Back Into The Closet: From Princess Diana and David Bowie’s influence to Gwyneth Paltrow’s copycat style, all the wardrobe secrets from The Politician

Back Into The Closet: From Princess Diana and David Bowie’s influence to Gwyneth Paltrow’s copycat style, all the wardrobe secrets from The Politician

Costumes are a television show essential. Without them, a show is rendered completely unbelievable, but with them they catapult our imaginations to a particular time and place, leaving behind a legacy in the process.

Whether it’s Villanelle’s pink dress in Killing Eve or Ugly Betty’s poncho, there’s usually always more than meets the eye and a whole world of tiny details that escape unnoticed.

Each week Back Into The Closet will deliver an exclusive look into the wardrobes of some of the world’s leading series to bring you all the costume secrets and niceties we might have missed.



Last time we caught up Good Omens costume designer Claire Anderson, but today we’re delving through all the looks that graced the Netflix satire The Politician, courtesy of Claire Parkinson.


Gwyneth Paltrow’s Georgina and Ben Platt’s Payton are *very* in sync with their looks

Seeing double? (Picture: Netflix)

Payton (Ben Platt) is besotted by his adopted mother Georgina (Gwyneth Paltrow) so much so that if you pay close attention she often dresses in the same colours as him.

‘Gwyneth and Payton have a very similar colour palette,’ Claire told us. ‘Sometimes she’ll wear red and he’ll wear a striking red too.

‘They very much care about the world and how they want to be perceived but also for humankind.’

We love to see it.

Barack Obama, Princess Diana and David Bowie were all influences

Same same, but different (Picture: Netflix/Getty)

The costume department was inspired by some pretty big names for the show, including the likes of Princess Diana and Barack Obama.

Payton’s lookbook consisted of classic Obama and John F. Kennedy outfits, with Claire explaining: ‘It was all about his character being idealistic and presidential.

‘He’s very deliberate with what he wears. Yes, it’s high-school but it’s also a satire that he wears a suit almost every day or a nice beautiful sweater in a monochromatic look.

‘When I met with Ryan Murphy [director of The Politician], he was inspired by Robert Redford’s character in The Candidate too. We also took from JFK and Obama.’

Serving Princess Di realness (Picture: Netflix/Getty)

Meanwhile, Payton’s girlfriend Alice (Julia Schlaepfer) borrowed from perhaps two of the biggest female powerhouses of all time.

‘She’s very presentational and deliberate with her looks and it’s very Jackie Kennedy and Princess Di,’ Claire said. ‘We were aiming for that 80s preppy look and we love those sherbet colours.

‘She’s always wearing pearls and she always has a handbag. You’ll see her sat in the audience and she’ll be sat clutching her purse.’

We can’t cope with the coolness (Picture: Netflix/Getty)

On the other hand, McAfee’s (Laura Dreyfuss) wardrobe was more punk rock and took from David Bowie and feminist icons.

‘She has a lot of wealth and her way of showing it is wearing strong and vibrant suits,’ Claire noted. ‘We wanted her to be very much a feminist and she’s very inspired by strong powerful women but also strong powerful men like David Bowie.’



Incredible.

You can tell the twins apart by their hair

Luther is on the left, Martin is on the right (Picture: Netflix)

The best way to Martin (Trevor Mahlon Eason) and Luther (Trey Eason as Luther) apart is by their hair.

‘The thing you can notice with the twins is that one has higher hair,’ Claire revealed before adding that she’s not sure which one has the biggest quiff.

Martin has the most voluminous barnet, btw.

‘Otherwise, they’re so similar and their clothing was deliberately matching in a colour tone way.

‘I always had one wearing shorts and the other in pants, or one wearing burgundy pants and the other is wearing a burgundy top.

‘Even when they dress up their colour palette, it’s always the same and they’re pretty much wearing Ralph Lauren head to toe.’

Astrid wears a red ruby ring and it means a lot

Do you spy the ring? (Picture: Netflix)

Look closely and you’ll notice that Astrid (Lucy Boynton) is pretty much always wearing a ruby ring – and it foreshadows her journey.

‘Astrid is always wearing a red ruby ring, it’s like her being tied to her wealth,’ Claire told us.

‘She has a strong voice and she shows it in what she says but also has a lot of money and she tries to get away from it.

‘Astrid tries to get away from her family, she loves fashion but she isn’t tied to it and it doesn’t define her.’

Payton’s mood subtly influences his clothes

Payton’s outfits are mood depending (Picture: Netflix)

Payton goes through a plethora of emotions throughout the series and they influence what he wears.

‘There are certain times when Payton’s a bit down in the season and he’ll be wearing a looser sweater and pants and they won’t be as tailored,’ Claire revealed.


‘Even down to alterations, we’d alter things better when he was happier and on a high,’ she added.

‘There are times when he’s down and we might not make it as perfect because we wanted to show the character is vulnerable.’

The Politician is available to stream on Netflix.

Back Into The Closet is a weekly series that delves into most iconic costumes to ever grace television, from shows past and present. Check back each Thursday for the latest wardrobe secrets.

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