What Verity’s costumes tell you: a colour guide to the sweaters (no big spoilers)

In Verity, the clothes tell you who has power. Costume designer Jacqueline Demeterio dressed Anne Hathaway’s Verity in polished sweaters in beige, blood red and, now and then, butter yellow. Dakota Johnson’s Lowen wears knitwear and denim that look thrifted. One woman looks like money and control, the other like she’s barely holding on. Watch the colours and you’ll read the film a step ahead.

For our take on the whole film, read the Verity movie review. This guide avoids the big twist.

Who designed the costumes for Verity?

Jacqueline Demeterio. Verity is her fourth film with Anne Hathaway. The two first worked together on The Intern in 2015 (Marie Claire).

What do Verity’s colours mean?

Demeterio has described the film’s tone as eerie, but with extreme beauty. Here’s how we read the palette. The descriptions come from her interviews; the meanings are Pylcrow analysis.

• Beige: the colour of a perfect public image. It’s expensive, calm and hides everything. The film even opens on Verity in a beige Louis Vuitton sweater giving a TV interview to Gayle King, a scene that isn’t in the book (Marie Claire).
• Blood red: the colour that breaks through the calm. When Verity wears red, pay attention to what the scene is really about.
• Butter yellow: softness, warmth and memory. It’s used sparingly, which is what makes it unsettling.

Why does Lowen look so different?

Lowen’s wardrobe was designed to feel “Brooklyn edgy”, with pieces that could have come from a thrift store, according to The Nod. People reported that the designer wanted her clothes to show a woman who is struggling (via The News).

That contrast matters. Lowen walks into Verity’s beautiful house looking like a guest who can’t afford the room she’s sleeping in. Every outfit reminds you she’s on someone else’s territory.

Is Verity secretly a class thriller?

This is Pylcrow’s take. Under the twists, Verity is a story about a woman with less money stepping into the life of a woman with more, and slowly wanting it. The costumes make that envy visible. Beige versus thrift-store denim says more about the power between them than any line of dialogue.

That’s also why the film works on people who didn’t love the plot. You can feel the tension in the wardrobe even when the script gets silly.

Did the stars dress the same way on the press tour?

They kept the contrast going. On the New York premiere red carpet, Hathaway and Johnson wore very different styles (W Magazine), as if the two characters had walked out of the screen.

Mood Match: how should you watch Verity?

• Watch it when: you want a thriller you can pick apart with a friend afterwards.
• Do this: note every time someone wears red. Compare notes at the end.

Frequently asked questions about Verity’s costumes

Who is the costume designer for Verity?

Jacqueline Demeterio, who has worked with Anne Hathaway on four films.

What does Anne Hathaway wear in Verity?

Mostly sweaters in beige, blood red and occasionally butter yellow, including a beige Louis Vuitton sweater in the opening scene.

What is Dakota Johnson’s style in Verity?

Knitwear and denim designed to look thrifted and “Brooklyn edgy”.

Is the opening scene in the Verity book?

No. The TV interview opening was created for the film.

What should you read next?

Read our Verity review. For another film where the house itself feels hostile, try Other Mommy.

Sources: Marie Claire, The Nod, W Magazine.