While recently researching images for the Costuming Peaks article about Shelly Johnson’s outfit from Season 1, I became enamored with her robe. It first appears in the Pilot Episode and would be carried over to other scenes in the first two seasons. I wondered just how many robes were seen in Twin Peaks. Good news – this article will provide an answer. So pour yourself a cup of hot, black coffee, cozy up in your favorite robe and take a look at The Robes of Twin Peaks.
The easiest way for me to examine the robes is to categorize them by episode. You will soon discover, however, that some characters (e.g. Leo Johnson, Sarah Palmer, Josie Packard and Catherine Martell) appear more often in robes compared to many others.
PILOT EPISODE
One of the first scenes we see in the Pilot episode has Josie Packard staring into an oval mirror. It appears she is wearing a black robe (we never get a good look at the entire outfit).
The first appearance of Shelly Johnson’s robe is when her husband Leo discusses cigarettes.
Toward the end of the Pilot, Katherine (later changed to “Catherine”) speaks with Ben Horne via the telephone.
As Sarah Palmer slumbers and dreams at the end of the Pilot, we see her in a familiar maroon-colored robe. She’ll appear in a similar robe a few more times throughout the series.
INTERNATIONAL PILOT ENDING
Thanks to the International ending to the Pilot Episode, we get a rare look at Lucy Moran dressed in something other than a sweater.
Leland Palmer is also seen sporting a robe, something that won’t happen again until Episode 1004.
EPISODE 1001
On top of the morning to Josie Packard’s silk robe.
Sarah is still wearing a robe in Episode 1001. Where did that exercise bike come from, and more importantly, where does it go?
EPISODE 1002
Shelly is wearing the same robe as the one she wore in the Pilot Episode.
Double robe time with Pete and Catherine Martell. There will be a few more instances where two robes are seen on screen.
A closer look at their robes. Catherine will be seen wearing that robe in a few additional episodes.
As Josie opens Catherine’s secret safe, we see the back of her robe. It will appear again in Episode 1004.
What is going on in this house?!
Another appearance of Sarah Palmer’s maroon robe.
EPISODE 1003
Invitation to Robe … it’s Evan St. Vincent as Jared Lancaster (who is played by actor Peter Michael Goetz). While this robe could be a smoking jacket, I included it as it’s one of the only views of a robe from Invitation to Love.
Catherine holds the missing ledger while wearing the same robe as Episode 1002.
EPISODE 1004
The Palmers sporting matching colored-robes in Episode 1004. This is the first time outside other International Pilot ending that Leland is seen in a robe. We’ll see him wear one often in Twin Peaks – Fire Walk With Me.
At the Timber Falls Motel, we see the only time that Ben Horne is dressed in a robe (but give him a track suit and you’re gold).
Catherine Martell in repose after Ben leaves to give “Little Elvis” a bath.
As mentioned, the robe Josie wore in Episode 1002 returns for her fateful call with domino licking Hank Jennings.
EPISODE 1005 / 1006
Shelly wears the black robe for two back-to-back episodes – 1005 and 1006.
EPISODE 1007
For Audrey Horne’s One-Eyed Jacks outfit, we see an uncredited Lesli Linka Glatter making final adjustments before she meets the owner. Audrey is still dressed in this lingerie in the Season 2 opener.
EPISODE 2001
Costume Designer Sara Markowitz used lingerie from the former Playmates on Hollywood Boulevard according to a Los Angeles Time interview in May 1990. I’m guessing one could call this a “robe” despite it’s see-through nature.
Later on, we see Maddy Ferguson wearing a blue robe. Did you notice what’s “pinned” to it? Is that a blue rose?
A wider angle shot shows Sarah still wearing her maroon robe. I didn’t include every single robe image as this article would be as long as “War and Peace” if I did.
Episode 2001 also shows the first time that we see Blackie from One-Eyed Jacks wearing her robe. She’ll continue to wear the same one until her death a few episodes later.
EPISODE 2002
Shelly loves her black robe so much that she brought it with her to Calhoun Memorial Hospital.
Emory Battis is seen wearing a robe while being tied up at One-Eyed Jacks.
EPISODE 2003
A better look at Blackie’s robe is seen in Episode 2003.
The only time we see Harold Smith in a robe is at the end of Episode 2003 when a frazzled Donna visits him at night.
EPISODE 2004
I debated included Josie’s “robe” from Episode 2004 (you know, the “Tear it” one). Is it a robe or more like a shawl? Fellow Bookhouse Gal Karen Craig pointed out that Josie wearing a caftan. So it’s really not a robe but I’ll keep it in this article for future reference.
EPISODE 2005
Blackie is killed by Jean Renault in Episode 2005 while she is still wearing her plaid robe.
EPISODE 2007
Three robes – a Palmer family sandwich with Maddy in Episode 2007.
Leo Johnson thinking about his new shoes while dressed in a plaid robe.
Pete is surprised by his wife while enjoying a midnight snack.
Sarah is seen crawling along the living room floor wearing a paisley pattern robe, a rare look for her.
EPISODE 2008
By the next morning (and episode), she is back to her maroon colored outfit.
Now that Shelly is offering full-time care for her husband Leo, she exchanged her blue waitress uniform for a blue silk robe.
EPISODE 2010
Two episodes later, Leo is still dressed in his plaid robe while Shelly wears Bobby’s shirt.
Later on, she has returned to her blue silk robe first seen in Episode 2008.
EPISODE 2011
Following his ordeal with the local police, Ben trades his suit jacket for a robe as he loses touch with reality.
The only time Dale Cooper wears a robe is also in this episode. His Beacon Blankets robe will turn up many years later on The Big Bang Theory. This article (which happens to be one of my most popular on TwinPeaksBlog.com) discusses identifying this particular garment.
Meanwhile, Catherine Martell dons a robe not seen since Episode 1003.
EPISODE 2012
Ben hasn’t traded his robe for a Civil War jacket just yet at the beginning of Episode 2012.
I’m guessing Lana is dressed in a white robe over her honeymoon attire.
Catherine Martell appears to be wearing a similar white robe as her husband (also robed) pops bubbly.
Another “Blue Robe Case” is found at the end of this episode when Betty Briggs is found sitting in the dark by her son Bobby.
EPISODE 2013
This robe for Leo in Episode 2013 will basically become his uniform for the remainder of Season 2.
A robed Evelyn Marsh is seen leaving James Hurley’s room
Shelly Johnson wearing a new robe at the end of Episode 2013. Where did her black one or the blue silk robe go?
Leo “The Clown” Johnson waits for Shelly.
EPISODE 2014
In the following episode, Shelly is still sporting her brown robe while she attempts to escape from Leo.
By the end of the episode, Leo stumbles into Windom’s cabin. By now, how bad did that robe smell?
EPISODE 2015
Windom Earle is giving Leo some of his own medicine.
Evelyn’s final episode shows her wearing a black robe, probably the same one from when she left James’ room.
Another robe for Catherine Martell – it’s her fifth in the series.
EPISODE 2016
Two sides of the same robe in Episode 2016. Brother Andrew and sister Catherine enjoy breakfast. This is fourth time that Catherine has worn this particular robe in the series.
Leo whittles outside wearing his red robe.
Josie awaits a conversation with her very much alive former husband Andrew.
Thomas Eckhardt’s only time in a robe that screams its from the 1980s / early 1990s.
EPISODE 2017 / 2019-2021
Pretty much the only character in a robe until the end of Season 2 is Leo Johnson. In Episode 2017, he delivers Windom his shoes.
He’s cowering in Episode 2019.
Refuses to fetch the arrow for Windom in Episode 2020.
Prepares to shock himself.
And is scolded by Windom for freeing Major Briggs in Episode 2021.
EPISODE 2022
Add one more mark to the “Blue Robe” column with Eileen Hayward’s attire from the final episode of Season 2.
Andrew Packard compares keys while wearing the same robe he donned during breakfast a few episode ago.
Our final look at Leo and his beloved red robe. Or is it?
TWIN PEAKS – FIRE WALK WITH ME
The first robed character we see in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks – Fire Walk With Me is Carl Rodd at the Fat Trout Trailer Park.
Wait a second … is that Leo Johnson’s robe?
I mean the resemblance is uncanny.
I guess @ChoppingWoodPod made that same observation yesterday via a musing from @AllTheBlueRoses. I completely missed their tweets but the fact that we all saw the resemblance is uncanny.
Alas all good dreams must end. Brother Jer from @TwinPeaksArchve confirmed that Leo’s robe was sold on March 23, 1991 during the Twin Peaks Celebrity Auction and Dinner Party. This event was presented by NME and Santa Monica Alternative School House in California. What I would give to turn back time to attend that event!
The Palmer’s are shown in their complementary maroon-colored robes throughout the film.
Meanwhile, Laura Palmer’s only robe is pink … similar to a character we’ll see in Season 3.
Also unbeknownst to me was a tweet from @ChoppingWood that made the same observation on January 10.
Maroon-robbing it up before bedtime.
Morning maroon robe over coffee and cigarettes.
SEASON 3
While the first two seasons of Twin Peaks had lots of characters wearing robes, there are only a handful that appear in Season 3.
PART 1
The first is Beulla from Part 1. This is her only appearance in the series (which stinks as I want to know more about her!).
PART 2
Chantal greets Mr. C at the cheap Buckhorn Motel in Part 2 wearing a floral silk robe.
Twenty-five years later, Sarah Palmer still loves wearing maroon-colored robes.
PART 7
Color me surprised that the stylish Diane Evans is wearing an amazing robe in Part 7.
PART 11
A noisy neighbor dressed in a robe, who is played by Cynthia Lauren Tewes (best known as Julie McCoy on The Love Boat), tells Becky, “They left. They just left. There’s nobody in there!”
I’m also not surprised to see the Mitchum Brothers wearing robes while enjoying breakfast.
PART 13
Sarah Palmer, still in her robe, replaces empty alcohol bottles in Part 13.
PART 14
A pink robe returns in Part 14 when Lucy Brennan wraps Naido in one.
PART 15
Mr. C is greeted by the Bosomy Woman at the Dutchman’s Lodge in Part 15.
Part 15 also has the distinction of having the most people in robes appearing on screen when the Las Vegas FBI office pulls in the wrong Dougie Jones.
The rest of the season pretty much has Naido wearing her pink robe in various scenes.
PART 17
In Part 17, we see Naido in the pink robe until …
Diane Evans is revealed to Cooper.
There’s a brief flashback to the Pilot Episode and Josie Packard staring at herself.
The final robed character on screen is Sarah Palmer who violently smashes her daughter’s Homecoming photo.
IN SUMMARY
A total of 32 different characters plus a family of five are seen wearing robes in all three seasons of Twin Peaks and in Twin Peaks – Fire Walk With Me.
Has any of these robes been IDed? Most tv shows these days have people who google and find the clothes I’m trying to find Dianes robe from the Return, with no luck.
Maddies Robe is by Canyon. They also made the robe for Fight Club, I’m going crazy trying to find these pieces sadly. Even the newer robes I can’t ID
Coopers robe is slightly different than Leonard’s. Coopers is more like a diamond shape/ leaf design without another geometrical design added to it where Leonard’s is more of a diamond/leaf inside I of a square…. But Holling from Northern Exposure has the same robe as Cooper.