The glossy hair, the power heels, the figure-skimming sheath dresses, the first lady of Netflix series 'House Of Cards', returns to screens this week.
Season five sees Claire, played by Robin Wright, take on ''a more senior leadership role" at the White House and she needed the wardrobe to match.
Enter her maker, the stylist and costume designer Kemal Harris, who says that Underwood will be looking sharper than ever.
"Previously, when she was a new first lady, she was in a supportive arm-candy role. As her story changes, everything is still controlled and presented, but now we're going to see her taking action, rolling up her sleeves and putting on the pants - sometimes literally.
"One thing that is very much in Claire's technique is to intimidate and disarm whoever she's engaging with via her clothing. These pencil skirts and fitted sheath dresses, they throw off some of her male counterparts because they're thinking 'you're gorgeous and scary and smart, how do I talk to you?'"
"It's very sexy but it's never revealing - using your physicality in that way is subtle but so effective and that's what makes a power dresser."
Harris reveals that Underwood didn't wear a single pair of trousers until season four. Now that she's into them though, they are always high-waisted, always teamed with heels and always add a sense of precision and intimidation; the ones that Harris has designed for the new series are even more authoritative thanks to their military detailing.
• This article was originally published in The Times.
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