“Perfectionists” Costume Designer Cameron Dale on the What to Expect From Ava, Mona, and Ali’s Wardrobe

After watching seven seasons of Pretty Little Liars, we’re already keen on character’s whose wardrobes have a deeper meaning. Take for instance Alison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse) and her yellow top. It was definitely a style statement for Ali, but the same statement piece in Ali’s wardrobe was used by other characters to impersonate her. Not only did the show’s mysterious villain “A” wear the top at one point to pose as Ali, but so did Bethany Young and Mona Vanderwaal (Janel Parrish), making it one of the most memorable parts of the series.

With the show's new spin-off, The Perfectionists which airs tonight, we're applying that same philosophy and digging as much into the character’s costumes to see if there is anything we can uncover. How will Mona and Ali all grown up wardrobe show their new sense of style? Will the new cast of Dylan (Eli Brown), Ava Jalali (Sofia Carson), and Caitlin Martell-Lewis (Sydney Park) make iconic fashion choices of their own? Will Ava’s gig as a fashion designer play into any of the mystery we all love about the franchise?

To answer these questions we talked to the show's costume designer Cameron Dale about what we can expect from the wardrobe, if there are any hidden messages we should be looking for and, of course, if Ali's yellow top will be returning.

Teen Vogue: Can you explain some of the choices you made for the wardrobe for the main cast, specifically Ava, Mona, and Ali?__

Cameron Dale: For Ali, Sasha sent me a few inspiration photos for Alison's PLL Perfectionists look as soon as I came on as costume designer. This can sometimes be scary for a costume designer but thankfully Sasha knows Alison so well and has a great eye. Alison's direction verged more sophisticated for The Perfectionists as she is in a position of authority now which means clean lines and mostly solid colors and some truly amazing coats.

With Mona, Janel is always so game and so much fun to fit. She loves her prints and bright colors so we stayed true to that this season. Since Janel is so petite tailoring on her is so important, I think every single piece of clothing she wore was tailored in some way.

It is such an advantage having known Sasha, Janel, and Sofia from previous shows we worked on together, Pretty Little Liars and Famous in Love. We were able to jump right in and immediately have so much fun exploring their characters. With Ava being a fashion student we were able to take some fun risks with trends. Ava loves a great hat and so do I, particularly turbans.

TV: We know Ava is a fashion designer and Sofia is such a fashion girl. What kind of looks did you put her in and why?

CD: "Looks" is the right word because every item of clothing that Ava puts on has to make sense to her—she is a perfectionist after all. Shooting in Portland during the fall and winter, I was able to have so much fun with sweaters and jackets and boots. In the second episode, she wears a black dress that is seriously to die for (wink wink).

TV: Was there any messages that you were trying to convey through the wardrobe?

CD: I choose every item they wear with intention. For example, Ava is serious and studious so to help convey that I stayed away from pastels and wild prints. If she's on campus in a bright floral blouse it would feel so out of place for her. My job as a costume designer is to create a look and mood for the actor to get into character. If an item of clothing doesn't feel right character-wise to an actor in the fitting I never press the matter.

TV: We know Ali’s yellow top is iconic on PLL, will we see a return of it? CD: I do believe the yellow top has been retired to a special place in Marlene King's office but I never say never in the PLL universe. I'm sure there will be another yellow top in the future but you'll have to watch and see.

TV: Are they any outfits in particular that fans should pay attention to? CD: All of them. Even funerals are a fashion event in the PLL universe. Look out for some major fashion moments in episode 2 and holy cow, the finale.

TV: What was your favorite character to dress and why? CD: I could never pick a favorite child, it really depends on the episode. In one episode someone could be in a hospital robe the entire time (a little bit of a snore) and in the next, they could be at a Gala in an amazing gown.

This interview has been edited for clarity.