how should an onlyfans star dress?
the subversive style of 'margo's got money troubles' (and brands i think she’d wear)
Ciao from Rome! It’s 11pm and I’m sitting at the kitchen table in a studio apartment with a liter bottle of smartwater on my left and a hair tie on my right. The windows are cracked open, a plume of cigarette-y cold night air drifts in. I have a small pile of beautiful paper shopping bags growing in the corner, and can’t wait to share my “best of” vintage report soon.
A few weeks ago, I asked the chat what TV shows you guys were loving, and Margo’s Got Money Troubles was the most mentioned by far. So, I hope you enjoy today’s letter and I’d love to hear what you thought of the finale!! And thank you to the brilliant Samantha Leach for editing this piece.
SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON BELOW.
Here’s a question for you: picture an OnlyFans star. What is she wearing?
As Gen Z “bops” such as Sophie Rain, Ari Kytsya, and Levi Coralynn have gone mainstream as social media influencers in recent years, a uniform for contemporary adult content creators has taken shape. There is a certain look we associate with OF style: perhaps it’s tiny crop tops with strategically placed peekaboo cutouts, or stretchy spandex booty shorts that miiiight just get flagged for “violating Community Guidelines” on TikTok. As the line between social media influencing and sex work gets increasingly blurred, we’re seeing more media that explores the topic (ex: Euphoria Season 3).
The most compelling social commentary on sex work through costume design right now is in Margo's Got Money Troubles, Apple TV+'s dramedy based on Rufi Thorpe's novel.
Margo Millet (Elle Fanning) is a 20-year-old aspiring writer whose life is upended when she gets knocked up by her married college lit professor. When baby Bodhi arrives, Margo finds herself without a steady income or childcare—meaning, our girl needs a remote job that pays the bills, stat.
This is how our headstrong protagonist ends up opening an OF account under the stage name HungryGhost. When Margo first joins OF, she looks to other creators on the platform for outfit/profile inspo. After all, we all need some guidance for what to wear for the first day of a new job…
She scrolls through examples like “Jen Rides an ATV,” who poses suggestively in a camo-print crop top and matching booty shorts, or “Bethany Bakes,” who leans into tradwife cosplay in a pearl necklace, a cleavage-baring pink tank top, and an apron.
Inspired, Margo’s initial attempts land her somewhere in TikTok baddie territory, wearing a black crop top that’s more metal rings and cutouts than actual fabric, bright heavy eyeliner, and two space buns. But when she meets WangMangler and SucculentRose—two more experienced OF creators she hopes to collab with, all bleached brows and mullet cuts—they deem her vibe a bit basic.
Margo gets humbled, but it also pushes her to find her own voice as an OF creator. Which just so happens to be…a blue-skinned alien hot girl with retro space age-inspired hair and makeup. I was immediately obsessed—the vision! The drama!
Costume designer Mirren Gordon-Crozier brings the look to life with precision and playfulness. Every detail is dialed in: from her silver metallic minidress, to her matching gloves and platform boots, even her lace tights and pair of antennae.
Compared to the mainstream uniform of “mattress actresses”—tiny stretchy clothes that land somewhere between lingerie and athleisure—this is a lot weirder. It’s funky, off-kilter, and borrows from alternative cosplay subcultures.
And it’s also so Margo, because it captures her desire to be seen and understood in her entirety. In her day-to-day life, which is consumed by breastfeeding and the joys that come with it, like swollen nipples and milk stains, Margo wears loose graphic shirts. Namely, a black tee with a cartoon alien on it. She also loves power clashing with animal prints (clearly influenced by her leopard-print loving mom), the occasional Hawaiian shirt, and retro accessories like bubble-gum-pink heart-shaped sunglasses.
These sartorial choices continue to bleed into her OF life.
There’s a scene in the show where Margo wears a bikini, but she styles it in an unexpected way with glow-in-the-dark body doodles of dollar signs, hearts, and flowers. (To me, personally, this look is all about her googly-eye sticker headband.) You can imagine that one of Margo’s OF subscribers is watching this video of her dancing in a bikini, but his gaze is reflected back at him by dozens of googly eyes. In this sense, she’s flipping the male gaze back on the viewer.
What begins as a desperate last resort to make money evolves into an outlet for self-expression and creative agency. A place where Margo can create full-blown narrative arcs with storylines, multiple characters, elaborate costumes, and DIY sets. In other words, she’s finally found an outlet for her original dream of becoming a writer—just not the way she thought she would.
Ultimately, a large reason why I think the show’s costume design succeeds is because Margo’s character is fully fleshed out. We get context for why she dresses the way she does in each scenario, whether it’s breastfeeding at home or going to court over a custody battle. What’s refreshing is the way Margo tries to make every outfit her own, regardless of the performance she’s putting on.
P.S. If you’re feeling inspired to dress like a hot weird alien girl, here are some brands to check out.
Start with basics like these metallic lamé crop tops and bodysuits from LA Apparel.
If you want something a little more flashy, consider these paillette micro-shorts from Guizio.
I could also totally see Margo wearing fun prints from Tyler McGillivary. Like this Saturn planet print top that matches the sci-fi theme, or this halter top that would have been perfect for her Las Vegas trip.
xo viv
Thanks for being here. You can find me on IG and TT. My wardrobe recs and latest finds are saved here—unless it’s vintage, of course ;)
Is it just me or is Only Fans and the role in society becoming a topic in shows? 'Euphoria' and 'Margo's got money troubles' are just two recent ones. How do you think the fashion of Cassie in Euphoria compares to Margo's?