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About the Book

Dressing the Story: The Art of Costume Design by Debra McGuire

“If it weren’t for Debra McGuire, The Forty Year-Old Virgin, McLovin and Dewey Cox would be naked!” — Judd Apatow

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.

Debra McGuire is an award-winning American costume designer best known for defining the look of the hit sitcom Friends over its ten-season run. Her work spans film, television, and theatre, with credits including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Superbad, Freaks and Geeks, and The Morning Show. Known for blending character psychology with contemporary fashion, McGuire has collaborated with filmmakers including David Mamet, Judd Apatow, and Jake Kasdan, and has become one of Hollywood’s most influential contemporary costume designers. Her website is here.