How To Dress Like Claire Underwood If You're +Size

Ah, The Underwoods: America's most loved and loathed fictional First Family — and arguably the most stylish. Actually, when you Google them, "Claire Underwood Style" is the first suggested auto-complete. Because ever since Netflix launched its groundbreaking series onto the Internet and into our hearts, people have been trying to dress like the complicated anti-hero Claire Underwood. I mean, can you blame them?The driven and justifiably icy Underwood's journey from high-profile philanthropist to FLOTUS doesn't just mean watching her character grow as her narrative arcs, but it also means a lot of power-suiting and designer dresses. As Claire rises in political stature, her wardrobe has evolved along with her. Tom Broecker, the costume designer who set the tone of seasons one and two, told The Independent that at first, Underwood's wardrobe was her armor: “With her character we really wanted to have this armored, tailored, tight, nothing out of place feel. She also needed to look different from everyone else on the show. ”Now a First Lady with more scrutiny and more balance to achieve, with the pressure of being a diplomat and a public figure, stylist Kemal Harris wanted to play Underwood softer, telling InStyle: "I wanted to show a little bit of her character's vulnerability through her wardrobe, which I think we accomplished with softer colors, lighter materials, and fuller skirts."

OK, so maybe people around the water cooler aren't discussing the nuances of your vulnerability in relation to the fullness of your skirt, but Underwood's classic and clean look is perfect workwear. While she wears designer suiting, there are affordable options that can stand in if you're not looking to splurge. Regardless, Underwood's signature is tailored and perfectly-fitting clothing. So whether you spend on designer and luxe fabrics or pick more affordable pieces, getting clothes tailored for a custom fit is one of the cornerstones of the Underwood look.

One thing I've heard from so many plus-size women is that they want better options for suiting and workwear, feeling that the easily available options are too frumpy or dowdy. We can't all afford Calvin Klein, but tailoring can make mall-bought suiting look high-end.Underwood's other signatures are her monochrome look and striking, intentional accessories. Very rarely straying from black, white, and grey, she almost always wears white near her face — which keeps her looking fresh instead of harsh. She keeps her heels classic Prada (pointed in the first two seasons, rounded in the third) and her accessories minimal. Never one for excess or frivolity, everything she wears is paired back but impactful. The overall effect is elegant minimalism: She looks like she runs things instead of looking boring. She looks like the kind of woman you don't want to mess with. And you don't.

So steal Claire Underwood's style for yourself with these plus-size picks:

FLOTUS

Clockwise From Top:Roxanna Women's Bow Blouse, $75, Eloquii10k Princess-Cut Diamond Earrings, $110, Amazon ALDO Shoes Platform Pumps, $80, Aldo ShoesJones New York Pencil Skirt, $55, Amazon

Classic Claire

Clockwise From Top:

Mynt 1792 Moto Coat, $215, Mynt1792Mynt 1792 Ponte Peplum Top, $188, Mynt1792Eileen Fisher Pencil Skirt, $168, NordstromCharles David Pumps, $99, Metroparkusa

Images: Getty; Giphy; BlackMichelleM, Schula1/Twitter; jodie-layne/Polyvore