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On March 26 the HBO hit series Succession has made its triumphant return with its fourth and final season. The Roy family is back and as always, they’re embodying the terms “stealth wealth” and “quiet luxury.” Over the last three seasons, Sarah Snook’s character Siobhan “Shiv” Roy has captivated audiences with her assertive attitude and killer style. Her pared-back, streamlined way of power dressing is filled with luxe pieces that don’t scream flashy.
After Shiv left her career in politics, she took notes from the phrase “dress for the job you want” once she saw a potential opening to head up her family’s media empire, Waystar Royco. She ditched the muted earth tones, pastels, and overtly feminine silhouettes in favor of tailored, refined style staples beloved by the 0.01%, from luxury labels like The Row, Max Mara, Ralph Lauren, Loro Piana and Celine.
Thrown into the mix of her competitive, dysfunctional, cutthroat and scandal-filled family, Shiv’s minimalist, authoritative wardrobe stands out from the crowd and packs a punch. During the corporate drama’s second season, Succession’s costume designer Michelle Matland drew parallels between Shiv’s fashion choices and the current state of her position in the family business.
As the youngest child and the only daughter in the Roy family, Shiv has had to claw her way up in the Roy’s news network. Once she entered the fold, Matland told The New Yorker she had given the character a “new armor” with structural silhouettes and a new blunt bob haircut to embody the standard, simplistic uniform of the ultra-rich.
“She doesn’t want to be identified, especially in season one, as one of the family. She wants to be an individual,” Matland told Vox. As the story moves forward, the costume designer said Shiv’s priorities shift and “she wants to be identified as a power in the room.”
Adopting muted hues and luxe fabrications, Shiv embodies coded luxury by staying away from things like flashy logos. Tapered, high-waisted trousers, black turtlenecks and pristinely tailored blazers are now Shiv’s go-to’s.
In the season 4 premiere, Shiv spent the episode in a beige blazer, an unexpected SKIMS chocolate brown high-neck bodysuit, and drawstring, pinstripe matching light brown trousers. Competing as the sole woman in a male-dominated rat race to the pinnacle of success, Matland imbues an unapproachable, traditionally masculine touch in Shiv’s wardrobe.
Shiv is arguably in her most miserable state when season 4 begins, yet, she’s never been more powerful. As her personal life decays and professional ambitions rise, Shiv’s style is more important than ever before.
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