she is straight-up with Niko about being interested in his wife, revealing what happened between them in Paris.

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7. The Patterned Power Suit

Season 1, Episode 3. Villanelle wears this gorgeous Dries Van Noten suit while she's in Berlin. Her hair is pulled back and she opts for a practical combat boot to kill Eve’s best friend Bill in. Watching her walk through the dark alleyway of Germany, she looks powerful — a person that no one should mess with if they know what is good for them.

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6. A Blazer of Glory

Season 2, Episode 4. Villanelle pairing a loud, floral pant and graphic T-shirt with this fuchsia, asymmetrical blazer is just *chef's kiss*. This mix of high and low is a perfect choice for going to a museum with her handler and admiring all the Renaissance art. At first, she absolutely hates it, but then she gets a twisted idea for her next kill.

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5. The Sexy Farmyard Animal

Season 2, Episode 4. This outfit is horrifying in the best way. When Villanelle discovers that her next target is "into farmyard animals," she dons a sexy milkmaid outfit with a cutesy pig mask to lure him in. Unfortunately for him, it works. According to the BBC Q&A that Mitchell did, the pig mask was the most difficult item to design in Season 2, as it was made from scratch.

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4. The Grieving Widow

Season 2, Episode 5. After MI6 puts a hit on Eve in order to lure in Villanelle, the assassin shows up dressed in a very dramatic funeral outfit, complete with a cloche hat. According to Mitchell's BBC Q&A, the dress is 2012 couture, and she designed the hat herself, since she "wanted something completely original which wouldn't clutter [Jodie Comer's] face." The results are exquisite.

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3. The Disco Jockey

Season 2, Episode 3. Here, Villanelle wears a Chloé jacket and purple Isabel Marant blouse, which gives her a preppy, equine look. However, the real show-stopper are her silver bedazzled trousers, which look both heavy and incredible.

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2. La Vie En Clothes

Season 2, Episode 4. Whomst among us doesn't wish we could toil away our afternoons writing postcards to our lovers in a pair of extravagant vintage Christian Lacroix earrings? Villanelle's color-blocked ensemble is so stunning that it prompts a Dutch influencer to request a photo for her Instagram. Naturally, the assassin declines, saying, "Don't be pathetic. Get a real life!"

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1. The Cotton Candy Crush

Season 1, Episode 2. No other look could be No. 1. According to Vogue, Villanelle's iconic pink dress is from Molly Goddard, while her boots are Balenciaga. This outfit perfectly encapsulates her character — it's impractical, ridiculous, and entirely gorgeous. The assassin wears this outfit to impress the man performing her psychiatric evaluation, but Konstantin immediately sees through her gauzy, bubblegum façade.

Since Killing Eve is returning for Season 4 shortly, there will surely be many more ridiculous (and stunning) ensembles to look forward to.

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