HBO's hit series Succession [1] is a family drama composed of chaotically evil, ultrawealthy, gorgeously dressed people. "It's like being a superhero, only better," Tom tells Cousin Greg in season one about being rich and powerful. "You get to wear a costume, only it's designed by Armani and doesn't make you look like a prick!"
As we gleefully watch the Roy family implode through season three [2], attention must be paid to the clothes. Succession has sneakily become one of those sartorially blessed series whose fashion moments trend on Twitter as often as the plot twists do. With that in mind, here are style lessons we learned from this absurdly rich but horrible family. Remember, though: while you're dressing for the job and the life you want, don't forget to accessorise with a moral compass. Trust us, you'll look cuter with a conscience.
Cashmere > Polyester
Let's start with the basics: everyone loves cashmere, and everyone looks wealthy in it. The Roy family move through their boardrooms and boar hunts layered with silks, cashmere, and other luxurious textiles. Even the patriarch of the family, Logan Roy, swaddles himself in cashmere cardigans, and he's a monster!
"If you go for quality it will always pay off [3]," Succession's costume designer Michelle Matland told Town & Country. "It's not the price tag we look at — we don't go looking to spend money — but the subtle texture, the pattern, the sheen. Cashmere, I'm sorry, looks different than a poly blend. It just does." But that's not to say that your sweater should cost as much as your rent. "I also love an outlet store," Metland said, encourageing us to shop for deals. "[It's] perfectly fine to buy it for less!"
The lesson: Invest in the good stuff.
Skip the Logos
The costuming in Succession is fascinating for what doesn't appear on the Roy family. On a different show, an uberrich family would be dressed dripping in Mentos-size diamonds, exotic furs, swinging Birkin bags, and the latest logo-laden collabs. But the Roy family are beyond that wardrobe. Above it, actually and literally, in their penthouses and high-rise boardrooms and helicopters looking down on the rest of us in their tasteful ensembles. The Roys are so rich, they don't have to flaunt it; they have nothing to prove. Their clothes are expensive, sure, but they don't need to posture with flashy logos or the latest-of-the-moment It item (think Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, or other blandly dressed billionaires). There's a stratosphere of wealth that lives above the ostentatious.
The lesson: Less is more.
Dress More "Roman" and Less "Tom"
If you want to look like you're part of the established upper crust, Matland encourages you to follow Roman's lead instead of Tom's (sorry, Cousin Greg). Tom Wambsgans joins the Roy family by dating and marrying the only daughter, Shiv. He's portrayed as an outsider from the start, trying way too hard to fit in from the first moment we meet him in episode one. In fact, one of the only things all of the Roy children bond over during the series is Tom's fumbling sartorial attempts.
"The idea of matching your tie with your pocket square and suspenders is absolute nonsense. For anyone with real money, that would be an immediate giveaway that you're posturing and trying desperately to show something," Matland explained [4] of the nuanced field of landmines that make up sartorial choices among the 0.001 percent. "People like Tom equate fashion with finance, and those two things have nothing in common. It's also something as subtle as the width of a pinstripe on a suit. Tom's is a little bit more pronounced whereas you would never see that on Kendall. If you saw a pinstripe it would be micro — on Tom, it's just a stage too intense."
On the other hand, Roman, born into the Roy family wealth as the youngest son, dresses with a casual cocktail of confidence and disdain. Tom's clumsy attempts to dress the part often are the very reason he stands out, but Roman is the inverse of that. He can skip his tie, wrinkle his button-down, and still look like he belongs. Anyone can buy an expensive suit, but only the likes of Roman Roy can casually flex his wealth by wearing a six-figure outfit in the most "whatever" way possible.
The lesson: If you're trying too hard, it'll look like you're trying too hard. Carrying yourself with confidence will get you much further than gifting Logan Roy with a Patek Philippe watch.