Succession: 10 Details About Shiv’s Costume You Didn’t Notice

Succession’s Siobhan Roy is a captivating anti-hero in a family of anti-heroes. Like the rest of her family, she engages in lies, backstabbing, and political maneuvers that leave us questioning our moral compass when we find ourselves rooting for them anyway. The Roys’ complex dynamics arise from the ruthlessness instilled in them from birth, and in Shiv, they manifest as a quest for power and dominance that comes into focus in Season 2.

In anticipation of Shiv’s storyline, the show gave Sarah Snook a total makeover. Below are five details about Shiv’s Season 1 clothes and five about her Season 2 attire that shed light on her character development.

10 Season 1: Autumnal palette

Shiv’s clothes were more colorful in Succession’s first season. She wore a lot of pastels and autumnal tones such as plum and mahogany to achieve an overall look of softness. This Shiv worked outside of the company and wanted to be known as an individual rather than a Roy.

As a political consultant, she had her own identity outside of the family. She conveyed that with colors and patterns her family would never touch, such as the baggy fair isle sweater she wore in the pilot episode.

9 Season 2: Sharp neutrals

Shiv favored a more corporate look in the second season. Gone were the soft jewel tones and autumnal colors, and in their place were high-contrast neutrals such as grey and black. She also switched out her paisley scarves for monochromatic turtlenecks, which showed off her figure without revealing any skin.

She wore a series of wide-legged trousers that screamed, “power look.” In her quest to be seen as equal to her brothers in the boardroom, she replaced her soft and romantic wardrobe with an aesthetic that incorporated masculine potency and sophistication.

8 Season 1: Long, loose waves

Also contributing to Shiv’s “soft” Season 1 look is her long, sometimes messy hair that has a vintage 1940s vibe when she styles it for special occasions. Shiv’s rehearsal and wedding dresses were tailor-made to complement her romantic locks.

The satin rehearsal dress and lacy mermaid wedding gown, both long-sleeved, were very understated with few accessories. The eye is drawn toward’s Shiv perfect coiffure and, in the case of her rehearsal outfit, the large heirloom earrings she probably inherited from her mother.

7 Season 2: The power bob

Though Shiv’s hair is still long when she walks down the aisle, she cuts a good eight inches off and styles it into an angular bob before she goes on her honeymoon. Compared to her curls and waves, the long bob telegraphs a stronger personality and is more visually commanding.

The show’s stylist achieved the look with a perfect blowout on top of a precise technical cut. It is another feature of Shiv’s boardroom look, and you can imagine her stylist fixing it up for her every morning in her lavish apartment.

6 Season 1: Theory

Shiv tries to distance herself from her family in Season 1 when she’s working for progressive politician Gil Eavis. She keeps her distance from the family’s wealth in a work wardrobe consisting mostly of jewel-toned separates from brands like Theory, which is a price point or two below what she’d typically buy as a one-percenter. (Nothing says relatable like shopping for $295 trousers.)

Shiv wanted to be seen as an individual — an accomplished woman with a successful career regardless of who her family is.

5 Season 2: Luxury basics

Shiv drops all pretense of being self-made once Logan names her as his successor. Her clothes are now from the most expensive and tasteful luxury brands on the market: Armani, Ralph Lauren, and The Row, to name a few.

She embraces the old world traditions of her family and keeps her clothing understated and low-key, letting the fit and quality of the fabric do the talking. Together with her angular bob, the overall effect is one of calculated ambition.

4 Season 1: Soft & drapey

We hate to say it, but Shiv’s Season 1 wardrobe was not the most exceptional fit. Her blouses and slacks were quite baggy, and it looked like she didn’t pay as much attention to her hair.

Next to her brothers, she seemed like an outsider, someone less invested in impressing Logan and whose professional stakes lay outside of Waystar Royco. Upon first glance, one wouldn’t suspect her to be a scion of one of New York’s wealthiest families.

3 Season 2: Structured & tailored

Shiv’s wardrobe as she trains to become the company successor is impeccably tailored and more flattering to her figure. Her turtlenecks, for instance, don’t leave much to the imagination.

Yet, in keeping her covered with defined lines and giving her a sharp silhouette, it also acts as a sort of armor in high-stakes meetings. This Shiv is confident and calculating, ready to take her rightful place as the company successor. She looks like she belongs in the same room as Kendall and Roman.

2 Season 1: Shiv in disguise

In working outside of the company, Shiv was not representing herself or her family — she was at the employ of a politician with his agenda and needs. Thus, Shiv had a role to play and dressed the part.

She distanced herself from her family and hid her true self under tawny coats, paisley scarves, and flowing, jewel-toned V-necks. While her wardrobe did the job, it could not conceal her callousness towards others that got her fired from the Eavis campaign.

1 Season 2: Shiv being herself

Here’s how we can tell Shiv is more confident in her Season 2 wardrobe: she takes risks. From the backless navy cashmere sweater to the double-breasted coatdress with a perfectly cinched waist, Shiv brings it sartorially in Season 2.

She also makes her boldest moves to date in her quest for the CEO’s chair. Her pared-down wardrobe reflects her intense focus on her objective, which is to secure her position as the successor. She does such Machiavellian things, but she does them in style.

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