Sleek Shirts We’ve Seen on Screen: From 'Succession' to 'Severance'

There’s a particular kind of satisfaction in spotting a great shirt on screen. Not necessarily the scene-stealing, headline-making sort, but the ones that quietly do their job by anchoring a character, sharpening a silhouette and signalling exactly who someone is before they’ve even spoken.

 

What makes these on screen fashion moments so compelling is their wearability. Unlike more extravagant costume choices, a beautifully cut shirt feels attainable. A garment which can move seamlessly from screen to real life. Whether it’s paired with tailoring, softened with silk, or worn with deliberate nonchalance, it often becomes the piece that pulls everything together.

 

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the most memorable women’s shirt moments on screen.

The Cult of Crisp: Severance

Image Credit: Pintrest

If shirts could talk, the ones in Severance would probably say, “Please stop asking questions.”

 

At Lumon Industries, individuality is firmly off the dress code. Helly R.’s (Britt Lower) pale blue and white blouses are neat, pressed, and eerily out of step with her rebellious personality. While humming with corporate compliance isn’t generally aspirational, this minimalist dressing taken to unnerving extremes has made Severance an understated power-dressing lookbook. 

The Shirt Company Inspiration 

Our Claudia cotton jersey shirt offers minimalist lines with the ease of a t-shirt, perfect for legging it towards the nearest exit in an existential corporate prison! 

 

Deadly Power Dressing: Succession

Image credit: Reddit

In the high-stakes world of Succession, Shiv Roy’s (Sarah Snook) wardrobe is a masterclass in using fashion as a weapon. As Logan Roy’s only daughter, Shiv has spent her life competing in a hyper-masculine environment, leading her to adopt a style that projects absolute competence and total emotional restraint. Her shirts are strategic decisions, transitioning from the soft, autumnal knits of her political days to the sharp, monochromatic suits of her executive era. Shiv’s shirts don’t scream wealth, they whisper it, very expensively.

The Shirt Company Inspiration

You can just see Shiv armouring up for a 'civilised' family dinner with our elegant and minimalist Penelope shirt. 

Effortless Precision: The Morning Show

Image credit: US Weekly via Apple TV 

In The Morning Show, shirts have to strike a very specific balance: polished enough for national television, but realistic enough to suggest the wearer has been awake since an hour most of us consider deeply unreasonable.

 

Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) leans into fluid, softly structured blouses that look impeccable under studio lights,but still believable at 5am. Meanwhile, Bradley Jackson (Reece Witherspoon) leans into sharper shirts, contrasting colours and bold silhouettes.

The Shirt Company Inspiration

You could totally see both anchors in our Marica Shirt (available in black and white). Bold and feminine enough to stand out, but easy enough to throw on at 4am with very little styling required. 

 

Sculpted Minimalism: House of Cards

Image credit: Bustle

If you ever needed proof that a pussy bow shirt can be positively commanding, look no further than Claire Underwood (Robin Wright). House of Cards is a 2010’s masterclass in intimidating power dressing and the utterly ruthless Claire’s shirts are so precise, they could probably negotiate a trade deal on their own. 

The Shirt Company Inspiration 

The tuxedo style Karter shirt has a confident and androdynous edge which is Claire Underwood all over. 

 

The Odd One Out: The White Lotus

Image credit: Instagram

Harper Spiller (Aubrey Plaza) in The White Lotus brings a very particular energy to holiday dressing, namely looking like the only person who packed a sense of reality. Her shirts are structured, buttoned-up, and intentionally serious. Think crisp cottons, tailored silhouettes and definitely nothing  floaty or indulgent. In a setting full of breezy linens and barely-there kaftans, Harper’s wardrobe feels almost defiant. 

The Shirt Company Inspiration

With it's folded cuffs, understated silhoette and cotton chino fabric, the Ronnie shirt dress could plasibly be Harper's pick for a night on the terrace. 

 

French and Fabulous : Emily in Paris

Image credit: My Imperfect Life via HBO

Lastly, there’s Sylvie Grateau, who proves that power dressing doesn’t always require a perfectly buttoned collar. Across Emily in Paris Season 1, her silk shirts are slightly undone, effortlessly draped, and impossibly chic. It’s the kind of look that feels instinctive rather than engineered.

 

As Sylvie coolly observes: “You live to work. We work to live.” And somehow, her shirts embody that philosophy perfectly.

The Shirt Company Inspiration 

Our Veronica shirt dress (in both navy and chocolate) oozes Parisian chic sans try hard energy. Perfect for those wanting to channel Slyvie's effortless style. 

 

In conclusion, a sleek shirt can signal authority, hint at vulnerability, or simply make someone look like they’ve got everything under control (whether they do or not is another matter entirely).

 

So the next time you’re getting dressed, take a cue from the screen: keep it simple, keep it sharp, and remember, sometimes the most powerful outfit choice is the one that doesn’t try too hard.