I remember seeing the photos of them filming Not Okay and thinking differently on how I thought the movie would pan out. This isn’t going to be a review of the movie obviously since I don’t really talk about film, but mostly about fashion. First and foremost, we have to talk about the fact that the fashion sucks. I’m not the only one who thinks this. This movie is a perfect indicator on how fast trends go out of style. It made Danni, the main character, look like she was trying too hard which is the purpose of the movie. Starting with her wearing a gray hoodie and working as a photo editor. She clearly shows that she wants more, she wants to be relevant in some sort of way because of her suggestion on writing a piece for Depravity, the company she works for.
Early in the movie you can see little fashion fads like the beaded wrist strap on the phone case, colorful manicure, and colorful plastic rings. This is a trend I saw very prevalent last year and rarely do I see someone with one now. This in a way is Danni clinging onto her inner child, a time where she was happiest. Danni wants to stand out because of her loneliness and lack of self love. If you’ve seen the movie you know that she faked the Paris trip because she wanted to get the attention of Dylan o’Brien’s character Colin. She edited her photos to look like she was in Paris where ultimately there was a bombing and she faked the fact of seeing it all go down. Not Okay shows just as far as Gen Z would go to clout chase essentially. While Danni is in “Paris” we see her wear cliche beret’s and girly cottage core dresses. A lot of movie watchers saying that the fashion during these scenes were a dig at Emily in Paris.
Upon her fake return to New York she is still wearing the token beret and a baby blue Prada nylon bag. The Prada is something I want to focus on here because she was the moment during 2020-2021, even yours truly still wants it. Although the popular colors to get it were either in the black or beige color I find it funny that Danni has it in baby blue. It’s almost like she is trying so hard to be on trend or notice but falls short and settles. When her mother suggest she goes to a group meeting for survivors she doesn’t talk about her experience but rather takes mental notes on other survivors for her article. There she meets Rowan who she literally adopts as a sort of younger sister bestie. During this time where Danni is having writer’s block you see her style evolve to something more eye catching. Not only has she changed her clothing because of the new attention she is receiving but also because she has changed her mind on becoming a journalist to an influencer. She continues to try to get the attention from Colin by dressing in the style that the influencer women would wear in his circle. Or what she believes them to wear.
During this period we see her wearing trends that are very much in the realm of micro-trends. (I believe at once point she was wearing the House of Sunny pants that went viral last year). These micro-trends seen on Danni kind of date the movie a bit to show her quite literally be a try hard for not only the validation from everyone else in the office but for Colin, sadly. It isn’t until she has a bit of a lackluster sexual experience with Colin where she decides to change her style because she longer wants his validation or “love”. This is where Danni starts seeking love from other people, the other people being Rowan as this is where their sisterly relationship starts. With Danni being Danni, she of course starts to adapt Rowan’s style. She no longer is adorn in colorful knock off designer pieces but is wearing baggy pants and t-shirts. A more casual look with the occasional button up here and there. Danni has now shifted from wanting to be an influencer and now an activist. There is a phrase used by many, “fake it till you make it” which is often used in instances where if people really want a lifestyle or job they have to start acting like it’s already theirs. A perfect way to adapt this mentality in your life is to start dressing like the job or lifestyle you’re striving to achieve which is what I believe Danni is doing here. Though this phrase is motivational in this instance there is no positives within it. Danni has used clothing to fit the fake lifestyle she has tried to keep up with where eventually it translate to a person who doesn’t really know themselves or what they want in life. Ultimately she reverts back to the gray hoodie and has no redemption arc. The hoodie now is her safe place and something she feels protected in.
Tati Violet 