What Claire's clothes are meant to convey on House of Cards

In the final season of House of Cards, the clothing worn by Claire (Robin Wright) has a certain military vibe. That’s the point, explains costume designer Jessica Wenger. “Robin’s stylist Kemal Harris and Robin worked together to tell a very calculated story of what the first female in office would wear,” Wenger tells EW. “This season is a lot of Claire versus the controlling factions around her, so her clothing has a subtle, military vibe to them, visually prepping her for battle against the Shepards and other players in Washington DC.”

In the first episode of the sixth and final season, Wright wears the same dark blue suit. “This is the first time we see Claire in a full day as Commander in Chief,” explains Wenger. “Kemal and I have had to work with countless shades of navy and blue on this show and we call this one ‘presidential blue.’ It does a great job of anchoring what has become Claire’s new palette as POTUS.”

“I think the most feminine thing about her is that her clothes are tailored within an inch of her body,” says Wenger. “She has a fitted look that only Claire as POTUS could wear.”

“From the production design to the costumes, the world around Claire got a very specific color palette in season six,” says Wenger. “The walls in the Oval Office were painted grey, and the bedroom in the residence also got a ‘makeover’ to reflect this. This scene is when she fires the entire VP Mark Usher-appointed cabinet and takes total control of the White House. The grey color palette is officially all around her and it became my job to take these color themes and apply them to the looks of most every other character in the show.”

“The entire show has such a controlled color palette that there is very little print used,” admits Wenger. “Dark muted tones are the visual theme throughout all the seasons. Also, we almost never use the color red unless the story calls for it. The only time true primary red was used this season is when Jane Davis [Patricia Clarkson] is carrying red Jimmy Choo heels in her hand as she walks down the White House residence hallway. The color plays a pivotal role in this power play moment between the two women.”

“The piping used in Claire’s clothes is echoed by the other women on the show,” says Wenger. “When Jane Davis [Clarkson] starts to work with Claire, she tends to morph her fashion to the people she is serving. We eventually see her in a dress with distinct piping, and will see piping in the selections we had made for Claire’s all-female cabinet.”

“Claire wears this jacket a few times this season,” reveals Wenger. “The all-female cabinet is clad in shades of grey, which I think shows the culmination of Claire’s control of the world around her. This militant style jacket commands her control of the room.”