'Argo' Costume Designer Jacqueline West Used Sierra Designs 60/40 Mountain Parkas

Scoot McNairy wears the 60/40 Mountain Parka in a scene from "Argo." Courtesy: Warner Bros. Pictures

Searching for the outerwear that several of the hostages from Ben Affleck's Argo would wear in the film proved a challenge for costume designer Jacqueline West. Scenes in the film take place in the Tehran winter which sent West, whose work on David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received an Oscar nomination, on a quest to hunt down a specific jacket to match the film's aesthetic.

our editor recommends

Ben Affleck at 40: Portraits of 'Argo's' Leading Man, Director and Oscar-Baiting Auteur

Inside the 'Argo' L.A. Premiere: Actors Downplay Awards Talk as Ben Affleck Addresses Canada Flap

'Argo's' Bryan Cranston on CIA Secrets, Ben Affleck's Directing Style (Q&A)

Ben Affleck to Bill O'Reilly: 'I Don't Worry Too Much About What My Liberal Friends Are Going to Say' (Video)

PHOTOS: Ben Affleck at 40: Portraits of 'Argo's' Leading Man, Director and Oscar-Baiting Auteur

With Argo set in the 1970s, this meant "finding pieces that blended seamlessly with the authentic designs and historical accuracy we created in the film," West says. She turned her attention to gear company Sierra Designs, which started up in Berkeley in 1968 by George Marks and Bob Swanson. West lived in Berkeley at the time and was "set on finding the ubiquitous jacket of Berkeley in the late 70s."

West sent her assistants scouring vintage stores across Los Angeles looking for jackets to fit the style she had in mind. She then discovered that Sierra Designs had released its own retro-style Heritage collection (price range $255-$780), which ended the search. The collection included the exact vintage-styled 60/40 Mountain Parka she was looking for.

STORY: Inside the 'Argo' L.A. Premiere: Actors Downplay Awards Talk as Ben Affleck Addresses Canada Flap

Scoot McNairy, who plays Joe Stafford, dons a green Mountain Parka while Rory Cochrane as Lee Schatz wears another piece, a tan down-filled vest with plaid lining. While working on the set, director Affleck wore a brown version of the Mountain Parka.

Argo also stars Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan and Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston. It hits theaters this Friday, Oct. 12.