Inside the Costumes of Margo’s Got Money Troubles
In the Apple TV series “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” Elle Fanning stars as a young college dropout navigating single parenthood through a retro-futuristic OnlyFans persona called the Hungry Ghost. Adapted from a novel, the production relies on distinct costume design to chart its characters’ economic and personal struggles.
Margo’s journey from a college student facing unexpected pregnancy to an online phenomenon rests heavily on visual storytelling. According to costume designer Mirren Gordon-Crozier in TheWrap, Margo understands the power of visual impact because she comes from a family of performers. Her mother, Shyanne, is a flamboyant former Hooters waitress played by Michelle Pfeiffer, while her father, Jinx, is a former professional wrestler portrayed by Nick Offerman.
Building the Hungry Ghost Aesthetic on a Budget
To establish Margo’s digital enterprise, the series required a homemade aesthetic that reflected both her limited financial resources and the amateur sewing skills of her roommate Susie, played by Thaddea Graham. The resulting Hungry Ghost costume features silver spandex as a subtle nod to Jinx’s wrestling past, paired with a clear vinyl miniskirt and chunky rave shop boots decorated with moons and stars.
Gordon-Crozier noted that the cone shape of the bra was chosen deliberately to add a kitsch factor and a sense of humor to Margo’s video broadcasts. In these segments, Margo is joined by OnlyFans mentors played by Rico Nasty and Lindsey Normington. These characters appear in pink lace bodysuits featuring bedazzled gun holsters, complete with braids styled by hair designer Jaime Leigh McIntosh into floor-length lassos.
Animal Prints and Generational Style Signifiers
Animal prints serve as a recurring motif that bridges the gap between different generations of characters in the series. Shyanne’s wardrobe heavily features leopard prints, which Gordon-Crozier sourced primarily through secondhand shopping to reflect a style frozen in time. As noted by the design team, Shyanne wears pleather leggings, knee-high boots, and fur vests reminiscent of early 2000s Orange County fashion.
This big-cat theme extends across the ensemble. Nicole Kidman, appearing as the ex-wrestler lawyer Lace, wears a vintage Dolce & Gabbana acid yellow and black tiger-print dress. Jinx incorporates leopard-print T-shirts into his daily rotation, while Margo opts for snakeskin-print pants and a matching jacket. The costume direction intentionally ties the family together through shared prints and fabrics despite their distinct personal aesthetics.
A Wrestling Legacy and Old Money Conservatism
Jinx’s wardrobe reflects a man whose glory days in the wrestling ring remain his primary stylistic reference point. Sourced secondhand, his wardrobe includes leather accents, flashy patterns, and faded Jinx tank tops. The costume team even imagined that if he bought new footwear for around the house, he would choose black Crocs in an effort to maintain a sleek appearance despite his domestic comfort.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Marcia Gay Harden plays Elizabeth, the wealthy mother of Margo’s former professor. Rather than dressing Elizabeth in a classic Chanel ensemble, Gordon-Crozier outfitted her in a vintage knit St. John suit. The color scheme draws inspiration from a streak in the character’s hair, resulting in a stark black-and-white palette reminiscent of Cruella de Vil to emphasize her conservative, East Coast rigidity in a California climate.
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