17 Times The SNL Wardrobe Department Went Above And Beyond

Why? Tom Broecker, Richards' colleague at SNL, has a great answer to why they care so much about wardrobe:

"I love being a costume designer because it combines everything into one job — you have to know fashion, psychology, anthropology and sociology and art, and you have to know color theories and what’s going on with the script; how you can reinforce or interpret or help the tell the story by way of a costume. Working with such amazing actors and talent is really what’s inspiring: working with an actor and the text and helping them to create [a character] through collaboration."  —Tom Broecker

According to Richards, Fey played Palin an entirely different way during rehearsal, when she didn't yet have the bead shirt. Once she had it, the outfit changed her character.