Scandal's costume designer, Lyn Paolo has been very vocal about the amount of thought she puts into selecting outfits for each episode. Let's take a closer look at some of those details and what meaning they convey.
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“[We choose shoes based] on what she’s doing. [Her] Gucci shoes have a stacked platform heel and we tend to use them when she’s striding into a room,” says the designer, who says Olivia is often shod in Miu Miu. “When she’s doing something with her father or with Fitz and she’s in a softer, more feminine moment, we’ll use pointed, kitten heel Manolo’s.” (Huffington Post)
The costume designer thinks this is a clever way of expressing Olivia’s emotions but it also makes a statement about the power struggle Olivia has to deal with. She is a strong, successful business owner who can command a room and yet when she gets around certain men, like her father or Fitz, she is made to look – and feel – small.
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“This is a particularly difficult moment for her, with everything she has to deal with. We wanted her to be closed off emotionally, so she’s showing no skin at all.” (Entertainment Weekly)
In order for Olivia to be closed off emotionally she is put in an outfit that arguably makes her look like less of a woman, as she shows no skin. This gives off the message that in order to act like a man she must look more like a man. This is an extremely difficult time for her as she is faced with fighting the White House and the man she loves but she must put aside her emotions and serve her client.
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“Olivia wears the pants. Abby wears palazzo pants now and then, but I really like to keep it to Olivia most of the time. If there's a scene where Olivia is out of the office, then I'll put [Abby] in pants because she's the boss in my head, but I think Quinn's going to be staying in a skirt for a while.” (Glamour)
This promotes the idea that there is only room for one powerful woman. They also won’t put Quinn in pants because she’s new and they feel she hasn’t earned it yet, equating skirts to weakness or immaturity. This implies that women have to prove that they can embody masculine characteristics before they are seen as worthy contributors in society, particularly in their work environment.
Magazine, Nov 2013 3