Emma Peel’s Iconic Leather Pants Found in Widow’s Closet
The iconic leather trousers worn by Diana Rigg as Emma Peel
Hold onto your hat and trousers! It’s the 60th Anniversary of Diana Rigg’s debut as Emma Peel in the popular 1960s-era British TV spy series, “The Avengers.” In her honor, I share this little tale.
Rigg was well-known not only for being one of the first female action stars on television—using martial arts skills against aggressive enemy agents—but for the daring and colorful attire she wore in the role. Her mod cat suits and leather apparel greatly influenced the style of female fashion in the mid-‘60s.
Many years after “The Avengers” had left the air, the iconic leather trousers worn by Diana Rigg as Mrs. Peel were discovered by a woman among the property of her recently deceased husband, who had worked with Rigg on the show. For all I know, the pants could have been set on fire by the widow in a jealous rage—though that’s my imagination getting the better of me. But whatever fate might originally have been in store for Mrs. Peel’s pants, they were in fact rescued intact by the SPY-Fi Archives.
Rigg was a highly talented and respected Shakespearean stage actress who co-starred in the classic 1969 James Bond movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” and, toward the end of her career, appeared in the popular “Game of Thrones” series. But it was her performance as the “talented amateur” sleuth, Mrs. Peel that first put her on the map. Rigg’s chemistry with her “Avengers” co-star Patrick Macnee, who famously played her partner John Steed in saving England from the nefarious plots of master spies, was part of the show’s appeal.
Leather-clad Diana Rigg as Emma Peel in “The Avengers”
The bowler hat and umbrella always carried by the charming gentleman spy portrayed by Macnee aligned with Rigg’s sexy attire as significant elements that gave the series its unique identity that helped fuel its popularity.
Both Rigg’s leather trousers and Macnee’s bowler are held in the SPY-Fi Archives and have been on tour as part of the SPY-Fi Exhibit since 2000. According to anecdotal museum reports, the pants have been one of the most discussed artifacts among exhibit visitors, second only to the prop shoe phone from “Get Smart.”
The trousers worn in "The Avengers" by Diana Rigg did indeed surface years after the series left the airwaves, when a grieving widow stumbled upon them in her late husband’s things. One would think she had to have wondered what in the world he had been doing with the actress’s pants. Enter SPY-Fi, which acquired the famous piece of wardrobe, perhaps in the nick of time.
Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg in “The Avengers”
Chemistry is much valued in any relationship, between people in real life as well as actors who interact as characters in fiction. In “The Avengers,” Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg had chemistry in spades. And they were fortunate to be working with a team of talented writers, producers, composer and more. Few TV series strike gold with such a perfect mix of adventure, humor, sophistication and charm as “The Avengers” did.
I’m guessing that the show’s American fans who discovered the series back in the ‘60s will never forget where and when they first tuned in to watch it on ABC-TV. For me, there was only one place I could be found at 10 pm on Friday nights in the fall of 1966—sitting in front of the TV set, tuned in to channel 7, watching “The Avengers.” The show aired in England for six seasons over the course of eight years, from 1961 to 1969. A follow-up series, “The New Avengers” featuring Macnee with Joanna Lumley and Gareth Hunt, was launched in 1976.
Although both Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee have sadly both left us, they are fondly remembered, and we thank them both for the joy they brought—and continue to bring—to so many.
“Avengers” display at the SPY-Fi exhibit at the Queen Mary in 2007. Artifacts include Emmy magazine signed by Macnee, John Steed’s bowler hat and top secret security card, an original episode script, and Mrs. Peel’s leather trousers.
