Unlike the unpredictable, tension-filled twists that define the ending of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling psychological thriller Verity, the wardrobe evolution of protagonist Lowen Ashleigh makes deliberate, analytical sense. In the seductive new film adaptation directed by Michael Showalter, actress Dakota Johnson steps into the role of a struggling novelist whose life is upended by grief, financial instability, and a staggering career opportunity.
When audiences are first introduced to Lowen Ashleigh, she is a writer navigating the profound loss of her mother while staring down an impending eviction notice. Just moments before she is forced out of her home, she receives a life-altering lifeline: a substantial publishing advance to complete the final installments of bestselling author Verity Crawford’s iconic book series. Verity has been left bedridden and incapacitated following a severe car accident, creating an urgent need for a fresh voice to step in.
The catch, of course, requires Lowen to relocate to the Crawford family’s isolated and foreboding lake house in Vermont. There, her primary task is to sort through Verity’s private notes, inhabit her literary voice, and seamlessly take over the lucrative series. Given her initial financial distress, an outside observer might assume that high-end designer pieces like Céline cardigans and Loewe sweaters have no business being anywhere near Lowen’s modest, cottage-core capsule wardrobe. However, Verity costume designer Jacqueline Demeterio argues that luxury price tags ultimately matter far less than whether individual pieces authentically look like something a "downtown Brooklyn cool girl" might unearth during a vintage shopping excursion.
"Obviously her character doesn’t have a lot of money," Demeterio explains, discussing her approach to blending high-end and accessible pieces into Lowen’s everyday look. "I wasn’t necessarily like, ‘Oh, she can’t afford this label’ as long as it was feeling correct to me."
Throughout the cinematic adaptation, Demeterio utilized impenetrable leather outerwear and warm, protective knitwear to visually articulate the psychological trajectory of a guarded woman slowly unraveling beneath the oppressive weight of the Crawford family’s dark secrets. It is only when Lowen meticulously pieces together the truth of the situation that she is finally able to step metaphorically into Verity’s shoes—or, in a literal sense, a striking red Valentino dress—and claim the lifestyle she believes she has earned. At least, that narrative security holds true until Verity’s ominous final letter casts immediate doubt upon Lowen’s seemingly self-righteous ending.
Like many viewers leaving the theater, audiences are often left with a flurry of lingering questions about the plot, though a significant portion of those inquiries inevitably focus on the writer’s impeccable collection of essential fall basics.
The Jackets
The outerwear Lowen wears throughout Verity functions as a narrative device, telling her story more effectively than almost any other element of her wardrobe. Before she even witnesses the harrowing, bloody car wreck that sets the ominous tone for the entire film, she is captured on her way to a mysterious publishing meeting wrapped in a classic, practical wool coat by Theory.
Initially, Demeterio gravitated toward an oversized coat option from The Row before ultimately deciding on a more understated, nondescript alternative. "We got to a point where we were like, maybe it is too much, you know?" Demeterio explained regarding the styling choices. "You don’t really want it to look like an editorial because she is playing this character. The Theory coat was a little bit more toned down."
By the time Lowen physically arrives in Vermont, she is wearing what is arguably the most striking piece in her cinematic repertoire: a gorgeous, oversized Dunst leather jacket that she deploys almost like physical armor against the world.
"She definitely arrives there protected because I feel like she doesn’t know what she’s getting into," Demeterio notes. "That image of her against that house in Vermont was very important—she’s this city girl coming into the country in her leather jacket."
Later in the narrative arc, while Lowen begins her journey in a state of financial precarity, she eventually departs the isolated cottage having effectively usurped Verity’s empire. In doing so, she sheds her somber New York outerwear in favor of a sophisticated pale blue knit midi dress by Proenza Schouler and a supple suede trench coat by Mango.
"The suede trench was still Lowen, but the luxury version of what she would wear with this successful career," Demeterio observes. Interestingly, the garment chosen to visually signal her newfound wealth was sourced not from an ultra-exclusive luxury house like The Row, but from the accessible retailer Mango. For Demeterio, selecting each item always hinged on how it read visually on camera rather than its brand pedigree.
The Jeans
When Lowen appears on screen in high-rise bootcut denim, it is easy to assume that Demeterio simply pulled the character’s jeans straight from Dakota Johnson’s personal closet. As it turns out, that assumption is only half accurate.
"When you’re having these conversations with your actors, you’re like, ‘What jeans look good on you?’" Demeterio says.
Throughout the film, Johnson is frequently seen wearing vintage-inspired Levi’s and AGolde denim, ranging from light-wash straight-leg styles to relaxed black trousers. Although both denim labels are personal favorites of the actress, the production team had to purchase multiple duplicate pairs for filming requirements.
"I think she does own those Levi’s, but I know we had to get multiple," Demeterio notes. "I don’t think those were hers because we had to get multiples on a lot of the clothes."
The Art of Layering
The coziest components of Lowen’s wardrobe center on her extensive collection of knitwear. Demeterio populated the character’s closet with a strategic mix of vintage finds and designer knits layered over Re/Done T-shirts and classic denim, establishing a remarkably wearable capsule wardrobe that remains easy to emulate across various budgets.
Throughout the film, Lowen’s artful layering draws intense focus, particularly when she pairs an olive sweater vest from Éterne with a simple white T-shirt from Re/Done. Demeterio completes these combinations with the delicate gold necklace stack that the character wears consistently throughout the runtime. To achieve this specific aesthetic balance, Demeterio advises steering clear of boxy tees that tend to add unwanted bulk under fitted knitwear.
"I tend to like more of a slimmer cut for underneath to layer, but not too tight either," she says, describing the sartorial balancing act. "It’s a very weird balancing act."
Another notable combination involves a cozy, oversized cardigan that Lowen layers over a vintage sweater as she processes the deeply disturbing details discovered within Verity’s manuscript. Much like her leather jacket, the protagonist reaches for this extra layer of clothing as an instinctive act of self-preservation.
"She’s so shocked by it and getting physically ill over these things; again, it’s just a comfort away from this crazy," Demeterio explains, summarizing the character’s state of mind. "She’s like, ‘This place is insane.’"
