In Season 3, her look evolves to “embrace the world of the power suit.”
As can be expected in a legal procedural, many of The Lincoln Lawyer’s key moments unfold inside a courthouse. Featuring dull brick walls and drop-down tile ceilings, this drab location is matched in aesthetic dreariness by scenes set in Mickey Haller’s (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) stuffy law office, filled with dark wood credenzas and strictly utilitarian filing cabinets. But amid all that institutional sameness, Lorna (Becki Newton) stands out like a scoop of rainbow sherbet in a bowl full of plain old vanilla, thanks in large part to the eye-catching clothes she wears.
Lorna — who’s been Mickey’s legal assistant/office manager for the past two seasons and also happens to be his ex-wife and a brilliant legal mind in her own right — has previously favored statement pieces like leather pants, bright blue biker jackets, beaded tops, and neon purses. And she’s rarely without a pair of sky-high stilettos. Still, as attention-getting as Lorna’s looks are, her most magnetic quality is actually her personality — something her style reflects perfectly.
Credit for that last bit goes in part to the talented fashion professionals who curate her outfits. In the third season, that task belongs to new-to-the-show costume designer Beth Morgan, and it’s extra exciting because our girl Lorna is officially and blissfully a bona fide defense attorney.
“Lorna’s character saw a lot of change this season as she steps into the courtroom as a lawyer,” Morgan tells Tudum. “Lorna is always original and fearless when she gets dressed, and at the same time, her looks evolve with her. ”
Translation for Season 3? “More power suits and less rocker tees,” says Morgan, but with a spin she describes as “uniquely Lorna.” “As society is getting more casual, we wanted to embrace the world of the power suit and what that means for a one-of-a-kind character who is a disturber in all the best ways.”
To prep for the season, Morgan researched women’s suiting from the ’90s, as well as more contemporary workwear. (She defines the perfect power suit as one with a sharp shoulder and crisp dress-shirt collar.) Becki Newton also had input when it came to her character’s looks. Morgan says she and the actor were instant collaborators, bonding over their shared identities as decisive, fast-talking, working moms who prefer to move at warp speed.
“Becki instilled trust in me from our first fitting,” Morgan says. “We were really able to be true to Lorna’s journey through her costumes as her character grows. It was inspiring to work with her and I think the end results will be a feast for the viewers.”
That’s likely because since the beginning of Season 1, Newton has understood what set her character apart. “Right away, I knew there was a certain spice to this character and a certain boldness that I would have a lot of fun doing,” Newton tells Tudum, remembering what it was like to read The Lincoln Lawyer’s first episode. “There was something a little kooky about her, but the fun of Lorna is mixed with a very rich intelligence and a deep understanding of the law.”
This combination of personality traits, Newton notes, isn’t always seen in women characters, who, she says, still tend to be written rather one-dimensionally. Lorna’s embrace of fashion is in stark contrast to her colleagues, who try to blend in as purely professional, their personal identities getting lost in the process. But not Lorna. She is unapologetically whimsical and unapologetically herself. From the office to the courtroom (and everywhere in between), her style is, according to Morgan, “unexpected.”
“Lorna likes to be a mystery and her clothing choices are no different,” Morgan says. “She will always keep you curious about what she’ll do next.”
The designer recalls that she and Newton had a particularly great time deciding just how daring the outfits of “Season 3 Lorna” would be. “Lorna’s ability to take risks and create unique combos increases as her professional and personal life become more stable,” Morgan explains. “She’s embraced her confidence as she’s finally accomplished her dream of a law degree. And I feel like we were able to build on her style as she builds her career and her bank account.”
One of their greatest achievements alongside cutter and fitter Heather Quesada? The custom three-piece suit that Lorna wears for her first official day as an attorney, paired with a vintage Dolce & Gabbana trench. In fact, that costume played a pivotal role in the plot. “It needed to be chic and impactful at first sight,” Morgan says, “while staying innovative as Lorna experienced an intense day.”
With only one working elevator in the courthouse, the ensemble was layered so that Lorna could shed something each time she had to climb stairs. As for the shoes, Morgan imagined that Lorna would splurge on cheetah-print Christian Louboutins (with the brand’s signature red sole) to complete her first-day look. Alas! Lorna purposefully breaks one of the heels in order to render the last functional elevator out of order and implement a clever strategy to win her case (Season 3, Episode 7, “Relevance”).
“We considered wider leg pants, but since the shoe has such a moment, we decided the pencil leg better served the story,” Morgan says. “For those in the know, watching her have to sacrifice this very expensive, special shoe to save a case hurts even more.”
Any other sartorial Easter eggs to watch out for this season? Two.
Fans of Lorna’s pup, Winston, will appreciate a custom pair of resin cuff links with the doggo’s face hand-painted on them by assistant costume designer Lexie Newman. “We paired them with a simple, black, French-cuff dress shirt to show Lorna’s spin on menswear,” Morgan says. Lorna also rocks a shirt featuring a pug at one point. Though Morgan admits that’s “less an Easter egg and more an overt expression of our love for all things pugs.”
