Let’s talk about The High Note. More specifically, let’s chat about the fashion in The High Note and how it’s filled my google searches with attempts to find suede fringe jackets and sheer trench coats. If you haven’t seen the film yet, I highly recommend it for many reasons, a few of which are as follows:
- Tracee Ellis Ross stars in it (this is every reason you need).
- In a year where chasing dreams is no walk in the park (looking at you, pandemic), it was refreshing to watch a movie where both characters are pursuing their dreams in spite of limitations.
- The fashion is so good and left me inspired for weeks.
Whether you’ve seen The High Note yet or not, here is your introduction! Read on for a celebration of its many sartorial successes, featuring a satisfying combination of Hollywood glamour and 1970s classics.
Let’s start with Maggie. Maggie (played by Dakota Johnson) is the music-loving, personal assistant to Grace Davis (played by TER). Her go-to uniform, always pulling from the 1970s, is epitomized in this incredibly buttery chestnut suede fringe jacket.
I have never thought about needing or wanting a suede fringe jacket. Suddenly, all I really want is a suede fringe jacket of equally buttery softness. I imagine wearing it on my grocery runs to ward off the chill from the freezer section as I gather my frozen goods.
Moving on to Maggie in the hall of Capitol Records wearing one of her signature band tees.
Normally I feel committed to only wearing band tees for bands I actually listen to, but this 1982 Quarterflash tee could warrant an exception. See the link below for a close-up of the t-shirt, unobscured by Dakota’s flowy tresses.
Another go-to Maggie look is a black leather motorcycle jacket paired with a basic tee, which she wears to do an unexpected closet clean-out session with her boss.
I would be completely content to wear this outfit and have my evening interrupted to help Tracee Ellis Ross clean out her closet. I have zero qualms about this.
Okay, now for Grace Davis. Tracee Ellis Ross plays Grace Davis, an award-winning singer with superstar status as she navigates transitions in her career. The fringed, red jumpsuit seen here is precisely Grace Davis in every way.
This jumpsuit, along with the fringe outfits worn by her back-up dancers, feels like a timeless nod to the stage outfits worn by Tracee Ellis Ross’s mother, Diana Ross, in her days with the Supremes. I love it even more for that. See what I mean, here.
Carrying on to a more classic Hollywood look, Grace Davis opts for this canary yellow three-piece number that is sunshine itself.
Three-piece yellow Grace knows she’s luminous as she greets adoring fans. This sunny look is so good I feel disappointed that it was only afforded a few seconds of screen time.
Off-duty Grace Davis goes to Catalina and kicks us back to the 70s with this flare belted jumpsuit.
This chestnut jumpsuit is one of Grace’s down-to-earth looks; but not so down-to-earth lest you forget she’s an incredibly successful star who travels by private helicopter.
We’ll wrap this up with the glistening, sheer trench coat Grace wore in the recording studio as she belted out her self-love anthem
It feels apropos that Grace dons a transparent coat as she *spoiler* redefines her career and records a song that vulnerably lets herself be seen for who she really is and who she wants to be. On a different note, I am now convinced that a coat light as air is a closet-piece of dreams!
Consider this article a teaser of the plethora of fashion moments worth admiring, discussing, considering and desiring in The High Note. What films have been inspiring your fashion? Let us know in the comments below!
- How to Ground Yourself in Times of Uncertainty - December 8, 2020
- She’s Beauty and She’s Grace Davis: Fashion from ‘The High Note’ - November 6, 2020
- Fall Fashion for Warm Climate Living - October 19, 2020
