Momma Does Mackie

The Carol Burnett Show and The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hourwere filmed right next to each other at the same time Friday night at CBS. There was a hallway that divides the two sound stages, and so Mr. Mackie would be running back and forth. One season when Carol Burnett did a takeoff on Queen Elizabeth she used this dress, then the next season they would turn the dress around, add different sleeves on the bodice, and Cher would wear it.

These gowns are cut so well. Mr. Mackie and the women here know how to make clothes that fit a woman’s body — not an anorexic body, but a woman’s with hips and tits. One reason why older actresses always look great is that they use something called a foundation garment — it pushes everything, like the stomach, in and it pushes your tits up. An older woman would look great in this dress [pointing to a slinky black beaded number]. It’s got a foundation which just makes everything even out, and the silhouette is so beautiful. I think the most important thing about any fashion is the silhouette. Once a woman puts this on, if she has a little stomach, it goes away, and her boobs get pushed up and she looks 15 years younger than she is. That’s the secret to a lot of women’s figures.

I think what I love most, more than just the glitz, is when a woman puts on a gown and she becomes a glamorous lady. She might be going to her high school reunion or her daughter’s wedding or a very special event, and she gets to walk in and everyone’s breath is taken away. That’s the magic of what we do here.

EC2 Costumes, 4019 Tujunga Ave., Studio City; (818) 506-7695.