Sparkles and Shoes

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Style Icon: Scandal’s Olivia Pope

| celebrity, Dior, Fashion and Style, Netflix, Style Icons, television, Valentino

It is officially one month to until the Scandal season three premiere and I could not be more excited!  To give you a sense because of how many times I have watched the episodes of the past two seasons this summer, Netflix keeps suggesting other “Thrillers Featuring a Strong Female Lead,” even though all I want to watch are the Gladiators. Olivia is the no-nonsense boss of a crisis management-firm which the show Scandal is based around and I can not get enough of her. She is refined and modern in her business-casual clothes and these are a few of my favorite outfits from the past two seasons with quotes from Lyn Paolo, the costume designer. 

“When you have Kerry standing in a room with nine other people and they’re all in their tones,
she pops in white.” – Lyn Paolo

ABC Scandal Olivia Pope Kerry Washington Style Icon
“I looked at images of Lauren Hutton from the ’70s –she always wore pants…. I just
got a bunch of iconic images of really strong women through history and it was more
fashion-based then it was based on any previous [political] administration.”  – Lyn Paolo

ABC Scandal Olivia Pope Kerry Washington Style Icon
” Because Olivia Pope was a different kind of character than we’ve seen on TV before
–an exceptionally powerful woman–I drew my references from fashion.” – Lyn Paolo

ABC Scandal Olivia Pope Kerry Washington Style Icon
“We didn’t want her to dress like a man, but we also wanted her to wear the pants–
she wears pants. She wears structure but the fabrics always have an amazing drape to them,
which is why we used a lot of Armani in the beginning.” – Lyn Paolo
ABC Scandal Olivia Pope Kerry Washington Style Icon
Lyn Paolo has done an amazing job over the course of 29 episodes giving a Olivia Pope an extremely defined style. With over 200 outfits her clothes are almost as kick-butt as the witty remarks that come out of her mouth.  From watching every episode at least three times and reading countless interviews I have deduced seven steps necessary to dress Olivia Pope:  

  1. Start with classic Armani
  2. Add traditional pieces from Dior and Valentino
  3. White trumps everything else
  4. Limit prints, solids are key
  5. Pair high necklines with long necklaces
  6. Focus on structures, sharp lines and soft draping
  7. Finish all looks with a Movado watch

Gladiators, if you love the show as much as I do get ready because Scandal’s season 3 premiere is in one month, Thursday, October 3rd at 10pm on ABC.  And for everyone else, this gives you just enough time to watch the first two seasons before the third starts!

I could not complete this wrap-up, however, without highlighting my favorite part of Olivia Pope’s style – her structured, statement blazers. I feel as if they are accessible and could be added to almost any outfit for an air of sophistication and class:

ABC Scandal Olivia Pope Kerry Washington Style Icon

What do you think of Olivia Pope’s style?
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  9. Love it! Was so surprised to see this pop up on my Bloglovin feed! I’m super behind on all my TV but I do love Scandal.

  26. I mean, it’s common knowledge that I’m OBSESSED with Scandal, and part of the reason is Olivia’s wardrobe. It’s just so chic!

  27. i have been watching the Season 2 on Netflix for the past 3 days, me and my husband are obsessed…and i am also obsessed with her style! I so want to raid her closet!

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