Need inspiration for your back-to-the-office wardrobe?
Look no further than Succession's corporate dynamo Shiv Roy, says Laura Craik

Whatever Shiv Roy did over lockdown, you can bet she didn't do it in sweatpants.

At a push, she may have conceded to slum it in £2,140 Loro Piana wide-leg cashmere trousers, but not for her the grey-marl drabness of our ketchup-stained stay-at-home garb.

Does Shiv even spill? It's unlikely. In Sky Atlantic's hit show Succession, Shiv, its most devious character, is as immaculate as writer Jesse Armstrong's script.

For those short of memory (or yet to tune in), a recap: Siobhan ‘Shiv' Roy (played brilliantly by Sarah Snook) is the youngest child and only daughter of media magnate Logan Roy, and may or may not be anointed as the successor to his empire.

In season one, she was a campaign manager for a liberal politician, having turned her back on her father's business to forge her own path in life.

Season two saw her finally toeing the family line, greatly encouraged by father Logan telling her that she, rather than her feckless brothers, is his choice to take over the business.

Before you can say King Lear, Shiv sharpened up her attitude along with her look, ditching her sloppy sweaters for ribbed turtlenecks, and replacing her long, wavy hair with an angular bob.

That series saw Shiv dressing for the life she wants, and the power that so far eludes her, but seems almost within reach.

With the third season of Succession airing now, this immaculate creature is finally back where she belongs: in the boardroom, doing dastardly deeds, dressed deliciously.
All across the land, an army of women still stuck in ‘What the hell do I wear to work?' mode will be privy to Shiv's style inspiration once more. For those of us who still can't get back into the groove of wearing smart office attire, it can't come a moment too soon. For nobody - not even Melanie Griffith in Working Girl - works workwear like Shiv Roy, our ginger queen.

How do we love Shiv? Let us count the ways. We love her to the depth and breadth and height her turtlenecks can reach - and boy, do they reach, for they are jumpers that can move mountains.

Like Magneto, Nick Fury and Draco Malfoy before her, when Shiv wears a black turtleneck, you know that Machiavellian deeds won't be far behind. By contrast, her cream turtlenecks signify a softer mood, often worn when she's trying to seduce or curry favour.

Never are these garments accessorised with anything more blingy than a low-key chain. For the favourite child and likely heir to Waystar Royco only the most stealth-wealth of jewellery will do.

Status symbols are for people with something left to prove. Shiv never shouts her wealth from the rooftops: her clothes whisper it instead, their cut, drape and fabric a subtle nod recognised by those in the know. Even Phoebe Philo-era Céline would be too ostentatious for Shiv.
God help her poor, henpecked husband Tom when choosing her Christmas present.

Still, there are times when Shiv does shuck off her mantle of stealth wealth, and we live for them.

We can only pray that season three gives us a similar scenario to ‘Dundee', the memorable episode in which the Roys celebrate Logan's 50 years at Waystar. The ensuing party sees Shiv ditch her habitual high-waisted trousers for a black halterneck Jay Godfrey gown with a thigh split.

Angelina Jolie at the 2012 Oscars, eat your heart out.

But in the main, Shiv is the embodiment of the high-net-worth media exec. While researching for the show, its costume designer Michelle Matland has said she spent hours people-watching at large US media companies such as Hearst, Viacom and Fox, recording the minutiae of their wardrobe choices.

Which probably explains the muted, earthy tones and the preponderance of tailoring.

That she claims Shiv's style is partly inspired by Katharine Hepburn is no surprise: like Hepburn, Shiv's wardrobe is founded on excellent trousers.

Like Hepburn, she has the hips to wear them. Shiv might dress for the boardroom, but never to the extent that comfort is sacrificed. Rumour has it that when a studio executive hid Hepburn's beloved trousers in a bid to persuade her to abandon them in favour of something more ‘feminine', she threatened to walk around naked.
Like Hepburn, Shiv relishes the freedom of movement trousers afford.

As season three revs up, women across the country are discussing the emergent plot lines but also the important sartorial issues. That bangle from episode one, for example - the one you can see under the beige Prince of Wales check jacket (see page 47).

Piaget? Solange Azagury-Partridge? Or is it vintage?

Fans of her power bob will be noting that she hasn't ditched it for this season's soft shag: her hair remains neat, straight and no-nonsense.

Which is more than can be said for Shiv herself. Neat? Definitely. Straight? Not so much. We cannot wait to see which devious, power-hungry and vengeful antics she gets up to before the season finale.

Season three of Succession is on Sky Atlantic and Now TV

 Sleek suits, turtlenecks & the new queen of power dressing

YOU's fashion director Shelly Vella reveals what makes Shiv's outfits stand out in the boardroom and beyond 

The right tone is everything and Shiv's wardrobe consists of perfectly curated colour pairings.

Generally, she sticks to more sombre neutrals but here she teams her trademark silk blouse with spicy browns. 

 Accessories are always kept to a minimum.

The understated necklace she slips over her trademark rollneck or the skinny belt that she'll wear over a jacket keep lines simple and fuss free and the look classic yet modern.

 A neatly nipped-in jacket bridges that fine line between a masculine trouser suit and one that subtly shows off feminine curves.

Despite the formality of her buttoned-up shirt, there's a sexiness to her tailoring.

  A figure-flattering dress in a calm colour ensures Shiv looks effortlessly put together. Her dress choices are understated yet quietly powerful: appropriate in a boardroom or a dinner table.