SPOILER ALERT: Spoiler ahead if you haven’t seen episode five, series three, of The Bridge
As fans of dimly lit Scandi menace will know, Saga Norén’s leather trousers are the most important piece of clothing on TV at the moment, with her military coat coming a close second. But as brilliant as Saga’s look is – Withnail & I meets Captain Jack Sparrow – it should not overshadow the other fashion stars of The Bridge, who deserve to be recognised for their own services to cold-weather style. To wit:
Strongest outerwear: Lillian
With more than a touch of Charlotte Rampling, police chief Lillian is never not glamorous, although in series three she has really come into her own. It’s all about the outerwear, which has been upgraded from the furry collars and fluffy scarves of earlier series (some of which looked a little as if they could be from the miscellaneous January sales bucket at Next). Now she’s double coating – a catwalk trend adopted by many a fashion editor, who style it exactly as Lillian does: a slim Uniqlo gilet worn under a smart overcoat.
Most resigned accessory: John
You’ve got to feel for John. Every day he tackles a litany of mind-numbing, time-consuming demands from Saga, his efforts rarely met with as much as a tack. His commitment to glasses on a string – the ultimate administrator’s accessory – is laden with meaning, suggesting he has made peace with his desk job and is actually quite happy not to be the one breaking into houses on the hunt for a psychopath.
Best maternity chic: Jeanette
For someone playing the genuinely pregnant half of a secret surrogate swap, Jeanette’s gargantuan bump looks remarkably prosthetic – and she doesn’t seem to be suffering from swollen ankles or water retention, either. Still, she remains the last word in refreshingly scruffy, tough, maternity chic: cross-body bags layered over longline jumpers – very Justin Bieber does Kanye. Her hair is one part Freja Beha Erichsen, one part My Little Pony – and could hardly be more 2015.
Services to facial hair: Henrik
Saga’s new partner is quadruple coating, here, and making it look smart and sleek – and not at all like that episode of Friends where Joey wears all of Chandler’s clothes – which is the epitome of masterful layering. It’s his Guy Fawkes facial hair that steals the show, however, finally offering a compelling alternative to the much-maligned hipster beard for those who can’t abide a naked top lip.
