Benson could be crowned the queen of the claw clip while rocking the look in recent seasons of SVU.
cross the nearly three decades of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Mariska Hargitay has stolen hearts as the tenacious Olivia Benson, who not only excels at criminal takedowns but always manages to look good doing it.
Benson’s hair journey on SVU has been nothing short of a style odyssey; she’s rocked everything from a short-cropped pixie to a slick bob to lengthy waves. Hargitay’s hair nowadays serves as a visual time capsule of Benson’s growth on SVU, as she has evolved from a steadfast detective to a hardened, commanding officer of the elite unit. And along the way, the SVU Captain has changed up her look many times, but a recent hairstyle that has fans raving: the claw clip.
Who doesn’t love the elegant simplicity of throwing your hair back in a claw clip? Benson looks so stylish with her hair pulled back, and it’s a look that the SVU star and executive producer loves rocking when it makes sense for the SVU Captain to embrace the fashionable and functional look. Here are some of our favorite Benson claw clip moments:
Benson looked so chic with her hair thrown back in Season 16
Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Deputy Chief William Dodds (Peter Gallagher) appear on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 16 Episode 4. Photo: Michael Parmelee/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
While nowadays viewers will typically see Benson with her hair down with soft waves, when a criminal takedown gets sketchy, it’s typical for Benson to throw her hair back to help her stay in the zone. Meanwhile, Benson manages to still look downright striking in the practical style, a true nod to her late mother and bombshell beauty, Jayne Mansfield.
Benson was the queen of the claw clip in Season 17 of SVU
Benson pulled out another stylish claw clip look in Season 17 of SVU while tackling a case with her squad. Of course, despite the grim nature of the squad’s beat, Benson manages to look stylish as ever while getting to the nitty-gritty of the latest crime scene.
Benson’s love for the claw clip has fans in a chokehold
Check out that claw clip side profile! Seriously, this is one of Benson’s most beloved hairstyles, and SVU fans love it when she pulls out this hairdo, sparking the occasional fan edit of the Law & Order sweetheart online.
Benson continues to rock the claw clip look on SVU
Benson’s look has evolved into a mid-length style with soft waves, but that doesn’t stop her from the occasional casual look with her hair thrown back. In Season 26 of SVU, she threw it back while tackling a blood-pumping hostage situation, and in Season 24, after landing in a physical tussle with a Bronx-based gang, wore it pulled back in the following episodes to bring a bit more realism to Benson’s reality.
“For a recent episode, I wanted my hair thrown back because Benson wouldn’t have time to wash it with what was going on in the show,” Hargitay told Allure while chatting about Season 24 of SVU. “She [was attacked by a street gang] and had a big black eye, so we did a ponytail bun with the front pieces out for something that looked practical. The hair ended up looking so great that I wore it for three episodes, and I started doing it in real life too. It’s fresh and efficient.”
Mariska Hargitay breaks down about Benson’s hair evolution on SVU
Hargitay is well aware that her hair has become a hallmark of the SVU fandom, and she’s played along for every step of the wild ride. Now a mother of her adoptive son, Noah, and running a shifting unit of passionate investigators, Benson’s style has shifted to reflect her hectic day-to-day — and a claw clip is a timeless way to elevate a look when chasing down perps.
“I’ve always called her a mama bear and a mother lion, and it’s important to me that she keeps her femininity,” Hargitay told Allure. “I don’t want her to lose that part of herself in this male-dominated society; I want her to have a hairdo that looks professional. So right now it’s pretty and soft, but it doesn’t look like she spent a lot of time on it, because she doesn’t have a lot of time. She’s getting a kid out the door and going to work.”
Through the hundreds of criminal takedowns and white-knuckled courtroom showdowns, Hargitay feels that Benson’s hair has been rooted in her own growth over time. As the SVU star put it, “I think part of Benson’s hair journey has been her growing into herself.”
