Here Are The Fashion Lessons We Learned From Watching ‘It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’
As stated by Metro Editors-turned-fans, there is something to learn from the clothes for sure!
The newest K-Drama to hit it big this season is the unconventional romantic comedy series It’s Okay To Not Be Okay. While known for its lead actress Seo Ye-ji’s stunning designer looks, the show also goes deeper into how fashion shouldn’t often be taken at face value—and as far as this series is concerned, it is in fact full of healthy fashion lessons.
Seo Ye-ji plays the arrogant and independent children's book author Ko Mun-yeong, billing side by side with Kim Soo-hyun as Moon Gang-tae, a loving caregiver at a psychiatric hospital who helps to warm her heart. Their polarizing personalities are what often draw them together, but their love story goes deeper into helping heal one another and acknowledging the mental health issues we face today.
Metro.Style Executive Editor Grace Libero remembers this conversation between Dr. Oh and Gang-tae on “the psychology behind people who overdress and wear things that are too fancy.” “They want to protect themselves,” Dr. Oh says pointing out that these people think they’re too weak thus using clothes as protection—an armor, even, to compensate.
While the wardrobe of the show is often celebrated, there is actually some psychology put into it. Justin Convento, Metro.Style’s Culture Editor, notes how the costume design was meticulous and helped punctuate the character’s personalities. “Just from seeing how costume designer Jo Sang-gyeong used wardrobe and accessories to really play up the characters we are watching on our screens to be larger than life was a reason enough, aside from the great storytelling and refreshing topic/subject, to tune in,” she says. Mun-yeong’s pieces evolved from bold and dark to light and pretty as she slowly ‘heals’ herself from a troubled mind and past.
In an interview, the show’s screenwriter Jo Yong-park said the drama was “an apology to people with disabilities.” “We often judge other people and hurt them,” chimes in director Park Sin-woo hoping the show can finally address those issues properly.
While fashion isn’t always just the answer to our mental health issues, if there’s one thing IOTNBO taught us is that it can still be a way of coping, of helping us get there. So we celebrate the sartorial journey of the show and our healthy ways of looking at clothes as tools for growth and healing.
See more healthy fashion lessons the Metro.Style Editors learned while watching the show in the gallery below!
It's Okay To Not Be Okay
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Grace Libero, People Editor
I’ve always loved how [fashion and beauty] were used as instruments to showcase Ko Mun-yeong’s character and her nuances. She uses fashion to express herself and make a statement. I love how her looks throughout the series evolved from bold and edgy to dainty and subdued; that change is seen in the color palettes as well as silhouettes. It’s a transition that goes along with changes in her personality, further solidifying fashion as a means of self-expression.
Photo Credit: Photo from TVN
On her favorite scene:
Before that scene with Dr. Oh and Gang-tae, I liked this conversation between Gang-tae and Mun-yeong. It was funny! This was in Episode 9 when Gang-tae and Mun-yeong planned on going on a trip. He wore a basic chambray button-down and pants, while she went all-out with a black and white pleated dress, accessorized with a black wide-brimmed hat. Gang-tae: “Are you doing a circus show?” Mun-yeong: “Are you running away?” Gang-tae: “I mean, can’t you wear something comfortable?” Mun-yeong: “I feel comfortable naked.” Gang-tae: “Don’t you have anything normal?” Mun-yeong: “I don’t want to look normal.” Gang-tae: “Why not?” Mun-yeong: “Because it’s normal.”
Photo Credit: Photo from TVN
On her favorite looks:
My favorite outfits of Moon-young are the floral long-sleeved mini dress with exaggerated bow shoulder detail and black tuxedo dress with thigh-high socks (Episode 2), that beige cinched dress with a leather waistband and worn with brown knee-high boots (Episode 3), her white eyelet dress which she wore with pointed nude strappy heels (Episode 4), the mint green sheer floral dress with puffed sleeves and shank buttons and powder blue tweed blazer and skirt combo (Episode 8), the black and white printed dress she wore with a black wide-brimmed hat (Episode 9), the white dress she wore for their family portrait (Episode 12), and her white lace dress with ruffles (Episode 13).
Photo Credit: Photo from TVN
Justin Convento, Culture Editor
A healthy fashion lesson I learned from IOTNBO is that style is truly a reflection of who you are and can, in so many ways and without uttering so much as a word, help people understand you more. In the show, we see Kim Soo-hyun as Gang-tae, dressing so bland and boring, “It conveyed a sense of putting himself last and always choosing to take care of everyone else. He’s always had to play protector, tough guy, and I think we see this in his outfits—plain block colors, same/typical color schemes, sweatshirts, etc.
Photo Credit: Photo from TVN
On Mun-yeong's Style Evolution:
Seo Ye-ji as Mun-yeong uses fashion to speak volumes. As a fairytale writer, her clothing options were edgy, striking, and so memorable in every episode. I’ve always hypothesized that she used style as a defense mechanism, seeing how in the earlier episodes, she dressed to kill, and then as the story developed and the episodes went along, she wore more pastel, whites, and softer, doll-like dresses. Throughout the whole series, her style evolved but remains vintage and edgy, almost gothic. I can’t relate to wanting to wear every style but I found each outfit so striking and so helpful in the overall storytelling.
Photo Credit: Photo from TVN
On her favorite look:
I love how she showed us how loungewear can be so elevated and elegant, while still being very much comfortable. I love that when she’s home and sipping wine, her picks include silk as well as sheer textures. It shows a softness and vulnerability.
Photo Credit: Photo from TVN
Kate Paras-Santiago, Beauty and Wellness Editor
[My favorites are] from scattered episodes where Ko Mun-yeong dresses up for the home in her beautiful loungewear/dresses. It tells us that looking good, even if you're just at home, can be a big confidence-booster.
Photo Credit: Photo from TVN
On her favorite look:
I particularly love the episode where she wears the white Fendi dress, the one Kim Da-mi also wore at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
Photo Credit: Photo from TVN
Anna Rosete, Home Editor
The most memorable outfit for me was the red dress she wore in Episode 14.
Photo Credit: Photo from TVN
On the look’s meaning for her:
It underscores the importance of dressing up for a big event, even if you’re just channeling it. It’s important to already look the part.
Photo Credit: Photo from TVN