I won't lie, I made it through the entire first season of Netflix's The Politician [1] in less than a week because of the clothes alone. I was eager to see what little tweed set Astrid would wear to give her speech in the next episode, and I lived for Payton's mockneck and blazer combinations — seriously, who is that kid's tailor? OK, but I loved the storyline, too. It's dark and twisted [2], and it deals with serious issues but approaches them with humour, in a way that might often make you uncomfortable. But once you get past dealing with your mixed emotions, you'll probably be able to appreciate the little details, like the show's impeccable wardrobe, a collaboration between Lou Eyrich and costume designer Claire Parkinson.
Eyrich and Parkinson admit that the tone for the style was set by show creator Ryan Murphy [3], who asked for "the opulence of Santa Barbara," as explained to W magazine. They scored plenty of vintage pieces for the cast and had a mood board full of famous icons, including Princess Diana, Jackie O, Katharine Hepburn, and JFK. Eyrich and Parkinson watched the actors understand their respective characters through fittings, early on in the shooting process.
"It was very much about making sure each character has a really strong voice and making really bold statements with how they dress. I think that's what ties the show together. It's opulent and powerful, but also the characters are real and have vulnerability. Even with Payton in the early episodes, if something was off, I'd change the way he dressed. If something emotional was happening in the storyline, I might not put him in a monochromatic red sweater and burgundy pants, or a pale green outfit. He might be wearing an oversize sweater, but still fabulous. It's very deliberate," Parkinson said.
Ahead, read through my own interpretations of the outfits on the show, and shop some of the key pieces that are still available, just to make things more exciting — if that's even possible when it comes to this series.
Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan
Astrid's look are preppy and well put together, but they're never lacking colour or girlie twists. She's like the girl you were jealous of in middle school, who owned all the must have accessories, plus next level basics too. We see her let loose and stray to the casual side of the spectrum when she escapes to New York, holed up in oversize hoodies and oversize graphic tees, but as soon as Astrid returns home, it's back to Zara sets and her Chanel bag, complete with-over-the-knee boots. For Astrid, fashion is all about location — where she is in the world and where she is on the political totem pole.
Ben Platt as Payton Hobart and Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan
Astrid wears a Maje t-shirt, Urban Outfitters miniskirt, 8 Other Reasons earrings, and Topshop waist bag.
Shop Astrid's T-Shirt
MAJE T-shirt [5] ($105)
Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan
Astrid wears a Topshop dress.
Shop Astrid's Dress
Topshop Floral Chuck On Midi Dress [6] ($20, originally $68)
Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan
Astrid wears a Zara dress and Chanel bag.
Shop Similar Bag
Chanel Backpack in Lambskin With Gold Tone Metal [7] ($4,200)
Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan
Shop Astrid's Hoodie
I Love NY New York Hoodie Screen Print Heart Sweatshirt Hot Pink [8] ($24-$26)
Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan
Astrid wears a Fernweh blouse.
Shop Astrid's Blouse
Fernweh Pink Ruffle Blouse w/ Bow [9] ($115)
Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan
Astrid wears a VEDA top.
Shop Astrid's Top
VEDA Honolulu Top [10] ($298)
Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan
Astrid wears a Zara tweed co-ord set.
Shop Similar
Zara Houndstooth Frock Coat [11] ($90) and Zara Houndstooth Skirt [12] ($50)
Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan
Astrid wears a Zara coat.
Shop Similar
Zara Buttoned Menswear Coat [13] ($199)
Ben Platt as Payton Hobart
Payton owns just about the coolest tailored wardrobe I've ever seen on a guy. I love his sleek mockneck shirts, which he wears under blazers instead of a standard button-down. Payton's got a few logo pieces too, including the Loewe sweater he wears to dinner at Infinity's. He accessorises well with his glasses, taking them off for appearances that are extra professional, when he strives to look polished. Payton's collars are always perfectly pressed and though his clothes grows a little lackluster once he arrives at NYU, they've still got his signature stamp of prep. In the pilot episode, he wears this pinstripe Polo Ralph Lauren blazer.
Shop Similar Blazer
Polo Ralph Lauren Pinstripe Wool Blazer [14] ($358, originally $598)
Ben Platt as Payton Hobart and Gwyneth Paltrow as Georgina Hobart
Gwyneth Paltrow as Georgina Hobart
Georgina is like the chic mom who's always wearing extravagant resort dresses and pretty pajamas. She makes me feel like I'm on holiday just by looking at her. Here she is in Gucci pajamas, just to lounge around the house, but for gardening she wears a floor-length Carolina Herrera shirtdress and when she goes out, she wears next level outerwear (think: a Valentino trench coat with a tiger print and a pink cape with a bow). Georgina is colourful in every way, and even though she has high fashion staples — Payton rolls out her Bric's suitcase and Louis Vuitton duffel when he drops her off at the train station — she puts her own, unique twist on luxury.
Gwyneth Paltrow as Georgina Hobart and Ben Platt as Payton Hobart
Georgina wears an Alexander McQueen caped blazer.
Shop Similar Blazer
Alexander McQueen Wool-blend crêpe blazer [15] ($2,625, originally $3,750)
Gwyneth Paltrow as Georgina Hobart
Georgina wears a Valentino trench coat.
Theo Germaine as James Sullivan, Julia Schlaepfer as Alice Charles, and Laura Dreyfuss as McAfee Westbrook
Payton's campaign members seem to coordinate, however subtly, whenever they can. Their clothes reflect their mindset: they're well-prepared to fully back Payton. No loose threads here! Each one of them can be quirky. James usually wears ties and too-short slacks with loafers, Alice is the preppiest of them all, in pearls and a sweater draped over the shoulders of her blouse, and McAfee probably owns more coloured suit sets than Hillary Clinton [16]. That said, McAfee adds a groovy touch to her co-ords, like a tie-dye t-shirt or retro sunglasses. Her look is sort of "boho professional," and I love it.
Laura Dreyfuss as McAfee Westbrook, Julia Schlaepfer as Alice Charles, and Theo Germaine as James Sullivan
McAfee wears an Equipment blouse.
Shop McAfee's Shirt
Equipment Signature Silk Shirt [17] ($278)
Laura Dreyfuss as McAfee Westbrook, Theo Germaine as James Sullivan, and Ben Platt as Payton Hobart
McAfee wears a mustard Zara suit.
Laura Dreyfuss as McAfee Westbrook
McAfee wears Comme des Garcons PLAY x Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers.
Shop McAfee's Sneakers
Comme des Garçons PLAY x Converse Chuck Taylor® Hidden Heart High Top Sneaker [18] ($135)
Julia Schlaepfer as Alice Charles
Alice wears a Zara sweater.
Julia Schlaepfer as Alice Charles
Julia Schlaepfer as Alice Charles
Alice wears Ben-Amun earrings with her wedding dress in the final episode of Season 1.
Shop Similar Earrings
Ben-Amun Jewellery Pearl and Crystal Deco for Bridal Wedding Anniversary Drop Earrings [19] ($73)
Julia Schlaepfer as Alice Charles
Alice wears a Burberry scarf.
Zoey Deutch as Infinity Jackson
Before Infinity finds out that she's being poisoned by her grandmother, she's in a toxic situation where a caretaker is "necessary," and she wears childlike clothes to reflect that. Multicolored sweaters with patches on them, sweatpants, head scarves, and hats make up the majority of her wardrobe, and if it gets any more structured than that, you're looking at oversize denim Bermuda shorts and a hoodie. We see Infinity break free in the final episode — we know she's still friends with Payton and lives in New York — and she's in quirky clothes that are full of personality. Here, she wears a contrast print graphic dress by DVF.
Shop Infinity's Dress
Diane von Furstenberg Elly Dress [20] ($468)
Rahne Jonesas Skye Leighton, Zoey Deutch as Infinity Jackson, and Theo Germaine as James Sullivan
Infinity wears a Cinq a Sept coat.
Shop Infinity's Coat
Cinq a Sept Maya Faux Fur Coat [21] ($695)
Rahne Jones as Skye Leighton
Skye is a print mix master. It makes sense — she likes to "switch things up" on the show too, first playing for team River, then team Astrid, and finally, team Payton before she attempts to poison him and take the political reigns herself. And somehow, you can't help but love her. She's witty, and she comes up with one-liners you'd never think of. In much the same way, her clothes are a mixed bag. She wears striped button-downs with pajama pants and pinstripes with socks and red loafers. On paper, her outfits may seem like a mess, but on Skye, they're just cool.
Ben Platt as Payton Hobart and Rahne Jones as Skye Leighton
Rahne Jones as Skye Leighton
Skye wears a Topshop shirtdress.
Shop Skye's Shirtdress
Topshop Stripe Drawstring Shirt Dress [22] ($75)
January Jones as Lizbeth Sloan
Lizbeth is Astrid's glamorous mother. Astrid describes her as "off," and she's definitely not as emotionally present as Georgina is for Payton. Even though Lizbeth's relationship with Astrid's father is faltering, and she's distant, with less than a clue about her daughter's whereabouts, her wardrobe is luxe. We see her in a blue satin evening dress and cashmere sweaters. The one she wears here, from C by Bloomingdale's, even has pearls down the sleeve.
Shop Lizbeth's Sweater
C by Bloomingdale's Embellished Sleeve Cashmere Sweater [23] ($153, originally $218)
Dylan McDermott as Theo Sloan and January Jones as Lizbeth Sloan
