Style Counsel
AS MUCH as I enjoy the stretchy waistband of my joggers and the softness of the sweaters I reach for most mornings, after almost 20 months of working from home, lately I find myself missing my old office attire.
This feeling was accentuated last weekend as I turned my wardrobe upside down in an attempt to find a pair of new shoes that I wanted to wear.
Sweating on the floor of my bedroom as I emptied shoebox after shoebox, it occurred to me that many of the items hanging above them would likely never be worn again.
Tailored trousers, pleated midi skirts and crisp blouses seem a little OTT when most of my working day is now spent with a cat on my knee.
Although if I wore my beloved Isabel Marant herringbone coat, I would at least save on the heating bill.
I expect this pining for my formerly more fashionable work self to intensify this week as Succession returns to our TV screens.
If you have yet to see the HBO series, the Emmy-winning black comedy drama follows the fortunes of media mogul Logan Roy – a Rupert Murdoch-esque character played by the sublime Brian Cox, and his supremely dysfunctional progeny.
The show also features Siobhan ‘Shiv’ Roy, one of the most impeccably dressed female characters we have seen on telly since Maggie Gyllenhaal in The Honourable Woman (stream that on iPlayer, it’ll have you dreaming about Roland Mouret frocks).
The only daughter of the ruthless Logan, Shiv’s style is as sharp as her moniker. It is surely no coincidence that the name her family uses for her mirrors the slang for a homemade prison weapon.
When Succession debuted back in 2018, Shiv – played by flame-haired Australian actress Sarah Snook – had me at the first cashmere turtleneck and tailored trousers combo.
And not since Gillian Anderson as Stella Gibson in The Fall, has a character made me want to rush out and buy a silk blouse so badly.
In a show that is almost completely devoid of likable characters, I found myself thinking I could at least stomach a shopping trip with Shiv.
She’d probably be ‘sexting’ my husband while I was in the changing rooms though.
For season two of Succession, which saw the character tumble further down the Roy rabbit hole of inhumanity, Shiv ditched her long locks for a polished bob and upgraded to power suits from the likes of The Row and Ralph Lauren. Although the polo necks survived.
Whether season three, which premieres on Sky and Now TV on Monday, will see the former political aide win the respect and career security she craves from her father remains to be seen.
What I do know is, I will be watching it in my pyjamas.
Oh, and as for those shoes I ransacked my wardrobe for? Turns out I had actually returned them to the store.
While I dream of Shiv’s silk blouses, it’s a less stylish – yet even more brutal TV show that has got people excited for Halloween.
To the surprise of absolutely no-one, Netflix’s smash hit Squid Game is set to be the number one fright-night fancy dress inspiration this year.
From the contestants’ green tracksuits – which tally nicely with autumn’s retro athleisure trend – to the guards’ pink overalls and the ultra-creepy ‘red light, green light’ doll, the internet is awash with takes on the costumes that feature in the South Korean show.
Still, it will make a change from corpse brides and killer clowns.