From Day 1 on High Potential, Kaitlin Olson’s wardrobe has been a huge topic of conversation. (Some may even say a bigger topic than the Wagner/Karadec romance debate.) She often favors chunky boots and short skirts paired with graphic tees and bold, cropped jackets – and that’s just what she’s wearing to the office. Her look is not a major topic of discussion within episodes on the series, but it’s something one notices as a viewer week in and week out, and I’m glad the actress herself and her costume designer were finally asked about Morgan’s outfits.
For Olson, this is not how the actress dresses in real life. She revealed as much in a recent interview, noting the clothes actually help her get into character as Morgan when she arrives on set each day. She told TV Line:
Morgan's wardrobe is a huge part of the character, so the outfits are extremely important. Because it's so different from how I dress, the clothes really inform how I stand and move and carry myself.
I usually see Olson when she’s on red carpets and she’s either glammed or suited up under those circumstances, but I will say the actress has the legs to pull off shorter looks. She did prove as much at a recent Hacks event, although the shorts outfit was a little bit more of a polished celebrity fashion look than what we normally see Morgan Gillory wear on ABC.
Meanwhile, costume designer Sandra Burns said the choices are meant to amplify the unusual way Morgan’s brain works on the procedural. Morgan processes at a quick pace. She’s attracted to different details than most people notice. She's paying more attention to puzzles than she may be to whether her clothes fit a more typical mold.
It shows us a little bit of the way that she thinks, the way she puts things together. She likes to take risks, and she doesn't care what other people think. She loves things that are bold and different. She's unapologetically herself, and that's how she wants to move about the world, wearing what she loves. Maybe the way she layers or combines things is a bit like the way her high potential intelligence works. She puts things together in a way that, honestly, most normal people wouldn't.
Plus, I also think there’s an element here of Morgan having a really fast-processing brain, but being a little disorganized and chaotic personally, as well. Overall, her looks work for me, even if the earrings and the jackets are not what you’d expect from a TV procedural or anyone consulting with the police, ever. As we’ve noted before, the looks are remarkably “unrestrained.”
For more chaotic looks and fun romantic speculation, tune in to High Potential when it returns to ABC. Do please note this tragically won't be on the fall 2026 TV schedule. We learned a few weeks back the show is being pre-empted by Dancing with the Stars and won't be back until 2027. I know, it hurts my heart, too.
