Sean Connery as James Bond in Diamonds are Forever (1971).

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Sean Connery as James Bond, British government agent

Las Vegas, Spring 1971

Film: Diamonds are Forever
Release Date: December 17, 1971
Director: Guy Hamilton
Wardrobe Master: Ray Beck
Tailor: Anthony Sinclair

Background

Apologies for the blog’s inactivity lately; between my girlfriend’s sister’s wedding and spring being a very busy event seasons at work, it’s been difficult to find time for a fun – albeit time-consuming – sideline like BAMF Style. You didn’t expect me to miss the 00-7th of May, though?

And what’s a better way to celebrate the approaching Hallmark holiday of Mother’s Day without exploring a look from one of the most sexist films of an already somewhat chauvinist franchise?! (Hey, at least he wears some pink here.)

Towards the end of Diamonds are Forever‘s rambling waste of a plot, Bond finds himself tracking down reclusive billionaire casino owner Howard Hughes Willard Whyte via a 1970s version of a Talkboy. Armed with this knowledge (and only this knowledge), he sets off for the billionaire’s desert home where Whyte is being held captive by… a locked door and two bikini-clad women named after – you know what, let’s forget about describing the scene here.

What’d He Wear?

If anything should be learned from this post, it’s the importance of properly pairing all parts of an outfit. Although Diamonds are Forever is known for being more lighthearted and “comedic” than its predecessors, James Bond managed to keep his style relatively on point, remaining fashionable for 1971 without too much excess. He wisely dons a sharp cream linen suit for this final act in the desert… then ruins it with a goddamn pink tie.

Connery is mystified: why did he need to wear a suit and tie if he was just going to take off the jacket for most of the scene anyway?

There’s nothing wrong with a pink tie if worn properly. The color is admittedly not very Bondian, but still even a muted version or a maroon would have been better than the bright pink number we see in the film. Hell, even one that fit properly without falling short and fat on Connery’s dad gut would have been better than the shit that showed up on screen. Ugh. Let’s talk about the suit before I really start to get angry.

The suit, as seen on the Christie’s auction page.

The cream linen suit itself is pretty snazzy. No surprise, as it was tailored by the legendary Anthony Sinclair of Conduit Street. Sinclair provided most of Connery’s suits from Dr. No through Diamonds are Forever. It speaks volumes for Mr. Sinclair that he didn’t give up tailoring after seeing how poorly his suit was paired with the pink tie-

Okay, back to sanity. Cream linen is a wise choice for a hot day in the Las Vegas desert, nicely blending fashion and function. When the suit was auctioned at Christie’s in February 2001, it was described as:

A two-piece suit of cream linen, the single-breasted jacket lined in bronze art silk, the jacket labelled inside Anthony Sinclair Ltd. 29 Conduit Street, W.1. Mayfair 6682/3621, with typescript details March, 1971. Sean Conery Esq., 662 T.2302 L.B.D., the cotton lining of the back trouser pocket inscribed in an unknown hand in blue ballpoint pen 454 M — made for Sean Connery as James Bond in the 1971 Eon film Diamonds Are Forever.

Auction houses often get information wrong, but there’s no reason to doubt any of the details listed here, especially coming from a reputable house like Christie’s. The eventual sale price of the suit was £2,115 ($3,073 in real money), in the lower end of the £2,000 – £3,000 estimate.

The suit jacket fits nicely on Connery’s torso with natural shoulders, roped sleeveheads, and long double rear vents that flap around in the dry Nevada wind, revealing the “bronze art silk” lining. The jacket is single-breasted with reasonable notch lapels rolling down to a 2-button front. Each sleeve has four matching buttons at the cuff. Both the breast pocket and the hip pockets are patches.

When Connery first arrives at Willard Whyte’s home, he has both buttons fastened. This is far from the only sartorial misstep in this scene, since he ruins the look with a pink t- not going there. Yet.

The buttoned jacket keeps the tie in place. Unfortunately, Bond gets a bit overzealous about the buttoning.

Bond’s trousers have front darts, allowing for a higher rise, and 3-button side-tab “Daks top” adjusters, a feature that Anthony Sinclair had been placing on Connery’s trousers since Dr. No nine years earlier to provide a clean, belt-less look. The waistband fastens with a hidden clasp under the squared extended front tab.

Yes, Bond, it’s a woman in a bikini. Now put it back in your pants, because she’s probably there to kill you.

The trousers also have on-seam side pockets and a jetted right rear pocket that closes with a brown plastic button that matches those on the side adjusters. The slightly flared bottoms are plain-hemmed with a short break.

Bond wears the same brown leather monk strap ankle boots – with brass strap buckles – that he wore in some earlier scenes with his gray worsted suit. His socks are a much darker brown (I thought black until I did some color correction see for myself.) I would opt for a pair of lighter-colored socks both to match the trouser leg and to keep my feet cooler in such a warm climate, but – again – this is far from the worst part of the outfit.

Oh, hey Thumper.

Connery retains the Bond tradition of a Turnbull & Asser shirt with the distinctive 2-button turnback cuffs (also known as “cocktail cuffs”), although he only has one button on each cuff fastened, either out of laziness or to keep his wrists and hands freer for stunts. For Connery’s sake, let’s assume the latter.

Bond doesn’t take Bambi and Thumper’s innuendo-laced threats seriously until it’s too late. Then again, would you?

The light ivory shirt gets plenty of screen time since Connery keeps his jacket off, evidently not ashamed to show off that tie in all of its glory. The large collar has a wide spread, and the shirt buttons down a front placket. Most of his action scenes in this sequence are performed jacket-less, showing the shirt’s double rear darts at the shoulder.

I kind of get how this machine would work. But why does it seem to change Bond’s voice even when we’re in the same room as him?

There’s no avoiding it now, so let’s talk about that tie. In general, there’s nothing wrong with a carnation pink repp tie. I wouldn’t wear one for business (nor am I sure I’d wear one at all), but they can have their time and place. Unfortunately for Sean Connery, this is about as wrong as it can get.

First off, the tie is far too short – likely due to the Windsor knot – with the already too wide blade not even making it past the lowest visible button on his shirt. He wisely loosens it when he gets to Whyte’s, giving it a little more length, but the damage is already done. It’s hard to imagine that this look was ever fashionable despite the wide and short tie fad that emerged in the ’70s. This is just too short and too wide in all the wrong places.

God help a Bond movie when Q is dressed better than 007.

While no tie that length would look good, at least a different color tie might help? The pink against the cream suit and ivory shirt all washes together. With no contrast except his much darker footwear, the outfit becomes monochromatic in the shittiest way. A nicer look may have been a dark tie – perhaps navy, maroon, or brown – or no tie at all. The only possible justification I can imagine for the costumers putting this tie on him is thinking, “Hey, Vegas is full of neon shit! Let’s throw some bright, obnoxious color on Bond too!”

Connery’s cringe matches mine when I first saw that goddamn tie.

Bond fared better when he very briefly wore this suit in the pre-credits sequence in Japan (or wherever he is before going to Ca-Ca-Cairo) when he sported a brown tie. He also accessorized differently in the pre-credits scene, wearing a pair of brown 3-eyelet derbies and tan socks that nicely carried the leg into the shoe.

If only the filmmakers had swapped the Japan shirt/tie/shoes with the Vegas shirt/tie/shoes.

With only six items (jacket, trousers, shirt, tie, shoes, and socks), this is one of the simplest suits featured in the Bond series. He doesn’t even wear a watch, and his dive into the pool reveals no undershirt either. It’s likely that he’s wearing undershorts, but with Sean Connery, you never know.

(Admittedly, a glimpse of metal is seen under his wrist when he gets out of the car outside the Whyte house and in some production photos. However, the watch looks like it’s gone for the rest of the sequence. According to Dell Deaton’s comprehensive JamesBondWatches.com, this is the Gruen Precision 510 dress watch worn by Connery when he didn’t need a Rolex.)

Matt Spaiser nicely covered this outfit on his blog, The Suits of James Bond, and he managed to do so without getting as vehemently angry as I do about this tie. Kudos to Matt for his self-control and dignity.

Go Big or Go Home

007 isn’t wearing any sort of holster, nor does he carry his trusty Walther PPK for this scene. He takes a Colt Detective Special from Leiter (the same one he carries in the photo at the top of this post), but stuffs it in the jacket pocket without a second thought… especially since he has his jacket off for the remainder of the sequence. Apparently, Bond’s overconfidence is at a peak here as he swaggers into Whyte’s home, ostensibly unarmed, and casually faces off against his two henchwomen with his jacket slung over his shoulder. One assumes his plan all along was to drunk the two women under the water to get information, but it sure took him plenty of beating to get there.

For a more accurate look at how James Bond might approach a potential desert combat situation against an unknown number of assailants, check out the climatic battle scene in Quantum of Solace when he wears a dark blue zip jacket and jeans and carries another agent’s SIG-Sauer P226.

How to Get the Look

Without the tie, it’s a classy and casual look for warm weather. With the tie, you look like a fucking clown who shouldn’t be trusted with a firearm… or a closet. No wonder Bambi and Thumper wanted to kick his ass.

Connery enjoys a refreshing Gatorade between takes.

• Cream linen suit, tailored by Anthony Sinclair, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with notch lapels, 2-button front, patch breast pocket, patch hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and long double rear vents
  • Darted front trousers with “Daks top” 3-button tab side adjusters, on-seam side pockets, button-through jetted right rear pocket, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Light ivory poplin Turnbull & Asser dress shirt with large spread collar, front placket, and 2-button turnback/”cocktail” cuffs
• Brown leather monk strap ankle boots
• Dark brown thin dress socks

If you’re going to wear a pink tie with this suit, at least make sure it’s an appropriate length. You may just be able to pull it off.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

Footnotes

I couldn’t find any information about a costume designer for the film, other than Sinclair’s tailoring, of course. However, IMDb did list an uncredited wardrobe master named Ray Beck. Ray, after seeing that tie, I can see why you opted to go uncredited. Interestingly, this is the only film on Mr. Beck’s IMDb page where he worked uncredited. One would think working on a Bond film would be the pinnacle of a career in the film industry, but then again not all Bond films feature stupid pink neckties.

Brad Pitt as “Rusty” Ryan in Ocean’s Thirteen (2007).

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Brad Pitt as Robert “Rusty” Ryan, casino heister and hotel manager

Las Vegas, June 2007

Film: Ocean’s Thirteen
Release Date: June 8, 2007
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Costume Designer: Louise Frogley

Background

Happy Memorial Day! I hope all you gents out in BAMF Land will be celebrating the holiday with an outdoor cookout… or possibly planning a multi-million dollar casino heist with your buddies.

In either case, it’s safe to wear white again.

What’d He Wear?

Rusty meets with his con artist cohorts Danny Ocean and Roman Nagel while wearing the loudest outfit of the trio. While Danny and Roman prefer all black, perhaps in accordance with the shady nature of their planning session, Rusty aims more for climate and style than criminal purpose. Rusty’s suit is white-on-white tonal pinstripe in lightweight silk. As usual, Rusty wears his suit without a tie.

The criminality of Rusty and Danny’s venture is evident by the noiresque shadows over them.

The perfect fit of the suit confirms my belief that the mid-2000s was a sartorial high point in recent years, bridging the extra-baggy ’90s and overly slim suits seen today. Then again, it would be a challenge for any costumer to make Brad Pitt look bad.

A brighter-lit shot from the same angle shows more aspects of Rusty’s suit jacket.

The suit jacket is single-breasted with notch lapels (and a buttonhole through the left lapel). The shoulders are padded with roped sleeveheads.

Rusty’s suit coat closes in the front with a single brown horn button, although he leaves it open for the whole of the sequence. The sleeves have fully-functional 4-button “surgeon’s cuffs”, although he only leaves three fastened, following the rakish pattern set by Daniel Craig’s James Bond to mark a bespoke suit. It’s a flashy gesture that fits a flashy dresser like Rusty.

In addition to the welted breast pocket, Rusty’s suit coat has flapped hip pockets that slant rearward like a hacking jacket. Unlike a hacking jacket, it has double rear vents.

The product placement train keeps rolling as the Stella Artois-drinking Rusty provides a Dell laptop for Roman.

The flat front suit trousers rise low on his waist. They have two frogmouth front pockets and jetted rear pockets. The waistband closes with an extended squared hook closure tab in the front, although the trousers are meant to be worn with a belt.

Although Rusty wears white chino trousers with a few other outfits in Ocean’s Thirteen (including with his mustard sportcoat at the airport), these are clearly a different pair that matches the suit as evident by the tonal pinstripe and the frogmouth front pockets that differ from the on-seam side pockets on the other chinos.

A stylish guy like Rusty isn’t going to ignore the matching belt and shoes rule, although we don’t get much of a look at the latter. His distressed leather belt is caramel brown with dark brown gradient edges and a thin squared gold buckle. The brief glimpse we get of his shoes offers what may be light brown leather with cream dress socks.

And there you have it. The only look we get at Rusty’s feet in this outfit.

Some men might opt for a more subtle shirt to offset such a loud suit… not Rusty, though. Rusty wears a gold shirt with a distinctive metallic sheen. It has a large collar that he wears open with the top two buttons undone, buttoning the rest down the placket-less front. He also wears the rounded barrel cuffs unbuttoned, typically rolling up his sleeves when the jacket is off.

Rusty is no slave to sartorial conventions by any means, but when he sports a white suit, brown supplements, and a gold shirt, it makes sense that he’d keep his jewelry all gold for a consistent palette. He wears his usual thin gold necklace with a gold pendant, mostly concealed by his shirt here.

His watch is a gold Rolex GMT Master II with a black bezel and black dial, secured to his right wrist on a gold link bracelet.

Rusty proudly shows off his GMT Master.

The watch is on his right wrist here, but it rotates with the rest of his accessories and shows up on his left wrist for the closing scene of the movie. His multiple rings also rotate from hand to hand and finger to finger. In this scene, he wears a gold ring with a flat amber stone on his right ring finger (although this production photo shows it on a different hand.)

I’m not sure what the context of this photo is, but it’s almost definitely from the filming of this scene.

The production photo also ignores the gold pinky ing that Rusty wears on his left hand.

Go Big or Go Home

The scene could also double as a beer ad as two of the coolest men in Hollywood wear sharp suits and plan a slick casino heist all while enjoying bottles of Stella Artois.

Brad, Stella, and George.

How to Get the Look

Once again, Brad Pitt’s Rusty Ryan offers a flashy, distinctive outfit that many can attempt, but few will actually pull off.

• White-on-white tonal pinstripe lightweight silk tailored suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with notch lapels, 1-button front, welted breast pocket, rear-slanted flapped hip pockets, 4-button “surgeon’s cuffs”, and double rear vents
  • Flat front low rise trousers with belt loops, frogmouth front pockets, jetted rear pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Gold sheen dress shirt with large collar, plain front, and unbuttoned barrel cuffs
• Caramel brown leather laced dress shoes
• Cream dress socks
• Caramel brown leather belt with dark brown gradient edges and squared gold buckle
• Rolex GMT Master II wristwatch with a gold case, black bezel and dial, and gold link bracelet, worn on right wrist
• Gold ring with brown stone, worn on right ring finger
• Gold pinky ring, worn on left pinky
• Thin gold necklace with a round gold pendant

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie, or even the whole series.

Sean Connery as James Bond, standing in front of a ’57 Chevy Bel Air in Dr. No (1962).

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Sean Connery as James Bond, sophisticated British government agent

Kingston, Jamaica, Spring 1962

Film: Dr. No
Release Date: October 5, 1962
Director: Terence Young
Wardrobe Master: John Brady
Tailor: Anthony Sinclair

Background

Welcome back to Car Week, BAMF Style’s semi-annual celebration that combines both sartorial and automotive elegance. And what’s more elegant than a sharply-suited James Bond getting behind the wheel of an American classic – the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air?

As I mentioned in a Car Week post last year, the Sunbeam Alpine is the first car Bond uses during a chase in the films, but the ’57 Bel Air he commandeers from “Mr. Jones” is technically the first that we see him driving. Dr. No sets the standard Bond formula early of Bond showing up in a tuxedo, getting called to M’s office, and being sent away on a mission. We then get the obligatory airport scene of Bond, having flown Pan Am like any good ’60s movie character, walking through the terminal and instantly being aware of those watching him. When the mysterious “Mr. Jones” arrives and offers to drive him in the Bel Air, Bond slyly checks to make sure no car was sent for him before willingly getting in the car with the nervous potential assassin. Of course, if Mr. Jones hadn’t been driving such an impressive car, Bond may have just called him out right there at the airport and been on his way… even 007 can’t turn down a ride in a 1957 Bel Air.

What’d He Wear?

As Matt Spaiser mentions in a comprehensive post on The Suits of James Bond, the dark gray flannel suit that Connery wears at the airport is one of the three business suits that Anthony Sinclair tailored specially for Sean Connery to wear in Dr. No. The other two suits, a Glen check and a light gray silk, are more appropriate for the warm weather of Jamaica, and his dark gray flannel would have been more comfortable for the cooler London spring than the hot air of Kingston. However, Bond seems to have an established uniform for air travel – a dark gray suit, light blue suit, and blue woven tie – as we see in both Dr. No and From Russia with Love.

Connery in a Sinclair-tailored “Conduit cut” suit: classic from the get-go.

Bond’s single-breasted suit jacket has reasonably wide notch lapels – with a buttonhole in the left lapel – before the ’60s took a turn towards ultra slim for its lapels, collars, and ties. The Conduit cut flatters Connery’s strong, broad-chested physique with firm, natural shoulders, roped sleeveheads, and a full chest that is cut nicely close to the body without even approaching Skyfall levels of tightness. His jacket also has double rear vents and 4-button cuffs.

A little worse for wear after some fisticuffs, at least 007 manages to keep his hat on and tie knot firmly in place.

The suit coat also has a 2-button front, with the top button closing at the slightly nipped waist that further accentuates Connery’s frame, although Connery often shows his unseasoned sartorial expertise by fastening both buttons… a no-no that he still wouldn’t have corrected by the time of Diamonds are Forever nine years later.

Connery also plays with the straight hip pockets on his jacket, sometimes tucking in the flaps and sometimes leaving them out. The businesslike image of the suit is completed with a white linen handkerchief, neatly folded  into the jacket’s welted breast pocket.

Bond makes a dashing impression at the Kingston airport.

I believe that Connery also wears these same double forward-pleated suit trousers later when he visits Professor Dent and Miss Taro in his navy blue blazer (the Sunbeam Alpine chase scene). They have a high rise with Sinclair’s “Daks top” side-tab waist adjusters consisting of three mother-of-pearl gray buttons on each side; Bond uses one of the buttons on the left side of the trousers to fasten his shoulder holster into place. If they are the same trousers, they also have slanted side pockets and a single rear pocket on the right – jetted with a single button to close. The trouser legs taper to the high break cuffed bottoms.

While “the man in the gray flannel suit” carries a connotation of the boring, conformist businessman, Bond keeps his look fresh with a blue Turnbull & Asser shirt and tie that would become standard for 007’s suits in the early ’60s. His sky blue cotton poplin shirt has a front placket and the distinctive 2-button turnback – or “cocktail” – cuffs that were originally developed by Frank Foster.

Subtle yet badass moments like this make me yearn for the days of pay phones. (Sort of.)

Bond’s navy grenadine tie is the widest one we see in the decade, measuring three inches across. He ties it with a Windsor knot, a knot eschewed by Fleming’s Bond but appropriate in this case to cover the wide spread of the shirt’s cutaway collar. We won’t see another Windsor knot on Connery until Diamonds are Forever.

Bond wears a pair of black calf leather plain toe bluchers (aka derbies) with dark blue silk dress socks. Technically, the socks should be dark gray or even black, but at least they’re not pink like the stupid tie he would later wear in Diamonds are Forever. You all know how I feel about that tie, right?

Bond isn’t afraid to show a little shin around the office.

This sequence marks one of the few times we see Bond actually wearing his hat rather than just tossing it onto Miss Moneypenny’s rack – er, stand. Lock & Co. Hatters created the olive brown felt trilby worn in Dr. No, and they still offer it in their St. James’s Street store in London (according to James Bond Lifestyle). The hat, which can also look green or gray depending on the video quality, has a short and stiff snap-front brim and a pinched crown. A slim grosgrain ribbon around the crown matches the brown of the hat.

Am I crazy or does Sean Connery look a bit like Burt Reynolds here? Pre-mustache, of course.

This sequence also marks the first appearance of another Bond icon – his Rolex Submariner. In this case, Connery is wearing his stainless Submariner 6538 on a black leather strap.

Although it goes mostly unseen here, Bond is likely wearing the same light brown chamois leather shoulder holster for his Walther PP that he wore in the prior and following scenes. It was a custom-made holster for the production, designed to fit both his original Beretta M1934 and the Walther PP he is given to replace it.

How to Get the Look

007’s early travel attire follows a standard pattern – sharp dark gray suit, light blue suit, dark blue woven tie, and a trilby. It’s about time all gentlemen step up and bring the class back to air travel with dignified suits and ties rather than old sweatpants and hoodies.

• Dark gray flannel “Conduit cut” suit, tailored by Anthony Sinclair, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted suit coat with notch lapels, 2-button front, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, double rear vents, and 4-button cuffs
  • Double forward-pleated trousers with slanted side pockets, jetted right rear button-through pocket, 3-button tab “Daks top” side adjusters, and turn-ups/cuffs
• Light blue button-down Turnbull & Asser dress shirt with cutaway spread collar, front placket, and 2-button turnback/”cocktail” cuffs
• Navy blue Turnbull & Asser grenadine necktie, tied in Windsor knot
• Black calf leather plain toe 3-eyelet bluchers/derbies
• Dark blue thin silk dress socks
• Olive brown felt Lock & Co. Hatters short-brimmed trilby with thin grosgrain ribbon
• Rolex Submariner 6538 stainless wristwatch with black dial/bezel on black leather strap
• Light brown chamois leather RHD shoulder holster with blue strap, fitted for compact semi-automatic pistol

Bond completes his debonair yet businesslike image with a neatly folded white linen pocket square in the breast pocket of his suit coat.

The Car

Mr. Jones may be a shitty assassin with bad timing, but he certainly has good taste in cars. It’s reasonable to see why 007 was tempted to join him in the car, a classic black 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door convertible. The “’57 Chevy” is now regarded as an American icon from the American Graffiti era when drivers took pride in their cars and every auto that rolled out of Detroit was designed for both performance and presentation.

The Bel Air name was first used by Chevrolet to differentiate it from its Styleline and Fleetline range models from 1950-1952. The Bel Air designation became its own distinct body style for the 1953 model year, indicating a premium trim level. In September 1956, Chevy rolled out its 1957 lineup of the base 150 model, the mid-range 210, and the upscale Bel Air, which would become a symbol of “the Fabulous Fifties”.

Bond and Mr. Jones argue over who called shotgun first.

Ever since Chevy had rolled out its “second generation” Bel Air in 1955, GM knew the car would have appeal. It was marketed as the “Hot One” with its innovative and powerful V8 engine options and Italian-styled grille. Chrome shined from the fenders, side trim, and wheel covers with “Bel Air” scripted prominently in gold. Each year, Chevy upped its V8 game until it developed the “Super Turbo Fire” V8 option in 1957. The “Super Turbo Fire” matched 283 horsepower to its 283 cubic inch size due to its continuous mechanical fuel injection system rather than the carburetors of the lower-performing models.

The Bel Air driven by Mr. Jones, and subsequently Bond, is model #2434 with body/style #1067D, indicating one of the 47,562 Bel Air two-door convertibles produced in 1957. The factory price was $2,611, $100 more than the standard six-cylinder convertible. It appears to use a standard “three on a tree” Synchro-Mesh manual transmission rather than the optional 2-speed Turboglide or continuously variable 3-speed Powerglide automatic options.

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air

Body Style: 2-door convertible

Layout: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (RWD)

Engine: 283 cubic inch (4.6 L) “Super Turbo Fire” V8 with closed loop mechanical fuel injection

Power: 283 hp (211 kW; 287 PS) @ 6200 rpm

Torque: 290 lb·ft (393 N·m) @ 4400 rpm

Transmission: 3-speed Synchro-Mesh manual with optional overdrive

Wheelbase: 115 inches (2921 mm)

Length: 195.6 inches (4968 mm)

Width: 73.9 inches (1877 mm)

Height: 59.6 inches (1514 mm)

If you’re interested in more specs about this iconic car series, check out OldRide.com or the Old Car Manual Project. Both sites are invaluable sources of information for various classic cars.

The Bel Air used in the flick has fleet registration plates #7715, and – interestingly – the instrument panel shown in close-ups is of a 1957 Ford Fairlane, possibly because it offered a more readable visual than that of the Bel Air.

When Bond pulls the Bel Air in front of Government House with Mr. Jones dead in the back, it offers Connery one of his best of the early “deadly one-liners”:

Sergeant, make sure he doesn’t get away.

The sergeant in question barely acknowledges this until he realizes just what makes the situation so ridiculous. By then, we’ve cut to the inside of Government House.

The Gun

It’s well-known by now that the gun carried by James Bond in Dr. No isn’t actually a “Walther PPK” in 7.65 mm as he is technically issued by M, but he actually carries the slightly larger and longer Walther PP, chambered in .380 ACP (9×17 mm Browning Short).

Mr. Jones is in trouble.

The most likely explanation is that the .380 PP was all the production could get their hands on. For all they knew, Dr. No would be a bomb and there wouldn’t have even been a sequel… let alone a 50+ year franchise that is one of the most successful, enduring, and popular cultural icons to this day. Rather than bust their nuts to get the correct .32 PPK, they settled on the available .380 PP and figured it was close enough that no one would notice. After all, nitpicky screenshotters (like me!) weren’t around in 1962. Plus, they came pretty damn close and deserve some credit for that.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Both hands on the wheel, Mr. Jones, I’m a very nervous passenger!

Al Pacino stands next to a bright ’63 Caddy convertible as Tony Montana in Scarface (1983).

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Al Pacino as Tony Montana, hotheaded Cuban-American cocaine dealer

Miami, August 1981

Film: Scarface
Release Date: December 9, 1983
Director: Brian De Palma
Costume Designer: Patricia Norris

Background

BAMF Style is continuing Car Week with the second grand American convertible from the automotive golden era – the 1963 Cadillac Series 62 owned by Tony Montana in 1983’s Scarface. Ironically, we first see this Caddy while Tony is actually shopping for a different luxury car, the silver 1979 Porsche 928 4.5L that he adds to his growing collection.

The ’63 Caddy convertible is clearly Tony’s favorite, though, driving it to show off his status even though Elvira pointedly tells him:

It looks like somebody’s nightmare.

What’d He Wear?

Tony Montana wears this lightweight tan suit twice in the film, once when car shopping with Manny and Elvira and later during his arrest. It’s very much an ’80s-styled suit with its low-gorge notch lapels, low 2-button front, and padded shoulders with roped sleeveheads. All buttons are tan plastic to match the suit itself.

The salesman knows he has no place in the Tony vs. Manny battle for chest hair exposure supremacy.

The jacket also has 3-button cuffs, long double rear vents, straight flapped hip pockets, and a welted breast pocket for Tony’s display handkerchiefs. When he goes car shopping, he wears a cream-colored silk handkerchief in the pocket. The red handkerchief he wears during his arrest perfectly matches his red silk shirt worn for the occasion.

The ’80s-ness of it all extends to his large-fitting low rise suit trousers which have a flat front and plenty of room throughout the hips. The side pockets are slanted, and there is a jetted pocket on the right rear. The slightly flared bottoms are plain-hemmed with a full break.

Elvira is not impressed.

Tony wears a thin brown leather belt with a small gold squared claw-style buckle through the trousers’ slim belt loops.

With both outfits, Tony wears a pair of tan sueded leather summer shoes with raised heels and pointed cap toes. His socks also appear to be tan or cream, although they’re rarely seen under the full break of the trouser legs.

Tony swaggers around his new acquisition… both of them.

The first shirt worn with this suit – in the car shopping scene – is a baggy soft brown shirt with a large collar, breast pocket, and button cuffs. Tony ignores the top few dark brown plastic buttons down the plain front, as per his usual style.

*Beep Beep*

He’s even less modest with his second shirt, an even baggier red silk shirt that also has a plain button-down front and button cuffs. It may be the same shirt he wears with his white double-breasted suit in Colombia. Either way, he chooses to accentuate it with a matching red silk handkerchief in his jacket breast pocket. This flashier shirt makes the first look seem very understated by comparison.

Nothing about this look says “subtle”.

Two-Gun Tony is also carrying when he’s busted. He keeps a snubnose .38-caliber Smith & Wesson Model 36 “Chief’s Special” revolver in a brown leather shoulder holster under his left arm. He sticks his primary sidearm, a .32-caliber Beretta Cheetah 81, in the back of his waistband. Evidently, Tony is allowed to keep his firearms after he is arrested (!) since he later has them both on in his lawyer’s office – more properly carrying the Beretta in an IWB for that scene.

Spoiler alert: the drug dealer gets arrested at one point.

Tony wears one of his many Omega La Magique gold wristwatches with this suit. A flashy, appearance-driven criminal like Tony would be sure to pick up the latest fashionable watch, and the La Magique was first introduced in 1981, positioned as one of the thinnest watches of the era. This particular watch has a gold rectangular case and a very small black round dial that would require 20/20 vision to read properly.

Although we know he has a few different La Magique watches with differently colored dials to match his various suits and shirts, he only wears the black-dialed model with this suit.

On his right wrist, he wears his usual silver chain link bracelet. His right hand is also decked out with both of his big gold rings; the 3rd finger ring has a diamond and the pinky ring has a square-cut ruby. Both of Tony’s necklaces – the larger Cuban-style chain and the slimmer, lower-hanging rope necklace – are yellow gold.

How welcoming!

Tony keeps his reputation as a sporty ’80s guy with a pair of black acetate teardrop-framed sport aviators with amber gradient lenses. zeroUV offers a similar pair for only $9.99.

How to Get the Look

Buying a new car anytime soon? Show the salesman you mean business by wearing your finest Miami drug kingpin suit, and don’t be afraid to dress it up with extensive and expensive jewelry.

• Tan lightweight suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted suit jacket with notch lapels, low 2-button stance, welted breast pocket, flapped straight hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and double rear vents
  • Low rise flat front suit trousers with thin belt loops, slanted side pockets, jetted right rear pocket, and plain-hemmed flared bottoms
• Brown soft button-down shirt with large collar, breast pocket, plain front, and button cuffs
• Tan sueded leather cap-toed summer shoes
• Brown slim leather belt with small gold squared claw-shaped buckle
• Omega La Magique wristwatch on left wrist with gold expanding bracelet, gold rectangular case, and round red dial
• Stainless link bracelet, worn on right wrist
• Gold ring with diamond, worn on right ring finger
• Gold ring with square-cut ruby, worn on right pinky
• Black acetate teardrop-framed sport aviators with amber gradient lenses
• Two yellow gold necklaces

Don’t forget the cream silk display handkerchief!

The Car

… I mean, it’s got a few years, but it’s a cream puff.

Tony obviously has a soft spot for his butter yellow 1963 Cadillac Series 62 convertible. GM had been using the “Series 62″ appellation since 1940 when it was the lowest level offered by Cadillac. The torpedo-styled cars – with a Body by Fisher – quickly gained attention, and the Series 62 remained a sleek and popular model for nearly 25 years.

Poor Tony overshoots the “opulence” part of the American dream a bit much…

After a series of updates and facelifts through the ’40s and ’50s, Cadillac rolled out its final generation of the C-platform Series 62 with a design from GM’s chief designer Bill Mitchell in 1961. Each year saw slight changes both internally and externally; the 1963 model – as driven in Scarface – featured lower profile tailfins (by era standards) to create a longer, bolder look. Cadillac emphasized an even more luxurious ride for its 1963 model, insulating the floor and firewall to keep noise from the revamped and lighter weight 390 cubic inch V8 out of the inner compartment.

1964 was the final year of the Cadillac Series 62 before the model was renamed the Calais. The engine was expanded to 429 cubic inches, boosting horsepower to 340. No convertibles were offered in ’64, and sales bottomed out at 35,079… an 18-year low and a huge dip from the car’s apex of popularity in 1956.

Oh… my.

1963 Cadillac Series 62

Body Style: 2-door convertible

Layout: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (RWD)

Engine: 390 cubic inch (6.4 L) Cadillac OHV V8 with Rochester 4-barrel carburetor

Power: 325 hp (242 kW; 329 PS) @ XX rpm

Torque: 430 lb·ft (580 N·m) @ XX rpm

Transmission: 4-speed GM Hydra-Matic automatic

Wheelbase: 129.5 inches (3289 mm)

Length: 223 inches (5664 mm)

Width: 79.7 inches (2024 mm)

Height: 56.6 inches (1438 mm)

Despite its powerful Cadillac V8 under the hood, it would take a lot more than 325 horsepower to push the 4,544-pound car into high speeds. Acceleration was low, taking more than 10 seconds to hit 60 mph with a dismal 17.6 second quarter mile drag time. But a car like this isn’t driven for performance… it’s driven for showing off. Sounds about right for Tony Montana, doesn’t it?

And show off he does. Not only does the outside of the car attract attention with its bright yellow paint job, but the custom interior’s tiger-print upholstery is truly… unique.

If you want your own and size isn’t important to you, a 1:24 die-cast model replica is available for sale (and it even includes a little Tony Montana!) If die-cast metal isn’t your thing and you want something “cuter”, there’s always a toy like this.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the deluxe DVD gift set… which also comes with a copy of the original Scarface from 1932!

The Quote

You wanna play that way with me, I play with you.

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in GoldenEye (1995), standing next to his newly-issued BMW Z3.

Vitals

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, sophisticated British government secret agent

Cuba, Spring 1995

Film: GoldenEye
Release Date: November 13, 1995
Director: Martin Campbell
Costume Designer: Lindy Hemming

Background

Car Week continues with a second post of James Bond driving in the Caribbean, this time finding 007 “bombing around” Cuba in his sporty new BMW Z3. (Monday’s post featured the gray flannel suit and black ’57 Chevy in Dr. No.)

The scene begins peacefully with Bond driving his new ladyfriend Natalya around. Natalya lauds the Caribbean for its beauty with not another human in sight… just in time for Joe Don Baker to show up and bring sthat thought to a screeching halt.

What’d He Wear?

Brosnan’s Bond wears yet another Brioni suit for his pre-mission drive through Cuba, although this is much different than the gray and blue Brioni business suits worn earlier in the film. Made of a tan linen blend twill, this two-piece suit is perfect for a stylish man on holiday in the Caribbean. Bond is technically on a mission and not vacation, but the beautiful woman, expensive new roadster, and tropical surroundings might blur that line a bit.

This suit received an expert breakdown on Matt Spaiser’s blog, The Suits of James Bond; check out Cool in Cuba: A Tan Linen Suit for a more in-depth look. Matt explains on his blog: “the twill suiting is two-tone, woven with light brown and white yarns to effectively look tan overall.”

See the subtle weave in the suiting?

The blend also offers the cool-wearing benefits of linen without the unsightly wrinkle. Lindy Hemming tailored the suit with a larger fit that is both contemporary to the mid-1990s and more comfortable in the warm Cuban climate as overly tight linen is uncomfortable and more prone to creasing.

Pierce Brosnan would sport a similar tan linen blend suit in The Tailor of Panama four years later as another cavalier MI6 agent stationed in – you guessed it – Panama. An earlier example of 007 in a similar suit would be Timothy Dalton’s tan gabardine suit in The Living Daylights. Dalton’s suit, worn during the first Morocco scene in the movie, is one of the few sartorial highlights of his two-film tenure.

Bond reasonably hesitates before handing the keys to his new roadster over to Sheriff Buford Pusser Jack Wade.

Brosnan’s suit jacket is single-breasted with padded straight shoulders, roped sleeveheads, and a ventless back seen as he steps out of the BMW to greet Wade. The notch lapels have swelled edges and a buttonhole on the left lapel. The three buttons on the front and three buttons on the cuffs are all a medium brown. The coat also has a welted breast pocket and straight flapped hip pockets.

The trousers match the jacket with their generous fit, rising no higher than the jacket’s center button while still offering a roomy fit through the thighs and legs. They definitely have reverse pleats, and it’s reasonable to assume they are triple-reverse pleated like the other Brioni suit trousers in GoldenEye. The brown leather belt holding them up has a shiny brass single-claw buckle.

Bond removes the belt and cuffs up the trousers’ already-cuffed bottoms when he heads out to sit on the beach to contemplate life. This scene also shows us the on-seam side pockets and jetted right rear pocket of the trousers.

Bond reflects on how difficult his life is. Oh wait.

Bond appears to be wearing two different white linen Sulka shirts in these scenes with only subtle differences in the stitching and material composition. His primary shirt, worn while driving the Z3, is likely a linen and cotton blend with a moderate spread collar – worn open with the top two buttons undone – plus a front placket and French cuffs. The French cuffs are a bit surprising to see in such an informal situation (especially with no tie), but this is Brosnan’s Bond, so what else would we expect? Despite this, we don’t really get to see the cuff links, and Bond’s sleeves are rolled up when we see him at the beach. The beach shirt may or may not be different, but it appears to be more lightweight and probably all-linen.

I can just imagine the argument between Bond and Natalya as he packs. “What do you need two white linen shirts for?” asks Natalya. “The all-linen shirt is for sitting on the beach, and the linen blend shirt is for driving. God, get it right!” Bond screams before storming out of the room.

The brown leather brogues he wears in Cuba don’t receive much screen time, but they appear to be the same Church’s Chetwynd full brogue Oxfords in “walnut brown” Nevada leather that he wears earlier with the dark blue blazer in Monte Carlo. If these are the same shoes, then they’re a pair of perforated medallion cap toe wingtip brogues with six eyelets. The sartorially-inclined Brosnan is probably also wearing tan or light brown socks to continue the leg line from trouser to shoe, although the full break of the trouser leg prevents us from ever knowing the truth. More information about the GoldenEye Chetwynd shoes can be found on James Bond Lifestyle.

Bond also wears a cool pair of tortoise-framed Persol sunglasses, evident by the distinctive silver temple logos.

Brosnan channels McQueen with his Persols.

GoldenEye gives Bond an Omega watch for the first time, although the film is the only instance where the Seamaster Professional Diver 2541.80.00 with its Omega 1538 quartz movement makes an appearance before Brosnan would switch to the 2531.00 with an automatic movement in the next few films.

The Omega Seamaster Professional 2541.80.00 in GoldenEye has a blue bezel on a stainless steel case with a blue dial protected by domed, anti-reflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. It fastens to his left wrist on a stainless link bracelet. The watch is water-resistant to 300 meters.

A classy watch for a classy dude.

More information about the GoldenEye Omega can be found at James Bond Lifestyle, while Dell Deaton’s extensively-researched JamesBondWatches.com offers a solid source of information that identifies all watches from the Bond series.

Go Big or Go Home

…actually don’t go home, go to a beach.

I have yet to enjoy a business trip like this.

Puerto Rico filled in for “Cuba” with Bond and Natalya enjoying their daytime drive and nighttime tryst near the Laguna Tortuguero Nature Reserve in Vega Baja.

How to Get the Look

The perfect blend of style and comfort was always key for casual attire when it came to Pierce Brosnan’s Bond, and this outfit – with its linen blend suit and shirt – is no exception.

• Tan linen blend twill Brioni two-piece suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with notch lapels, 3-button front, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and ventless rear
  • Triple-reverse pleated low rise trousers with belt loops, on-seam side pockets, jetted right rear pocket, and turn-ups/cuffs
• White linen/cotton Sulka dress shirt with spread collar, front placket, and double/French cuffs
• Brown leather belt with brass single-claw buckle
• Walnut brown Nevada leather Church’s Chetwynd full brogue oxford shoes
• Light brown dress socks
• Persol tortoise-framed sunglasses
• Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 2541.80.00 with stainless steel case, blue dial, blue bezel, stainless link bracelet, and 300M Omega 1538 Quartz precision movement

The Car

Pay attention, 007. First, your new car. BMW. Agile, five foward gears, all points radar, self-destruct system and naturally… all the usual refinements. Now this I’m particularly proud of… behind the headlights, stinger missiles!

Bond receives his new car, for which Q stresses he does not have a license to break local traffic laws, early on in GoldenEye after he receives his mission rundown, but it isn’t until the beginning of the film’s final act that the BMW Z3 roadster is actually revealed. Bond only drives the car briefly before swapping it out for a plane in Cuba, but the car marks a significant shift in the already prominent product placement of the Bond series as things took a more continental European turn. 007 keeps wearing Swiss watches, switching from Rolex to Omega, but his solidly English Savile Row suits are now from the Italian fashion house Brioni and the iconic Aston Martin is now replaced by German BMWs.

Bond bombs around the Cuban countryside in style, driving a car that wouldn’t even be announced for another two months.

Although the car itself didn’t win many accolades among serious automotive fans, the BMW Z3 was so heavily promoted for its status as the new James Bond car that it won the “Super Reggie” award for best marketing campaign in 1995 (under the direction of Karen Sortio) and sold more than 15,000 roadsters before the car was officially introduced. The Z3 had been a long time project for BMW; development began under Dr. Burkhard Göschel – a German name if ever there was one – in 1991. The following July, BMW Design Team’s Joji Nagashima designed the exterior. Development continued and patents were filed, and the BMW Z3 (E36/7) was officially announced via a video press release on June 12, 1995, entering production three months later for the 1996 model year. When GoldenEye was release two months later and sat at number one in the box office, sales for the Z3 spiked.

The Z3 was a breakthrough for BMW as both their first mass-produced market roadster and the first model to be manufactured in the U.S. The “Z” in Z3 (as well as BMW’s other Z-named autos) stands for Zukunft – or “future” – and it’s clearly a car that BMW was anticipating as their gateway to that future. It was originally introduced as strictly a roadster (E36/7) with two inline-four engine options, a 1.8L and a 1.9L. A 2.8L engine was added to the lineup in 1996, and the coupe variant (E36/8) was introduced in 1999; Z3 owners who wanted a hardtop prior to that had to order a roof to that would snap onto mounts. The Z3 received a facelift and revised engine options in 2000, and the car was discontinued in 2002 to be replaced by the BMW Z4.

The BMW Z3 is a light, nimble car that weighs not much more than 2,500 pounds, although the inline-four engine is hardly a strong performer. Bond’s 1.9L model, even fitted with the standard “five forward gear” manual transmission that Q was so proud of, would take at least nine seconds to accelerate to 60 mph… even longer than the relatively slow 8.5 seconds that the classic ’64 DB5 needed to hit the same speed. Compared to the 4.2 second 0-60 time on Bond’s Aston Martin DBS in Casino Royale, the BMW Z3 is a mere toy. (Pierce would get a more comparable car with the Die Another Day Aston Martin Vanquish’s 4.3 second 0-60, but the car’s “invisible factor” leads many to disregard it as a serious Bond car.)

1995 BMW Z3

Body Style: 2-door roadster

Layout: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (RWD)

Engine: 1895 cc (1.9 L) BMW M44B19 16-valve I4

Power: 138 hp (103 kW; 140 PS) @ 6000 rpm

Torque: 133 lb·ft (180 N·m) @ 4300 rpm

Transmission: 5-speed manual

Wheelbase: 96.8 inches (2459 mm)

Length: 158.5 inches (4026 mm)

Width: 66.6 inches (1692 mm)

Height: 49.8 inches (1265 mm)

After more than thirty years of driving almost exclusively British cars like the Bentley, the underwater Lotus, and a litany of gray Aston Martins, it’s almost refreshing to see this new take on the agent driving something produced by another country. Arguments that Bond should be driving a British car are foolish; his watches have always been Swiss and even his iconic Walther PPK is German. Imagine Bond trying to conceal a clunky Webley revolver in a shoulder holster under his dinner suit?

Some criticism is a little more accurate when directed toward the small and relatively ill-performing BMW Z3, often written off as a “hairdresser’s car” to the point of being a joke on Californication. While it’s true that Bond would have some trouble evading a better-equipped baddie in his 1.9L Z3, it’s certainly fitting that 007 would drive an innovative new model for an easy drive in the country. It’s a good thing he doesn’t get into a chase scene, either; the small car is probably too weighed down by its bulletproof metal, stinger missiles, and parachute braking system to even approach its theoretical top speed of 127 mph.

The GoldenEye car has an Atlanta-306 blue metallic exterior and a beige nappa leather interior. The single exhaust tells us that it indeed carries the anemic 1.9L inline-four under the hood.

My uncle, who is neither a hairdresser nor a secret agent, purchased a 2000 Z3 3.0i with the M54B30 inline-six engine, offering a more respectable 228 horsepower and a potential top speed of 147 mph with its 4-speed automatic gearbox. While I didn’t have it anywhere near 147 (cut that number in half), it certainly was fun to drive, although my uncle has discovered that it is a wildly impractical car for Pittsburgh’s seasonal winters.

Yours truly (with my sister) behind the wheel of my uncle’s Z3 back in 2007.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Yo, Wade. Just one thing. Don’t push any of the buttons on that car.

Robert De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein in Casino (1995).

Vitals

Robert De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, Vegas casino executive and mob associate

Las Vegas, Summer 1977

Film: Casino
Release Date: November 22, 1995
Director: Martin Scorsese
Costume Design: John A. Dunn & Rita Ryack

Background

By the mid-1970s, Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal appeared to have it all. Having tried his hardest to leave his mob affiliations behind him back east, he was now running the Stardust Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas with a beautiful ex-showgirl wife and a massive wardrobe pull of bespoke suits and sport coats.

Unfortunately, his mob affiliations were chasing him to Vegas in the form of vicious Chicago enforcer Tony “the Ant” Spilotro; he still didn’t have a license to legally be managing his casino; and his troubled wife Geri was still in contact with her shitty ex, Lenny Marmor.

Twenty years later, Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi teamed up to tell Lefty’s life story, starring De Niro as Lefty’s cinematic counterpart Sam “Ace” Rothstein. Tony Spilotro, Geri Rosenthal, and Lenny Marmor became Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), Ginger Rothstein (Sharon Stone), and Lester Diamond (James Woods). One scene in the film depicts a real-life incident where Ace tracked down his wife handing a stack of cash to her ex-lover in a Vegas diner. Ace saunters in, tossing a matching stack of cash on the table before threatening Lester’s life. Lester takes the hint and scrapes up his dignity before swaggering outside, where he is beaten and left in his blue ’76 Eldorado.

What’d He Wear?

Ace knows what’s going to happen before he even enters the diner, and he dresses to convey confidence and power. It takes a confident man to wear a white suit at all, and the red shirt and tie evokes the blood that will be spilled that day… and both Ace and Lester know it’s not going to be Ace’s blood.

Ace wears an ivory polyester Western-styled two-piece suit. The Western styling is most evident on the pinch-back jacket with pointed “V” chest yokes that wrap over the shoulders to form a center pointed “V” in the back. Below that rear point is the single pleat that gives the “pinch-back” jacket its moniker. The pleat extends down to the half-belted back. Below the back is a long single rear vent that falls on the same vertical axis as the pinch-back pleat.

Ace escorts Ginger out of the restaurant… and into his yellow ’78 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz.

The front of the jacket is single-breasted with two steel buttons. The inset hip pockets close with a steel button on a “V”-pointed flap that matches the chest yokes above them. The three buttons on each cuff are the same flat-faced steel as the buttons on the front and on the pockets.

Ever the gentleman, Ace greets his wife’s lover with a handshake… even having the courtesy to transfer his cigarette to his other hand.

Ace’s matching suit trousers are flat front with an extended waistband tab that closes on the right with a concealed hook. Not much else is seen of the trousers, but they have a large fit and flared bottoms.

Ace provides a strong contrast against his ivory suit by wearing a dark red silk shirt. It is styled like the rest of his super-’70s shirts with a large point collar and the distinctive tab cuffs that close on a single button. This was a very popular cuff style in the late ’70s and even made its way on to a few of the Frank Foster-made shirts for Roger Moore as James Bond in films like Moonraker.

Ace takes a quick second to register that yes, he has indeed been betrayed, before going into charismatic badass mode.

The wide silk necktie he wears is the same shade of dark red as the shirt, a monochromatic palette that gained a brief revival in the early 2000s when Regis Philbin started his own clothing line after his matching metallic shirts and ties on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? evidently resonated with audiences.

Ace would later wear this same shirt and tie combination when he escorts Ginger to dinner after she attempted to kidnap their daughter and run off with Lester. Perhaps he wears the same shirt and tie as a subtle reminder for Ginger as to what he was wearing the last time he caught her with Lester? (For the later dinner scene, he wears a blue and green plaid suit.)

We don’t see Ace’s footwear at all during this scene, and I would suspect that he would be sporting one of his many pairs of white shoes. However, the now-popular poster that includes an artistic rendering of all the suits De Niro wears in Casino shows him wearing a pair of dark red shoes that would match his shirt and tie. While this may just be artistic license, part of me wonders if artist Ibraheem Youssef knows something I don’t…

There’s much less ambiguity with Ace’s ever-present gold accessories, expressly chosen in this scene to match his red shirt and tie. His flat gold wristwatch has a plain red dial on the rectangular case and is fastened to his right wrist by a gold link bracelet.

A close-up from a DVD featurette provides even greater detail of Ace’s outfit-specific jewelry.

On the pinky of his same hand, Ace wears a gold ring with a ruby stone. Again, Bvlgari showed up plenty as the provider of Ginger’s jewelry, but I still haven’t received any confirmation as to who made De Niro’s many watches and rings.

Go Big or Go Home

What’s a classic diner without doo wop on the jukebox, right? This scene is scored by The Velvetones’ 1957 version of “The Glory of Love”, a nice juxtaposition to the three people who are being ravaged by love rather than feeling its “glory”; Ace is betrayed, Ginger is conflicted, and Lester just gets his ass beaten.

The song had been written more than 20 years earlier by Billy Hill when it became an instant hit for Benny Goodman and his Orchestra – with Helen Ward on vocals – in May 1936. Coincidentally enough, the real Geri McGee Rosenthal was born in 1936!

How to Get the Look

Ace’s outfit is a strange combination that blends gangster style with the cowboy influence that was present when Vegas was initially founded.

• Ivory polyester Western-styled suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted pinch-back jacket with edge-stitched notch lapels, 2-button front (steel buttons), pointed-flap hip pockets (w/ steel button closure), 3-button cuffs (steel buttons), and pleated half-belt back with single rear vent
  • Flat front trousers with extended waistband tab and flared bottoms
• Dark red silk dress shirt with large point collar, front placket, and button-tab cuffs
• Dark red silk necktie
• Gold wristwatch with a rectangular case, red dial, and flat link bracelet
• Gold pinky ring with ruby stone

If you want to wear a white suit in Vegas but this ain’t your cup of tea, check out Rusty Ryan’s white striped ensemble from Ocean’s Thirteen.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

From my recollection, aren’t you the card shark, the golf hustler, the pimp from Beverly Hills? If I’m wrong, please correct me ’cause I never knew you to be a heist man. But if you are, you know what? Here, take mine too. Go ahead, take it, ’cause you already have hers… But if you ever come back again – ever – to take her money, next time bring a pistol. That way you got a chance. Be a man, don’t be a fucking pimp. Now, you wanna do me a favor? Get outta here. I wanna be alone with my wife. Get up and get outta here.

Denzel Washington as Det. Keith Frazier in Inside Man (2006).

Vitals

Denzel Washington as Keith Frazier, NYPD detective

New York City, August 2005

Film: Inside Man
Release Date: March 24, 2006
Director: Spike Lee
Costume Designer: Donna Berwick

Background

Thirty years after Al Pacino electrified audiences in Dog Day Afternoon, Spike Lee released Inside Man, another gripping film about a mid-day New York City bank robbery involving hostages, double-crosses, and character-driven comic moments biting into the suspense.

While Dog Day Afternoon focuses primarily on the criminals, Inside Man shifts focus to the other side of the law as the charismatic and somewhat cocky Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) is assigned to handle the robbery. His adversary is far more cunning than the emotional Sonny of Dog Day Afternoon, and Frazier is just the guy to match his wits. As Frazier himself bemoans:

Who ever heard of a bank robbers escaping on a plane with fifty hostages? You’ve seen Dog Day Afternoon! You’re stalling! Why? I don’t know.

Washington was originally given the choice between playing the guileful bank robber Dalton Russell or the ambitious Detective Frazier. He opted for the second, citing the role as “Brutus goes to Brooklyn” and basing it off of his earlier Broadway performance in Julius Caesar.

What’d He Wear?

Detective Frazier dresses sharply for work, showing up at the scene in a lightweight wool tan pinstripe suit that nicely contrasts the colder dark blue uniforms and suits around him.

Frazier stands out from the rest of the cops with his seasonally-appropriate wardrobe.

Frazier’s suit jacket is single-breasted with a 3-button front that is nicely spread out over Washington’s long torso. The jacket has a welted breast pocket, jetted hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and a ventless back. The shoulders are straight with roped sleeveheads. He wears his gold NYPD police detective pin, with its blue enamel painted surface, on the left notch lapel.

A pensive Denzel.

Although it first appears to be a simple pinstripe pattern, a closer look reveals an alternating double stripe with the light tan stripe providing the most contrast and a second peach stripe blending in to provide a warmer overall appearance.

Another day so another shirt and tie. This production still offers the best view of the contrasting suit stripes, though.

The suit has a pair of matching low rise trousers with single reverse pleats, offering more comfort for a man that ends up wearing the same pants for almost 24 hours. Frazier’s suit trousers have belt loops, on-seam side pockets, and two jetted rear pockets that each close with a single button. The plain-hemmed bottoms have a full break.

Frazier’s shirt on the day of the bank robbery is light ecru cotton. It has a large, wide spread collar and a front placket. He fastens the double cuffs with gold links.

Frazier’s silk tie perfectly matches his gold-and-blue NYPD lapel pin. The tie is a series of bold right-down-to-left stripes alternating between double-ribbed navy blue and a wider mustard gold. The gold stripe is broken up by two narrow sets of triple stripes in yellow, citrus gold, and yellow again.

The next day, when Frazier and his partner go to investigate the vault, Frazier wears the same suit with a different shirt and tie. The shirt is white, but his tie is cream and orange striped – also bold but now in the opposite direction – with black stripes across the bottom half of each cream portion.

The second shirt-and-tie combo is better seen during Frazier’s meeting with Madeleine White, but – alas – he wears a solid tan suit for that meeting.

Frazier sticks to the earth tones with his dark burgundy leather belt that closes with a steel buckle. He attaches his black nylon belt holster – one of the few non-earth tone aspects of his outfit – to the right side of the belt for a right-hand draw.

Mitchell: Hey Keith, let me see your shoe.
Frazier: What?
Mitchell: Lemme see your shoe.
Frazier: Why?
Mitchell: ‘Cause I have never seen anyone put their foot that far up a guy’s ass.

A sharp-dressed guy like Frazier would be expected to follow the matching belt/shoes rule, and he does so with aplomb. He sports a pair of dark burgundy cordovan leather perforated cap toe bluchers with thick black soles. The brief glimpse of his socks under the trousers’ full break shows dark – either black or dark brown – dress socks.

The full break of Frazier’s trousers is just long enough to avoid hitting the soles on the back of his shoes.

Maitre d’: May I have your hat, please?
Frazier: No, you cannot! Get your own.

Frazier tops off his look (literally) with a short-brimmed trilby in light straw. The hat’s slim cream-edged ribbon is taupe with a black, cream, and rust brown Glen plaid overcheck.

On his right pinky, Frazier wears a gold pinky ring resembling a miniature NYPD detective’s shield, complete with the blue enamel face. He also wears a gold curb link bracelet on his right wrist.

Gold is clearly Frazier’s color of choice from his clothing to his accessories, including his Gevril Chelsea watch with its 18 karat yellow gold 40mm case and gold link bracelet. The watch has a round white dial and fastens to his left wrist via deployment clasp.

How to Get the Look

Detective Frazier doesn’t let the unpredictable nature of his work get in the way of his looking sharp on a long summer day in the city.

• Tan double-pinstripe lightweight wool suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with notch lapels, 3-button front, welted breast pocket, jetted hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and ventless back
    • Blue enamel-painted gold NYPD pin on left lapel
  • Single reverse-pleated low rise trousers with belt loops, on-seam side pockets, jetted button-through rear pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Light ecru cotton dress shirt with large spread collar, front placket, and double/French cuffs
• Gold and navy blue boldly-striped silk necktie
• Gold cluster cuff links
• Dark burgundy cordovan leather perforated cap-toe bluchers
• Black dress socks
• Dark burgundy leather belt with squared steel single-claw buckle
• Black nylon RHD belt holster for mid-size Glock pistol
• Light straw short-brimmed trilby with multi-color Glen Plaid ribbon
• Gevril Chelsea yellow gold wristwatch with white dial and gold link deployment-clasp bracelet, worn on left wrist
• Gold curb link bracelet, worn on right wrist
• Blue enamel-painted gold NYPD detective’s shield pinky ring, worn on right hand

The Gun

True to life, all NYPD officers seen in Inside Man – including Detective Frazier – carry Glock 19 semi-automatic pistols. Surprisingly for a crime drama centered around a bank robbery, Frazier never gets to draw his, and the only action it sees is when he removes the magazine and puts it away at the end.

Frazier says goodnight to his Glock.

The Glock 19 is, in fact, one of three 9×19 mm service pistols currently offered to NYPD officers; the other two are the SIG-Sauer P226 and Smith & Wesson 5946, both with double-action only (DAO) triggers and all modified to a 12 lb. (“NY-2″) trigger pull. The NYPD transitioned to semi-automatic pistols from revolvers in 1994, but any officers carrying revolvers from before then are still permitted to use their revolver as a duty weapon.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Sorry to interrupt you, Mister Mayor, but there’s an old American saying: When there’s blood on the streets, somebody’s gotta go to jail.

Callum Keith Rennie as Lew Ashby on Californication (Episode 2.09: “La Ronde”).

Vitals

Callum Keith Rennie as Lew Ashby, maverick record producer and rock legend

Los Angeles, Spring 2008

Series: Californication
Episodes: “La Ronde” (Episode 2.09)
Air Date: November 23, 2008
Director: Adam Bernstein
Costume Designer: Peggy A. Schnitzer

Background

Californication‘s early seasons are often considered to be its best, and the show’s ability to avoid a sophomore slump should give major credit to Callum Keith Rennie’s appearance as Lew Ashby, the enigmatic, charismatic, and hedonistic record producer that shelters Hank for most of the season.

As a show that reveres both rock and literature, Californication wisely spun its second season around a Gatsby-esque plot with writer Hank Moody reasonably placed in the central Nick Carraway role as the cleverly-named Ashby became his Gatsby. Ashby built his rock empire to impress Janie Jones, who now lives with a brutish husband in a Hollywood McMansion and still reminisces – albeit, more bitterly – about her days with Lew when he was just a poor aspiring rocker with a broken-down Mustang.

In a deviation from Fitzgerald’s masterpiece plot, Ashby briefly falls for Hank’s flame – Karen – and steals her away for an impromptu kidnapping date to the Hollywood Bowl. Karen is charmed, for sure, but she’s too reasonable to fall for someone that is even more debauched than Hank.

What’d He Wear?

Suits don’t get much love in the Californication world. The show’s t-shirt-loving protagonist, Hank Moody, refers to his “one and only suit” that is worn only for weddings, funerals, and court appearances. However, Lew Ashby knows when the right duds are needed to impress a lady.

For his Hollywood Bowl date with Karen, Lew spruces himself up in a light gray suit constructed from a lightweight semi-solid wool in a pick weave.

Lew doesn’t get a mild height difference get in the way of a potential romance.

The single-breasted jacket has a two-button front and 4-button cuffs. The breast pocket is welted and the flapped hip pockets sit straight back on Lew’s waist. The wide peak lapels flare out to the roped sleeveheads. The shoulders are unpadded.

The back of Lew’s jacket has long double rear vents. His matching trousers are likely flat front with a low rise below his natural waist. They probably have side pockets, although the jetted rear pockets – which close with a button – are best seen.

Lew wears a black leather belt through the trousers’ belt loops. Apropos the outfit’s steely tones, his belt has a silver-toned buckle. The bottoms of the trousers are plain-hemmed with a full break that covers his black leather boots. Assuming they are the same boots he wears through most of the show, they have a strap across the vamp that closes with a small steel buckle.

A real gentleman always opens the door for his date and also pulls out her briefcase if he kidnapped her on her way home from work.

Perhaps knowing that Karen digs guys who wear black shirts, Lew opts for a black long-sleeve dress shirt with black buttons down the plain, placket-less front. It has a large collar, which he leaves open with the first few buttons undone.

Better luck next time, Lew.

Unlike many of the BAMFs featured on this blog, Lew Ashby isn’t afraid to bedazzle himself with plentiful accessories on a daily basis. Hank wears one silver ring, but Lew ups the ante with two – one on the third finger of each hand.

Like Hank, he also wears a simple black corded leather bracelet that appears to never be removed. Unlike Hank, he wears it on his right wrist.

Not from this episode, but a fine representation of Lew’s many accessories.

Since this is the most that Lew ever covers up his sleeves, it’s difficult to determine if he’s wearing his other accessories… but it’s likely that he is. He doubles down on his left wrist, sporting both a bracelet of silver spherical studs and a stainless watch on a black rubber strap. On a corded necklace his neck, he wears a steel pendant with what appears to be an owl’s face etched into it.

Go Big or Go Home

The Hollywood Bowl is an impressive enough date spot alone, but Ashby’s musical connections allow him to rent the place out for a private concert for just he and Karen to see Lili Haydn.

Well played, Lew.

I admittedly had never heard of Lili Haydn before the show, but Karen is duly impressed, as was I after I learned more about her. She began playing the violin at the age of eight, shortly after launching her acting career as the young daughter of Columbo. Not long after her appearance on Californication, she sustained neurological damage after being exposed to a pesticide which left her unable to write lyrics. She still, however, manages to write music and continues to compose film scores and the music for her latest EP, Lilliland, which was released last September.

I’m proud to say I’ve been to the Hollywood Bowl myself, but I’m ashamed to say that I was only eight years old; as the guest of a large family outing to the Bowl, I was unable to truly enjoyed it and spent most of the time being upset that I was split away from my parents. Spoiled brat, I was.

How to Get the Look

Callum Keith Rennie and Natascha McElhone as Lew and Karen, respectively.

Lew shows Hank that date attire doesn’t always have to be a black shirt and jeans.

• Light gray semi-solid pick lightweight wool suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with wide peak lapels, 2-button front, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and long double rear vents
  • Flat front low rise trousers with belt loops, side pockets, jetted button-through rear pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Black long-sleeve dress shirt with large collar, plain front, and button cuffs
• Black leather belt with squared steel single-claw buckle
• Black leather buckle-strap boots
• Tarnished steel ring, worn on right ring finger
• Spiral steel ring, worn on left ring finger
• Black corded leather bracelet, worn on right wrist
• Steel spherical studded bracelet, worn on left wrist
• Stainless wristwatch with white dial on black rubber strap, worn on left wrist
• Steel “owl face” pendant on corded necklace

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Check out the second season.

The Quote

Life is just too fucking boring not to try.

Footnotes

For any of you who may have remembered from last year, today is my birthday – I’m now 26. Woo hoo!

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby (2013).

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Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, eagerly romantic millionaire and bootlegger

Long Island, NY, Summer 1922

Film: The Great Gatsby
Release Date: May 10, 2013
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Costume Designer: Catherine Martin

Background

Last Tuesday, BAMF Style reflected on Californication‘s tribute to The Great Gatsby with its second season character of Lew Ashby; now, let’s focus on a more literal adaptation when Baz Luhrmann directed his lavish big-screen version a few years ago.

The turning point in the story is when the two old flames Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan are finally reunited in Nick’s humble cottage. Gatsby isn’t dressed for such modest surroundings, wearing – as F. Scott Fitzgerald describes:

…Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie, hurried in.

This decidedly loud outfit would certainly make an impression on the woman who last saw you five years ago wearing a drab army uniform. As a romantic member of the nouveau riche, Gatsby doesn’t realize that millionaires don’t need to dress like millionaires every day, as he proves with the pink linen three-piece suit he wears for the film’s climactic scene.

What’d He Wear?

Gatsby’s iconic white suit is actually an off-white shade of ivory. Appropriately for summer, it is made from a comfortable lightweight linen blend. As we later discover, it is actually a three-piece suit but he opts for only the jacket and trousers worn with a contrasting waistcoat when reuniting with Daisy.

Gatsby oversees the day’s flower delivery.

The suit’s single-breasted jacket has a three-button front that rises midway up the torso. He tends to keep the top two buttons fastened while standing, always adopting the pose of a learned gentleman but still looking too highbrow to be natural. The jacket also has peak lapels with straight gorges and stitched edges. There is a buttonhole through the left lapel that Gatsby surprisingly wears devoid of any actual daisies.

The jacket’s shoulders are padded with roped sleeveheads that end with 4-button cuffs that match the white buttons on the jacket front. A long single rear vent ends at DiCaprio’s waist and is clearly reinforced on the left side to flap over the right.

Gatsby’s hip pockets are slanted with flaps like the traditional country hacking jacket. The welted breast pocket also slants slightly inward with a deep space for the pocket square, as seen when he comes in from the rain. Indeed, this “iceberg” effect (if you’ll excuse the Leo pun) shows us just how deep the tobacco brown paisley silk handkerchief is stuffed down the pocket.

All wet.

The suit’s flat front trousers have the era’s characteristic long rise that totally hides the waistband under the waistcoat; thus, all we know about the trousers’ closure is that it has a straight front fly. It’s likely that Gatsby wears his trousers with suspenders as he does with his pink suit.

Is that your hand in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

When aiming for his “affected gentleman” pose, Gatsby often places his hand in the slanted left front pocket of the trousers, crossing the straight long right leg of the trousers over the left and showing off his footwear under the short break of the plain-hemmed bottoms.

Although the suit was manufactured with a matching waistcoat, Gatsby opts for a more casual contrasting vest in a rich tobacco brown linen with a subtle herringbone pattern. It is definitely single-breasted with about five or six brown horn buttons between the high-fastening top and the notched bottom.

The mannered Gatsby learned to unbutton his jacket when he sits.

As Gatsby rarely wears the jacket totally unbuttoned, it’s difficult to ascertain more detail about the vests.

SPOILER ALERT! During Gatsby’s funeral, he wears the exact same outfit but with the suit’s matching vest. Like the contrasting brown waistcoat, it is single-breasted with no lapels.

R.I.P. Gatsby :(

Interestingly, Gatsby wears the same shirt and tie with the white suit for his own funeral as he does for the meeting with Daisy. Perhaps this was the filmmakers’ way of signifying that Gatsby’s fate was sealed as soon as he and Daisy reunited, setting them both on a literal collision course that resulted in Myrtle’s fatal car accident and Gatsby’s death from Wilson’s murder-suicide. Perhaps.

The “silver shirt” described by Fitzgerald is reflected here with a blue-gray woven silk shirt. The large collar has long points and a moderate spread, further narrowed under the tie knot by a steel barbell-style collar pin. The shirt also has a front placket and single cuffs. His cuffs are fastened by a silver set of links that appear to match the “sunburst” pattern on his ring.

Hand to hand.

Gatsby’s tie is a more interesting variation of the simple “gold tie” mentioned in Fitzgerald’s text. DiCaprio wears a tie in bright orange silk with sets of thin double red stripes crossing from left-down-to-right.

A pensive Gatsby.

Gatsby’s suits all have short breaks, meaning that his footwear receive considerably more screen time than many other suits on film. Here, Gatsby sports a pair of two-tone spectator shoes with light tan toe caps, heel caps, and 4-eyelet tabs with gray single-piece vamps. A pair of plain light tan dress socks nicely connect the two-tone spectator shoes and white suit trousers.

Once again, we meet Gatsby’s mysterious and supposedly custom-made stainless wristwatch. Initially supposed by some to be an anachronistic Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, a Watches In Movies post indicated that the watch seen on DiCaprio’s left wrist was made just for him, but more details about the rectangular white-dialed watch remain a mystery at this time.

There’s a clock right next to him, but a dramatic flick of the wrist is a much more showy way of checking the time.

The 1920s saw a major wristwatch boom as returning soldiers from the front brought this more convenient timekeeping method to civilian life, with wristwatches outnumbering the venerable pocket watch 50-to-1 by 1930.

Brooks Brothers’ “Gatsby Collection”

As part of their “Gatsby Collection” tie-in to promote their collaboration with the production (and the original author), Brooks Brothers developed their “Fitzgerald Fit” to combine 1920s fashion fads to 2010s fits. Wisely, the company developed its own variations of the iconic white and pink suits for sale.

Unfortunately for potential buyers, the only item from this outfit still remaining for sale is the trouser.

Although many details differ from the suit seem in the movie (lapel width, number of jacket buttons, vent style, trouser height, etc.), the “Gatsby Collection” suit is a fine step in the direction of promoting better seasonal dress among the younger generations. The commercially-available version of the suit was made from “linen woven at Ireland’s Baird McNutt mill” with a “traditional herringbone pattern throughout”.

Redford vs. DiCaprio

As with the post comparing Robert Redford’s pink suit and DiCaprio’s pink suit, it’s worth comparing the white suits each gentleman wore for this scene.The costume designers for each film took a little more wiggle room with the pink suits, but we see more consistency here as both films strove to incorporate Fitzgerald’s “white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie” direction with then-contemporary styles.

The Suit – Redford and DiCaprio both wear solid white-toned linen suits with single-breasted jackets and flapped hip pockets. However, Redford’s wide notch lapels and pocket flaps are decidedly more a reflection of 1974 than 1922. DiCaprio’s suit looks trim with its high-buttoning front, slim peak lapels, and sporty silhouette. As the decade continued, the large fit, double-breasted waistcoat, and pleated trousers seen on Redford would become more popular, but DiCaprio’s slim suit and contrast vest show a more original take on the look. Advantage: DiCaprio, by a nose.

The Shirt – Both Redford and DiCaprio wear metallic blue silk shirts with a silver sheen, long collar, front placket, and cuff links. They both even wear silver collar pins! To avoid nitpicking, let’s call this a draw.

The Tie – Redford’s Gatsby wears a solid gold tie that manages to scream 1970s with both its duller tone and thickness. DiCaprio, on the other hand (or neck), wears a much brighter orange tie with an interesting stripe pattern and a slim width that one would’ve seen on a gentleman during this transitional period between the WWI era and the Roaring Twenties. Advantage: DiCaprio, even though it isn’t a literal interpretation of “gold”.

The Shoes – Redford wears plain white shoes with cream socks. DiCaprio wears two-tone spectator shoes with tan socks. Advantage: DiCaprio, for both uniqueness and period-correct style.

The Accessories – Each man keeps it lighter than usual here, with only pocket squares and cuff links showing a difference between Gatsby’s usual watch and ring. Redford’s Gatsby wears a metallic blue pocket square that evokes his shirt and a gold pocket watch in his vest. DiCaprio’s pocket square instead draws out his contrasting vest, and the custom-made wristwatch reflects both his military status and nouveau riche youth. Advantage: DiCaprio.

Which look do you prefer?

Unlike the neck-and-neck battle of the pink suits, DiCaprio’s interpretation of Gatsby’s white suit is the clear winner here, but Redford still deserves some solid points.

Go Big or Go Home

I typically hate umbrellas, but Gatsby really knows how to use his with style.

Luckily for Nick, Daisy, and the legions of umbrella-carrying butlers, the rain stopped in mid-afternoon.

How to Get the Look

Meeting up with an ex-girlfriend for an amiable coffee date? Blow her socks off with this ensemble. She might expect you to have a sprawling Long Island mansion though, so make sure you put your questionably-gained money where your mouth is when presenting yourself.

• White ivory linen blend Brooks Brothers suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with peak lapels, 3-button front, welted breast pocket, slanted flapped hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and long single rear vent
  • Flat front high-rise trousers with slanted front pockets and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Tobacco brown linen herringbone single-breasted vest with notched bottom
• Blue-gray “sheen” silk shirt with long collar, front placket, and single cuffs
• Orange silk necktie with sets of double red L-down-R stripes
• Steel barbell-style collar pin
• Silver “sunburst” cuff links
• Light tan & gray two-tone leather 4-eyelet spectator shoes
• Light tan dress socks
• Silver pinky ring with dark “starbust” face, worn on right pinky
• Stainless wristwatch with a rectangular white face and stainless deployable-clasp bracelet, worn on left wrist
• Tobacco brown paisley silk pocket square

If you think contrasting waistcoats are “too English” (they’re not, and that’s also not a bad thing) or you want to shake up this look for your funeral, you can opt for a matching suit vest instead.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie. You should read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s original book, even if you already read it in high school.

I’m also a solid advocate of Maureen Corrigan’s book, So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures, which analyzes the book and its legacy. It should be required reading for scholars of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, literature, or the 1920s.

Bradley Cooper as Eddie Morra in Limitless (2011).

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Bradley Cooper as Eddie Morra, performance-enhanced investment broker and former struggling author

New York City, Spring 2010

Film: Limitless
Release Date: March 18, 2011
Director: Neil Burger
Costume Designer: Jenny Gering

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

It’s been a long time since I watched a truly suspenseful and entertaining thriller that combined drama, action, romance, comedy, and – of course – thrills all into one efficient package. I worried that the genre had died somewhere between the greatness of Notorious, North by Northwest and Chinatown, leaving only a few mind-numbing attempts in its wake. Then, I saw Limitless.

Limitless kicks off with a timeless fight or flight scenario: will our obvious protagonist leap to his inevitable death or turn to face his angry, violent interlopers? It’s a dangerous decision that pulsates through the rest of this fast but smart ride of a movie. After learning about Eddie’s quick, unapproved-performance-enhancing-drug-assisted leap from ragged author to hotshot investor, we find him back where our ride started… standing back on that ledge. All of our basic questions have been answered with aplomb – Who is this guy? Where is he? Why are people banging on his door and leaving him with this sole option out? The only question remains – how will he get out of it?

What’d He Wear?

“As soon as he takes NZT, he’s an assassin. He’s stealth,” is how Bradley Cooper explained his desired look for Eddie Morra to costume designer Jenny Gering. Gering explains that his look “goes from night to day” after he starts taking the drug. Director Neil Burger adds that “everything kind of gets cleaner, sharper. Suddenly, he has a really good eye for style.”

Viewers of the film have no choice but to agree. Our first look at Eddie Morra finds him on that apartment building ledge, resplendent in a navy blue Tom Ford suit. It’s hard to look bad in a Tom Ford suit, and Cooper’s enthusiasm for the costume choices would have something to do with Eddie’s special brand of cool. “He starts to dress differently when he changes is really because it allows him to get where he wants,” explained Cooper, showing fine appreciation for the role of sartorial art in cinema. “And I love to wear suits, so that was actually fantastic.”

I’d be hearing Cream in my head during a moment like this.

The dark navy Tom Ford suit in this scene is constructed from a lightweight wool and was custom-fit for Bradley Cooper. It appears to be the Regency model (or possibly a bespoke version based on the Regency) that Daniel Craig wore as James Bond in Quantum of Solace, which featured Craig’s arguably best-fitting suits of his 007 tenure to date.

The single-breasted jacket has large notch lapels that roll over the top button to the second of three, which is the only one he ever wears fastened. The pagoda shoulders sweep down to roped sleeveheads. Each sleeve ends with five functioning buttons. The outside of the jacket has a welted breast pocket and straight hip pockets with wide flaps. The ticket pocket above the right hip pocket also has a wide flap.

Eddie consults with his lawyer (left). A behind-the-scenes shot of Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro (right).

Cooper’s strong physique is emphasized with the suit’s fit. The jacket’s long double vents, flared skirt, and clean chest suppress the waist and show the audience that Eddie has physically transformed into a more athletic man after taking NZT.

In addition to the secret pockets stitched into the dark blue silk lining of his suit, this jacket has the standard inner pockets on each side of the chest. Below the inner left pocket, the familiar black “TOM FORD” label patch can be glimpsed as Eddie looks for his purloined stash.

Tom Ford’s “cameo”.

Eddie’s matching flat front suit trousers have a medium-low rise on his waist. They are likely fitted since neither belt loops nor side adjusters are seen, although the Regency trousers sported by Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace had adjusters with buckle straps. Eddie’s trousers have on-seam side pockets and double jetted rear pockets that close with a button. The bottoms are plain-hemmed.

As costume designer Gering noted in a featurette: “Most of his shirts have a blue-ish cast to them. Very crisp-looking. That helps contribute to the fact that he’s healthy and in shape…”

Eddie’s primary shirt with this suit is a pale blue Thomas Pink “Keaton Plain” Slim Fit shirt in cotton twill with diagonal ribbing. The shirt has mitred 2-button cuffs and a front placket with stitched edges and blue buttons.

Eddie puts his shirt through the ringer.

Thomas Pink is a wise choice for Eddie, who never wears ties with his suits. Pink’s site describes: “Inspired by non-tie wearers, Thomas Pink has designed a shirt that sits perfectly under a jacket. A tie performs several functions, one of which is that it handily keeps the shirt collar in place, especially when worn under the weight of a jacket. Take away the tie and the collar will collapse. Enter the Independent shirt with a collar specifically engineered to be worn independent of a tie. More robust than traditional collars, the Independent shirt collar is shaped to support itself.”

Even after a rough day, Eddie keeps a good-looking collar thanks to his Pink shirt.

Multiple sources, including Nate D. Sanders’ auction photos and The Take, have confirmed Eddie’s shirt to be the Keaton model, which is still available from Pink’s site for $180 as of August 2015. Sanders’ auction, which ended in April 2014, describes the shirt as: “blue and white diagonal stripe long-sleeved shirt buttons up the front. Pink brand shirt in a slim fit is a size 16 1/2.” The “diagonal stripe” is an effect from the diagonal ribbing.

See the diagonal ribbing? (Also check out the bloodied version of the screen-used shirt, photographed and auctioned by Nate D. Sanders.)

In an earlier scene when he goes to Van Loon’s office flanked by his bodyguards and gives a presentation, he wears a different shirt consisting of thin blue and white vertical stripes. This shirt is similarly styled with its strong collar, front placket, and button cuffs, but it appears to have a breast pocket.

Bradley Cooper is buttoned into a striped Pink shirt on the set.

Eddie’s black leather cap toe shoes are best seen when he is standing on the ledge of his apartment, in control of his own potential demise. They are clearly oxfords (or balmorals) with 5-eyelet closed lacing, although the manufacturer has been tough to track down. I heard an unsubstantiated rumor that Cooper wore mostly Cole Haan shoes in Limitless, so I checked their site even though it’s been five years since the production. Cole Haan does produce a “Cambridge” cap oxford in soft black leather that would look fine in any gentleman’s closet if he’s okay to part with $258.

Eddie on the edge.

Eddie’s dark socks appear to be blue, appropriately continuing the leg line from his trousers into his black shoes.

Eddie actually wears two solid dark blue suits; the other is easily differentiated by the slimmer jacket lapels and the trouser belt loops. It is only briefly seen when he initially hires his bodyguards and when he meets the detective in a restaurant about the murder.

Go Big or Go Home

…especially if that home is at a classic place like The Link, Eddie’s luxury high rise in Hell’s Kitchen. The address is 310 West 52nd Street, if you’re looking. The Link was developed by Elad Properties and opened in 2005 with 215 condos throughout its 44-story structure. According to Streeteasy.com, the sales price for these condos can range anywhere between $1 million and more than $5 million… so start saving.

Don’t worry, Eddie. If I’d spent a few million on a fortified apartment that a few Russian gangsters can still break into, I’d probably run out of options also.

How to Get the Look

Eddie’s simple look shows us how variations of a single color can look smart. It also speaks volumes about the power of good clothing without the need for frills like cuff links, belts, eyewear, or even a tie. All Eddie needs is a suit, a shirt, and a pair of shoes to be the best-dressed guy in the room.*

• Dark navy blue lightweight wool Tom Ford suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with notch lapels, 3-roll-2 button front, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, ticket pocket, 5-button functioning “surgeon’s cuffs”, and long double rear vents
  • Flat front trousers with fitted waistband, on-seam side pockets, button-through jetted rear pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Pale blue diagonally-ribbed cotton twill Thomas Pink “Keaton Plain” slim fit shirt with large “independent” collar, front placket, no rear darts, and mitred 2-button cuffs
• Black leather 5-eyelet cap-toe oxford balmorals
• Dark blue dress socks

*Although we can assume he has underwear and socks on as well. Still… does he really need them?

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie and check out Alan Glynn’s 2003 novel The Dark Fields, which served as the basis for Limitless and lent its title to the book Eddie publishes by the end. I haven’t yet read the book, but I purchased Limitless on a whim based on a suggestion from one of you fine commenters, and I’m certainly glad I did!

The Quote

For a guy with a four digit IQ, I must have missed something. And I hadn’t missed much. I’d come this close to having an impact on the world. And now the only thing I’d have an impact on was the sidewalk.

Michael Caine as Alfie Elkins in Alfie (1966).

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Michael Caine as Alfie Elkins, charming part-time car service driver and full-time cad

London, Fall 1965

Film: Alfie
Release Date: March 24, 1966
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Wardrobe Supervisor: Jean Fairlie
Tailor: Douglas Hayward

Background

Poor Michael Caine is forced to learn the hard way that there’s more to life than shagging “birds” and getting sloshed in Alfie.

After nearly ten years as an actor, Caine was finally receiving his due when he got the part of Alfie Elkins. He’d had two great roles over the previous two years in Zulu and The Ipcress File, and Alfie was his time to shine. After his roommate Terence Stamp (who had played Alfie on Broadway) passed on the role, Caine was approached and swept the screen with what became his breakthrough role as the philandering playboy. Caine’s “controversial” Cockney accent solidified his authentic portrayal of a common man, and it led to his first Academy Award Best Actor nomination and his second consecutive BAFTA nomination.

What’d He Wear?

As an unrepentant ladies’ man (at least for most of the film), Alfie Elkins needs to dress to impress. This navy blue mohair blend suit is one of the most commonly seen outfits he sports on screen. Tailored by Douglas Hayward, the suit keeps Alfie looking modern and trim among the “swinging ’60s” London set with a slim fit and slim features from the jacket’s lapels and pockets to the tie and trouser legs. Alfie himself praises the suit when undressing for a medical exam:

This suit don’t weigh nothing. It’s a new Terylene and mohair. You don’t feel as though you got nothing on at all!

Of course, he may be trying to subconsciously elicit images of nudity in the nurse’s mind, but he’s absolutely right about mohair wearing cool due to its moisture wicking properties. By contrast, the luxurious fabric also insulates well during winter to keep its wearer at a desired temperature. While Alfie’s suit indeed shines under certain light, it doesn’t have the luster of pure mohair; Alfie’s description of “Terylene and mohair” (Terylene is just a brand name of polyester) is probably spot on.

Alfie shows off his finest Douglas Hayward-tailored duds.

Alfie’s suit is a fine example of how a suit can be tailored for a slim fit without looking tight and pulling at the wrong places. As Caine shows when he undresses for his exam, he is in average shape, but his suits make him look more trim thanks to Hayward’s expert hand. Jumping ahead to Skyfall in 2012, the very athletic Daniel Craig was placed in a series of ultra-slim-fitting suits in an effort to evoke the classic look of ’60s Bond, but he often looked as though he was about to burst a seam or a button.

Alfie finds himself near a children’s playground… hardly his comfort zone.

The single-breasted jacket has slim notch lapels – with a buttonhole on the left lapel – that roll over the top button to the center of the three buttons. The shoulders are padded with roped sleeveheads and each sleeve ends with a 4-button functioning “surgeon’s cuff”.

Alfie’s jacket has a breast pocket with a slim welt and hip pockets that slant gently backwards with narrow flaps. The back has a single vent.

Alfie reacts to some news in his flat.

The trousers rise considerably low for the era with narrow belt loops around the waist, through which he wears a narrow black leather belt. The extended front tab closes with a hook over the straight fly. The front pockets are slanted, and the rear pockets are jetted. Hayward keeps his fit consistent with a tapered leg down to the plain-hemmed bottoms that end with a short break.

Out of context, this is a pretty hilarious screengrab.

A fashionable fellow like Alfie knows to match his shoes to his belt, and his black leather ankle boots are no exception. His dark dress socks – probably black or possibly navy blue – are often seen due to the trousers’ short break.

Alfie wears a white cotton poplin shirt with a long button-down collar. The decision for a very British character like Alfie to wear a button-down collar is surprising given its heavily American roots, although it was in England that John E. Brooks developed what was initially called the “polo collar” due to its appearance on polo players’ uniforms.

Although I don’t think Alfie has playing polo on his mind.

Alfie’s shirt has squared single-button cuffs, a plain front, and rear side darts. As we see when he untucks the shirt, the hem is curved toward the front and back. (Alfie wears no undershirt, although untucking the shirt does reveal his white underwear briefs!)

Alfie’s tie is also dark blue, and it nicely pairs with the cool hue of the navy blue suit. However, the tie is a shade lighter than the suit color; when wearing similarly-colored suits and ties, many men prefer to wear a darker tie than their suit. The slim knit tie is knotted with a small four-in-hand and has a flat bottom just above the trouser waistband.

In his ideal world, Alfie’s tie wouldn’t spent much time in place. Nor would the rest of his clothing.

Earlier in the film, when Alfie is picking up this suit from the dry cleaner he’s shagging, he wears a sky blue shirt with a slim spread collar and a multi-colored striped tie. This is his preferred shirt and tie with the gray pick suit he wore into the dry cleaner’s; he later wears the gray suit with this shirt-and-tie combo during the pub brawl that leads to his breakup with Annie.

“There was this manageress of a dry cleaners. And I was getting a suit cleaned in the bargain. Well… you can’t turn something like that down.”

I’m sure a more experienced eye would be able to identify Alfie’s stainless wristwatch, but the visible details are a simple black dial and a steel bracelet with a deployment clasp. If I had to guess, I’d say it was an Omega Seamaster Automatic like this one based on the rice-grain bracelet.

Alfie keeps all his accessories on and around his left hand.

Alfie completes his look with a gold pinky ring on his left hand, set with a brown oval stone.

Evidently a fan of the fabric, Michael Caine would go on to sport another Hayward-tailored blue mohair suit in Get Carter five years later.

Go Big or Go Home

Alfie’s behavior leaves very little to be desired, and I think it’s fair to say that’s the point of the story. He’s a cheeky cad who refers to women as “birds”, abandons the girlfriend he knocked up, and engineered his married mistress’s abortion. He gets his comeuppance in the form of total disillusionment, although I’m sure some of the jilted ladies along the way wouldn’t have minded something a little more extreme.

How to Get the Look

Another relatively simple look where the true value is in Douglas Hayward’s expert tailoring for the times. He created a look that was perfect for a hip womanizer in swinging London that still resonates today thanks to his timeless craftsmanship.

• Navy blue mohair blend suit, tailored by Douglas Hayward, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with slim notch lapels, 3-roll-2 button front, welted breast pocket, rear-slanted flapped hip pockets, 4-button functioning cuffs, and single rear vent
  • Flat front tapered-leg trousers with slim belt loops, on-seam side pockets, jetted rear pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• White cotton poplin shirt with long button-down collar, plain front, and squared button cuffs
• Dark blue slim knit necktie with flat bottom
• Black narrow leather belt with small gold metal single-claw buckle
• Black leather ankle boots
• Black dress socks
• Stainless wristwatch with a black dial on steel deployable-clasp bracelet
• Gold pinky ring with a brown oval setting

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

I was wearing a navy blue lightweight suit, in a material called Tonik, made by Dormeuil, and I didn’t want it spoiling. I don’t care whether a bird uses Max Factor matte film or Outdoor Girl from Woolworth’s, if she starts purring up against your lapel, it won’t look the better for it.

Kevin Spacey as President Frank Underwood in “Chapter 34” of House of Cards (2015).

Vitals

Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood, ruthless and calculating U.S. President

Washington, DC, September 2015

Series: House of Cards
Episode: “Chapter 34” (Episode 3.08)
Streaming Date: February 27, 2015
Director: John Dahl
Costume Designer: Johanna Argan

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

According to the Netflix version of House of Cards, today – September 7, 2015 – would have found the American eastern seaboard in trouble as Hurricane Faith rumbled on its way. Luckily for dwellers in both the show’s universe and the real universe, the Category 4 hurricane ended up offering no real threat… leaving President Underwood in the frustration position of having provided emergency funding when it wasn’t needed. While this wouldn’t necessarily mean trouble for a politician, it meant the end of Frank’s “AmericaWorks” pet project and thus the beginning of his 2016 presidential run.

Although Kate Baldwin’s dual narrative is a bit heavy-handed in comparing the devastation of Hurricane Faith with “Hurricane Frank”, Chapter 34 serves as a necessary catalyst to give Frank Underwood a valid reason to run for President in 2016 – as we all knew he would. Plus, it brings back Freddy Hayes, and Reg E. Cathey’s low-key scene dominance is always welcome on screen.

What’d He Wear?

Always impeccably dressed – perhaps to make up for his behavior – Frank spends much of “Chapter 34” wearing a dark blue linen suit that nicely transfers his favorite color into a suiting appropriate for the warm D.C. climate.

The white linen suit worn by Underwood in the previous episode, “Chapter 33”, has been identified as a custom tailored example of a Polo by Ralph Lauren suit, so it’s possible that this too is Polo by Ralph Lauren.

President Underwood keeps his linen suit looking professional.

Frank’s suit jacket is single-breasted with slim notch lapels that roll down to a two-button front at mid-torso. The suit jacket pulls a little when buttoned, perhaps a reference to Frank’s inferred weight gain since becoming President and, thus, relatively complacent as leader of the free world.

The jacket’s shoulders are slightly padded to give Frank the stronger profile he needs to intimidate others. The welted breast pocket is left empty, and the flapped hip pockets sit straight around his waist on the same axis as the lower button. The long double rear vents make it easier for Frank to push his jacket aside when placing his hands in his trouser pockets.

Even with an old friend, Frank doesn’t let his guard down.

Little is seen of the trousers themselves, but they have a flat front and plain-hemmed bottoms. Frank wears them with a black leather belt with a small, polished steel single-claw buckle.

Frank goes for a monochromatic ensemble by also wearing a blue shirt and tie, with the lightness of the shirt providing a healthy contrast against the darker suit. His pale blue poplin shirt has a large collar with a moderate spread. The white buttons fasten down a plain, placket-less front, and the French cuffs are secured with a set of silver links with an iridescent surface.

Even in repose, Underwood keeps his tie perfectly knotted at the neck.

President Underwood’s woven silk tie has a cornflower blue ground with a faint white grid that connects a pattern of plain white dots and darker navy blue floral accents.

Frank Underwood, looking fresh for a day of political glad-handing… then a little worse for wear after the day is done.

Frank wears the familiar pair of black leather plain-toe oxfords, laced through five eyelets, that he tends to wear with his suits. His socks are dark, likely black but possibly blue.

After a tough day at the office…

The monochromatic scheme even extends to his wristwatch. Noted IWC ambassador Spacey wears a stainless IWC automatic with a blue dial and black leather strap, which I believe is an IWC Portofino Automatic. Although Underwood notably wore IWC watches throughout the first two seasons, this dialed watch didn’t make its first appearance until the third season premiere.

Frank Underwood for IWC.

Many have identified it as the IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Automatic IW390213, but that watch has Arabic numerals and two sub-dials while the watch on the show has Roman numerals and appears to have no sub-dials. Still, if you’re a fan of the Yacht Club watch and you’ve got $12,240 that you’d like to invest in one, Jomashop.com has them for sale. If the price has you worried, fret no more – shipping is free!

Frank wears a ring on the 3rd finger of each hand: his class ring on his right hand and his plain gold wedding band on his left hand. His class ring from “The Sentinel” is based on the heavy 10-karat gold ring worn by graduates of The Citadel, a military college in South Carolina. It appears to share a similar design and lack of gemstone with The Citadel ring, and in the episode where he buries it – “Chapter 18” – we see the year 1981 inscribed on it.

Frank negotiates jobs with Freddy.

Since Frank had buried the ring, his wife Claire gives him a new one that she had made as a pre-birthday gift upon his taking the office of President in “Chapter 26”.

Frank also wears a pair of simple steel-framed reading glasses that he removes when Freddy and DeShawn enter the Oval Office.

Frank adopts a very presidential pose when greeting his old pal Freddy.

Underneath his dress shirt, Frank wears a white cotton crew neck short-sleeve t-shirt that serves as an undershirt.

When flying on Air Force One, Underwood dons a blue nylon zip-front flight jacket with the Presidential seal on the left breast.

Underwood is especially wary on Air Force One given the prevalence of Russians this season…

How to Get the Look

Although there’s no denying the stylish practicality of linen suits in warm weather, it’s often difficult to incorporate them into the professional world. Frank Underwood finds a way to put a professional and presidential stamp on a linen business suit.

• Dark blue linen tailored suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with slim notch lapels, 2-button front, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and double rear vents
  • Flat front trousers with belt loops, side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Pale blue cotton poplin dress shirt with large collar, plain front, and double/French cuffs
• Cornflower blue woven silk necktie with navy and white floral dot motif
• Silver cuff links with iridescent surface
• Black leather 5-eyelet plain-toe oxfords
• Black dress socks
• Black leather belt with polished steel single-claw buckle
• IWC Portofino Automatic wristwatch with round stainless case, blue dial with Roman numerals, and black leather strap
• Gold “Sentinel” class ring
• Gold plain wedding band
• Steel-framed reading glasses
• White cotton crew neck short-sleeve undershirt

When aboard Air Force One for a casual meeting, Frank loses the coat and tie and dons a blue nylon Presidential flight jacket.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Check the show out on Netflix, as it set the new standard for binge-watching. If you’re a traditionalist, you can also pick up the first, second, and third seasons on DVD.

The Quote

Imagination is its own form of courage.

Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley in Heat (1995).

Vitals

Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley, professional armed robber

Los Angeles, Spring 1995

Film: Heat
Release Date: December 15, 1995
Director: Michael Mann
Costume Designer: Deborah Lynn Scott
De Niro’s Costumer: Marsha Bozeman

Background

My last post looked at a bank robber who relied on his wits and a team of burglars to carry out a job. Neil McCauley is far more ruthless and traditional kind of cinematic bank robber; one that you would expect a no-nonsense great like Robert De Niro to portray. After months of planning and double-crosses, McCauley’s team is ready to take down a major bank in downtown L.A.

Although Heat is often considered to be Mann’s masterpiece, it wasn’t his first go at the storyline. In fact, he’d been perfecting the story in his mind for more than 15 years. Mann was well-acquainted with former Chicago police officer Chuck Adamson, who told him the story of a professional robber he was investigating in 1963. The robber’s name was Neil McCauley. As Mann describes: “one day they simply bumped into one another. [Adamson] didn’t know what to do: arrest him, shoot him or have a cup of coffee.” A failed robbery by McCauley later led to a standoff where Adamson killed him. Sound familiar?

Mann had his first screenplay drafted in 1979. He directed his first feature, Thief, in 1981 and continued reworking the script throughout the decade. When NBC commissioned him to produce a new TV series, Mann took his magnum opus, shortened it from 180 to 90 pages to make an acceptable pilot, and filmed L.A. Takedown in 19 days. The 92-minute film aired on NBC on August 27, 1989. Although it didn’t lead to a series, Mann stuck with his dream to film the entire sprawling story he had developed and, after directing The Last of the Mohicans in 1992, he finally managed to gather the massive talent and $60 million budget he needed to make Heat a reality.

The film is a perfect crime drama, weaving in each character’s personal lives and motives until archetypes are abandoned in favor of three-dimensional characters. However, the part that sticks out in the minds of most fans is the Far East Bank robbery and its fatal aftermath. After entering the bank with his two most reliable comrades, Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer) and Michael Cheritto (Tom Sizemore), McCauley takes immediate command of the situation:

We want to hurt no one! We’re here for the bank’s money, not your money. Your money is insured by the federal government, you’re not gonna lose a dime! Think of your families, don’t risk your life. Don’t try and be a hero!

What’d He Wear?

It’s well-documented that Michael Mann likes to dress his professional criminals in gray suits and white shirts, giving them a look that can range from anonymous to deadly efficient as needed. Neil McCauley is no different, wearing four different gray suits throughout the film, always with a white shirt.

For the bank robbery, McCauley wears a charcoal gray wool suit with a subtle fine pinstripe. Apropos to the mid-1990s, the suit has a very large, baggy fit that – while definitely dated – also serves a practical purpose for a heavily-armed bank robber.

McCauley gets some bad news.

McCauley’s double-breasted jacket allows him to totally cover the tactical vest beneath it when closed. The front has a long 6×1 button layout, although we primarily see the suit coat worn totally open. The peak lapels have slanted gorges with a low stance at mid-chest. The welted breast pocket is even lower on the chest, implying that the jacket is at least one size too big for De Niro. Although unflattering on its own, Heat deserves credit for not glamorizing its star by placing him in a better-fitting suit when he wouldn’t practically be wearing one. Since he needs the larger jacket to fit over his tactical vest and long gun during the robbery, it makes sense that he wouldn’t waste time by changing out of it during the robbery’s hurried aftermath.

McCauley had also worn the voluminous pinstripe suit while planning the robbery.

The suit coat also has heavily padded shoulders that extend far beyond De Niro’s natural shoulders, another sign that the jacket is sized too large for De Niro. Other details include a single rear vent, flapped hip pockets that often have the flaps tucked in, and 4-button cuffs with the buttons stitched very close to the edge.

A CU shot of McCauley donning his head mask for the robbery clearly shows 3-button cuffs, a continuity error that suggests another suit jacket was used for that shot only as every other appearance seems to show the jacket with 4-button cuffs.

So this is what they mean when they say “bank takeover”…

The suit’s matching trousers also have a very generous fit, but it’s less noticeable than the jacket and likely just a result of ’90s styling rather than a practical choice since he isn’t hiding any guns in his pants… that we know of. The trousers have a low rise with single reverse pleats, and the bottoms are plain-hemmed.

In addition to the straight on-seam side pockets, McCauley’s suit pants also have jetted rear pockets that close through buttons. McCauley wears a black leather belt – with a gold squared single-claw buckle – through the trousers’ belt loops.

When in the bank, McCauley wears a lightweight mesh tactical vest with eight black velcro loops for his carbine magazines. The outer trim of the vest is also black, including the short zipper over his abdomen.

A frightening sign of a professional criminal robbing your bank is when he wears a vest with 240 additional rounds of rifle ammunition attached to it.

I’ve never seen a shooting vest that exactly resembles McCauley’s, but similar black mesh shooting vests are available from companies like Bob Allen and H2H.

McCauley’s tie, also worn only during the bank robbery, is black with a slanted gray shadow grid check. Ties like these are a dime a dozen: easy to match with a simple outfit like McCauley’s and very inconspicuous.

McCauley watches Dr. Bob do his thing, slyly envying the man’s clean shirt.

After taking the wounded Shiherlis to Dr. Bob (Jeremy Piven) for treatment, McCauley loses the vest and watches over his buddy in his shirt, tie, and trousers. The shirt is a McCauley standard for the film: white cotton with a long-pointed spread collar, front placket, breast pocket, and button cuffs.

McCauley realizes he can’t be inconspicuous in his bloodied shirt, so he quickly flips from concerned pal to ruthless commander in a second:

McCauley: Take off your shirt.
Dr. Bob: What?
McCauley: Take off your shirt.
Dr. Bob: My… my God, my daughter gave it to me for Father’s Day-
McCauley: I don’t give a shit who gave it to you, take it off!

From at point until the end of the film, McCauley wears Dr. Bob’s similarly-styled blue striped shirt, without a tie.

In a fresh shirt, McCauley is ready to get revenge before getting away.

McCauley’s shoes are a pair of black leather plain-toe oxfords with heavy black soles, worn with black dress socks. An efficient and monochromatic thief like McCauley isn’t going to draw attention to himself with the fashionable alternative of brown footwear with a gray suit.

Also eschewing fashion standards, McCauley wears a black digital wristwatch that allows him to run his team of crooks with precision, able to measure the exact time down to the second.

There are three kinds of people in the world: those that notice McCauley’s watch first, those that notice his gun first, and BAMFs who notice both of them.

While he may not care about fashion when it comes to the rest of his clothing, McCauley does spring for a pair of snazzy gunmetal-framed sunglasses with tortoise resin arms. I’ve read that he wore Giorgio Armani sunglasses in the film, although I can’t connect this specific pair to an actual model.

McCauley definitely wears a pair of gunmetal-framed Giorgio Armani 634 sunglasses in the earlier scene where he tracks down Charlene Shirherlis (Ashley Judd) to a motel, but this is clearly a different pair.

Other robbery-specific accessories worn by McCauley are the plain black skin-tight balaclava, worn to conceal all but his eyes, and the black nylon tactical gloves that close with velcro over the elasticized wrists.

Note the 3-button cuffs… is this a different suit jacket?

Ski masks like these, often associated with armed robbery, can be easily found. I can’t identify the exact gloves worn by McCauley but these FREETOO gloves look like a good enough approximation.

DON’T Go Big or Go Home

Apparently, many aspiring crooks around the world didn’t learn the lesson from Heat that crime doesn’t pay, with copycat robbery attempts on armored cars, banks, and stores showing up everywhere from Colombia to Norway after the film’s release. The most notable copycat attempt was the famous 1997 North Hollywood shootout when Larry Phillips, Jr. and Emil Mătăsăreanu marched into a North Hollywood branch of the Bank of America on February 28, 1997. Much like the Heat criminals, the two had previously robbed an armored car that resulted in the death of a guard. They had some experience with bank robbery in the past few years, but they supposedly delayed their robbery three days until they could get their hands on the exact money-carrying bags used by Val Kilmer in the film.

The LAPD – not led by Al Pacino, I should mention – cornered Phillips and Mătăsăreanu as they exited the bank, engaging them with their Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolvers, 9mm Beretta pistols, and 12-gauge shotguns. Phillips and Mătăsăreanu fired back with illegally-modified, fully-automatic rifles while trying to escape in their ’87 Chevy Celebrity getaway car. Eleven police officers and seven civilians were wounded in the shootout, although the only two fatalities were Phillips and Mătăsăreanu.

There is some irony in the fact that one of the few criticisms of Heat was that people called the post-bank robbery gunfight unrealistic. When two wannabe McCauleys tried to pull off the same job, they met with just as much police resistance and fared just as poorly. What did they expect??

How to Get the Look

Stripping away the aspects of his outfit that were needed for a bank robbery (including the excessive bagginess!), McCauley actually wears a fine example of a ’90s business suit.

• Charcoal pinstripe wool suit, consisting of:
  • Double-breasted 6×2-button jacket with low-gorge peak lapels, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and single rear vent
  • Single reverse-pleated low rise trousers with belt loops, on-seam side pockets, button-through jetted rear pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• White cotton dress shirt with long-pointed spread collar, front placket, breast pocket, and button cuffs
• Black and gray-shadow grid-patterned necktie
• Black leather belt with gold square single-claw buckle
• Black leather plain-toe oxfords
• Black dress socks
• Gunmetal-framed sunglasses with tortoise resin arms and brown lenses
• Black digital wristwatch

I’m hoping you won’t need a breakdown of the shooting vest, ski mask, and gloves.

The Gun

In addition to his trusty .45-caliber SIG-Sauer P220 pistol, Neil McCauley arms himself with a deadly efficient Colt Model 733 “Commando” fully-automatic carbine. This is also the long arm of choice for Chris Shiherlis, who had also carried one during the opening armored car robbery (when McCauley was armed with the similar but longer-barreled Colt Model 654, predecessor to the M4).

McCauley takes aim with his Colt Model 733.

The Colt Commando was developed from the CAR-15 family of M16-based rifles sold by Colt on the civilian market during the Vietnam War era. Since the AR-15 name originally stood for ArmaLite Rifle, the original manufacturer, the CAR-15 was Colt’s attempt to re-associate the rifle with its own brand as the “Colt Automatic Rifle-15”. Now, the CAR-15 is a more generic name for any carbine-length variants of the M16 or AR-15 developed before the M4 Carbine was introduced in 1994. While the M16 line of rifles have 20″ barrels and the M4 has a 14.5″ barrel, the Colt Commando and XM177 versions of the rifle have remained popular for their compact size with 11.5″ barrels.

In its early years, the Colt Model 733 “Commando” was literally pulled together from scraps and spare parts of both M16A1 rifles and M16A2 rifles. It fires the same 5.56×45 mm NATO round as its longer M16 and M4 variants, although the shorter barrel and lighter weight means reduced accuracy, muzzle velocity, and range.

Photo courtesy of IMFDB, uploaded to that site by MoviePropMaster2008.

The Colt Model 733 is a smart, professional choice for the urban bank robbery shown in the film due to the close-to-medium distance fighting. In addition to the compact size, the greater muzzle flash from the shorter barrel would also increase the intimidation factor when fired, and the rifle round means greater accuracy and power than a submachine gun would offer. Val Kilmer was supposedly so proficient with quickly reloading the Model 733 that American Special Forces instructors show this sequence to their trainees for educational purposes (according to IMFDB.)

For these few moments, L.A.’s city streets belong to the McCauley crew.

The actors’ proficiency with their weapons means much credit should be given to Andy McNab, the Special Forces soldier and Persian Gulf War veteran who served as a technical advisor on Heat and spent two months training the cast with firearms. McNab used a tape of L.A. Takedown to get a feel for the style of shootout that Mann desired, then extensively worked with the actors, even working with De Niro to teach him how he would carry an appropriately weighted bag full of money and a wounded Val Kilmer while still firing his automatic carbine one-handed with relative precision.

Neil McCauley knows how to watch out for a buddy!

Of course, McCauley always has his .45 handy. In this case, it’s a blued SIG-Sauer P220 pistol with an 8-round magazine of .45 ACP.

McCauley delivers some fatal news to an enemy.

Interestingly, McCauley always carries his pistol in the front of his waistband. This type of carry, known in non-PC circles as “Mexican carry”, isn’t recommended by firearms experts as it doesn’t firmly secure the weapon and it unsafely keeps it pointing in the direction of man’s most prized possession.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie. And please don’t rob a bank.

Although, you can and should listen to “Force Marker”, the Brian Eno track that underlines the McCauley gang’s efficient takeover of the Far East Bank.

The Quote

He knew the risks, he didn’t have to be there. It rains… you get wet.

Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep (1946).

Vitals

Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe, archetypal hard-boiled private detective

Los Angeles, Fall 1945

Film: The Big Sleep
Release Date: August 23, 1946
Director: Howard Hawks
Wardrobe Credit: Leah Rhodes

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

The Big Sleep is often considered the apex of American film noir. Plot becomes secondary (and often disregarded) in favor of colorful characters made of private eyes, floozy femme fatales, and pornographers spitting snappy dialogue at each other against the backdrop of both the glamorous and seamy sides of the city. The same plot and characters from Raymond Chandler’s 1939 source novel are here, with the anti-Code elements like pornography and homosexuality all but removed.

Roger Ebert’s deservedly positive 1997 review, which describes the film as “a black-and-white symphony that exactly reproduces Chandlers ability… to find a tone of voice that keeps its distance and yet is wry and humorous and cares,” includes many great anecdotes about The Big Sleep‘s production. Although the relatively faithful script was punched up by writers William Faulkner, Jules Furthman, and Leigh Brackett, the studio’s insistence on reshooting certain scenes to focus on the blossoming romance between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall even further muddied the narrative waters. Ebert states: “It is typical of this most puzzling of films that no one agrees even on why it is so puzzling. Yet that has never affected “The Big Sleep’s” enduring popularity, because the movie is about the process of a criminal investigation, not its results.”

In fact, it seems that very little attention at all was paid to the results, both in the novel and the film. Ebert shares a story about Bogart showing up on the set and asking Howard Hawks, “Who pushed Taylor off the pier?” referring to the death of unseen character Owen Taylor. As Lauren Bacall noted in her autobiography: “Everything stopped” because no one knew the answer. Hawks telegrammed Chandler to ask if Taylor’s death was a murder or a suicide, and Chandler himself was stymied, later recalling, “Dammit, I didn’t know either.”

The Bogart-Bacall focus also drastically changed the film, which had been filmed and set for release in 1945. About twenty minutes were reshot and edited back in to let fans appreciate the chemistry between the two stars. According to Chandler, the decision irked director Hawks to the point that he threatened to sue. As Chandler wrote to his publisher:

The girl who played the nymphy sister was so good she shattered Miss Bacall completely. So they cut the picture in such a way that all her best scenes were left out except one. The result made nonsense and Howard Hawks threatened to sue… After long argument, as I hear it, he went back and did a lot of re-shooting.

While I take umbrage with any criticism toward Lauren Bacall, there is no denying that Martha Vickers (the “nymphy sister”) delivered a top-notch performance in both versions as the flighty young Carmen Sternwood. Vickers still featured prominently in the 1946 recut, but the “electric” performance cited by Ebert has indeed been forcibly shaved.

For a 20-year-old relatively inexperienced actress who described herself as “scared to death” on set, Lauren Bacall did one hell of a great job.

Focusing on the film’s male lead, Ebert perfectly sums up what makes Humphrey Bogart so perfect for the Philip Marlowe role:

Bogart himself made personal style into an art form. What else did he have? He wasn’t particularly handsome, he wore a rug, he wasn’t tall (“I try to be,” he tells Vickers), and he always seemed to act within a certain range. Yet no other movie actor is more likely to be remembered a century from now.

Bogie had come a long way since he was a stock player at Warner Brothers, portraying the “sniveling bastard” as needed from Three on a Match in 1932 through The Petrified Forest up to his shared appearances with Jimmy Cagney in Angels with Dirty Faces and The Roaring Twenties. He established himself in 1941 with High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon and firmly cemented himself in cinema history with Casablanca the following year. Finally, with The Big Sleep, Bogie adapted the “sniveling bastard” into a underdog we can’t help but to cheer on. It’s a high point in Bogart’s career, acting in the role he was born to play with the love of his life.

What’d He Wear?

Philip Marlowe wears three different suits over the four days of action in The Big Sleep, evidently cycling through Marlowe’s whole wardrobe as he ends up repeating his first suit on the fourth day. Since the film is black-and-white, it’s difficult to accurately determine what colors were involved in his outfits. The book is no help either, as the first paragraph of Chandler’s 1939 novel reads:

It was about eleven o’clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills. I was wearing my powder-blue suit, with dark blue shirt, tie and display handkerchief, black brogues, black wool socks with dark blue clocks on them. I was neat, clean, shaved, and sober, and I didn’t care who knew it. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be. I was calling on four million dollars.

… so clearly, the film didn’t use the book as a basis when dressing its protagonist in what appears to be a much more traditional combination of dark suit, light shirt, and dark tie. The attire that Marlowe describes in the book is surprisingly flashy for our cynical, straightforward private eye.

Bogart’s suit colorized in brown (by “MsgtBob”) and green (by “BunnyDojo”).

I’ve seen a few different colorizations of stills from The Big Sleep, including a very attractive green color for this suit created by “MsgtBob” for a Worth1000.com content. However, the most convincing colorization that I’ve seen colored the suit brown, the shirt tan, and the tie a dark red, created by an artist known as “BunnyDojo”.

No matter what color it is, Marlowe’s suit on film is a dark two-piece, constructed from a birdseye wool suiting best seen when Marlowe is inspecting the empty camera at Geiger’s murder scene.

The birdseye detail of Marlowe’s suit is best seen in this close-up at Geiger’s crib.

Matt Spaiser from The Suits of James Bond describes birdseye as: “a pattern of round dots on a diagonal grid… The pattern alternates two dark yarns and two light yarns in both the warp and the weft. In a larger scale the pattern looks like large circles with a dot in the centre. In smaller scales it looks like a simple pattern on dots on a diagonal grid.” Marlowe’s birdseye wool suit is an example of the smaller scale described by Spaiser, appearing solid from a distance and a grid of dots closer up.

As The Big Sleep was filmed mostly in 1945 when clothing was still mostly rationed for the war, Marlowe’s suit doesn’t feature any of the overly baggy fits or padding that were en vogue by the time of the film’s release a year later. The jacket is single-breasted with wide notch lapels. The notches themselves are large, and each lapel has a stitched buttonhole. The shoulders are lightly padded with only slight roping on the sleeveheads. The back is ventless.

Marlowe at the Sternwood residence.

Per Chandler’s description, Marlowe does wear a handkerchief in his breast pocket, but it’s a plain white linen handkerchief that he often uses to wipe his sweat in the intense heat of General Sternwood’s solarium and not the dark blue display handkerchief of the book. The breast pocket itself is welted, and the straight hip pockets are jetted with no flaps.

Marlowe’s suit jacket closes on a two-button front, but he always wears it open. There are also four buttons on each cuff.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Marlowe.

The double reverse-pleated trousers of Marlowe’s suit are less minimalist than the jacket, mostly due to the fashions of the mid-1940s. They have a long rise with belt loops around the waist, secured by a slim brown leather belt. The belt appears to have some Western influence with its decorative tooling, metal tip, and the shape of its small metal single-claw buckle. He wears his keys on a chain that connects to his right front belt loop, carrying the keys themselves in the trousers’ right side pocket.

Marlowe was wise to remove his jacket in the tropical atmosphere cultivated by General Sternwood.

Marlowe also often keeps his hands in the on-seam side pockets of his trousers. When he takes off his jacket upon meeting General Sternwood, the pants’ baggy fit is evident around his hips and across the rear where there are two jetted pockets – the left closes with a button while the right is open. The generous fit continues through the trousers’ straight legs down to the cuffed bottoms.

Marlowe wears a light-colored cotton shirt that isn’t quite light enough to be pure white. Based on the contrast, it’s probably a lighter version of whatever color the suit is; assuming the suit is brown, the shirt is probably tan or ecru. It has a long point collar and a front placket. The square cuffs close with a single button, and the gauntlets also have a button. There is no pocket.

Before the sweat accumulated…

Marlowe’s silk tie is the simplest part of the outfit. It’s dark, short, and wide at the bottom. It has none of the vibrant prints or pizzazz that were characteristic of the decade’s later ties.

Even Bogart’s footwear deviates from Chandler’s description of Marlowe in the book. Rather than brogues and clock-patterned socks, Bogart’s Marlowe wears a pair of black calf cap-toe oxfords with plain black wool socks.

Bogie gives Bacall the boot… or, rather, the balmoral.

The classic fedora is now immediately associated with film noir tough guys, specifically Bogie. The Big Sleep is no exception, as he wears a dark felt snap-brim fedora with a wide black ribbon throughout the film. The “Royal Stetson” logo is clearly seen on the inside of the crown when it’s knocked off of his head during a confrontation with Eddie Mars’ thugs.

Marlowe briefly loses his hat! Chaos ensues!

Bogart pokes fun at his own tough guy image when he poses as an effeminate antique book aficionado in the early stages of the investigation. He snaps up the front of his fedora’s brim and dons a pair of dark-framed sunglasses, affecting a foppish lisp as he grills Agnes about the “Ben-Hur, 1860… with the erratum on page 116″. Perhaps the lisp was a defense mechanism against his own natural lisp.

“Hmm?”

Although he only wears the sunglasses as part of a disguise (shades of North by Northwest!), Marlowe wears all of Bogart’s usual accessories. On the third finger of his right hand is the familiar gold ring with its ruby-diamond-ruby setting. Replicas are available at Royalty and Hollywood Jewelry in Naples, Florida as well as on Amazon.

All Bogart fans know this ring.

Bogart’s square-cased watch is clearly seen, although it’s not the same Longines Evidenza seen in Casablanca. He wears it on a brown leather strap.

Not the Longines, but still elegant.

Marlowe also wears two different topcoats with this suit. His go-to topcoat is a Glen plaid wool knee-length coat with a single-breasted, four-button front, typically worn with just the bottom button done. It has a large collar, straight welted hand pockets, plain cuffs, and – interestingly – a ventless back.

Marlowe gets to investigating.

However, he also encounters some rain over the course of his investigation and finds himself sporting a classic khaki trench coat. Just like the iconic one he wore as Rick Blaine in Casablanca, this belted raincoat is double-breasted with storm flaps, button-down epaulettes, slanted hand pockets, buckle-strap cuffs, and a long single vent in the back.

Shades of Rick Blaine!

The manufacturers’ logo of Marlowe’s trench coat is visible when Norris eases him into it before he leaves the Sternwood residence, but I haven’t yet been able to identify it. It doesn’t look like either the Aquascutum or Burberry logos, but those could have been different in the 1940s.

Norris would be far more helpful if he would tell us who manufactured Marlowe’s trench coat.

Go Big or Go Home

It’s been said (by me) that a film noir gumshoe is only as good as his daily booze and tobacco consumption. Luckily, Philip Marlowe’s got that covered in spades (pun) from the very beginning. General Sternwood enjoys brandy but is no longer allowed to imbibe for health reasons so he takes his drinks “by proxy”, and Marlowe is more than happy to indulge by taking several drams on his behalf. He learn a little more about Marlowe when he stops off at a bookstore and, after some flirtatious banter with the foxy clerk (played by a scene-stealing Dorothy Malone), mentions to her that “It just happens I got a bottle of pretty good rye in my pocket.” We see little of the bottle himself, so we’ll just have to accept Marlowe’s word regarding its quality. Still, it’s not too good that either Marlowe or the unnamed clerk are above drinking it out of her paper cups.

Marlowe offers Bernie Ohls a smoke.

Marlowe’s cigarettes of choice are Chesterfields, unfiltered of course.

How to Get the Look

Marlowe’s suit is a perfect template for dressing a hard-boiled PI from the era. Simplicity is key – both due to wartime rationing and an uncomplicated attitude. So what if we don’t know what color it is?

• Dark birdseye wool two-piece suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted 2-button jacket with large notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight jetted hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and ventless back
  • Double reverse-pleated trousers with belt loops, straight on-seam side pockets, jetted rear pockets, and turn-ups/cuffed bottoms
• Light cotton dress shirt with long point collar, front placket, and squared 1-button cuffs
• Dark short silk necktie with wide bottom
• Brown decorative-tooled slim leather belt with small single-claw buckle and metal tip
• Black calf leather cap-toe oxford shoes
• Black wool dress socks
• Dark felt snap-brim Royal Stetson fedora with wide black grosgrain ribbon
• Dark plastic-framed sunglasses
• Square-cased wristwatch on brown leather strap
• Gold ring with two rubies and diamond

If it’s raining, opt for a classic khaki trench coat to combat the wetness. If it’s just a chilly night, a simple Glen plaid topcoat will add a touch of tough-guy class.

The Guns

Like most films of its era, The Big Sleep appeals to wheel-gun lovers by featuring plenty of revolvers. Marlowe himself keeps two in his car – a Colt Detective Special and a Colt Official Police.

Both the Colt Detective Special and the Colt Official Police were developed in 1927 as double-action revolvers aimed at the police market. Both were primarily chambered in .38 Special and had swing-out cylinders and exposed ejector rods. The primarily difference is the barrel length; the Official Police was developed for general police issue and offered in barrel lengths of 4″, 5″, and 6″. The Detective Special, on the other hand, was meant to serve as it was named – for plainclothes detectives. It was one of the first modern “snubnose” revolvers developed for concealment with its 2″ barrel (although rare examples made with 3″ barrels have also been uncovered).

Marlowe keeps a Colt Detective Special handy in his Plymouth.

The climax of the film finds Marlowe tied up in a house outside Rialto in San Bernardino County. He frees himself and sneaks out to his disabled car, where he flicks a switch and – PRESTO! a panel flips down with his 2″-barreled Colt Detective Special waiting for him. (Evidently, his Official Police has been misplaced.) Marlowe grabs the Detective Special and sets up a gambit for Vivian to help him corner and kill the nefarious Lash Canino.

Marlowe waits for Canino to show up.

Once Canino has been downed by Marlowe’s bullets, Marlowe has to put the last steps of his plan in motion. He arms himself with Canino’s own Colt Official Police and heads to the deceased A.G. Geiger’s house on Laverne Terrace to wait for Eddie Mars.

Marlowe holds Canino’s Colt Official Police on Eddie Mars.

It’s with this Colt Official Police that Marlowe forces Mars to get what’s coming to him in the finale. Some have cited this as a continuity error since Marlowe clearly uses the shorter-barreled Detective Special in the shootout with Canino, but it’s more than probable that he just picked up Canino’s own Official Police to ensure that he’d have a much firepower as necessary when facing off against Eddie Mars.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie as well as Raymond Chandler’s 1939 book. Who cares if you get confused by the plot? Chandler himself wasn’t sure what was going on. Just enjoy some classic hard-boiled private eye noir.

The Quote

I don’t mind if you don’t like my manners, I don’t like them myself. They are pretty bad. I grieve over them on long winter evenings. I don’t mind your ritzing me drinking your lunch out of a bottle. But don’t waste your time trying to cross-examine me.

Timothy Olyphant as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens on Justified (Episode 1.03, “Fixer”).

Vitals

Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens, old school Deputy U.S. Marshal

Harlan County, Kentucky, Spring 2010

Series: Justified
Episodes:
– “Fixer” (Episode 1.03, Director: Fred Keller, Air Date: March 30, 2010)
– “The Hammer” (Episode 1.10, Director: John Dahl, Air Date: May 18, 2010)
– “The Moonshine War” (Episode 2.01, Director: Adam Arkin, Air Date: February 9, 2011)
– “Cottonmouth” (Episode 2.05, Director: Michael Watkins, Air Date: March 9, 2011)
– “The Spoil” (Episode 2.08, Director: Michael Watkins, Air Date: March 30, 2011)
– “Reckoning” (Episode 2.12, Director: Adam Arkin, Air Date: April 27, 2011)
Costume Designers: Ane Crabtree (Season 1) & Patia Prouty (Season 2)

Background

A laconic, black-suited lawman with a troubled personal life and deadly accuracy with a firearm. The first name that would come to mind for most people is Wyatt Earp. It’s no coincidence that Justified‘s showrunners also ensured that the description would fit Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens to a T.

You are every inch the goddamn gunslinger I’ve heard.

…is Judge Mike Reardon’s praise for Raylan in “The Hammer”, and it is a very apt description given the lawman’s throwback tendencies to an era when gunslingers roamed the dusty streets of the old west.

What’d He Wear?

Ah, the black suit. A controversial part of men’s fashion, black suits are typically considered inappropriate for day-to-day business lest one be mistaken for a clergyman or a hitman who is trying too hard. Black suits are often starter suits, purchased for awkward teenage boys by their parents for Bar Mitzvahs and high school dances. It’s still a useful suit to have in adult life – especially for funerals and evening functions – but many men make the mistake of sporting a black suit when they’d be better served wearing navy or charcoal.

Ever the individualist, Raylan Givens doesn’t follow these rules… nor does he necessarily need to. He already flouts sartorial convention by pairing suit jackets sometimes with jeans and always with cowboy boots. Death follows Raylan Givens wherever he goes, so it makes sense that his black suits throughout the series render him a walking funeral. In fact, Raylan’s black suits nicely evoke his dark, taciturn demeanor while also betraying the fact that this is a guy who cares little for fashion.

The Suit

Timothy Olyphant’s lean 6′ frame sporting a black suit, cowboy hat, and riding boots makes him look every bit the old-time lawman we know he is inside. Raylan wears at least three different black suits over the course of the show, sporting a new one every two seasons. The black lightweight wool suit he wears in the first two seasons can be differentiated by its 1-button jacket. He always pairs it in these early seasons with a blue shirt – often plaid – and a black tie.

Raylan sports a black suit, solid blue shirt, and black subtly-patterned tie for his investigation in Harlan County in “The Moonshine War” (Episode 2.01).

The quality of Raylan’s black lightweight wool suiting is discernible by examining the detailed pick stitching running along the edges of the jacket’s slim lapels and pocket flaps.

This suit’s jacket makes its first appearance in the second episode, but it doesn’t show up as a full suit until the subsequent episode, “Fixer” (Episode 1.03). The suit coat is very simple, minimal, and clean with a single-breasted front that closes with a low-stanced single black button.

Raylan proves that some situations don’t necessarily call for a cowboy hat… although there tend to be very few of those situations.

Raylan’s suit coat has a welted breast pocket and straight flapped hip pockets. The sleeves have roped heads and 4-button cuffs. There is a single rear vent in the back. The inside is lined with black silk, and there is a single jetted pocket on the inside of each panel.

The low rise trousers are just as basic as the jacket with a plain front and plain-hemmed bottoms. There are two jetted back pockets and two straight side pockets where Raylan often sticks his hands.

Coover Bennett lays the smackdown on Raylan in “The Spoil” (Episode 2.08).

All first season episodes and a few early second season appearances feature a very dark brown tooled leather belt with edge stitching along the top and bottom. The belt is so dark that it looks black in some lighting, but close-ups and its worn edges reveal that it is indeed black. It closes in the front through a slim, simple square steel buckle with a single prong. (Try saying that three times fast, Francis Dolarhyde.)

In “The Spoil” (Episode 2.08), Raylan wears a rust brown leather belt that is a little more matchy-matchy with his “cigar” brown boots.

Shirts and Ties

Not only does Raylan make snooty sartorialists cringe by frequently wearing black suits, but he also goes the distance by always wearing a blue shirt with his black! (A combination not endorsed by GQ until this spring, if that means anything to you.)

Shirt #1: In “Fixer” (Episode 1.03, this suit’s first appearance) and “The Spoil” (Episode 2.08), Raylan wears a triple-tone blue plaid cotton shirt with a pattern that can best be described as a smaller-scale buffalo check. The pattern is a blue check overlapping to create navy squares at each intersection, all on a lighter blue ground.

Even Raylan Givens can get his ass kicked, although a solid thrashing from the thickheaded Coover Bennett would probably knock anyone onto the floor. (From “The Spoil”, Episode 2.08)

The shirt is long-sleeved with a slim spread collar and a front placket with dark gray plastic buttons. The soft barrel cuffs close with a single button, and the patch breast pocket has a pointed bottom. Light blue contrast stitching is visible along the top of the pocket and about 1/4″ deep on the collar, placket, and cuffs.

Raylan stares down a potential adversary in “Fixer” (Episode 2.03).

Raylan wears this shirt with a plain, solid black tie in both of its appearances.

Shirt #2: The same solid black suit and tie show up in “The Hammer” (Episode 1.10) when Raylan goes to interrogate Doug E. Doug, whose character name doesn’t matter since he’s played here by Doug E. Doug. Raylan wears a different plaid shirt with a snap-down front. The more complex plaid consists of a dark blue multi-check and a wide brown gradient grid on a light gray ground. It has a super slim collar, brown contrast edge stitching, and two edge-stitched patch pockets with flaps that each close with a single snap.

Even Raylan is surprised to see Doug E. Doug returning to acting.

He secures the tie in place with a plain silver tie bar, a sporadic accessory for Raylan but also a smart method of ensuring his tie stays in place during one of his many quick-draw situations.

Shirt #3: Earlier in “The Hammer”, Raylan swapped out the blue plaid shirts and solid black tie for a blue chambray shirt and white diamond-dot tie. The shirt, which he also often wore with his gray peak-lapel suit, has a concealed button-down collar that gives the appearance of a standard slim spread collar. It has seven white plastic buttons down a front placket, two button-closed mitred patch pockets on the chest, and squared button cuffs.

Raylan redefines business dress in “The Hammer” (Episode 1.10).

Raylan sports another black tie with this shirt, although it has large white polka dots throughout. The tie – also secured with the same silver tie bar – is worn long with the blade extending down past Raylan’s belt.

…although he may have been advised to make that tie a little shorter.

Shirt #4: Raylan wears this same black suit into the second season. He wears it in the premiere, “The Moonshine War” (Episode 2.01), with another solid blue shirt, although this is a more traditional dress shirt with a spread collar, button cuffs, and double rear side darts. This metallic light blue shirt – with its slim front placket and no pocket – offers a simpler look than his more rugged alternatives from the first season.

A dressier Raylan can’t resist a swallow of the titular beverage in “The Moonshine War” (Episode 2.01).

This shirt makes another appearance with the same coat and tie six episodes later, although he swaps out the trousers for a pair of jeans.

Raylan’s slim silk tie with this outfit is also black, although it is subtly printed with a single white and a single brown rectangle, evidently placed along a subtle black curve.

Shirt #5: During a brief sequence in “Cottonmouth” (Episode 2.05) when Raylan visits the hapless dimwit Dewey Crowe in jail, he wears another blue check shirt. This one has an added layer of complexity with a light blue windowpane grid. Eagle-eyed fans will have spotted the same shirt in Episode 1.11, worn with the same black suit coat except more casually with jeans, no tie, and a dark blue henley underneath. His tie in this scene is solid black ribbed silk.

No talk with Dewey Crowe is ever a pleasant one. Luckily for Raylan, their discussion in “Cottonmouth” (Episode 2.05) is kept relatively short.

Shirt #6: While guarding Carol Johnson (Rebecca Creskoff) in “The Spoil” (Episode 2.08), Raylan swears a very dark blue flannel shirt with a black triple overcheck, slim spread collar, and two mitred patch pockets with pointed button-down flaps. This all-dark look gives Raylan the intimidation factor that he needs to protect the ‘townie’ Carol from the hearty denizens of Harlan County.

Raylan knows what will intimidate even the steeliest of Harlan County’s inhabitants in “The Spoil” (Episode 2.08).

Shirt #7: Raylan’s first black suit appropriately makes its own swan song at a funeral in “Reckoning” (Episode 2.12), paired with a simple white cotton poplin dress shirt and solid black tie. Raylan hardly ever wears white shirts, but he knows when the time is right to subtle-down for a somber occasion. His white dress shirt has a point collar, front placket, and button cuffs.

Raylan shares a moment with Winona in “Reckoning” (Episode 2.12) after saying goodbye to a family member.

Outerwear & Accessories

In “Fixer” (Episode 1.03), Raylan heads out for an investigation during some light rain, wearing a charcoal knee-length topcoat in lightweight wool. It has a single-breasted, 4-button front and a large shirt-style collar with pick stitching running along the edges.

Raylan’s topcoat makes one of its few appearances with a suit, seen here in “Fixer” (Episode 1.03).

This very simple coat reflects Raylan’s no-frills personality. The cuffs are plain with no tabs or buttons, and the back is broken only by a long single vent. There are two straight “handwarmer” pockets on the outside and a jetted inner pocket on each side plus a smaller jetted pen pocket on the inner left panel. Raylan, a practical dresser, pulls out this coat when he needs an extra layer against the elements, and he’s also been seen wearing it on top of his “denim sandwich” jacket and jeans.

While he only wears his overcoat for rainy or chilly weather, Raylan Givens always wears his Stetson and I mean always… to the point where an entire episode is called “Hatless” as Raylan spends the bulk of it without his trademark headgear. Doyle Bennett even tells Raylan in “The Moonshine War” that “You and your hat are famous.”

Raylan sports his famous hat in “The Spoil” (Episode 2.08).

Raylan’s cattleman’s hat has been identified as a Stetson “Marshall” in ranch tan 4x wool with a 4″ brim. Want one? HatCountry.com has ’em for a few cents shy of $130.

Shift from top to bottom to find Raylan’s other signature gear: a pair of custom-made Lucchese western-style cowboy boots made from dark “cigar” brown ostrich leg leather. The boots shafts are decoratively stitched, although Raylan wears his trouser bottoms over the boots.

Raylan bridges the gap between Rachel’s professional U.S. Marshal duds and the Kentucky state trooper’s more traditional uniform in “The Moonshine War” (Episode 2.01), although neither Rachel nor the trooper have the gumption to pull off a pair of ostrich leg boots.

Raylan’s tried-and-true Bianchi Model 59 Special Agent® thumb break paddle holster in tan-finished full grain leather is fixed to the right side of his belt for a fast, strong-side draw. Armed with the knowledge that he is a right-hand shooter and carries a full size Glock with a 4.49″ barrel, we can deduce that the exact model of Raylan’s Bianchi holster is #19128.

Raylan prepares for a showdown in “Fixer” (Episode 1.03).

The silver tie bar that shows up briefly in “The Hammer” is our only peek at Raylan’s additional accessories with this suit. Otherwise, he keeps everything the same – a silver horseshoe ring on his left hand and a TAG Heuer Series 6000 Chronometer on his wrist.

Raylan’s wristwatch, seen in action and in thoughtful repose.

The TAG Heuer has a brushed steel case and a white dial, worn on a brown alligator strap.

What to Imbibe

Raylan is marked as a true “son of Kentucky” with his drinking habits – both alcoholic and otherwise – especially in “The Moonshine War” (Episode 2.01). The “premium alcohol” that Tim refers to as Raylan relinquishes his Glock is Blanton’s, a high-proof single barrel Bourbon distilled at the Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Blanton’s led the single barrel revolution when it was launched in 1984 by the legendary Elmer T. Lee (who has a pretty great Bourbon named after him as well, shown to be the whiskey of choice for Boyd Crowder).

Blanton’s was named for Albert B. Blanton, an honored “Kentucky Colonel” who shares his title with the likes of Jim Beam and Colonel Sanders. A nearly-perfect bourbon – in my opinion – it’s been showing up more recently on shows and movies like Bored to Death, Gone Girl, and John Wick. I first heard about it five years ago on the eve of my 21st birthday when a friend recommended it via Facebook solicitation. Thanks for the recommendation, Frank!

And, even though he’s sworn to uphold the law, Raylan also isn’t above downing a shot of Mags’ Bennett’s famous “apple pie” moonshine, a legendary country concoction of white lightning and apple cider. Mags proudly breaks down her recipe for Raylan:

I make it 180 proof. Cut it with cider, some apple juice, add some cinnamon and vanilla.

Simple enough, although with a ABV like that, it makes sense that Raylan would need something a little less potent to wash it down. While Raylan and Rachel (Erica Tazel) continue their visit to the Bennett store in Harlan, Raylan enjoys a bottle of Ale-8-One, a soft drink often described as “ginger ale with a kick” due to its citrus flavor.

Raylan enjoys some of Kentucky’s finest… at least their finest non-bourbon offering.

“Ale-8”, as it’s known, was developed by Winchester, Kentucky soda bottler G.L. Wainscott in 1926 and has spent much of its history available only to Kentuckians. Availability has slowly spread to surrounding areas in Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida, but the soda’s appearance on Justified indicates an extra degree of verisimilitude.

Image from a Gainesville Times article from the soda’s 2010 expansion into Georgia.

(Actually, the bottle that Raylan is drinking appears to be the diet version, Diet Ale-8, which was introduced in 2003.)

How to Get the Look

If plaid shirts aren’t your cup of tea, Raylan also sports some solid blues with his black suit and tie.

Raylan Givens proudly wears his black suit, blue shirt, and black tie with a subtle touch that sets him apart as the rugged, bucolic old-time lawman. (And by “subtle touch”, I mean more subtle than a cowboy hat and boots.)

• Black lightweight wool suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted 1-button jacket with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and single rear vent
  • Flat front low-rise trousers with belt loops, straight side pockets, jetted rear pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Blue check shirt with slim spread collar, front placket, and
• Slim black ribbed silk necktie
• Stetson Marshall 4x wool ranch tan cattleman’s hat with a thin tooled leather band
• Lucchese “cigar”-colored brown ostrich leg Western-style boots with decorative stitched calf leather shafts
• Dark brown tooled leather belt with squared steel single-claw buckle
• Tan full grain leather Bianchi Model 59 Special Agent® paddle holster for a full-size Glock pistol
• Charcoal lightweight wool single-breasted knee-length topcoat with 4-button front, edge-stitched shirt-style collar, slanted “handwarmer” pockets, plain cuffs, and single rear vent
• TAG Heuer Series 6000 Chronometer wristwatch with brushed steel case, white dial, and brown alligator strap
• Silver horseshoe ring

For a more casual look – and one sure to piss off sartorial purists even more than his outifts already do – Raylan subs in a pair of well-worn Levi’s jeans. But we’ll get into that later.

The Gun

Even before Justified offered Glock fans a new outlet for appreciation, U.S. Marshals (1998) brought the U.S. Marshal Service’s standard sidearm to the forefront as a plot point for Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Downey Jr. to quibble over. U.S. Marshals correctly depicts the .40 S&W caliber series of Glock pistols – the full-size 22, compact 23, and subcompact backup 27 – as the service’s issued weapon, but Justified uses the more common Glock 17, chambered in 9×19 mm Parabellum, as Raylan Givens’ “sword of justice”.

Raylan whips out his Glock in “Fixer” (Episode 1.03).

Raylan is a fan of the Glock, choosing to replace his lost model in “The Moonshine War” with yet another. As Tim tells him over a glass of bourbon:

Relinquishing a firearm can be a very emotional moment, and there always must be another deputy in attendance. Add in some premium alcohol, what could possibly go wrong?

The choice to arm Raylan with a Glock 17 rather than the slightly more true-to-life Glock 22 was almost undoubtedly made since the 9mm blank ammunition would be cheaper to keep our quick-triggered protagonist’s magazines full. In “The Hammer”, however, Raylan does tell Judge Reardon that he’s packing a “.45-caliber Glock”, implying that he carries the cosmetically similar Glock 21.

The same scene from “Fixer” gives us a close look at Raylan’s Glock muzzle. The diameter of the bore looks more fitting for the Glock 17’s 9 mm round than the slightly larger Glock 21 muzzle for the .45 ACP round.

The Glock 21 would be a fine choice for Raylan. Like his clothing, it appears to be just the same as the rest but closer inspection reveals that it packs a heavier punch. The .45-caliber also makes sense for an old-timey lawman like Raylan Givens, considering that the .45 Long Colt round was developed in 1873 for the Colt Peacemaker, one of the classic firearms referred to as “The Gun That Won the West”.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the entire series. The screenshots featured here are from the first and second seasons.

If you’re looking for these episodes in particular…

• “Fixer” (Episode 1.03) features Raylan facing off against a duo of inept debt collectors who kidnapped a bookie and foolishly challenge him to a showdown.
• “The Hammer” (Episode 1.10) finds Raylan assigned to protect an eccentric pistol-packing judge, Mike Reardon (Stephen Root!), while trying to make a new case against his old nemesis Boyd Crowder.
• “The Moonshine War” (Episode 2.01), named after Elmore Leonard’s unrelated 1969 novel, establishes the new season-long dispute pitting Raylan against the ruthless Bennett clan that rules the Harlan County drug trade.
• “Cottonmouth” (Episode 2.05) begins with Raylan meeting with an imprisoned Dewey Crowe to get information about the Bennett family.
• “The Spoil” (Episode 2.08) once again places Raylan in the role of protector, this time assigned to guard mining executive Carol Johnson who is arguably one of the least popular newcomers to Harlan County.
• “Reckoning” (Episode 2.12) finds Raylan dealing with the effects of a death in the family and setting him up for a major confrontation.

The Quote

Y’all go poking the bear, and it’s his fault when you get bit.

Kirk Douglas as John “Doc” Holliday in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957).

Vitals

Kirk Douglas as John “Doc” Holliday, hot-tempered gambler, gunslinger, and ex-dentist

Tombstone, AZ, October 1881

Film: Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Release Date: May 30, 1957
Director: John Sturges
Costume Designer: Edith Head

Background

Friday’s post focused on Raylan Givens, the dark-suited U.S. Marshal who would’ve been more at home in the Old West rather than the era of cell phones, electric cars, and Bieber. In fact, Raylan would have fit in perfectly 134 years ago today as Doc Holliday joined the Earps for their long walk toward the O.K. Corral and a showdown that would engrain them in western lore.

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, as it became known, became a pop culture phenomenon almost instantly. Dime books, paintings, and sketches romanticized the showdown for half a century until 1934’s Frontier Marshal incorporated the events into it largely fictional showdown between fearless lawman Michael Wyatt (George O’Brien) and local crime boss Doc Warren. Half a dozen films and more than two decades later, filmmakers finally came close to getting the names and events straight with the 1957 film Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, directed by John Sturges and starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, respectively.

Like most films from the Golden Age of Westerns, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral remains uncomplicated. The good guys are good, and the bad guys are bad. Thanks to Leon Uris’ script and Kirk Douglas’ performance, we get a little more depth with the characterization of the bitter, tubercular Doc Holliday, but the film is far more comfortable sticking to loose legend rather than the facts. The name itself misled many to believe that the gunfight happened at the O.K. Corral; in fact, the Earps faced off against the cowboy faction in a narrow lot on Fremont Street outside the corral’s rear entrance. The gunfight itself was transformed into a long, tactical shootout with rifles and shotguns aplenty; in fact, the 30-second long gun battle featured only revolvers, save for Doc’s borrowed double-barreled shotgun.

Although the movie’s inaccuracy is now well-known, Kirk Douglas’ interesting portrayal humanized the erudite and colorful gunslinger beyond the Western stock character that he had been for the previous twenty years. In fact, some have argued that Douglas more correctly interpreted Holliday’s irascibility more than Val Kilmer’s 1993 performance in Tombstone, often considered to be the definitive cinematic Doc Holliday.

What’d He Wear?

Kirk Douglas’ Doc Holliday wears three main outfits in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Looking closely at each outfit’s details, Douglas was clearly (and not unreasonably) attired in 1950s costuming rather than genuine reflections of 1880s style, but it is still a stylish and accessible look if you want a snazzy Halloween costume or if you’re some sort of weird riverboat gambler.

Doc’s preferred cigarettes are “Morleys”, the fictional brand that was later rebranded to resemble the classic Marlboro packaging. This is the same “branding” that would be seen smoked by William Shatner in a classic episode of The Twilight Zone.

Doc wears this charcoal wool dress suit during both his knife-flinging introduction and the final scene, the titular gunfight. Given the significance of these two scenes, Sturges evidently saw the suit’s representative value for the Doc Holliday character.

Doc’s suit jacket is a single-breasted lounge coat with peak lapels. The dark satin semi-facings on each lapel contribute to the suit’s luxury and make it slightly fancier than the gray pick suit he wears alternately.

A terse Lee Van Cleef eyes up Doc from his drinking table.

The jacket has no breast pocket and two hip pockets that sit straight on his natural waistline with large flaps.

All of the jacket’s dark gray horn buttons come in pairs; the suit has a 2-button front, two non-functioning buttons on each cuff, and two decorative back buttons above the rear vents. Although the lounge coat marked an evolution toward modern suits, Doc’s jacket still maintains many traditional styling points including the back layout.

The old-fashioned styling of Doc’s lounge coat is evident.

Doc’s matching flat front trousers rise to Kirk Douglas’ natural waist with a straight-cut down to the plain-hemmed bottoms. They have belt loops, although these did not become popular on mens’ trousers until the rise began falling in the 1920s. Doc’s belt is black leather with a squared steel single-claw buckle. He may wear it to secure the shoulder holster he conceals under his left arm, although the securing method isn’t readily apparent. The trousers have frogmouth front pockets just below the waistline and no back pockets.

Old West gambling often evokes an image of a well-mustached man sporting a brightly-colored silk brocade vest. Douglas’ Doc is no exception, always pairing his charcoal suit to a deep red paisley-printed satin brocade vest. Modern copycats should keep in mind that it’s not easy to sport a brocade vest these days without looking like you’re late for the high school prom.

Doc chose to skip prom to stay in bed and mope about having TB.

Doc’s vest has a low, V-shaped opening above the single-breasted, 3-button front. The three buttons are all covered in the same cloth as the rest of the waistcoat, and the bottom is notched. The vest also has slim shawl lapels and two welted hip pockets on the front, with Doc keeping his gold watch in the right pocket. The back of the waistcoat is dark mauve silk with an adjustable strap.

Doc’s yellow gold full hunter pocketwatch is clearly shown in his introductory scene. “A.W. Co. Waltham” is printed in black on the white dial, indicating that this is a classic Waltham railroad watch, likely manufactured around the time that American Watch Company changed its name to American Waltham Watch Company in 1885. Interested in your own Waltham pocketwatch? Check out this bad boy, starting at only $150.

Aw, Doc’s parents were very considerate.

Doc wears his Waltham watch on a gold chain through the top buttonhole of his vest where the gold bar pokes through. The white dial has black Roman numerals and a 6:00 sub-dial. It’s personalized with a photo of his loving parents placed inside the dust cover, with their inscription – “TO OUR BELOVED SON DOCTOR JOHN HOLLIDAY” – on the back.

Doc’s shirt is light gray with an attached turndown collar and pleated front bib. Both the ruffled placket and the plain, squared cuffs have mother-of-pearl buttons.

Doc prefers throwing a knife rather than the old ‘hit a pillow’ trick.

Doc wears a black satin string tie, which is just as simple as it sounds and is most familiar these days as the preferred neckwear of KFC’s Colonel Sanders (my second post in a row referencing the good colonel!) Cattle Kate offers these ties for sale for only $14 with the accurate description of “one long piece of silk to tie into a floppy bow… a favorite of gamblers and gentlemen callers everywhere.

For the lazy, pre-tied examples are available from Gentleman’s Emporium for $22 as the “Western Bow Tie” and, of course, Amazon for a cool $5.50.

He throws lots of knives, actually.

Doc appropriately wears an all-black “gambler hat”, a more urban evolution of the low-crowned telescope hat worn by Mexican cowboys in the southwest. The low, round crown prevented hot air from accumulating inside the hat. The telescope hat also featured a wide brim to protect its wearers from the piercing sun; since gamblers spent most of their time inside, the gambler hat featured a smaller, upturned brim like Doc’s.

Very fitting for a gambler, actually.

Doc wears a pair of black leather plain-toe boots with tall riding heels. A brief shot of Doc slumped in a chair, presumably uncrossing his legs after taking off his boots, shows a pair of high black socks worn underneath.

I know Doc didn’t want to die with his boots off, but this is ridiculous.

On the third finger of his left hand, Doc wears a gold ring with a large oval red coral setting. As both this movie and Tombstone show Doc Holliday as wearing a ring (although 1994’s Wyatt Earp does not), I don’t know if the real Doc was reputed to have worn a ring or if it’s just an affectation that both filmmakers believed he would have appreciated.

Although the veracity of Doc’s ring hasn’t been confirmed, I’ve read some accounts supporting the claim that the real-life Holliday favored a shoulder holster for his everyday carry. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral presents a low-slung brown leather holster rig, concealed below his left arm near the waist for a right-handed cross draw. Though we never see Doc wearing it with his jacket off, it appears to be secured with a thin strap that enters his left vest pocket, possibly fastening to his trouser belt.

Doc holsters his Remington after drawing on his buddy.

When the sun rises on October 26, 1881 (another of the film’s errors, as the real gunfight was around 3:00 PM), Doc straps on an extra gun belt to face the Clantons and McLaurys.

*Pew pew!*

The gun belt is brown leather, like his shoulder rig. It buckles in the front through a ranger-style strap, with the holster for his Single Action Army hanging low on his right thigh.

Go Big or Go Home

Doc Holliday has retained his popularity because his real-life exploits were the stuff of legends.The story of a tubercular dentist who took down his shingle and took up the life of a professional card sharp is interesting enough. Add in the fact that he was a dangerously accurate shot and became involved in one of the most infamous conflicts in Western history… well, you’ve got yourself a legend.

Cultured, educated, and violent, Doc Holliday was almost as quick with his wit as he was with his trigger finger. He was stubborn and full of Southern pride, and he refused to quit smoking, drinking, and whoring – even after he was diagnosed with consumption. Aware of the chronic cough accompanying TB, Kirk Douglas wrote in his 1988 autobiography The Ragman’s Son that he would plan exactly how many and what kind of coughs he would have in each scene. This consideration is a fine example of the professionalism, energy, and diligence that have characterized his six-decade long career.

Despite the vigor that he brought to the role, Kirk Douglas wasn’t always the first choice for the role. Producer Hal B. Wallis was reported in early 1955 as saying that he wanted Humphrey Bogart. It’s an interesting choice, as Bogart was hiding his own fatal disease at the time. Once Bogart esophageal cancer became public knowledge, he had already finished production on his last film – The Harder They Fall – and it was likely known that he wouldn’t be working anymore. Thus, Kirk Douglas was cast for the second of seven total films that he would make with Burt Lancaster.

How to Get the Look

Kirk Douglas’ Doc Holliday offers a primer on looking cool, urbane, and dangerous in the rugged atmosphere of the 1880s Southwest.

• Charcoal wool lounge suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted 2-button jacket with satin semi-faced peak lapels, straight flapped hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and decorative 2-button back with double vents
  • Flat front high-rise trousers with belt loops, frogmouth front pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Red paisley brocade vest with low V-shaped opening, single-breasted 3-button front, welted hip pockets, and adjustable rear strap
• Light gray dress shirt with turndown collar, ruffled front placket, pleated bib, and squared button cuffs
• Black satin string bow tie
• Black calf leather plain-toe boots with tall riding heels
• Black socks
• Black gambler hat with round crown and black ribbon
• Black leather belt with square steel single-claw buckle
• Brown leather custom shoulder holster, worn under left arm
• Yellow gold Waltham full hunter pocket watch with dust cover, white dial (with Roman numerals and 6:00 sub-dial), and gold chain
• Gold ring with large oval red coral setting

The Guns

Doc: Want a gun hand?
Wyatt: You? No, thanks.
Doc: I do handle them pretty well. The only trouble is, those best able to testify to my aim aren’t around for comment.

As one would expect, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral also flubs when arming Doc Holliday. The irascible dentist preferred Colt firearms all his life; his first piece was the venerable Model 1851 Navy revolver gifted to him by an uncle in 1872, and he carried the double-action Model 1878 Lightning and Thunderer models through many gun battles in his life. Instead, Gunfight at O.K. Corral arms Holliday with a nickel Remington Model 1875 with a 5.75″ barrel and pearl grips.

Don’t piss Doc off… even if you’re his only friend in the world.

The Model 1875 Single Action Army (also known as the “Improved Army” or “Frontier Army”) was Remington’s first major development for the revolver market since its Model 1858 variants during the Civil War. Remington’s new model took on Colt’s Single Action Army and Smith & Wesson’s Model 3 and quickly gained a reputation on both sides of the law as a sturdy, reliable sidearm capable of firing the powerful .45 Long Colt and .44-40 Winchester Centerfire cartridges as well as Remington’s own proprietary .44 centerfire cartridge, which was quietly phased out after 20 years of production.

Unlike the Single Action Army, which was offered in a variety of barrel lengths in addition to the standard 7.5″ “Cavalry” barrel, the Remington Model 1875 was primarily available with a 7.5″ barrel. A limited run with 5.75″ barrels were created very late in the Model 1875’s production span and likely inspired the Uberti “Frontier Model” with its 5.5″ barrel. For more information about the Remington Model 1875, Don Ware wrote a fascinating in-depth article for the Remington Society of America journal in 2004, available online.

Doc’s Remington provides a welcome break from the ubiquitous Single Action Army seen in all classic Westerns, but some irony is derived from the fact that Doc actually did use a nickel Colt SAA at the time of his adventures in Tombstone. Sturges’ film provides a Single Action Army as Doc’s “action weapon”… but in blued steel.

For an additional dose of irony, the film actually arms Wyatt and Virgil with double-barreled shotguns during the gun battle; in reality, Doc was the only person in the whole fight to handle a shotgun… a weapon which he eschewed.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie. Accuracy issues aside, it’s an entertaining gem from the Golden Age of Westerns and one of the genre’s most celebrated directors.

A decade later, Sturges directed Hour of the Gun, which starred James Garner as Wyatt and Jason Robards taking over as Doc. The movie begins with the O.K. Corral and follows the Earp vendetta ride through Doc’s death in a Colorado sanitarium in 1887, serving as a spiritual sequel to Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

The Quote

Much like Val Kilmer in Tombstone, the film gives Doc Holliday plenty of opportunities for colorful insults:

Come to think of it, he’s no gentleman at all. He’s a son of a yellow-bellied sow.

Although he also doesn’t shy away from the simpler slurs when needed.

Michael Caine as Charlie Croker in The Italian Job (1969).

Vitals

Michael Caine as Charlie Croker, British career criminal and mob thief

London, Spring 1969

Film: The Italian Job
Release Date: June 2, 1969
Director: Peter Collinson
Wardrobe Supervisor: Dulcie Midwinter

Background

If you’ve seen The Italian Job, you know the moment I’m talking about. Fresh out of prison, Charlie Croker is taken to a a shady garage – run by a surprisingly posh manager – where the elevator doors swing open and he stands, impassive and perfectly-tailored, as he is presented with his shining Aston Martin DB4.

It’s the perfect moment to kick off this installment of BAMF Style’s biannual Car Week, celebrating the greatest intersections of cars, clothes, and cinema.

What’d He Wear?

Take me to my tailor.

Chris Laverty wisely makes the observation at Clothes on Film that “this is Croker’s ‘make an impression’ suit”, and it indeed leaves an impression on both his fellow characters and the audience. The first appearance of this gray suit kicks off one of the coolest combined sartorial and automotive moments in British cinema as Charlie Croker strides out from the elevator to his new DB4.

The gray semi-solid suit was tailored by Douglas Hayward, Caine’s personal tailor at the time, with a contemporary close fit that clearly differentiates it from the baggier fit of the check suit he wore when released from prison. The suit tells us that this is clearly a man keeping up with the times, just as one would expect from a Michael Caine character.

Croker finds himself the guest of honor at a very special welcome party. Luckily, he’s dressed for the occasion… even if the rest of the guests are undressed for the occasion.

Croker’s single-breasted suit jacket has notch lapels – with a buttonhole through the left lapel – that roll to just above the top of the 3-button front. The jacket has a welted breast pocket and flapped pockets that sit straight on his waist. Each of the long double vents extend up to the top of the pocket flaps.

Charlie Croker checks out the Aston Martin’s 3670cc straight-six engine… but more about that later.

The close fit continues through the trousers’ slim legs, though they are a bit wide through the flat-front hips to comfortably accommodate Caine’s physique. The frogmouth-style front pockets – rather than open side pockets – help maintain the suit’s sleek lines. The trousers have a considerably low rise, rising to just below Caine’s belly where they are held up with a black leather belt.

Croker faces the business end of Mrs. Beckermann’s semi-automatic.

Croker’s dress shirt is pale blue with wide blue stripes. The shirt’s tall spread collar has long points that are most noticeable when worn without a tie.

Ain’t he cheeky?

The shirt, which Chris Laverty theorized was made by Turnbull & Asser, has a plain, placket-less front withe second button placed closely to the top. Croker wears a pair of small gold square links through the shirt’s square French cuffs.

Receiving some news.

For more formal occasions, like receiving a stunning Aston Martin convertible, Croker completes the look with a true blue satin silk tie.

Croker regards his new ride much more stoically than I would in the same situation.

A fitting accompaniment for a mod character in swinging London, Charlie Croker wears a pair of black leather slip-on Chelsea boots. A few glimpses further up the leg reveal a pair of dark socks, possibly black.

Croker redresses after a romp in the hay.

This suit also received an excellent analysis on Matt Spaiser’s blog The Suits of James Bond.

How to Get the Look

Michael Caine looks effortlessly cool as he saunters from garage to hotel in his bespoke Hayward suit, providing a silent lesson on how a close-fitting suit can work in a man’s favor.

• Gray semi-solid suit, tailored by Douglas Hayward, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted 3-button jacket with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and long double vents
  • Flat front low-rise trousers with belt loops, frogmouth front pockets, slim legs, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Pale blue blue-striped dress shirt with large spread collar, plain front, squared double/French cuffs
• Blue satin silk necktie
• Gold square cuff links
• Black leather belt with small gold single-claw buckle
• Black leather Chelsea boots
• Black dress socks

The Car

Although The Italian Job and its 2003 remake would revitalize interest in the Mini Cooper, each film also prominently features an Aston Martin convertible. The recent version finds Jason Statham speeding through L.A. in a 2000 DB7 Vantage Volante, likely a tribute to the gray 1962 Aston Martin DB4 convertible that Charlie Croker gets his hands on in a London underground garage.

*Having ridden in a Mini Cooper for the first time lately, I can definitely see why people were interested!

Charlie Croker gets acquainted with his new ride.

The Aston Martin DB4 came on the heels of the DB Mark III at the time of its introduction in 1958. The DB4 shared many similarities with its predecessor, but it received a completed redesigned body and a larger and more powerful Tadek Marek straight-six engine. It became the first Aston Martin model to be built at the company’s Newport Pagnell works in Buckinghamshire. Like Croker’s suit, it was inspired by Italian design but manufactured in England.

1,210 total DB4 cars were produced during the model’s five-year run from 1958 to 1963. Only 70 of these were convertibles, a design introduced for the DB4 in 1962. The DB4 would ultimately be replaced by the DB5 in 1963, a car that would grow to legendary status thanks to James Bond and Goldfinger. (Interestingly, in the Goldfinger novel that was published in 1958, 007 drove a DB Mark III.)

1962 Aston Martin DB4 Convertible

Body Style: 2+2 drophead coupe

Layout: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (RWD)

Engine: 223 cu. in. (3.7 L) Tadek Marek I6 with twin SU carburetor

Power: 240 hp (179 kW; 243 PS) @ 5500 rpm

Torque: 269.9 lb·ft (366 N·m) @ 5000 rpm

Transmission: 4-speed manual

Wheelbase: 98 inches (2489 mm)

Length: 177 inches (4496 mm)

Width: 66.1 inches (1676 mm)

Height: 52.5 inches (1334 mm)

A few unsubstantiated stories surround the legend of the DB4 – with registration plates 163 ELT – used in The Italian Job. One theory is that the car caught fire and/or blew up prior to filming the Turin destruction sequence so a Lancia Flaminia had to be dressed up like a DB4 and destroyed for the scene. Another theory states that the DB4 was used for the cliff destruction scene, but that Peter Collinson wasn’t satisfied with the crash and had to use the Lancia. Yet another theory is that the car wasn’t destroyed at all, and the Lancia was simply used to save the expensive Aston from destruction. Either way, at least one Lancia was used – for one reason or another, as one can tell by seeing the car’s hood opening with a hinge at the windshield end – rather than at the headlight end.

No matter what really happened on that Turin cliff in 1969, it’s nice to assume that there’s a stunning Aston Martin DB4 out there somewhere that was saved from destruction almost fifty years ago.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Typical, isn’t it? I’ve been out of jail five minutes, and already I’m in a hot car.

Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) aims John McClane’s own Beretta at him in a production still from Die Hard (1988).

Vitals

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber, shrewd German terrorist leader and self-described “excellent thief”

Los Angeles, Christmas 1988

Film: Die Hard
Release Date: July 15, 1988
Director: John McTiernan
Costume Designer: Marilyn Vance

Background

Like surprisingly many others, Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie and no holiday season – no matter how hectic or bleak – is complete without a viewing of what is arguably the greatest action movie ever made.

For the first BAMF Style holiday season in 2012, I broke down the rugged (and eventually very sparse) style of Bruce Willis’ John McClane, but it feels like the time has come to look at what the film’s fashion-driven antagonist wore as he led his European gunslingers into Nakatomi Plaza on Christmas Eve 1988.

Mr. Takagi, I could talk about industrialization and men’s fashion all day, but I’m afraid work must intrude…

What’d He Wear?

Nice suit. John Phillips, London. I have two myself. Rumor has it Arafat buys his there.

Obviously, Hans Gruber knows a thing about clothes as he takes the time to compliment the Nakatomi Corporation’s soon-to-be martyr’s suit. Whether or not the dark suit sported by Hans himself is one of his two from the prestigious (but ultimately fictional) John Phillips.

Hans Gruber’s dark charcoal suit is very contemporary to its 1980s setting, not surprising for a man so interested in fashion and image. The jacket is cut short with a double-breasted 4-on-2 button stance.

Hans meets his new buddies at the Nakatomi Corporation!

Hans’ combination of notch lapels and a double-breasted front was most popular during the decade, although it also popped up a bit during the ’60s. When he makes his first appearance on screen, Hans wears his lapels flipped up under his raincoat to create a more menacing look before he enters “businessman” mode when taking over the building. Each lapel has a buttonhole.

The jacket also has a welted breast pocket, jetted hip pockets, a ventless back, and padded shoulders with roped sleeveheads. All in all, very befitting for a flashy ’80s terrorist’s power suit.

Much less is seen of the trousers, especially as Hans spends so much time behind a desk once he has taken control. They have side pockets and plain-hemmed bottoms with a full break. He wears them with a black leather belt with a gold single-claw buckle.

Hans wears a pale blue poplin dress shirt. The collar is slim with moderate spread, and the rounded cuffs close with a button. The front has a placket and a pointed-bottom pocket over the left breast.

Hans really wanted that new iPhone for Christmas, but Ma and Pa Gruber shafted him with a secondhand Kenwood walkie-talkie. Maybe next year…

Just because he’s killing and stealing on Christmas Eve doesn’t mean Hans Gruber isn’t one to inject some holiday fun into his attire! Hans wears a maroon silk necktie, tied in a four-in-hand knot.

Unlike his nemesis, Hans manages to keep his feet covered throughout the evening. He wears a pair of black leather cap-toe bluchers and black dress socks.

Stubbing out one of the Gauloises he bummed from McClane…

For his on-screen introduction, Hans Gruber wears the trope-worthy Badass Longcoat, here in the form of a taupe raincoat. The coat is worn open with a loose belt hooked through a loop on each side. Each lapel has a buttonhole through it, and the jacket’s cuffs close through a single button tab.

In lieu of a scarf, Hans just flips up his suit lapels. Win win.

Finally, Hans’ sole visible accessory is a gold tank watch fastened to his left wrist on a black alligator strap.

Still smarting over not getting that iPhone…

How to Get the Look

If not for his nefarious aims, Hans Gruber would have certainly looked the part of a very welcome guest at a company Christmas party in the ’80s!

• Charcoal tailored “power suit”, consisting of:
  • Double-breasted 4×2-button jacket with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, jetted hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and ventless back
  • Trousers with belt loops, side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Pale blue poplin dress shirt with slim collar, breast pocket, front placket, and rounded button cuffs
• Maroon silk tie
• Black leather belt with square gold single-claw buckle
• Black leather cap-toe bluchers
• Black dress socks
• Taupe belted raincoat with 1-button tab cuffs and long single rear vent
• Gold tank watch on black alligator leather strap

The Gun

For his takeover of Nakatomi Plaza, Hans Gruber’s sidearm is a Heckler & Koch P7M13 semi-automatic pistol, finished in hard chrome and chambered in 9×19 mm Parabellum. Although Hans and his gang are clearly involved in criminal activity without much regard for noise, he is seen removing a suppressor (which matches the pistol’s chrome finish) when he first draws it on Mr. Takagi. According to IMFDB, this indicates that “it’s not a P7M13SD because there is no threaded barrel to use a suppressor”

Hans blows his job interview almost immediately.

Heckler & Koch GmbH first revealed its PSP in 1976, aimed at the police market. Production began on the P7 three years later, and the weapon was soon adopted by the German Army’s special forces and the GSG 9 counter-terrorism unit. In addition to its distinguished look and innovative cocking-lever grip, the P7 series utilizes a unique gas-delayed blowback locking system which utilizes each ignited cartridge’s gas pressures.

Hans should consider finding a better place to store his weapon.

The first variant of the P7 was the P7M8 in the early 1980s, followed quickly by the P7M13 in 1982 which could carry 13-round magazines of 9 mm ammunition. With its double-stack magazine, the P7M13 was slightly larger at 30 ounces with an overall length of 6.9 inches, sharing the P7M8’s barrel length of 4.1 inches.

Supposedly Alan Rickman had trouble keeping his eyes open when exposed to the multiple instances of muzzle flash in the film, but this shows that he could keep it together when needed!

The script initially called for a Walther:

Hans slowly takes out his Walther and his silencer.

…which still found use in the film in the form of the menacing Karl’s Walther PPK. Instead, Hans was armed with the less familiar (and thus more exotic) but equally German Heckler & Koch P7M13.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Who said we were terrorists?

Footnote

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Jon Hamm as Don Draper, presenting a pitch to Hershey executives in “In Care Of” (Episode 6.13) on Mad Men.

Vitals

Jon Hamm as Don Draper, suddenly honest Madison Avenue ad man

New York City, Fall 1968

Series: Mad Men
Episodes: “Favors” (Episode 6.11) & “In Care Of” (Episode 6.13)
Air Date: June 9, 2013 (Episode 6.11) & June 23, 2013 (Episode 6.13)
Directors: Jennifer Getzinger (Episode 6.11) & Matthew Weiner (Episode 6.13) 
Creator: Matthew Weiner
Costume Designer: Janie Bryant

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

After Winter Storm Jonas had most of us on the East Coast huddling in whatever warmth we could find this weekend, it’s time to head back to work. In the spirit of Jon Hamm’s recent Golden Globe win for the final season of Mad Men, let’s head back to the office appropriately suited up.

In Mad Men‘s sixth season finale, SC&P receives an RFP from Hershey’s and hotshot creative director Don Draper is assigned the pitch. Little do Jim Cutler and the other partners know that Hershey’s chocolate bars played quite a role in Don’s formative years… and not one they’d want to advertise. In his usual fashion, Don wows the Hershey folks with his pitch but then realizes he can’t pass up the chance to make his personal connection. After telling the execs a story about growing up unwanted in a whorehouse with only Hershey bars giving him comfort and solace, he commits the unforgivable sin (in the advertising world, at least) of telling these potential clients that they have no need for a campaign:

If I had my way, you would never advertise. You shouldn’t have someone like me telling that boy what a Hershey bar is. He already knows.

It came as no surprise to anyone working in the ad game that Don was gently suspended indefinitely without pay shitcanned in the episode’s finale.

What’d He Wear?

Perhaps a subliminal choice to associate himself with Hershey’s brown chocolate or perhaps a reflection of his own rural, “homespun” upbringing that he crafts into his pitch, Don sports a warm medium brown suit for his meeting with the Hershey executives in “In Care Of” (Episode 6.13). The suit also shows up briefly at the end of “The Better Half” (Episode 6.09) and prominently in “Favors” (Episode 6.11) when Don returns home from work and joins Dr. Rosen for an Old Fashioned.

Although brown was traditionally reserved for country outings, it had become well-accepted in American offices by the 1960s as Don stylishly shows us.

The suit jacket is single-breasted with slim notch lapels that roll over the top button to create a 3-roll-2 button effect. A slanted buttonhole is stitched through the left lapel. As usual, Don wears a neatly folded white pocket square in his welted breast pocket. The jacket also has straight flapped hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and a single rear vent. The shoulders are padded with roped sleeveheads.

Don shows off his brown suit with enthusiasm (left, in “Favors”) and with more somber disdain (right, in “In Care Of”).

Don’s trousers are also similarly styled to his other suits with a plain front and plain-hemmed bottoms. They have side pockets and jetted back pockets. He wears a slim black leather belt with a small square silver buckle.

A rare moment of Draper panic is quickly mollified when paired with his cool, post-work libation habit.

Although Don had a clear preference for white dress shirts through most of the series’ early run, he wears a light ecru shirt with this suit, softening the harsh contrast between brown and white. When he opens his collar in “Favors” (Episode 6.11), the white crew neck undershirt poking out beneath provides additional contrast to prove the true color of Don’s dress shirt.

Don in prime Don mode: drink in hand, cigarettes in pocket.

The shirt has all of Don’s usual features: a narrow point collar, front placket, double cuffs, and – of course – a breast pocket for his cigarettes. (In this case, they’re Old Gold; he stopped smoking Lucky Strikes sometime after losing their account at the end of the fourth season.) He fastens the French cuffs with a set of black rectangular links with silver edge trim.

Each tie worn with this outfit is striped, with the stripes crossing from the right shoulder down to the left hip. For the suit’s brief appearance at the end of “The Better Half” (Episode 6.09), the tie’s cream, orange, and dark brown stripes are all equal width as they alternate down the length of the tie.

Throughout “Favors” (Episode 6.11), Don wears a slim black tie with double sets of thin yellow stripes.

“Favors” (Episode 6.11)

For the fateful client pitch in “In Care Of” (Episode 6.13), Don’s slim tie has a blue ground with sets of five light gray stripes of varying widths. The gray stripes are spaced apart by black stripes.

“In Care Of” (Episode 6.13)

Don appears to be wearing black leather bluchers with dark brown dress socks, although his feet aren’t clearly seen in any of these episodes.

Dawn watches as Don marches off to an uncertain fate.

Don’s iconic Omega Seamaster Deville returns from the previous season. The stainless Omega has a black dial with a date indicator window at the 3:00 position and is worn on a black textured crocodile strap. According to the Christie’s auction from December 2015: “The watches were leased to the show by vintage watch specialist Derek Dier, who has supplied watches to the movie industry, noted musicians, actors, writers, artists, international dignitaries and Fortune 500 CEOs. Mad Men Property Master Ellen Freund worked with Dier to select the watches.”

The actual Omega worn by Jon Hamm both as Don Draper and on the April 2013 cover of Entertainment Weekly.

The Christie’s page further describes the watch as: “Signed Omega, Automatic, Seamaster, De Ville, Ref. 166.020, Movement No. 23’943’081, Circa 1960.” The watch eventually sold for a whopping $11,875.

How to Get the Look

Don Draper could teach modern ad men a thing or two about dressing to evoke a prospective client’s product… although I would leave out the bits about growing up in a whorehouse and pilfering from the johns’ pockets.

• Brown wool suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted 3-roll-2-buttoning suit coat with slim notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and single rear vent
  • Flat front trousers with belt loops, side pockets, jetted rear pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Light ecru dress shirt with slim point collar, front placket, breast pocket, and double/French cuffs
• Dark tie with thin light R-down-L stripe sets
• Black rectangular cuff links with silver trim
• Black slim leather belt with small square silver buckle
• Black leather bluchers
• Dark brown dress socks
• White cotton short-sleeve crew neck undershirt
• Omega Seamaster Deville wristwatch with stainless 34 mm case, textured black crocodile strap, and black dial with date indicator

Do Yourself a Favor and…

We now live in a wonderful world where the entire series of Mad Men can be purchased in one transaction. However, if you’re only looking for these episodes in particular, check out the series’ sixth season.

The Quote

I was an orphan. I grew up in Pennsylvania in a whorehouse. I read about Milton Hershey and his school in Coronet magazine or some other crap the girls left by the toilet, and I read that some orphans had a different life there. I could picture it. I dreamt of it… of being wanted. Because the woman who was forced to raise me would look at me every day like she hoped I would disappear. Closest I got to feeling wanted was from a girl who made me go through her johns’ pockets while they screwed. If I collected more than a dollar, she’d buy me a Hershey bar. And I would eat it alone in my room with great ceremony… feeling like a normal kid. It said “sweet” on the package. It was the only sweet thing in my life.

Footnote

Last weekend, Jon Hamm brought home his second Golden Globe for portraying Don Draper. Despite being nominated six times (and already bringing home one win in 2008), the GGs fudged it up a bit and apparently printed the name John Hamm on the actual award.

Michael Imperioli as Christopher Molitsanti on The Sopranos (Episode 3.03: “Fortunate Son”).

Vitals

Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti, newly “made” mob soldier

New Jersey, Fall 2001

Series: The Sopranos
Episode: “Fortunate Son” (Episode 3.03)
Air Date: March 11, 2001
Director: Henry J. Bronchtein
Creator: David Chase
Costume Designer: Juliet Polcsa

Background

This suit had been requested a few weeks ago, and – as both a huge fan of The Sopranos and a kindred spirit of the tragic Christopher Moltisanti character – I was more than pleased to delve a little deeper into the suit and scene where Christopher finally “gets his button” for Mafia Monday.

Christopher’s two passions – the Mafia and the movies – come to yet another head in “Fortunate Son” when he finally receives the call to look sharp and be ready in an hour… he’s getting made. Having decided a season earlier in “D-Girl” to pass up his dream of a career in Hollywood (although it’s dubious that his misspelled screenplays would have turned any heads), Christopher is finally given the opportunity to dedicate his life to the most infamous criminal organization in America. Despite his excitement, Chris’ habit for watching too many movies keeps him on his toes and especially wary of any of his fellow Mafioso riding behind him during the journey.

Silvio chides him for it (“He sat on one asscheek the whole way over!”), but many real-life mob associates have been summoned to secret ceremonies only to never be seen alive again.

Luckily for Christopher, this was a genuine summons and he soon finds himself happily embraced by Tony Soprano in a New Jersey basement. Christopher and fellow inductee Eugene Pontecorvo are then told:

You know why we’re here. So, if you got any doubts or reservations, now is the time to say so. No one’ll think any less of you… ’cause once you enter this family, there’s no getting out. This family comes before everything else. Everything. Before your wife and your children and your mother and your father. It’s a thing of honor.

While this would become a problem for poor Eugene by the sixth season, Christopher is very eager to finally join the ranks of La Cosa Nostra. In yet another indication that the showrunners have done extensive research, Christopher and Eugene’s fingers are then pricked by a needle to draw blood before Tony places a photo of St. Peter in each of their hands and initiates them into the mob code of omertà:

Now, as that card burns, so may your soul burn in hell if you betray your friends in the family.

What’d He Wear?

He told me to look sharp and meet him at Modell’s in half an hour.

After years of loyal service, the Soprano crime family is finally “opening the books” for Christopher Moltisanti, and he wants to look his best for the occasion. This is the sole appearance of the navy blue herringbone two-piece suit that he chooses for such a momentous day, and the way it shines in certain light indicates that it is likely made from silk or at least a silk blend.

Chris becomes wary of a potential bad omen during the ceremony.

Christopher’s suit, as well as the ones worn by Tony, Paulie, and Silvio during the same scene, are among the more than 5,000 artifacts exhibited at the Museum of Television.

Christopher’s single-breasted suit jacket has notch lapels that roll abruptly to the top of the three-button front. The flapped hip pockets sit straight on his waist line, and a cream silk handkerchief puffs from the welted breast pocket. The jacket has padded shoulders, roped sleeveheads, and long double side vents.

Chris’s suit jacket, shirt, and tie as well as a “continuity photo” taken on set of Imperioli, all sourced from the Museum of Television.

The low rise trousers have belt loops for Christopher’s black leather belt. The plain-hemmed bottoms have a long break that drapes over his shoes.

Find me a shirt and tie to go with this. Not the Camelia, though; Paulie’s got one just like it.

Whether it was he or Adriana who picked it out, Christopher’s monochromatic shirt and tie combination evokes the look of a classic movie gangster… before it was more commonly associated with Regis Philbin. This is the most important day of Christopher’s criminal life, and a movie buff like him is going to revert to what he knows to guarantee that he looks the part.

Had there been a little more time, Christopher and Paulie could’ve gotten some shopping done before leaving the shopping center.

His cream dress shirt has squared French cuffs, which Paulie instructs him to show off – “Shoot your cuffs” – before they get into the car. A pair of small black, gold-trimmed links fasten the cuffs into place.

Christopher’s tie is also a cream silk, matching both the shirt and the pocket handkerchief in his suitcoat’s breast pocket.

He told me to shine my shoes…

Although the shoes don’t receive much screen time, it’s important to these guys that Christopher maintains his appearance from top to bottom. Despite only having an hour to get ready and meet Paulie at Modell’s, Christopher takes the time to ensure that his black leather bluchers are shined to gangland standards.

His socks go unseen, but Christopher’s habit for hanging around the house in his underwear tells us that he likely wore one of his usual white sleeveless undershirts under his suit as well as a pair of gray boxer shorts. We also see his gold St. Christopher medallion, worn on a thin gold necklace around his neck.

A nice touch of realism comes from this look inside Christopher’s closet, where we see familiar pieces like his red sportcoat.

After briefly switching to a Rolex DateJust for the second season, Christopher once again wears a yellow gold Cartier tank on his left wrist for the third season. This particular wristwatch, an 18-karat Cartier Tank Française, has diamonds embedded in the right and left sides of the square case. The square dial is white with Roman numerals, and it is worn on a gold chain-link bracelet.

Good thing Chris wasn’t wearing polyester or that open flame might’ve caused more trouble than he expected.

Go Big or Go Home

Always ambitious but never quite motivated enough, Christopher was clearly going to spend a lazy day at home in his underwear. Hanging out with Adriana, drinking a bottle of Bud, and rolling a joint were the only items on his to-do list before his Motorola StarTAC rings and Paulie delivers the exciting news.

A day in the life of a low-level mob associate.

Christopher zips into action as soon as he realizes the significance of the call. If even he can be ready for anything in an hour’s notice, what’s your excuse?

How to Get the Look

Christopher presents a more subtle look than we’ve seen on him, employing only two solid colors – blue and cream – for his big day.

Christopher receives some needed sartorial advice from the always dapper Paulie Walnuts.

• Navy blue herringbone silk suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted 3-button jacket with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, double rear vents
  • Flat front trousers with belt loops and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Cream dress shirt with point collar, front placket, and double/French cuffs
• Cream silk necktie
• Small black gold-trimmed cuff links
• Black leather belt
• Black leather bluchers
• Black dress socks
• White ribbed cotton sleeveless undershirt
• Gray cotton boxer shorts with elastic waistband
• Thin gold necklace with a round gold St. Christopher medallion
• Cartier Tank Française gold wristwatch with diamond-crusted square case, white dial, and gold link bracelet

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the entire series, and check out the third episode of the brilliant third season if you want to see The Sopranos‘ take on the “getting made” ceremony.

The Quote

May I burn in hell if I betray my friends.