Always thought the genie costum was the sexiest costume ever on tv

...and NBC took steps to make sure it wasn't too sexy from the beginning; they insisted Jeannie's harem pants be lined with silk so that her legs wouldn't "peek out" through the fabric, and that the waistband was high enough so that Barbara's navel wouldn't show. Gwen Wakeling designed the original outfits for season one (including the one that eventually became Jeannie's sister's outfit)- Joie Hutchinson, the series' uncredited costume designer, made slight changes in later seasons. You will notice, however, that Jeannie showed "more cleavage" after season four....

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I always thought it odd that she couldn't show her belly button but could show her cleavage.

...than what was "proper", 'Coffee'. Their opinion was that Barbara's navel was "off limits" to viewers because they considered showing a woman's entire midriff "improper"- even though other women were allowed to flash theirs in later seasons. Besides, I believe Barbara made a game of it, during the last two seasons, of seeing if anyone would notice if her navel did appear for a few brief moments {"Let's see...if I casually lower this waistband just a bit, and let 'it' peek out for a moment or so....ha! Nobody noticed! Nickel a peek!"}.

On the other hand, Barbara could show all the cleavage she wanted in later seasons. NBC was concerned, though, about her first season costume. They insisted she wear a halter top that wasn't as "provocative" looking as it was in the pilot episode. After season two, she wore the little jacket with the brassiere sticking out...and NBC didn't object to that!

And the funny thing about her outfit was....that Jeannie never once considered herself as being "sexy" while wearing it!

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As I read a decade or so later in the 1970's that the first year she was expecting her child Matthew so she had to cover up. The show was new and in black and white. I actually like the first costume better although I haven't seen the show in a while.

...the series' costumer, Joie Hutchinson, had to "compensate" for Barbara's pregnancy within the first 11 episodes by draping her outfit with endless silk (especially around her midsection), baggier trousers, and a larger halter top. Yet, during those episodes, Barbara managed to stay as sexy and adorable while wearing it! After the pregnancy, though, her top continued to appear "modest" for the rest of the season [NBC would not allow her to wear the one seen in the pilot episode], so that "excess cleavage" wasn't showing.

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Ses like starting in the 4th season she started to show more cleavage than in the previous seasons She still drives me wild.