Angels Wardrobe 24 A

screen caps of Shelley

from the Charlie's Angels episode

"One Love... Two Angels Part 1"

1979 was a new era for the hit TV series Charlie's Angels. Supermodel Shelley Hack joined Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd to form Charlie's glamorous new Angel team. Nolan Miller, the wardrobe designer of the series, said, "I begged Aaron to hire Shelley. There was something about her I really liked; I was impressed with her Charlie perfume commercials and how she could create a look just by turning her collar up and putting her hands in her pockets." The wardrobe budget was increased to $20,000 per episode; and, according to People magazine, each Angel was to go through eight costume changes per episode (but it was more like three to five, with Farrah making the most - at eight changes - in "Fallen Angel"). For the episode "One Love... Two Angels Part 1," Shelley went through three outfit changes. For her first scene, she wore an all-black ensemble. She wore a black pullover sweater (in glitter velvet) tucked into a pair of black slacks. She finished her look with a pair of black open-toe sandals with ankle straps. She next wore a maroon shirt (in velvet) and stood behind the bar at the Townsend Agency office. She finished her look with a pair of gold earrings. She next wore a suit jacket and pants ensemble. She wore a camel-colored suit jacket over a pair of maroon slacks. A multi-colored woven belt (striped in maroon, dusty blue and cream) tied over and around her jacket waist and a pair of strappy maroon-colored sandals finished her look. A gold bracelet and a gold necklace accessorized her look.

screen caps of Shelley

from the Charlie's Angels episode

"One Love... Two Angels Part 1"

Standing Room Only: Vanities

Shelley with Annette O'Toole

and Meredith Baxter Birney in a promo pic

for the play Vanities, Nov 1980

In November of 1980, Shelley starred in the Jack Heifner play Vanities which was staged at the Westwood Playhouse in Los Angeles. It was filmed for TV as part of HBO's Standing Room Only series and was aired in 1981. Set in 1963 then 1968 and finally in 1974, the play was about three girls from Texas (as high school cheerleaders, then as college roommates, and finally as young adults) - their friendship and its eventual demise. Shelley played Mary (the confident one) alongside Meredith Baxter Birney who played Joanne (the naïve one), and Annette O'Toole who played Kathy (the planner). Shelley immediately jumped at the opportunity to play Mary after leaving Charlie's Angels. "I didn't want to leave Los Angeles without doing something good," she explained. Although she had no prior stage experience, she was ready to take on the challenge. "I don't know how I got the guts to go right into a play immediately after leaving the series," Shelley said. "I started doing theater for the first time in my life although I'd never been on a stage before." And Shelley's gamble paid off. She received glowing reviews for her performance, surprising many of her critics and detractors... as well as Charlie's Angels producer Ed Lakso who thought she couldn't act and that casting her in Angels was a mistake. "One year after the show, I saw Shelley in the stage play Vanities, and she did a wonderful job," Lakso admitted.

Shelley with Annette O'Toole

and Meredith Baxter Birney in a promo pic

for the play Vanities, Nov 1980

Sakowitz 1975 1

a closeup of Shelley

from a pic that appeared in a spread

on Sakowitz Lifestyle catalog,

July 1975

Shelley appeared on many spreads for many catalogs from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s. Mail-order catalogs were at the height of its popularity at the time. They were big-book size publications that contained a list of general merchandise from, usually, a department store that were available for purchase and delivery straight to the homes of consumers. Everything from homeware to toys were featured in these catalogs... as well as garments and the latest fashion pieces. Many Supermodels - like Cheryl Tiegs, Beverly Johnson, Patti Hansen and Shelley Smith, just to name a few - appeared in the most popular catalogs of the era. Many models who eventually became actresses also appeared in these catalogs - like Veronica Hamel, Erin Grey, Kim Basinger and Pam Dawber.

Shelley in a spread

on Sakowitz Lifestyle catalog,

July 1975

Shelley appeared on the pages of Sakowitz Lifestyle catalog, on their July 1975 issue. Often compared to Neiman Marcus, Sakowitz was a chain of high-end department stores that operated until 1990. Sakowitz had a hand in making European fashion designers familiar to the American consumer... Andre' Courreges, Yves St. Laurent Rive Gauche, Zandra Rhoades, Givenchy and Erminegildo Zegna were some of designers they carried. Aside from apparel, Sakowitz had "home & lifestyle" and "ultimate gifts" among its high-end merchandise, all of which appeared on Sakowitz's catalog. In their July 1975 catalog, Shelley appeared on the apparel and accessories section. She wore the "Two Is Better Than One" ensemble - made up of a sleeveless denim-colored dress with an A-line skirt and a self-tie belt topped with a denim-colored shirtjacket with white polka dots and white cuffs and collar. Both were by Patty O'Neil, an American clothing brand popular at the time. Shelley looked fabulous as always.

a pic of Shelley

that appeared in a spread

on Sakowitz Lifestyle catalog,

July 1975

A Good Chance

Shelley with Alec Baldwin and Jim Metzler

in a promo pic for their TV series

Cutter To Houston, 1983

Shelley's second TV series was Cutter to Houston. It was about three young doctors with markedly different backgrounds and motives. Shelley, Jim Metzler and Alec Baldwin starred as three young doctors who ran a small hospital in the fictitious Texas small town called Cutter, 60 miles from Houston. When they ran into major medical problems that their local facility couldn't handle, they would contact the Texas Medical Center in Houston via a computer hookup - hence the title. The series had a great promise. Shelley had been receiving great reviews for her work on stage and on the big and small screens. Jim Metzler was nominated for a Golden Globe for his supporting role in the 1982 feature film Tex. Alec Baldwin was a rising star. TV Yearbook magazine said it had "a good chance of being a big ratings winner."

a short writeup about Cutter to Houston

from TV Yearbook magazine no. 38, 1983

The Fragrance Coup

Shelley in promo pics

for Charlie perfume and cosmetics,

1976 and 1977

Shelley first became famous in the 1970s as THE Charlie Girl. In 1976, she was hand-picked to represent the Revlon Charlie brand, as she was the embodiment the brand's ideal – gorgeous, sexy and young. Makeup artist Francis Rick Gillette recalls, "Shelley Hack was really the perfect girl for Charlie." In 1977, an artwork of her appeared in an ad with the tagline "Live It Up with Charlie." It was a promo for Charlie's dividend called Charlie's Fragrance Coup, a gift pack which contained the Charlie Body Silk Foambath, the Charlie Fragrance Bath Soap, the Charlie Body Silk Lotion and the Charlie Concentrated Perfume Spray. It was available for just $4.75 for any $5.00 or more purchase from the gorgeous Charlie collections of no-fuss skin care and sexy-young fragrance. And, of course, whether in pictures or in artwork, Charlie Girl Shelley was always Charlie-Girl gorgeous.

an artwork of Shelley in a newspaper ad

for Charlie perfume and cosmetics, 1979

Paparazzi at the Airport

a closeup of Shelley

from a paparazzi pic, 1979

Shelley's debut episode on Charlie's Angels, "Love Boat Angels," was partly filmed in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. By then, Shelley's Angels casting was widely known around the world and press coverage on the new Angel was at an all-time high. "Yesterday, I was a schnook, and today I can't get across the street" is how Shelley described her sudden rise to Hollywood superstardom. When they arrived at the Caribbean, she said in astonishment, "When I got off the plane, there were maybe eight million paparazzi. I looked around for Sophia Loren. It was for me. I couldn't believe it." The same was true when they returned from the Caribbean. The paparazzi was at the L.A. Airport (LAX), waiting for their arrival. But this time, Shelley was ready with her chic dark sunglasses.

a paparazzi pic of Shelley

at the L.A. Airport, 1979

Checks and Pullovers

a closeup of Shelley

from a spread for the Sears

Spring Through Summer 1968 catalog

Shelley appeared in many catalogs throughout her tenure as Supermodel. In 1968, she appeared on the pages of the Sears Spring Through Summer 1968 catalog. She appeared on a spread that showcased Sears Best called "Color-Cued Separates" which featured classic separates in updated fabrics that could be mixed and matched... as well as Checks and Pullovers that could be mixed and matched as well.

Shelley in a spread for the Sears

Spring Through Summer 1968 catalog

Shelley wore the Shirt-Style Pullover in pebble-stitch knit over a pair of Jamaica shorts which had front pockets, zip fly and adjustable elasticized tabs at the waist. She finished her look with a pair of white sandals. She also wore a Check and Pullover combo. She wore a full-fashioned knitted pullover top that could be switched about (with the zipper worn in front or at the back) over a pair of checkered culottes with a back zipper closing. It came with a matching belt. Matching flat footwear finished her look. In both outfits, Shelley looked fabulous.

Shelley in a pic featured in a spread

for the Sears Spring Through Summer 1968 catalog