The ladies of The Bold Type are exactly that. Bold. Daring. Assertive. Ambitious. Yet, Sutton, Jane, and Kat are not cookie-cutter versions of each other. There is more than one way to be bold.

None of the ladies that make up the dynamic cast of characters on The Bold Type skate through life unburdened. Whether it’s love, career, family, health, or one of those mysterious surprises that tend to pop up when we least expect it, you can always count on these Scarlet ladies to choose brave and bold over meek and mild.

How ‘The Bold Type’ ladies each have their own brand of bold

Sutton

Sutton has grown so, so much since the pilot, and the season 5 premiere is chock full of proof. She may need a boost of confidence now and again, but when it comes down to embracing her best qualities, Sutton puts her best foot forward.

The Sutton we met one short year ago, who ran out for Lauren’s green juice at least three times a day, was desperate to move on and anxious to find her place. She was tired of being an assistant, but didn’t have the clout to go about demanding raises or promotions. Dating Richard was all about love and attraction, but also probably because he believed in her and supported her dreams, even when Sutton didn’t know what those dreams were.

Fast forward to the season 2 premiere, and Sutton has transformed. She is excelling at her job, and earning respect left and right from her higher ranking co-workers and designers. She knows that she deserves every chance she’s getting, even when her peers try to plant other ideas in her head. She might do her best to alleviate the situation by taking a step back from opportunities offered, but it’s a momentary lapse in confidence, not a defining character trait. A quick reminder from Jacqueline is all she needs to put the sass back in her step.

And we get a chance to watch Sutton literally choose between her career and her love life. She and Richard get the gift of a lifetime through the newly renovated relationship policy, but Sutton knows that choosing to go public with Richard, even with corporate’s blessing, would cause serious damage to her professional reputation, one that she’s worked far too hard to cultivate.

Boldness runs through Sutton’s veins, even in her weakest moments.

Jane

Jane may be the smallest of the trio in stature, but her ambition and drive are definitely bolder and bigger than anyone in her orbit. Season 1 Jane was trying to prove herself at Scarlet. She was trying to impress a boss she idolized and was looking for a sense of belonging at a magazine that was a dependable advisor to her through some of life’s toughest years.

Her love life was a similar story. She dated, she screwed Pinstripe, she played the field, and ultimately learned that Dating Barbie she is not. Jane’s path to romance is quite literally wide open as season 1 ended with all of her suitors either proving themselves unworthy or moving on to new challenges.

Season 2 begins with Jane feeling confident in her new job, emboldened by the praise that Incite’s editor employed to lure her away from her home away from home. Despite being in a new environment full of new personalities, Jane doesn’t shy away from her own style and way of doing things. She stomps into Incite day after day, donning her very Scarlet-esque wardrobe and refusing to change who she is just to blend in with a new crew.

Even when she commits the ultimate blunder for a cub reporter, she refuses to completely acquiesce to her editor’s ways. Underneath that bland flannel shirt is a delicately designed long sleeve top, proving that Jane keeps her boldness with her no matter what face she’s putting on for others.

Bold is quite simply in her blood.

Kat

Last, but most certainly never least, we have our ‘one woman kind of girl,’ Kat Edison. Season 1 showed her nerve and self-assurance in her job. Brave is one way to describe how Kat conducted herself at Scarlet. She knows her job, she knows she’s good at it, and she isn’t afraid to contribute when she knows she has a chance to truly shake things up.

Kat’s love life took a turn for the feminine in The Bold Type‘s inaugural season. A self-proclaimed straight woman, Kat Edison found herself more than a little attracted to Adena El-Amin and her artistic ways. Some characters on some shows may have found reasons to ignore their attraction or panicked over their sexual identity as a result of these feelings, but not Kat. She boldly made her feelings known and even made jokes with Jane and Sutton as she fished a Yuni egg out of Jane’s… well, Yuni.

Fast forward to season 2, and Kat Edison is returning from an international adventure with the girl of her dreams, and in better spirits than I think we’ve ever seen her. She’s not just the social media coordinator anymore; she’s a department head and will soon be responsible for leading a whole team of people and coordinating Scarlet’s message and online image.

Seeing Kat happy with Adena and flourishing in her new responsibilities at work proves that Kat’s version of bold is self-assured and confident.

She wears her boldness on her sleeve, just like her heart.

All three ladies display their bravery in different ways, proving that no matter what your personality, economic status, sexual orientation, or whatever, you can find ways to be bold in whatever way is most you.