When a series involves fighting bad guys as part of a government group where some people have superpowers, there tends to be a lot of tactical gear in the wardrobe. That doesn't mean characters don't get to show their personality or their taste through their clothing once in a while. In Agents of SHIELD, since Daisy Johnson (previously known as Skye) begins her journey as a civilian consultant, she actually doesn't spend her early days on the show in gear.
When she does get a uniform, Daisy quickly gets one tailored to her specific powers and look, making it unique. As her character evolves, and the show travels to new time periods, Daisy gets to wear a variety of outfits that reflect her personality. These are some of the best.
Purple In The Pilot
The first color in Daisy's wardrobe is when she's still Skye in the first episode of the series. She wears a purple top with crocheted sleeves and jeans. It's a relaxed look for someone living out of her fan and spending all of her time trying to get into a secret government organization.
Purple becomes something of her signature color, even when she's in tactical gear or getting gauntlets to help with her quaking. It all starts in the pilot. In color theory, purple is often associated with luxury, but that's not the case for Daisy. Instead, she combines the traits of red and blue in color theory: energy and sadness. It's a hint at what's to come for her character.
The Red Shirt Dress
At the end of the pilot episode, Daisy gets a wardrobe change while she decides whether or not to join Coulson's team. It's a red shirt dress paired with boots, and it only appears briefly as Daisy and Coulson take a ride in Lola back to the bus, but it makes an impression.
Part of that impression is a result of there being so much color in the wardrobe in the first season of the series; things got progressively darker in the second season. Another part of the impression is the sign that Daisy is a woman about function more so than fashion. Her dress, while cute and stylish, has pockets. That's something any woman will tell you is a must.
Gold In The '50s
One of the great things about the seventh (and final) season of Agents of SHIELD is that it really allowed everyone involved in the show to play around with the look. New time periods meant new set dressings and very different costumes. After the darkness of seasons three through six, season seven brings some very bright looks to the show.
One of those is seen when the team makes a stop in the 1950s. There are a few different looks for the characters, but Daisy's first involves a marigold yellow sweater while she sits with the Life Model Decoy version of Coulson in a diner. It makes for a stark contrast to each of the time periods the audience has seen her in before, and the color alone makes it seem like Daisy isn't quite as burdened as she has been in the previous seasons.
Undercover In Pink
It's rare, even after she's a full-fledged agent, for Daisy to get to go undercover. Her first attempt at it is when she's still known as Skye in the third episode, "The Asset." She tries to convince Ian Quinn that she's on his side in a fight against SHIELD, but she's not great at the whole spy game yet. It's a good thing she looks the part.
She's in a relatively simple bright pink dress compared to what other characters wear when they go undercover later in the series. It makes sense for the character though since she's not a wealthy business person, but a hacker sneaking into Quinn's event. The dress also means there's nowhere for her to conceal a weapon, making her seem non-threatening to Quinn.
Channeling Agent May
In the season one episode "The Magical Place," Daisy gets another chance to take on an undercover mission of sorts. She's kicked off the bus by a superior agent while the team is searching for a missing Coulson, so she has to get creative in her own search for him.
Despite being hampered by a bracelet that prevents her from using technology, Daisy finds a way, channeling her best Melinda May in order to do it. She grabs herself a belted leather jacket and some sunglasses to be able to intimidate the people she comes across. When she reunites with the team at the end of the episode, Agent May approves of the new look.
Purple In The Past
The first episode of season seven features the team traveling to the past for the first time. In 1931, they have to blend in.
Daisy does so with a bright purple form fitting dress that features a lot of angular stitching. It's a drastic change from the uniform she's been sporting for the last few seasons, but it's a call back to her very first appearance in the show. This dress is the sign that the team will make every effort to maintain cover in the final season - and look good doing it. It's probably harder for Daisy to fight in the dress, but at least she has her quaking powers.
Quake's Season Six Uniform
Though Daisy uncovers her Inhuman heritage (and powers) in the second season, it's the third season in which she gets her first tactical suit. By the sixth, it's gone through a few upgrades, and been to space.
It's those little added details that make it rank as one of her best outfits. It's still tactical gear, meant to protect Daisy in a fight, but it's also not standard. The suit incorporates Daisy's signature color - purple - into the stitching. It's a nod to the first color she wears in the series, but it's also a nod to what the animated version of Quake looks like in Marvel's Secret Warriors series.
Season Two's Cut-Outs
With the second season of the series, everyone's wardrobe gets noticeable darker; it's not just the lighting putting the agents back into the shadows. Daisy wears a lot of black in season two, but she also starts to develop a new style. Her comfortable tees and henleys are replaced by a lot of workout gear.
Most of that work out gear involves layered tanks, strappy tops, and cut out collars. In fact, the cut-outs become a staple of her wardrobe in season two, adding a bit of fun to her all-business work out gear and tactical wear.
Casual In The '70s
The '70s are a hit-or-miss decade for fashion. When the Agents of SHIELD team have to make a stop there, the clothing choices could have been really bad. Instead, they're really fun - and look incredibly comfortable.
Daisy is super casual in her flared jeans and white button-down, but her look is dressed up just enough with a plaid blazer to make her stand out. It's one of her best outfits from the time-hopping season, and one that could be pulled off in high fashion circles today.
The Final Daisy
Skye goes through a lot to become Daisy Johnson. She learns about her past, becomes a SHIELD agent, and dons the superhero persona of Quake, finding a family along the way. Her outfit changes reflect everything she goes through. As Daisy's world becomes immersed in spycraft and darkness, her clothes become shades of grey. When she strikes out on her own, black.
By the end of the final season, however, there's a bit of the old Skye back in Daisy's wardrobe. In space, with Kora and Daniel Sousa, she isn't wearing a quake uniform. She might still be in shades of grey, but her clothing is more relaxed. Daisy has her own fitted jacket instead of copying May's, but she's back to wearing the long necklaces she wore in the first season, skinny jeans, and boots. Her outfit is functional, but it also looks like something she could wear to hang out with friends instead of steering a spaceship.