Law and Order: SVU ’s Olivia Benson Has Been a Stealth Style Icon For Years

Law and Order: SVU is what you watch when there's nothing else left. While at home during COVID-19, I've once again fallen into the infinite spiral of SVU, and on this particular rewatch, I've noticed a new, compelling character: the wardrobe styling. There is former squad member Elliot Stabler, played by Christopher Meloni, the hot-headed, buff, tatted detective-father in almost cringey loud, but endearingly sexy, bold print ties. There's Fin Tutuola, played by the rapper Ice-T, who lives in tracksuits and daddy-tastic leather coats. And of course, there is Olivia Benson, played by the multilingual actress Mariska Hargitay, whose wardrobe you may have never noticed, but you should on your next rewatch.

Benson's pantsuits have been a stealth style standout for more than 20 years. They have a whiff of minimalist workwear, and are not unlike the sleek pantsuits dotting editorials in late-'90s Vogue. Plus, Benson puts them into action. She runs after perverts in them, she arrests perverts in them, and she interrogates perverts in them. If Benson were to approach me in one of these muted pantsuits, I would cuff myself first. No one stands a chance: She's intense, polished, and believable.

But despite all that polish, her suits have never received that much attention. Much has been discussed about Benson's hair, which goes from a spiky pixie to a relaxed lob over the years. There have been Tumblrs and quizzes dedicated to the evolution of her hairstyles but not so much has been written about her no-nonsense-but-chic wardrobe. Maybe that's because Benson makes those pantsuits look believable. It's not a fashion statement, really, like fellow fictional crime fighter Olivia Pope's slick, glamazon wardrobe or suits in saccharine #GirlBoss hues of red, green, blue, and orange that scream, "Look, I'm a woman and I wear suits." Those suits feel freakishly pristine, unnaturally pressed, all too ready for a press junket or a photo op. Instead, Benson's wardrobe of suits rotate in benign, neutral hues of slate grays, blacks, and dark blues. It feels realistic. Her suit probably gets a little dirty. Benson, after all, knows how to throw a punch.

Benson's first fashion moment happens in the pilot episode of SVU, titled "Payback." Here, we meet Benson, who is investigating a murder tied to a man who committed Serbian war crimes. It sets the tone for Benson's character, who wears gray suit pants with a short-sleeve polo, which she later throws a matching gray blazer over. From episode one, we see how Benson grapples with empathizing with victims who sometimes are also the ones who commit crimes against their abusers and attackers. Juliet Polcsa, the Emmy-nominated costume designer of SVU who has been on the show since season 13 in 2012, considers Olivia to be "a very complex character." Polcsa also notes, "Aside from her fierceness, she is critically empathetic." Benson has to balance being authoritative and trustworthy. That mix of compassion and power-wielding has trickled into Benson's wardrobe, which veers from approachable—maybe a suede coat and red shirt—to commanding in a full-on suit, sometimes with a T-shirt in lieu of a button-up. It is far from the meticulously and ostentatiously styled women we often see on TV, like Pope or Ally McBeal in her flirty miniskirts. Instead, Benson's suits feel like something I could see an actual woman wearing, and even myself.

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Ultimately, the philosophy behind Benson's wardrobe is simple: "If there is one word that we probably use more than anything else, [Hargitay and I] look at each other and go, 'Is this badass?'" says Polcsa. What goes into sourcing these crime-stopping clothes varies. Over the past few seasons, Benson has worn her fair share of black and navy Prada trousers. (Yes, Benson loves her Prada too!) Also in the mix are Paige jeans and Derek Lam trousers. "A pair of jeans, an ankle boot, a not-too-fussy V-neck blouse or sweater, and a great blazer that has an interesting detail: To me that sums up Olivia Benson," says Polcsa. There is also a tried-and-true Burberry coat on the rack. When Polcsa came to the show after it had already been on air for 13 years, her aim was to elevate Benson's wardrobe and put her in more suits. Pre-Polcsa, Benson opted for more casualwear in the office, choosing short sleeves at times, while now, the detective veers toward almost exclusively suited-and-booted getup, sometimes with a print top (but she prefers neutrals). After all, over her more-than-20-year career portrayed on SVU, Benson has gone from officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, to, finally, captain, and needs a wardrobe to reflect that. "I wanted to give her less street style and more authoritative style, so more blazers and more trousers," says Polcsa.

Since Benson has been promoted to captain, her pantsuits have become even more of the focal point of her look, which typically consists of a dark color palette and X-Acto knife–sharp blazers. The Benson pantsuit has become another part of her body almost, an ironed, collared armor. Imagining her in anything else would be considered especially heinous.

Originally Appeared on Vogue

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