How To Dress Like An Complicated Female Lead in Finance
Courtesy of Industry's Season 4 muses
Whether or not you’re familiar with Pierpoint’s storied glass doors, there’s an Industry female lead you can learn from, at least outfit-wise. Mom, this show is not for you. It’s scandalous and salacious and sexy. And a lot of the time, way above my paygrade as far as financial jargon goes. But I happen to be fluent in the language of dressing for the job you want, not the job you have.
It was Charisse Kenion (specifically this Tiktok) that inspired me to write this letter. We emailed about her favorite sartorial moments and when I asked about the men in the show, she responded the way I think all of us truly feel.
“Is it bad of me to say that I never really noticed the men? Or was that intentional on the costume designer’s part? I mean Kwabena wore some nice bits and Eric wore some interesting golf attire but I guess I’m just a girl’s girl.”
I also tapped a new favorite letter of mine, Rich People Shit, for obvious reasons. Carson’s voice is completely delectable and her take on Industry? Well, it’s perfect.
“Industry understands something most finance shows miss: the real power shift happens in the tailoring. Across the series you can tell who has power without listening to a single line of dialogue. The graduates arrive in suits that look like they were purchased with intent (too dark, too crisp, too try-hard). More senior employees move differently. The shirt collar sits properly and the tie looks like it has been in rotation for years and not like a price tag was just yanked off of it. They dress like people who no longer need to prove they are bankers. In this world, the wrong shade of wool can tell on you faster than your résumé.
What Industry occasionally heightens in the wardrobe department is sexuality and sharpness. Some of the women’s tailoring runs more fitted and more dramatic than many real trading floors would approve of, especially at the junior level.
Harper, played by Myha’la, keeps her nose ring, which in real Tier 1 institutional banking would be noticed immediately. It would not automatically disqualify her, but it would mark her as an outsider. In finance, deviation is tolerated only after performance. Unfortunately for the viewer, it is also less aesthetically lush than something like Succession. That’s presumably because real finance is less lush. On Industry, there is no attempt to romanticize the suit. It can look austere compared to other prestige dramas, and that is precisely why it feels credible. ”
Harper Stern (Myha’la)
For the accessory as armor type 🂬
Officially cemented as an insider, Harpoon’s looks from Season 4 are my personal favorite. Co-running a short-only fund with Eric Tao, Harper now has the money and status to dress the part. She’s studied people around her—Eric’s suits, Yasmin’s Cartier, the cachet of designer bags and watches—and absorbed what signifies power. The result: custom Savile Row suits, stilettos, designer bags as weapons. The shoulders are SHARP! The pieces are passports into the rooms she’s clawed to occupy.
While the grey suit pictured above was a custom creation by Laura K. Smith, the show’s costume designer, you can create something completely your own with a tailor in your area!
Kenion on this look—
“She wore it in her first scene of the first episode of season 4 and I love how she’s worn pieces of it throughout the series - but I really think we’ll look back at that opening scene as a pretty iconic moment and a great example of modern power dressing. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when the costume design team put that on Myha’la and were like YES!”
Wait…would Harper, an outfit repeater, read Long Live? I’m planning to get a suit made this year, and if I’m in London, I’ll go to Knatchbull. If you want to create the look off the rack, this is a great place to start.
I’d love to see Harp in this blue sweater, but she rarely wears anything but a sharp shoulder, except for in scenes where she’s grieving. Her other casual staple are these Nili Lotan barrel jeans. Plus a button down? Kind of my dream outfit.
There’s no denying that Harper is a Kallmeyer girl. Come on! This suit is a great place to start, but maybe this for an evening excursion?
We see Harper in some chic vintage pieces. So shop inspired by her vintage blazers. Here’s one from YSL and one from Alaïa—both under $400. And a vintage Chanel 2.55 chain-link bag, natch.
I would put Harper in this little grey suit ($35), have the skirt tailored short, and meet her for martinis at Dukes. Perhaps she could pair with the iconic Balenciaga hourglass coat from 2018? I’ve not been able to stop thinking about it since I saw Dianna Cohen in one…
Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela)
For the accidental crisis PR manager 🥀
Our modern day princess trapped in her castle married to a madman, Yas has seen better days. And served better looks. I don’t like posing as a conservative suits her. But her outfit for the costume party alone compels me to pardon her drab looks.
The pencil skirts she’s scooting around the Tender office in feel like costume pieces, too. I’ll always have a soft spot for Yasmin, but the overcoats over the shoulder do get tiring after a while. I love what Kenion shared about the orange top she touches on in the video below.
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“Those shoulder pads tell us so much about Yasmin’s desire to be seen as important and powerful. In some ways it shows her as completely vulnerable, because she craves those things so much.”
I have a pair of these Sl’eau trousers and feel smug I can wear an elastic waist to fancy functions. Yas could use a little more elastic waist in her life. She wears this exact turtleneck in a scene with similar white pants.
Yasmin towers over Henry at his 40th birthday party in Vivienne Westwood stacked heels. These are $300 on Poshmark, which is an amazing deal for this shoe.
You know I had to tap one of my best friends and fellow Industry lover tariro makoni for her thoughts on who qualifies as the most EIHG out of the bunch. (That’s Elusive International Hot Girl, if you aren’t immersed in the tariro makoni universe quite yet.)
Her response? “Obviously Lady Muck, one of our OG chaotic evil EIHG muses. However, I think less in her personality and behaviors (toxic and rather sad this season) and more in who she gets to be, despite it all. The London party that she threw at the beginning of the season reeked EIHG. However, dark horse, Kwabana is an EIHM. So was Gus. I know the type (country in Africa x English boarding school x T1 uni) maybe too well? Kwabana has the thing that a lot of members on this cast desire the most, he gets to be bored (not in a Henry way) because the stakes feel lower for him… which, they are. And that’s his business, not yours.”
Let’s get back to the aforementioned overcoats. Realistically, you should check the men’s section at your local thrift store and just get a $14 coat dry cleaned and tailored to fit you. If you’re looking for something new, I like this one or this one for the Yasmins among us.
I’ll put you on to a very chic handbag brand that’s not as expensive as it looks. DeMillier fans abound in fashion circles, but I’m still shocked it’s not more mainstream. This bag is $700. You could buy a preloved Celine Big Bag for a similar effect.
Buying a preloved Max Mara coat is the best outerwear choice you can make. They’re SO lux and timeless. This one is $575, but you can find ones for less if you’re diligent.
Sweetpea Golightly (Miriam Petche)
For the ingénue to protégé pipeline 📈
Complicated, brilliant, and unafraid of a bold pattern. Our Gen Z queen Sweetpea really does delight. The OnlyFans side hustle sort of feels like a thing of the past. The designer accessories it afforded her? Still very much in the rotation.
Most scenes, she’s in full makeup, including a signature winged eyeliner and gold jewelry. But getting dressed is just another way of protecting herself.
This vest is almost a perfect match for Sweetpea in Accra. The oversized buttons are very charming to me and it would be just as cute with baggy jeans on the bottom.
You see a lot of Bottega Veneta heels. These are $250 on TRR. Or another similar heel height for less from Dolce Vita.
Gold jewelry is a must for Sweetpea. You can go the secondhand route with this beautiful bracelet or these earrings. I could even see her in these glasses!
Just because you’re on an investigative trip in hundred degree heat, doesn’t mean the looks stop. This matching jacket and shorts combo from Sézane’s pre-spring collection feels very Sweetpea to me.
She’s keen on a floral! This secondhand Rodarte on eBay might work for a weekend thing, but this floral blazer is more her beat.
I want Sweetpea to take a Friday off and pack a book for a picnic in these Prada heels, but that’s just wishful thinking.
Hayley Clay (Kiernan Shipka)
For those brave enough to have bangs 👜
New girl alert! Hayley is a Calabasas-born executive assistant at Tender. But really, she’s a professional chameleon, matching the tone and outfit of whoever she’s around. Undone at the club. Buttoned up at the office.
Her looks are a part of how she plays chess with the manipulative sociopaths she calls colleagues. It benefits her to slip into the background. Until, well, she decides it doesn’t.
The female leads of Industry celebrate outfit rewearing, duh, and having a cornerstone pair of trousers like these makes it easy to feel polished, even if you’re just wearing a sweater on top.
It’s tough to say Hayley has a signature anything because she’s changing all the time. But a lot of her looks are pretty simple: black turtleneck or white tank as the anchor. She wears this exact suede jacket that’s now on sale in the show. It’s an interesting play on Yasmin’s suede coat in a similar color…
Kiernan wore a purple velvet blazer dress to the premiere, which I’d love to see her character in. Here’s a vintage RL one for your consideration. Or this $23 Isaac Mizrahi version! Obsessed.
My phone is basically my office—calendar, texts, inboxes—and protecting it is a top priority. BURGA offers premium protection (up to 90% shock-absorbing, scratch-resistant materials) in 300+ fashion-forward designs. The women of Industry would never settle for something that doesn’t work as hard as they do. Plus, Harper would appreciate BURGA’s on-demand production model. Use code ERIKAX15 for 15% off and shop their Buy 2, Get 2 Free phone cases offer for a limited time.
Though I doubt Hayley would care, this preloved Dries blouse is under $200 on eBay. Maybe with these?
A portion of this letter was sponsored by Sézane and Burga.
Honorable Mentions
This week I hosted an EV Salon with Odele - the midwestern born haircare brand I adore. Guests received two of my favorite products - their Hair Oil and new Signature Hair Scent - and I’m still receiving texts about it. I’ve been using the Hair Oil for years, but I’m newly obsessed with the Signature Hair Scent - it’s a clean, dewy and fresh fragrance that’s found in almost every Odele product, formulated into a standalone, 100% natural hair mist. Best part? You can find all Odele products on your next trip to Target.
Thank you for reading Long Live. It means so much to me. You can order my romance novel, Exit Lane, on Amazon and Bookshop. Follow along on Instagram + Tiktok. Shop all my favs here. Get matched at EV Salon. If you’re interested in partnering, email evan@erikaveurink.com x
Harper Stern x Lady Muck are my super PAC
I'm obsessed with Harper's ponytails this season! Also loved Sweetpea's suits in Accra. I also find it interesting that Hayley often wears schoolgirl-esque skirts in the office - who could forget the elevator scene with Yas! - but then reveals herself to be anything but.