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“Abby went from a career behind-the-scenes, behind managing the crisis and being Olivia’s right hand person, to in front of the camera. She’s Press Secretary of the White House. Her wardrobe really reflects that. She’s really stepped up her style game.”

“Working with Lyn Paolo our stylist and eye, that was the first one we grabbed off the rack,” Stanchfield says. “We’ve talked about the scene and the episode and it felt like a really great direction to go. Abby is really coming into her own at the White House so it felt really right for her to be in something bold — she’s not hiding.”

 

“It’s the first time Abby has ever done a black gown,” Stanchfield says. “It was an ‘Abby gown’ and not an ‘Olivia gown’ because Olivia’s formalwear is either black, white or both and this was black with big gold flowers.”

“I loved this gown for the episode as it felt luxe and fresh,” [Paolo] shares. “This is our holiday episode and we have not filmed the holiday season in the West Wing before so it was fun to play with golds, red and greens — layering the holiday feeling into the show through the costumes. This gown works because it feels special without being fussy.”

“Her signature style has gone from really practical like wide-leg Katharine Hepburn pants and lower high heels and leather jackets — things she could drop at any moment and go break into someone’s apartment,” the actress explains. “She had to sort of be prepared at any moment to do a bunch of different things. I feel like her wardrobe was cool and understated, but still comfortable.”

“We have not seen Abby in a pair of pants ever since she’s been Press Secretary, and before when she was behind-the-scenes we never saw her once in a dress,” she says. “Maybe once when she was dating David Rosen, but rarely. So now she does separates, but there’s a lot more femininity. Her style is more polished.”

“She has a camera-ready hair do at any time — that very polished TV reporter hair — you know politicians have it and TV reporters have it. We really nailed that for Abby. We really keep her in that world, knowing she’s going to be on podium at any minute.”