Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross in The Bourne Legacy (2012).

Vitals

Jeremy Renner as Kenneth J. Kitsom, aka Aaron Cross, U.S. Department of Defense agent-in-training

Alaska, January 2005

Film: The Bourne Legacy
Release Date: August 10, 2012
Director: Tony Gilroy
Costume Designer: Shay Cunliffe

Background

The Bourne Legacy, a risky film in itself for continuing a near-perfect modern trilogy, cleverly chose to run a parallel story to that of its titular character. Overlapping the events of The Bourne Supremacy‘s final act and The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Legacy begins with DOD agent Aaron Cross (formerly Kenneth J. Kitsom) on a training exercise in Alaska.

(“Alaska” is portrayed in the film by The Fortress, a mounted in the Canadian Rockies just west of Calgary in Canada that rises to an elevation of 9,800 feet.)

Cross’ assignment tests his endurance and skill as he is faced with the extremity of Alaska’s chilly climate and rugged terrain. Eventually finding his way to another agent in Cross’ Operation Outcome unit, Cross is told that he has broken the mission record by two days. Unlike Bourne, who was rigorously trained to the breaking point, Cross’ skill comes from the performance-enhancing “chems” he has been given to make him a super-agent.

Much like the earlier films in the series, the plot revolves around CIA trying to wipe out its most talented – and thus most internally dangerous – operatives. In this case, a drone is sent after Cross and his contact. Though the contact is killed, Cross cleverly manages to misdirect the drone’s fire by feeding his tracking device to a wolf. When the wolf is obliterated by a drone’s Hellfire missile, Cross knows he is in danger and heads back to the continental U.S. to solve the problem.

What’d He Wear?

Similarly to the first installment in the Bourne series, our protagonist’s first outer layer is a red winter jacket. Appropriately enough, red tends to signify danger in the Bourne films, and Aaron Cross is a simply a pawn in a bigger, drone-centric game while he shoots around Alaska in his red jacket.

Cross sports an Arc’teryx Alpha SV jacket in The Bourne Legacy.

The jacket in question here receives much more prominence and, as an actual item of Cross’ clothing rather than something borrowed, is a much more efficient outerwear garment than the down jacket sported by Jason Bourne in Switzerland.

Cross wears a red lightweight and waterproof outdoor jacket from Arc’teryx’s Alpha SV (Severe Weather) series. It is still available from both Amazon and Arc’teryx’s site for $675 and has actually won several awards, including the ISPO Outdoor Award, the Backpacker Magazine‘s Lifetime Award, Outdoor Gear Lab Editor’s Choice Award, and mention on Forbes.com’s Top 5 New Winter Gear Pieces in 2013. Arc’teryx has also developed a woman’s version of the Alpha SV, but Cross naturally wears the men’s jacket.

The Arc’teryx logo, plainly visible on Cross’ left chest.

Constructed from durable and waterproof N80p-GORE-TEX® Pro 3L (three-layered) fabric, the Alpha SV jacket was designed specifically for climbers in “severe alpine environments”. According to Arc’teryx:

The Alpha SV first appeared in 1998 to address the needs of alpinists for a lightweight, streamlined, waterproof jacket that could work with a harness. Hard-wearing, stripped down and unlike anything else at the time, the Alpha SV quickly became an iconic Arc’teryx piece and revolutionized the outdoor apparel industry.

Arc’teryx designed their jacket to fit as comfortably as possible for the sort of outdoorsmen who would be traversing a freezing mountainside in the middle of winter. The zippers, hood, and jacket itself were all treated with DWR (Durable Water Repellent) to keep the wearer dry and warm despite extreme snow, rain, or wind outside. Despite these measures, the jacket is still very breathable and wearable with its 1.6 mm micro-seam allowance to keep it lightweight.

The jacket has three external pockets and two internal pockets, all designed to be accessible and durable. There are two bellowed “crossover” chest pockets on the front as well as a sleeve pocket on the left bicep. Inside, there are two laminated pockets. Arc’teryx is sure to note that despite the heavy water resilience of the pockets, they themselves are not waterproof and wearers should not keep “items in your pockets that may be damaged by moisture”.

The Arc’teryx features accessible and practically-placed pockets for badasses.

The external zippers on the front and pockets are Arcteryx’s trademarked WaterTight™ zippers designed to seal out the window and weather with “zipper garages” providing additional protection from wet weather. The corded zipper pulls were designed to be easily accessible with one hand and quietly opened, especially useful for a government assassin like Cross trying to evade detection. (Of course, the color isn’t ideal for evading detection.)

Arc’teryx also trademarked the jacket’s hood, its “helmet compatible Stormhood™” which was designed to keep the wearer warm and dry. It has a laminated brim and hood adjusters that cinch tightly and securely to offer “full coverage without restricting movement or visibility”, another plus for someone like Cross who finds himself the target of government drones. The tall collar of the jacket enhances the hood’s “full coverage” and has a laminated chin guard for additional protection.

Even in extreme weather, Cross forgoes wearing his hood in favor of his knit cap.

While updating its milestone Alpha SV jacket, Arc’teryx focused on enhancing the fit for active men on the climb. One frequent complaint about winter jackets is that the heavy insulation restricts arm movement. The Alpha SV was redesigned to address that problem with a reduced chest circumference and closer fit, offering “more efficient arm movement” with articulated re-patterning through the jacket, particularly the elbows, for “unrestricted mobility”. The underarms are gusseted with zips to allow easier breathing through one of man’s sweatiest areas.

The sleeves have elasticized and laminated die-cut velcro cuffs. The waistline is also elasticized with an adjustable drawcord. The hem was designed with Arc’teryx’s lightweight and removable Harness HemLock™ inserts to keep the jacket in place while wearing a climbing harness, as jackets are prone to ride up otherwise.

Once it becomes necessary, Cross is able to wear his jacket inside out with the dark gray lining on the outside when he needs to be more discreet than a bright red jacket would allow.

Cross knows when it’s time to avoid detection… and he knows red isn’t the best color for such a purpose.

At first, I wondered if this was a dark gray down jacket layered underneath the red Arc’teryx; however, scenes of Cross wearing the dark gray jacket after escaping the ill-fated cabin show the same features and pockets as the red jacket but with a red lining and red-trimmed hood.

Despite that, Cross does appear to layer a black down jacket under his red Arc’teryx, best seen when he first arrives at the cabin and talks to Outcome 3 with his outer jacket unzipped.

Cross layers his jackets for a cold trek through Alaska.

The sequence in Alaska features Cross’ outerwear – particularly his jacket – far more than the rest of his attire, but it appears he took a page out of the Bourne handbook and wore all black underneath.

He wears a black thermal long-sleeve quarter-zip shirt on his chest with elasticized sleeves that roll up easily onto his bicep to allow himself to inject a shot when necessary. Some long-sleeve shirts are too close-fitting throughout the sleeves to allow this sort of thing. This was also notably seen in Thunderball when Sean Connery’s Bond rolls up the sleeves of a black long-sleeve polo while stalking through Shrublands at night. In both instances, the sleeve rolled up easily onto the bicep without bunching too much or unrolling itself during the scene.

According to some speculation (and MC Toys’ action figure of Cross), Cross’ dark gray snow pants are Helly Hansen’s Verglas Randonee, a highly-rated model currently priced at $240 on Helly Hansen’s site described as: “A light and comfortable shell pant for backcountry adventurers. 3/4 side zips and bottom reinforcement per specification of our mountain guide friends.” While lined for comfort, the shell pants are not insulated to keep them lightweight and comfortable for an active climber. Like the Arc’teryx jacket, they’ve also been DWR treated to repel water in this extreme weather environment… and they’re available on Amazon.

Cross hits the deck.

The two-ply fabric Verglas pants have an adjustable velcro waist with belt loops and double buttons. There are plenty of pockets through the articulated legs, including side “handwarmer” pockets with YKK® zippers and a slash pocket on the right thigh. A quarter-length YKK® Aquaguard® zipper extends down each side to the ballistic nylon reinforced bottoms, which close with a snap over the zipped legs.

The Helly Hansen logo appears on Cross’ pant bottom snaps.

Though he wears blackened Timberland Chocorua Trail Gore-Tex hiking boots through the rest of the film, I believe the pair worn in the Alaska sequence is The North Face’s Slot GTX winter boot – also in black – constructed from Nubeck leather and Gore-Tex.

According to BackCountry.com: “The Winter Grip outsole’s secret weapon is its temperature-sensitive lugs that sharpen the colder it gets. Hunker down or push on to base camp knowing that The North Face Men’s Slot GTX Winter Boot’s PrimaLoft insulation and EVA midsole will make your feet forget it’s even winter.”

Although he’s got the revolutionary protective hood on his jacket, Cross wisely protects his head further with a plain black winter trek knit cap.

Update! Awesome commenter Lars Brenna has informed me that the hat was made by OR (Outdoor Research). OR’s Wind Blocker Alpine Knit Hat looks like a good deal to me!

Cross’ black gloves are a blend of fabric and synthetic material with removable finger tips.

Cross takes his chems.

He wears his watch, a black IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Edition TOP GUN #IW 379901, on top of the gloves so he doesn’t have to expose his skin to check the time. With its black ceramic 46 mm case and matte gray titanium crown, buttons, and rear cover, it’s a durable watch that ably withstands the extreme temperatures of Cross’ Alaskan plight. If you’re in the mood, you can shell out $9,900 on Amazon for your own. It’s a steal at that price, as it’s been known to run up to $12,000.

Nothing like a $12,000 watch to battle extreme cold.

Cross stays loyal to the Arc’teryx brand by sporting a black Arc’teryx 65 backpack. More information is available from the Arc’teryx site.

My knowledge of backpacks ends here. Anything else I should add?

How to Get the Look

Cross dresses solely for function here, wearing some of the highest rated winter clothing available.

• Red lightweight waterproof Arc’teryx Alpha SV series Gore-Tex jacket with zip front, crossover zip chest pockets, sleeve zip pocket, and laminated-brim storm hood with chin protection
• Black hooded zip-front down jacket
• Dark gray Helle Hansen “Verglas Randonee” lightweight shell pants with adjustable velcro/snap waist, handwarmer zip pockets, thigh zip pocket, and quarter-length zipped & reinforced bottoms
• Black quarter-zip long-sleeve thermal shirt
• Black knit trek cap
• Black leather/Gore-Tex winter boots, likely The North Face’s Slot GTX
• Black winter gloves with removable finger tips
• IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Edition TOP GUN (#379901), with a black ceramic 46 mm case and matte gray titanium crown, buttons, and rear cover

The Gun

Aaron Cross’ weapon in Alaska is a customized Nemesis Arms Vanquish takedown sniper rifle. According to IMFDb:

The Nemesis Arms Vanquish (also known as the Nemesis Arms Mini-Windrunner) is a lightweight, tactical, take down rifle built from a small action version of the .50 EDM Arms Windrunner M96, which was also the base rifle used in the manufacture of the Cheyenne Tactical M-200 Intervention. The Vanquish is a multi caliber rifle, and this can be changed by simply replacing the threaded barrel (all other parts including the magazine do not need to be changed). The Vanquish has been tested by Marine Scout Snipers at the High Altitude Shooting Course where they were able to hold 3 inch groups at 600 yards and 6.5 inch groups at 905 yards.

Thus, a very practical rifle for an assassin… at least from what I know by watching movies about assassins.

Cross constructs his Vanquish rifle.

The rifle hasn’t received much exposure on screen yet, having only appeared on the weapons scene a few years before The Bourne Legacy was made. It is very lightweight, weighing twelve pounds when not fitted with optics or accessories, with a 20″ match grade and fluted barrel and optional muzzle brake. The Nemesis Arms site reports that the Vanquish can be fired with .338 Federal, .308 Winchester, .260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, or .243 Winchester ammunition from a 10-round detachable box magazine.

Although the Nemesis Arms Vanquish is a bolt-action weapon, the film shows Cross using it in both bolt-action and semi-automatic modes. This is a common error seen in films (and nicely lampshaded by the Nation’s Pride film-within-a-film in Inglourious Basterds) when a bolt-action rifle is shown to fire semi-automatic rounds to speed up the action. Still, a “cool shot” is almost always included of the character rapidly racking the bolt to show just that the character is a determined badass and “gun expert”.

In this case, the rifle would likely weigh more than twelve pounds.

Cross also gets his hands on Outcome 3’s sidearm, a first generation Walther P99, when fighting off a group of wolves. The P99 was developed by Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen to replace its older P5 and P88 models. After three years of design, the P99 was introduced in 1997 just in time to replace the venerable but lower-caliber PPK carried by James Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies.

Well known to 007 fans as James Bond’s handgun of choice from Tomorrow Never Dies to Casino Royale, the P99 also makes its return to the Bourne series after being featured prominently as Kirill’s weapon of choice in The Bourne Supremacy. Like Kirill’s sidearm, the two-tone P99 wielded by Cross has a black polymer frame and silver polished steel slide.

Though the P99 was initially chambered only in 9×19 mm Parabellum (with a 16-round magazine), a .40 S&W offering was soon rolled out to appeal to the American LEOs who were slowly adopting the .40-caliber round. Although the P99’s short recoil, locked breech system dates back to John Browning’s Hi-Power pistol, the weapon more resembles modern pistols like the Glock with its internal striker rather than an external hammer.

Unlike other weapons where generational changes are mostly cosmetic, it is important to differentiate between the P99’s generations. The first generation was strictly a traditional double action (DA/SA) with a decocker. Due to its lack of an external hammer, a red-painted striker tip protruding from the rear of the slide (and a loaded chamber indicator on the right side) indicates to the user when the gun is cocked.

The second generation featured many more variants: the P99 Anti-Stress (AS), which was closest to the original DA/SA generation; the P99 DAO, with a resting internal striker to keep the pistol in double-action only mode; the P99 Quick Action (QA), with a pre-loaded Glock-style internal striker; and a compact version of each of the three variants. The magazine capacities were reduced by a single round for the newer generation, carrying 15 rounds of 9×19 mm or 11 rounds of .40 S&W. The P99 remains a popular field gun due to its reliability and ease of field stripping without tools.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

David Niven as Sir Charles Lytton in The Pink Panther (1963).

Vitals

David Niven as Sir Charles Lytton, urbane master jewel thief and titular “Pink Panther”

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Winter 1963

Film: The Pink Panther
Release Date: December 19, 1963
Director: Blake Edwards
Wardrobe Supervisor: Annalisa Nasalli-Rocca

Background

No discussion of debonair actors would be complete without mention of David Niven, a gentleman in every sense of the word.

Ian Fleming had long envisioned Niven taking the role of James Bond when 007 would finally receive a big screen adaptation only for Niven to appear in the 1967 screwball parody of Casino Royale.

Around the same time that Sean Connery was making his debut as Bond in Dr. No, Niven was cast as the lead in The Pink Panther, a comic heist film penned by Blake Edwards designed to be a vehicle for Niven. Eventually, co-star Peter Sellers’ immense talent for improv comedy shifted the spotlight from Niven to Sellers. Despite the fact that Niven himself was “The Pink Panther”, Sellers would go on to star in five more films as Inspector Clouseau and the phrase “Pink Panther” would be forever associated with Sellers’ bumbling detective. (Interestingly enough, Sellers would also appear in the 1967 Casino Royale. He just couldn’t let David Niven have anything, could he?)

However, Niven’s portrayal of the sophisticated playboy thief should not go ignored. Bringing his usual romantic charm and cheeky wit, Niven transformed the thief into someone we would root for all while supporting his unsuspecting nemesis, Inspector Clouseau. It speaks volumes for Niven that Sir Charles – a cuckolding career criminal who has no qualms about manipulating people – remains so likable.

Thus, BAMF Style is focusing on Sir Charles’ holiday-worthy attire on this Christmas Eve.

What’d He Wear?

This one takes cojones to pull off and should be reserved for only the truest of gentlemen. In short, if you don’t have a pencil-thin mustache, you don’t have a favorite walking stick, and you don’t conclude each evening with a snifter of cognac, you should pass on this outfit.

The epitome of class.

Sir Charles shows up at dinner with Princess Dala wearing a dark red velvet dinner jacket that you can be damn sure was tailored just for him. It is single-breasted with black satin-faced shawl lapels and – as an extra touch of elegance – matching black satin turnback cuffs. The four black satin-covered cuff buttons match the larger single button that closes the front.

The jacket fits Niven perfectly with a ventless rear, natural shoulders, and roped sleeveheads. The lack of an outer breast pocket keeps the jacket looking clean through the chest down to the flapped hip pockets. Typically, dinner jackets should have jetted pockets but this more unconventional and obviously bespoke piece of evening wear should have allowances made for the wearer’s personal preference. The pocket flaps blend nicely with the jacket anyway without the black satin jetting that would otherwise disturb the jacket’s flow.

The “correct” terminology for Sir Charles’ jacket depends on which side of the pond you dwell. Colored velvet jackets (and most velvet jackets, for that matter) have typically been the domain of the smoking jacket, which is likely what the English would use to refer to Niven’s jacket here. We Americans would instead look at this jacket and simply call it a “velvet dinner jacket” due to its traditional dinner jacket features; indeed, the only thing differentiating Niven’s jacket from the traditional dinner jacket is the fabric.

The context of the jacket doesn’t help either. Smoking jackets are best for informal lounging while dinner jackets would be required for formal dining. This is more of an informal dinner for seven, although the presence of royalty (Princess Dala) may have necessitated something more formal. Still, this is David Niven so who the hell are we to argue?

(Terminology info from Black Tie Guide, which anyone interested in formalwear and looking like a grownup should read!)

Sir Charles wears his jacket with a pair of black formal trousers that appropriately feature a single black satin side stripe down each side. Due to the camera angles and Niven’s correct habit of keeping the jacket buttoned when standing, not many details are seen of the trousers other than the slanted side pockets and plain-hemmed bottoms.

Sir Charles at dinner.

Sir Charles wears a white formal shirt with a spread collar and narrowly pleated front. The small black studs down the front have gold trim, similar to the links worn through his French cuffs. The cuff links are large black squares with gold trim and a single diamond in the center.

Now this is a gentleman.

Naturally, Sir Charles wears a black satin bow tie. This is David Niven we’re talking about, so none of the pre-tied or adjustable nonsense that you see in high school prom photos.

Another very distinctive aspect of Niven’s dinner attire is his footwear. Rather than the usual black plain-toe leather shoes, Sir Charles wears a pair of black Prince Albert slippers with a gold “CL” monogram. Also known as a “house shoe” for its purpose of informal lounging, the Albert slipper’s velvet upper and decidedly British heritage make it a fine pairing with the playboy thief’s red velvet dinner jacket.

While it may sound ridiculous to some to wear slippers with evening wear, the tradition began around 1840 when Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort, decided that gentlemen could combat the harsh dirt roads of Britain by switching out their shoes for a more comfortable slipper when entering someone’s home. Thus, the leather-soled slip-on “Albert slipper” became fashionable. (More info here from Black Tie Guide!)

Sir Charles wears his all-gold wristwatch to dinner. It has a round case and an expanding bracelet, and he wears it on his left wrist.

Sir Charles’ watch pokes out as he chats with a dinner guest. In case you couldn’t tell, the guest in question is not the lovely Princess Dala.

Not much is seen of Sir Charles’ outerwear, as Princess Dala’s footman takes his overcoat as soon as he enters her chalet. He appears to be wearing a black wool double-breasted topcoat with large lapels and flapped hip pockets.

Sir Charles battles the bitter cold (left) and enjoys the comforts of a royal chalet (right).

As an elegant touch, the red silk lining of the topcoat nicely evokes the color of his dinner jacket.

What to Imbibe

Sir Charles Lytton has a fully-stocked bar in his hotel room with gin, vermouth, whiskey, and champagne. Would you expect any less?

I have yet to find a Motel 6 with these kinds of amenities.

After making a date for Princess Dala to visit him in his room (scandal!), he pulls out a bottle of bubbly to entertain her. Though she’s maintained a reputation as a teetotaler, the exotic “virgin queen” soon succumbs to the vintage champagne’s charms. Aware of her situation, she playfully threatens Sir Charles:

Princess Dala: If I were my father, I’d have you tortured.
Sir Charles: No. If you were your father, I doubt very much if I would have kissed you.

Sir Charles enjoys a pre-dinner tête-à-tête with Princess Dala.

With Thin Man-esque banter like that, the evening’s seduction is ramped up and Sir Charles finds himself embracing the lovely princess on the tiger rug splayed out across his floor in front of the fire. Unfortunately, the champagne in question didn’t receive enough screen time to prominently reveal itself; this was surely a missed opportunity for a “sex sells” product placement campaign. Are any refined drinkers out there able to identify the bottle? (Extra points to anyone who can identify any other bottles in Sir Charles’ hotel bar.)

For any non-refined (or at least poor) drinkers, you can take a Lytton-worthy cheeky approach to drinking in a red velvet dinner jacket by providing a bottle of Cupcake Vineyards’ “Red Velvet” blend. Combining Zinfandel, Merlot, and Petite Syrah, this economically-priced wine is a fine accompaniment for a hearty dinner with friends. (After all, not all of us can afford Château Margaux!)

As an interesting side note, a bottle of Cupcake Red Velvet wine showed up in Dallas Buyers Club in the home of Dr. Eve Saks. This would’ve been good product placement if not for the fact that Cupcake Vineyards didn’t even exist until twenty years after the story is set. Other places where I’ve noticed Cupcake wines are an early scene in the movie I Love You, Man and a Chardonnay in an episode of Bored to Death.

How to Get the Look

If you manage to successfully wear this evening attire, you’ll be remembered as a debonair gentleman who will certainly be called for another dinner… as well as a romantic rendezvous or two. If you don’t pull it off, you’ll likely be laughed out of the house before the main course is served.

• Dark red velvet single-breasted dinner jacket with black satin shawl lapels, black satin turnback cuffs, black satin-covered single front button, black satin-covered 4-button cuffs, flapped hip pockets, and ventless rear
• Black formal trousers with black satin side stripe, slanted side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• White formal dress shirt with spread collar, pleated front, black studs, and double/French cuffs
• Black satin bow tie
• Black cuff links with gold trim and a single diamond center
• Black velvet Prince Albert slippers with a gold crest
• Black dress socks
• Gold wristwatch with expanding bracelet, worn on left wrist
• Black wool double-breasted topcoat with flapped hip pockets

With confidence, elegance, and a cheeky degree of self-awareness, you can wear whatever you want while enjoying digestifs with the best of them.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the film. Make sure it’s the 1963 classic and not the Steve Martin remake. Nothing against Steve, but why did anyone think The Pink Panther needed a remake?!

The Quote

Oh, champagne’s not drinking. That’s the minimum of alcohol and the maximum of companionship.

Footnotes

All readers of this blog should also check out Black Tie Guide, the definitive online resource for classic, contemporary, and alternative formalwear. It certainly helped me out getting some background info on Sir Charles’ eccentrically suave outfit, and it’ll help you, too.

Merry Christmas and/or Happy Hanukkah, BAMF Style readers! Whether you’re saying “Ho ho ho” or “Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel”, I hope this holiday season has been a happy one full of delicious booze and bad decisions.

Vitals

Jon Hamm as Don Draper in “The Doorway, Part 2″ (Episode 6.02 of Mad Men).

Jon Hamm as Don Draper, Madison Avenue ad man

New York City, New Year’s Eve 1967

Series: Mad Men
Episode: “The Doorway, Part 2″ (Episode 6.02)
Air Date: April 7, 2013
Director: Scott Hornbacher
Costume Designer: Janie Bryant

Background

Mad Men‘s penultimate (or pen-penultimate, depending on how you look at it) season begins in Hawaii during the Drapers’ tropical vacation but soon shifts back to the cold harsh reality of Manhattan in December. While this sort of setting would have been idyllic a few years earlier during the Rat Pack era, it is now dominated by unwashed squatters living with teenage runaways and their violins.

Across the city from Greenwich Village, the Drapers and their neighbors take refuge and indulge themselves in a more traditional New Year’s Eve celebration with wine, fondue, and slides from the recent trip to Hawaii. As hosts of this snowed-in get together, Don and Megan are a very popular Ken and Barbie, going through the motions with corny jokes and toasts to the new year.

Of course, this being Mad Men, there’s always something else beneath the surface. In this case, it’s Don and Sylvia Rosen beneath Dr. and Mrs. Rosen’s bed sheets. Sylvia, Don’s paramour-of-the-season, is played fetchingly by Linda Cardellini, with whom I was enamored during her stint as Lindsay Weir on the sadly-cancelled Freaks and Geeks.

Happy New Year to all BAMF Style readers, and I hope you have a happy, healthy, and successful 1968 2015.

What’d He Wear?

Like many men of the era, Don dresses for his casual evening in with a plaid sport coat, dark trousers, and tie. Plaid sport coats emerge throughout the show as Don’s casual wear garment of choice when the formality of a suit isn’t required. Although Don’s guests are wearing suits, it is his prerogative as host to wear whatever is comfortable and fitting.

The heavy wool sport coat has a large black and cream Glen Urquhart check with a red windowpane overcheck, nicely accentuated by his red tie and the coat’s own burgundy lining.

The jacket itself is single-breasted with a 3-button front, although the notch lapels roll over the top button, leaving the center button most functional. It has a comfortably large fit with padded shoulders and roped sleeveheads. It is also ventless.

Don’s sport coat has the typical pockets – a welted breast pocket and straight flapped hip pockets – with one button on each cuff.

Don finds some use for the Carousel after it brought Harry Crane to tears five seasons earlier.

Don wears a pair of dark brown wool trousers with his sport coat. Not much is seen of the trousers other than the plain-hemmed bottoms and the fact that they have belt loops. Given their fit and Don’s preference, they are almost definitely flat front rather than pleated.

Don wears a crisp white shirt no different than his usual dress shirts with its slightly spread collar, front placket, breast pocket, and double cuffs. The cuffs are fastened by a set of gold square links with a brown faux wood rectangular stone in the center.

As one would expect, Don imbibes heavily on New Year’s Eve.

Don’s slim silk necktie is is a deep red that nicely brings out the overcheck in his sport coat. There is a small white “squiggle” pattern in the center that likely has some significance to the tie manufacturer. The only descriptions that I and my girlfriend could muster is that the pattern looks “sorta like Texas” or a “distorted fleur-de-lis”.

Any ideas on the tie design?

As he doesn’t need to worry about going outside into the snow, Don chooses a pair of comfortable black leather tasseled loafers with black dress socks.

When he accompanies Dr. Rosen down to the basement, Don puts on his standard winter overcoat, a dark charcoal topcoat constructed of heavy wool with a subtle glen check. It is single-breasted with notch lapels and 3-button front. The edges of the lapels and pockets are swelled, and the coat also features flapped hip pockets, cuffed sleeves, and a long single rear vent. A gray glen check scarf, which he is seen wearing in other scenes, is stuffed into the topcoat’s outer right pocket.

Don isn’t quite dressed for skiing; good thing he’s not the doctor.

In keeping with his guise of going outside, Don sports his gray felt short-brimmed fedora. 1967 was already well past the heyday of American men’s hats, so Don’s hat is stuck with the slim black grosgrain band and high pinched crown that was so popular in the earlier years of the decade.

Don’s usual iconic Omega Seamaster Deville is absent in this scene, replaced by an all-gold watch on a dark brown leather strap. Not much detail is provided about the watch other than the round gold case and dial.

Don brings out his gold watch for the New Year’s party.

What to Imbibe

The Drapers and the Rosens toast the new year with glasses of Galliano, a sweet Italian herbal liqueur received as a gift from “Jonesy” the doorman. (Though a surname like “Jones” may not indicate an expertise in Italian liqueurs, actor Ray Abruzzo’s previous role as Carmine Lupertazzi, Jr. on The Sopranos clues us in a little further.) Galliano can certainly be consumed straight, as the New Year’s guests do, but it is also the crucial ingredient in the Harvey Wallbanger cocktail that differentiates it from a Screwdriver.

Cent’anni!

How to Get the Look

Don dresses nicely for an evening at home with friends, using the red in his jacket and tie to call out the holiday without being too showy about it. Comparing his attire to his male houseguests is an example of how a sport coat can “outdress” a full suit.

Skiing, anyone?

• Black and cream large Glen Urquhart check (with red windowpane overcheck) wool single-breasted sport coat with 3-roll-2 button front, notch lapels, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, ventless rear, and 1-button cuffs
• Dark brown flat front trousers with belt loops and plain-hemmed bottoms
• White dress shirt with slightly spread collar, front placket, breast pocket, and double/French cuffs
• Red silk slim necktie with white center squiggle
• Gold square cuff links with brown rectangular center
• Dark brown leather belt
• Black leather tasseled loafers
• Black dress socks
• Charcoal glen check wool single-breasted overcoat with 3-button front, notch lapels, flapped hip pockets, cuffed sleeves, and single rear vent
• Gray felt short-brimmed fedora with slim black grosgrain band
• Gold wristwatch on black leather strap

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the sixth season.

The Quote

I want to stop doing this.

Really, Don. Do you?

George Lazenby as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969).

Vitals

George Lazenby as James Bond, rogue British secret agent

Switzerland, December 1969

Film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Release Date: December 18, 1969
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius

Background

Here in Pittsburgh, the snow has finally fallen and folks are sporting all the cold weather that they can muster. The weather may be different depending on what part of the world you’re in, but Swiss vacationers should make sure they have some snow attire ready to hit the Alps, Bond style.

The latest Bond adventure, Spectre, has released some photos on location of the cast and crew enjoying the icy slopes of the Sölden ski resort in Austria. It’s hard for a Bond fan to see 007 out in the snow in a blue down jacket without recalling George Lazenby’s similar attire for the climactic battle sequence in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

After escaping thrice from SPECTRE assassins on a brutal Christmas Eve, Bond finds himself back in action with his father-in-law-to-be, an Italian crime boss named Marc-Ange Draco. Bond should receive extra credit for not only taking the initiative to return to Piz Gloria for the rescue mission but also for choosing to spend more time with his future father-in-law. How many of us can say that?

It is also this sequence that gives Lazenby’s Bond his most triumphant moment of the film, blasting away at Blofeld’s nameless thugs with a submachine gun as he slides down the ice after his “mercy flight” helicopter descends on Piz Gloria.

*Pew Pew*

Supposedly, test audiences that were initially ambivalent toward Lazenby cheered as he glided along the ice on his belly with Monty Norman’s iconic theme accompanying him on the soundtrack. This shot was a spur-of-the-moment decision by director Peter Hunt whom, despite his excellent work as an editor in prior Bond films, would not go on to direct any future 007 entries. The scene is also notable for featuring the last onscreen use of John Barry’s original Dr. No arrangement of “The James Bond Theme”.

What’d He Wear?

For Bond and Draco’s commando-style raid on Piz Gloria, the team outfits themselves in seasonal but comfortable winter assault gear. Most of the men sport “anonymous henchman” uniforms of white commando suits and black berets, but heroes Bond and Draco wear blue to make them stand out and to prevent the audience from suspecting that “blue screen” techniques were used during Bond’s stunts on the slopes.

The rescue team arrives! Heroes in blue, disposable red shirt ensigns in white.

Bond’s primary outer garment is a blue lightweight, weatherproof anorak jacket. The jacket’s terminology is a slight subject of debate, as an anorak can also refer to the longer, more insulated parka. While an anorak simply refers to a waterproof pullover hooded jacket, the British term “cagoule” may be more appropriate for Bond’s jacket as it implies a lighter weight. Cagoules enjoyed the most popularity in the U.K. throughout the 1960s and 1970s when Noel Bibby of Peter Storm Ltd. developed a jacket that could be carried in a compact bag or pocket; sometimes even the jacket’s hood doubled as its own carrier.

Bond’s anorak jacket has a generous fit down through his hips, allowing him plenty of movement while chasing Blofeld both in and out of Piz Gloria. Although it is a pullover jacket, there is a quarter-length fly-covered zipper extending down from the neck to allow his chest to breathe and ease taking the jacket off. As per its definition, the anorak also has a hood. The sleeves are secured by a thin strap on each cuff, fastened through a silver-toned buckle.

Bond in action!

There are four external pockets. The two large chest pockets close with Velcro flaps (with two Velcro patches on each flap). There are also two slash “handwarmer” pockets on the hips, below the elasticized waist.

Underneath, Bond wears an air force blue ribbed wool jumper. Only the mock neck and cuffs peek out from under Bond’s jacket, but all of Draco’s men appear to be wearing identical blue sweaters.

One of Draco’s men models the same jumper that Bond is likely wearing.

Bond’s blue snow pants exactly match his lightweight, weatherproof jacket and are held in place with a thin strap that crosses under his crotch. The matching jacket and pants complete the “mountain suit” look preferred by badass winter fighters like Russia’s elite special troops.

A Russian elite trooper in his downtime.

The snow pants tuck into Bond’s plain black snow boots. These boots are constructed with waterproof leather uppers and solid rubberized soles. They are insulated to keep the wearer’s (Bond’s, in this case) feet in extreme cold. A thin black strap over the front fastens through a silver buckle.

James Bond, he has a bobsled team.

Bond wears a pair of insulated black leather gloves with elasticized cuffs further fastened onto his wrists with a strap through a silver buckle.

Bond uses his Minox A/IIIs inside Blofeld’s lair.

And finally, since this is James Bond, our hero sports his usual stainless Rolex. In this scene, it is a Rolex Submariner 5513 Oyster Perpetual with a black dial and bezel on a stainless bracelet.

Sideshow Collectibles developed an action figure of 007 in Piz Gloria assault mode, designed by Oluf W. Hartvigson with a very accurate likeness of Lazenby’s head. It even gets his weapons – the Sterling submachine gun and standard Walther PPK – correct. The only real inaccuracies are the laced combat boots and white jumper on the action figure; Lazenby wore unlaced snow boots and a blue jumper in the actual film. Still, anyone interested in hunking down $130 for one of these can still pick it up on Amazon.

Go Big or Go Home

Would James Bond really go to all of this trouble just to rescue one of his countless Bond girls? Sure, you could argue that the mission’s real purpose was to destroy Blofeld (“something of a must for me”, as he tells M), but his enlistment of Tracy’s father proves that his love for her is genuine. Unprecedented in the Bond series at the time, Bond’s bona fide feelings for his new love fuel his need for revenge – as proven by his bitter flashback to her snowy kidnapping – and Diana Rigg was certainly the right choice to play the woman that would sincerely reach Bond’s heart.

A bottle of Dom can turn Tracy into a poet or a pugilist. Or both.

Combining class, sophistication, and beauty with intelligence, wile, and badassery, Tracy is the perfect counterpart for Bond. In one scene, she shows both sides of her personality: the oft-persued countess who sips Dom Pérignon and quotes James Elroy Flecker… and the ass-kicking judo expert who drives a ’69 Cougar. All qualities that one should desire in a wife.

What to Imbibe

It’s not “five-star”, but it’ll do!

After a snowy day on the slopes, whether you’ve been skiing or bobsledding, there’s nothing more welcoming than a snifter of fine brandy. After Blofeld has “branched off!”, Bond finds himself making the acquaintance of a new canine pal. “Never mind that!” he tells the dog. “Go and get the brandy, huh? Five-star Hennessy, of course.”

IMDB states that Lazenby improvised this line to the Saint Bernard. Imagine a modern-day liquor manufacturer’s joy if Daniel Craig improvised a line ordering their particular brand in Spectre, saving millions of dollars in product placement expenses!

Most recently, Hennessy honored the inauguration of Barack Obama with a limited edition bottle of Hennessy VS (Very Special) featuring a black label with gold lettering and a large “44” on the circular neck seal to commemorate Obama’s term as the 44th president of the United States. A portion of the proceeds from each limited edition bottle’s sale was donated to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

(Interestingly, Obama began his second term of office in 2013, 44 years after George Lazenby ordered his Hennessy onscreen in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service! What a contrived coincidence!)

How to Get the Look

As Bond likely intended on just hopping back into the helicopter after rescuing Tracy and capturing (or killing) Blofeld, he dresses warmly against the cold but not necessarily against the snow. Headgear – and I’m not talking about a yellow bobsled helmet – would be recommended for anyone who plans on spending much time outside.

• Blue lightweight, water-resistant, hip-length pullover anorak jacket with hood, quarter-length zip, velcro chest pockets, zip slash pockets, adjustable cuffs, and elasticized waistband
• Blue lightweight, water-resistant snow pants
• Air force blue ribbed mock neck wool jumper
• Black waterproof leather non-laced snow boots with heavy rubber soles
• Black leather gloves with elasticized buckle wrists
• Rolex Submariner 5513 Oyster Perpetual wristwatch with stainless steel case and bracelet, black dial and bezel

The Gun(s)

For his revenge mission, Bond knows he’ll need a little more firepower than his usual PPK, so he and Draco’s men arm themselves with Sterling Mark IV (L2A3) submachine guns. The Sterling is a very distinctive-looking weapon due to its curved side-feeding magazine. Bond and his cohorts all wear theirs on a brown leather shoulder strap.

The Sterling submachine gun was developed by the Brits during the later phases of World War II as a potential replacement for the Sten gun, but it wasn’t formally issued to the British Army until 1953 as the “Sub-Machine Gun L2A1″. Following orders from the British General Staff in 1944, it fired 9×19 mm Parabellum ammunition and weighed only six pounds. The finished weapon eventually rolled out to a size of 27 inches long (18.9 inches with the stock folded) with a 7.7 inch barrel, but it remained under the six pound weight parameter. The distinctive box magazine held 34 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, which it could spit out on fully automatic at a rate of 550 rounds per minute… 50 rounds more than originally requested.

Several variants were issued over the next few years, with the L2A3 (or Sterling Mark IV) adopted in 1956 as the last regular, non-suppressed version in service. The Sterling was taken out of service in 1988 in favor of the SA80 assault rifle, designated L85A1.

This excellent image of a screen-used Sterling SMG was captured and uploaded to IMFDb by MoviePropMaster2008.

While the Sterling would be most proud of its 35-year service with the British Army, it is likely most familiar to movie fans as the basis of the blaster carbine rifle used by the Imperial Stormtroopers in the Star Wars movies. Still, eight years before Luke, Han, and Leia used them to defend themselves in the Death Star, James Bond proudly wielded one as he touched down in Piz Gloria.

Bond approaches Piz Gloria.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is notably for sticking very closely to Ian Fleming’s source material, but the filmmakers do switch Bond’s choice of assault weapons for the climax. Fleming called for Bond and his team to be carrying “Schmeisser” submachine guns, referring to the German MP40 that you’ve seen in a ton of old World War II movies… as well as this video of the toodles-shooting granny.

Once his Sterling runs out of ammunition, Bond chases after Blofeld with his trusty Walther PPK in hand. This marks the first film in the series where Bond’s PPK has brown bakelite grips, rather than black.

The PPK gets a nice close-up during the bobsled chase, but this close shot also reveals an unfortunate error. After Bond fires a few shots at Blofeld, Blofeld turns around and returns fire with his Browning Hi-Power. One of the Hi-Power rounds ricochets off the front of Bond’s bobsled, cutting across the top of his hand and knocking the PPK away. While this “magic bullet” may be an error in itself, the PPK is shown to have its safety on the whole time… which would have naturally made it impossible for Bond to fire his initial shots.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Guns make me nervous!

Perhaps that’s why he flicks the safety on a mere seconds after firing at Blofeld ;)

Footnotes

I mention this sequence’s use of the original “The James Bond Theme” arrangement for the final time in the franchise. As On Her Majesty’s Secret Service also features one of the better soundtracks of the series, I should also mention the foreboding and slightly eerie “Over and Out”, composed by John Barry as Bond and Draco’s “mercy flight” approaches Piz Gloria. Good stuff.

George Clooney as Jack in The American (2010).

I apologize for the recent delay in blog posts; I sustained a concussion on Sunday evening, and both the idea and action of looking at a computer screen are quite headache-inducing. Luckily for me, my wise and fast-acting girlfriend was present to drive me to an emergency room and ensure that my already gin-damaged brain would continue to operate. Keeping this in mind (pun), I donned a pair of my darkest sunglasses and set to work in brief increments to bring you…

Vitals

George Clooney as Jack (aka “Edward”), American hitman-in-hiding

Dalarna, Sweden, April 2010

Film: The American
Release Date: September 1, 2010
Director: Anton Corbijn
Costume Designer: Suttirat Anne Larlarb

Background

The opening of The American finds our titular protagonist hiding out in Dalarna in central Sweden with the lovely Ingrid. Although his Syriana days are long behind him, Clooney sports a salt-and-pepper beard to let us know right away that he has been out of action for sometime. For anyone familiar with the film due to its marketing campaign or regular ol’ smarts, this “action” is contract killing.

Unlike The Bourne Legacy, where the hero is just setting out on his journey in the snowy wilderness, Jack believes he has reached the end of his. A sniper who trained at the Imperial Stormtrooper School of Gunfight Accuracy pulls Jack out of his funk, and Jack quickly puts the sniper down. Unfortunately, Ingrid witnessed this case of badassery and thus is quickly eliminated by Jack also. He flees to Rome to get to the bottom of everything and begins a quiet and viscerally-appealing story that combines the aesthetics of ’60s James Bond with the realism and paranoia of ’70s thrillers against the stunning backdrop of rural Italy.

What’d He Wear?

Not expecting action but always ready for it, Jack’s dark winter attire presents a stark contrast against the white snowy landscape of central Sweden. While going out for a walk with Ingrid, he dons a brown winter jacket, almost definitely from Ermenegildo Zegna, the Italian luxury fashion house that well-publicized its connection to Clooney and the film.

Constructed of insulated waterproof-treated micro-suede, Jack’s heavy brown Zegna down jacket would work well in any cold climate. It has dual fastening down the front with a zipper reinforced by six plastic buttons. Jack zips up to his upper chest and buttons the third, fourth, and fifth buttons, providing a warm and secure fit that still allows him the necessary range of motion.

Jack springs into action when his romantic trek through the snow is ruined by a pesky sniper.

The jacket has four external pockets. There is one zippered vertical pocket on each side of the chest. Unlike some winter outerwear, these are not crossover pockets; the right pocket is meant for the right hand to access, and the left pocket is meant for the left hand. Below those are two large square patch pockets on the hips, which fasten with two buttons on each side of the flap. These patch pockets also have a small grommet on the inner bottom corner. Jack keeps his handy Walther PPK in the right hip pocket for easy access when coming under sniper fire.

If Ingrid thinks Jack’s quick action is out of some instinct to protect her… well, she’ll learn.

The jacket’s sleeves have a single half-strap on each cuff that closes with a button. The button appears to be more for fashion than function, as there is only one on each cuff.

Under his jacket, Jack wears a thick chocolate brown ribbed wool sweater with a full-zip front, similar to the more lightweight version he wears in the rest of the film. Underneath that, he appears to wear a black crew neck long-sleeved shirt with a zippered chest, zipped up to the neck.

Yeah, don’t expect Jack’s smile to last once the shooting starts. In fact, don’t expect to see Jack smiling much at all.

Jack’s trousers are also rich dark brown, like his sweater, and appear to be constructed of a softer material like corduroy. While corduroy may not be most men’s first choice for activewear in the snow, they certainly are a warmer alternative to the usual wool or even flannel. The trousers have rear patch pockets and plain-hemmed straight bottoms, worn outside of his boots.

Jack takes the whole “snow angel” thing a little too literally.

On that note, Jack wears a pair of black leather weatherproof laced combat boots with heavy soles.

Though he doesn’t wear gloves or a scarf, Jack does wear a black knit winter cap, also known as a “beanie” by the sort of people who would call it that.

Jack continues the black and brown mixing (as sartorial traditionalists shriek in horror!) to his undershirt, a sleeveless black ribbed A-shirt that appears to be his undergarment of choice throughout the film.

Ah, the hard life. SItting around in your underwear drinking whiskey while a Swedish woman practically begs you to join her in bed.

Jack’s watch, a stainless Omega Speedmaster Professional with a black dial and black calfskin strap, is hardly seen at all here. He should be commended for protecting his Omega from the elements, but it’s a shame that watch aficionados don’t get to see it during these opening scenes.

How to Get the Look

Jack provides a smart and warm winter look for fashion-minded men heading out into the snow. It’s none too flashy (quite the opposite, actually), but it’s efficient and comfortable.

• Brown waterproof micro-suede winter down jacket with 6-button/zip front, vertical zip chest pockets, button-fastened flapped patch pockets, button-fastened cuff straps
• Dark brown ribbed wool full-zip sweater with elasticized cuffs
• Black long-sleeve shirt with quarter-zip chest
• Dark brown corduroy trousers with patch rear pockets and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Black ribbed sleeveless undershirt
• Black leather combat boots with black laces and heavy soles
• Black knit cap
• Omega Speedmaster Professional stainless wristwatch on a black calfskin strap

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

Clive Owen as “The Professor” in The Bourne Identity (2002).

Vitals

Clive Owen as “The Professor”, English sleeper assassin for the CIA

Paris, Winter 2002

Film: The Bourne Identity
Release Date: June 14, 2002
Director: Doug Liman
Costume Designer: Pierre-Yves Gayraud

Background

A hallmark of the Bourne series is the dogged adversary, usually a fellow government assassin who always manages to stay one step ahead of our protagonist, even when the agency itself can’t quite manage to do the same. The first major example of this adversary is “The Professor”, the otherwise unnamed hitman played by Clive Owen in The Bourne Identity.

After being called up from his sleeper life as a piano teacher in Barcelona, the taciturn and ruthlessly efficient killer packs up his raincoat, sniper rifle, and the latest in 2002 technology (a Motorola flip phone) to go after his first target…

I work alone, like you. We always work alone.

What’d He Wear?

“The Professor” wisely chooses attire that will help him blend in whether in the city or the countryside. The staple of his costume, a long brown raincoat, manages this task ably in both the rural and urban environments.

The Professor strikes his favorite pose.

The Professor’s raincoat is single-breasted with shirt-style collars and four brown plastic buttons down the front that close under a hidden fly, although he always wears his coat open. There are open slash side pockets on each side and a long rear single vent. Each cuff has a short squared strap that closes on a single button.

Oh, and spoiler alert – things don’t turn out so well for The Professor. That’s why it’s not called The Professor Identity.

Underneath his raincoat, Owen’s clothing varies, but he typically wears a darker brown zip-front jacket as his “assault gear”. This jacket has a crossover pocket on the left chest that, like the front, closes with a zipper.

To provide an additional layer of warmth during the chilly Parisian winter, Owen’s character also sports a black mock neck ribbed jumper that is similar to the blue sweater worn by Bourne in the latter half of the film.

The Professor packs up after another job well done.

The film focuses on his abilities as a sniper, and thus tends to ignore his lower half. Despite this, he still does wear pants; they appear to be a pair of dark brown flat front trousers with a slim leg and plain-hemmed bottoms. He sports a pair of dark – probably black – lace-up combat boots.

To ensure that the audience knows that this sinister gunman is a bad guy, The Professor also wears a pair of black leather gloves. The gloves are fingerless and close with a velcro strap over the front of the wrist.

These aren’t the sort of gloves to invest in if you’re worried about leaving fingerprints, though.

Much of The Professor’s professorial (hey, that’s a word!) look derives from his slim, steel-framed eyeglasses. Though he is a master sniper for CIA, his complaints of headaches and need to wear eyeglasses may explain why he botches the Bourne assignment. Of course, it could also be that Bourne is just that damn good.

You couldn’t ask for a better photo of The Professor’s glasses (unless you wanted one of both lenses, of course).

When not in assassination mode, The Professor nicely captures the banal look of a bored early 2000s businessman with a wrinkled tan dress shirt and a wide black loosened necktie with a small dot motif. He also appears to be wearing a light gray crew neck t-shirt underneath.

The Professor shows off his many expressions.

When we first meet The Professor in the middle of one of his piano lessons in Barcelona, he wears a dark gray flannel single-breasted sport coat with notch lapels over a dark brown dress shirt.

Thanks to Bourne, this kid will never learn anything more advanced than “Hot Cross Buns”.

How to Get the Look

The Professor dresses to fit in both in urban and rural environments with multiple layers to adjust to the climate or the situation. While you’re likely – and hopefully – not an assassin following a target through urban and rural areas of varying climates, it’s wise to travel in diverse and removable layers like this.

• Brown waterproof single-breasted raincoat with shirt-style collars, 4-button fly front, slash side pockets, 1- button cuff straps, and single rear vent
• Dark brown zip-front jacket with crossover zip breast pocket
• Black ribbed mock neck jumper/sweater
• Dark brown flat front trousers with plain-hemmed bottoms
• Black lace-up combat boots
• Steel-framed eyeglasses
• Black leather fingerless gloves with velcro front strap

The Gun

Each of the Treadstone assassins we meet appears to have a specialty. Castel, whom Bourne confronts in his Paris apartment, is a brash attack man who packs an assault carbine. Manheim, the withdrawn German featured in the finale, prefers a silent, up-close killing with a handgun. The Professor is the sniper of the bunch, using a SIG SG 550 Sniper as his weapon of choice.

The Professor does what he does best.

SIG-Sauer weapons are abundant in the Bourne franchise, with Jason carrying a different variant in each film. Even his spiritual successor, Aaron Cross, handles a SIG P229 handgun in The Bourne Legacy. It is a reasonable inclusion, as the Swiss-originated and German-manufactured SIG-Sauer has been providing arms to militaries and police forces for the better part of the last century, especially in the European regions featured in The Bourne Identity.

The SIG SG 550 rifle was first produced in 1986 after nearly a decade of development for a new Swiss Army battle rifle. The selective-fire SG 550 assault rifle was finally introduced with a gas-actuated, piston-driven, long stroke operating system and chambered for the popular 5.56×45 mm NATO round. The rounds are carried in distinctively lightweight translucent polymer magazines – typically holding 20 but some are made to hold 5 or 30 – that can snap together for “jungle-style” magazines (as seen with Lee Marvin’s Grease Gun in The Dirty Dozen).

A SIG SG 550 Sniper as carried by “The Professor” in The Bourne Identity. (Photo from IMFDb).

An accurized variant, the SG 550 Sniper, was developed for sharpshooters with a two-stage reduced-pull trigger and a heavy 650 mm barrel (nearly five inches longer than the standard SG 550) to be used exclusively with telescopic sights. The folding stock reduces the rifle’s overall length from 44.5 inches to 35.6 inches. The Sniper variant also has a slightly faster muzzle velocity, increased to 940 meters per second from the standard model’s 911 m/s.

The Professor uses his SIG SG 550 Sniper all throughout France, first using it to kill Wombosi in Paris before he takes it into the countryside to search for Bourne and Marie. According to IMFDb, the “suppressor” he attaches onto his rifle is actually a Hogue OverMolded™ free-floating handguard for the AR15/M16 rifle. IMFDb further notes that: “Even if the suppressor was functional, it would have to be attached to the end of the barrel in order to actually suppress the report of the weapon. Simply sliding it over the barrel would do absolutely nothing to the sound of the round being discharged. Also note that there are no provisions on the SIG 550 shown (IE; a threaded muzzle or some sort of mount attached to the barrel) to attach the ‘suppressor’ depicted.”

Although the gunshots sound suppressed in the film, the attachment to his barrel would actually be very useless here.

When Bourne finally gets the upper hand, The Professor is sent sprawling for his carry piece. He draws his Walther P5 Compact out of his carry bag, but Bourne kicks it out of his hand with force… so much force, in fact, that it becomes a very different CZ-100 in the next shot!

The Professor chambers a Walther P5 Compact (left) that becomes a CZ-100 in the next shot (right). As Bill O’Reilly would say, YOU CAN’T EXPLAIN THAT!

When Bourne arms himself with it for the climax in Paris, though, it is once again the P5 Compact.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Look at us. Look at what they make you give.

Footnotes

Thank you to commenter “divermarv” for the suggestion! As Marv and others have noted, the Bourne series is full of well-attired characters other than just the main protagonist. Expect to see more of Bourne’s sharply-dressed adversaries in the months to come.

(Also, for any still wondering, I’m still in concussion mode and limiting myself to no more than thirty minutes of blogging/screen-looking at a time. Once I’m fully recovered, I’ll be back to my usual verbose style of longwinded posts and e-mail/comment replies. Thanks for being awesome in the interim!)

Gene Hackman as “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection (1971).

Vitals

Gene Hackman as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, gruff NYPD narcotics detective

Brooklyn, December 1970

Film: The French Connection
Release Date: October 9, 1971
Director: William Friedkin
Costume Designer: Joseph Fretwell III

Background

To celebrate this weekend’s Academy Awards ceremony, BAMF Style is looking at The French Connection, which took home five Oscars in 1972 including Best Picture and – for Gene Hackman’s portrayal of unorthodox narc “Popeye” Doyle – Best Actor. It was the first R-rated movie to win the coveted Best Picture award, and its gritty realism set the tone for one of the greatest decades in American filmmaking.

(Unfortunately for this year’s Best Picture winner, I don’t see writing about Michael Keaton’s tighty-whities anytime in the near future.)

A few months ago, I wrote a post about Doyle’s off-duty attire during the film’s famous car chase. With only a few exceptions, Popeye spends most of the film wearing a wrinkled suit and his now signature porkpie hat, often layering up with enough outerwear to keep him warm during the cold Brooklyn winter.

What’d He Wear?

After we first meet Popeye while sporting his red Santa suit and beating up some local toughs, we next see him at the station dressed in more conventional cop attire – a suit and tie. This suit is a warm light caramel shade of brown and is more a throwback to the slim ’60s than the excessively wide ’70s, which was still not uncommon in 1971 (especially for an old-fashioned roughneck like Popeye Doyle).

The jacket is single-breasted with slim notch lapels and a low 3-button front. It has a welted breast pocket, flapped straight hip pockets, padded shoulders, 2-button cuffs, and a short rear vent.

Popeye’s matching suit trousers are flat front with cuffed bottoms that break high over his shoes. They are held in place by a dark brown leather belt with a small brass clasp.

Popeye stares at a garbage can, truly fascinated by its majestic beauty.

Popeye always wears a white dress shirt with his suits, although he rarely has it buttoned up to the slim, spread collar. His shirts have front plackets, breast pockets, and squared cuffs that close on a button. They tend to “rumple” out over the low rise of his trousers.

Popeye takes in the local bar scene.

Three different ties are seen with this suit. The first is a slim silk dark brown tie with three diagonal stripes crossing from right-down-to-left in the center. The top stripe is gold while the two thinner stripes beneath it are cream.

Popeye at the station.

Popeye’s second tie is busier (or “frantic”, as Roger Moore’s Bond would describe it) with a salmon, pink, and white pattern of intercrossing stripes. Finally, the third tie worn with the suit is plain dark red.

He wears two pairs of brown shoes with the suit. The first pair seen are the same light brown suede 2-eyelet chukka boots that he wears in the famous chase sequence with his pea coat. When he spiffs up for the bar room raid, he wears a pair of well-worn dark brown leather plain toe bluchers. He always wears high black cotton socks, ignoring the standard sartorial practice of matching socks to trousers… not that he’s the type who would care about that anyway.

Popeye’s .38. Now you see it… now you don’t!

He carries his 2″-barreled Colt Detective Special .38 on a dark brown leather ankle holster, strapped to the outside of his right ankle.

This suit is introduced in tandem with Popeye’s iconic porkpie hat. Forty years before the world had ever heard of Heisenberg (or at least that Heisenberg), Popeye Doyle was cleaning up the streets of New York City with a dark brown felt porkpie on his head. A brief flash of the white inner lining at the bar shows what is likely a manufacturer’s label and a size tag… perhaps reading 7 3/8?

Can any eagle-eyed readers figure out the maker of Popeye’s hat?

Popeye’s wristwatch is a gold Timex Marlin, identified by the guys at Watches in Movies. It has a white analog dial and is worn on a gold expanding bracelet. According to marketing of the era (and earlier), the Marlin was a basic watch designed for more rugged blue-collar types like mechanics or farmers. It’s certainly a good choice for a no-frills tough guy like Popeye Doyle.

Popeye tracks his prey.

As the story takes place around Christmas, Popeye’s many stakeouts are conducted in cold weather. He bundles up with a knee-length topcoat in dark brown wool with a 3-button, single-breasted front. The sleeves are half-cuffed with a single non-functioning button. Like the suit jacket he wears underneath, it has slim notch lapels.

When it is especially cold, Popeye dons a pair of dark brown cotton gloves and a gray herringbone scarf with frayed edges.

Popeye in stakeout mode.

How to Get the Look

Sean Connery may have slept in his suits to prepare for his role as James Bond, but Popeye Doyle’s suits actually look slept-in. If you’re going for that “I’m wearing a suit and I don’t give a good goddamn who knows it” look, Popeye is your guy to emulate. You just may want to consider cutting back on the racial epithets.

• Light caramel brown suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with slim notch lapels, 3-button front, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and single rear vent
  • Flat front low rise trousers with belt loops and turn-ups/cuffed bottoms
• White dress shirt with slim spread collar, front placket, breast pocket, and squared button cuffs
• Slim silk necktie
  • Popeye wears a variety of ties with this suit including a salmon cross-striped tie, plain dark red tie, and a brown tie with center stripes
• Dark brown leather belt with brass clasp
• Brown laced shoes
  • Popeye wears both light brown suede 2-eyelet chukkas and a dressier pair of dark brown leather plain toe bluchers
• Black cotton high rise socks
• Dark brown felt porkpie hat with wide ribbon and white lining
• Dark brown wool knee-length single-breasted topcoat with slim notch lapels, 3-button front, flapped hip pockets, half-cuffed 1-button sleeves, and single rear vent
• Gray herringbone wool scarf with frayed edges
• Dark brown cotton gloves
• Timex analog wristwatch with white dial on expanding gold bracelet
• Brown leather RHD ankle holster, for 2″-barreled .38 revolver

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie. Also, if you’re a fan of Gene Hackman’s acting – have you ever read one of the books he’s authored? He’s actually a pretty good fiction writer! I read Pursuit at the beach last summer and certainly plan on reading more.

The Quote

All right! You put a shiv in my partner. You know what that means? Goddammit! All winter long I got to listen to him gripe about his bowling scores. Now I’m gonna bust your ass for those three bags and I’m gonna nail you for picking your feet in Poughkeepsie.

I thought Santa was supposed to be jolly.

Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line (2005).

Vitals

Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash, badass but troubled country rock musician

Los Angeles, January 1968

Film: Walk the Line
Release Date: November 18, 2005
Director: James Mangold
Costume Designer: Arianne Phillips
Tailor: Pam Lisenby

Background

Columbia Exec: Your fans are church folk, Johnny. Christians. They don’t wanna hear you singing to a bunch of murderers and rapists, tryin’ to cheer ’em up.
Johnny Cash: Well, they’re not Christians, then.

The terrific 2005 biopic Walk the Line features a great scene of Cash rebooting his career as a prison performer (and reformer) when he confidently strides into Columbia Records and announces his plan to record an album live from Folsom Prison. He dudes himself up appropriately in all black and is the most self-assured as we’ve seen him throughout the film.

To honor Johnny Cash’s birthday (he would have been exactly 83 years old today), here’s a look at Joaquin Phoenix’s take on “the Man in Black”.

What’d He Wear?

Columbia Exec: And what’s with the black? He looks like he’s going to a funeral!
Johnny Cash: Maybe I am.

…although some may consider this look a bit too badass for a funeral.

Cash suits up for his meeting by donning his trademark attire, black from head to toe. His three-piece wool suit is black with very thin tonal stripe that shine under certain light.

The suit jacket is single-breasted with a fashionable late ’60s cut. The slim notch lapels glide down to the single button closure at his waist. There is a welted breast pocket and the flapped hip pockets, including the right side ticket pocket, slant backwards.

Cash oozes cool as he nonchalantly tells Columbia Records exactly what he plans to do.

His suit jacket has roped sleeveheads, 1-button cuffs, and long double rear vents. The lining is only briefly seen when he is putting on his jacket, but it is a very bright red silk that contrasts heavily with the rest of the outfit.

The suit has a matching waistcoat, although not much is seen of it as the low-fastening garment is mostly covered when he wears the jacket buttoned. It has slim notch lapels like the jacket. The same bright red silk lining on the inside of the jacket also adorns the back of the vest.

Cash’s flat front suit trousers have plain-hemmed bottoms with a very short break over his feet. His shoes are a very mod pair of black calf leather plain-toe loafers. They are very simple with no perforations, cap toes, side gussets, etc. Naturally, he wears a pair of black dress socks. This is no time for a “hint of color”.

I’ve found an affordable pair of similar loafers from Cole Haan; the Copley 2 Gore Loafer in black leather is currently offered from Jos. A. Bank’s site for only $148 if you’re looking for a reasonable pair. They also come in brown leather, but what color do you think Johnny would pick?

While he wears a white shirt for the eventual Folsom Prison performance, he wears a black silk shirt here. Like the suit, it has a thin tonal stripe, although this stripe is spaced further apart than on the suit. The shirt has a large collar, which he wears open, and no front placket. The shirt’s French cuffs are fastened by silver square links. Naturally, each link has a large black raised square in the center.

Note the contrasting black striped suit and shirt as he buttons up for the day.

To maintain his aloof appearance (and perhaps battle his withdrawal), Cash keeps his sunglasses on throughout nearly the entire scene. They are a pair of black acetate wayfarers with dark green lenses, likely a classic pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers before they started placing the logo on the temples and lenses.

Johnny Cash is a man on a mission.

June Carter: You wear black ’cause you can’t find anything else to wear? You found your sound ’cause you can’t play no better? You just tried to kiss me because “it just happened?” You should try take credit for something every once in a while, John.

How to Get the Look

They didn’t call him the “Man in Black” for no reason.

• Black wool tonal-striped three-piece suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with slim notch lapels, 1-button front, welted breast pocket, slanted flapped hip pockets, slanted right ticket pocket, 1-button cuffs, and long double rear vents
  • Low-fastening single-breasted waistcoat with slim notch lapels
  • Flat front trousers with plain-hemmed bottoms
• Black silk tonal-striped shirt with large collar, no placket, and double/French cuffs
• Silver square cuff links with raised black centers
• Black calf leather plain-toe loafers
• Black dress socks
• Black acetate wayfarer-style sunglasses

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie and, for cryin’ out loud, listen to Johnny Cash!

If you’re ever in the Pittsburgh area, friends of mine host Johnny Cash Day at the Elks Club on the North Side every September. More information is available on their Facebook page, but I can personally say that it’s an incredible event that celebrates his life, music, and style… plus there’s cheap beer and awesome bands. Even if you’re not in Pittsburgh, you should come to Johnny Cash Day.

The Quote

January 13. I’ll be at Folsom Prison with June and the boys. You listen to the tapes. You don’t like ’em… you can toss ’em.

Just Curious…

Even Johnny Cash celebrated with birthday cake!

Mahershala Ali as Remy Danton on House of Cards (“Chapter 38″, Episode 3.12, 2015).

Vitals

Mahershala Ali as Remy Danton, former White House Chief of Staff

Washington, DC, December 2015

Series: House of Cards
Episode: “Chapter 38″ (Episode 3.12)
Streaming Date: February 27, 2015
Director: Robin Wright
Costume Designer: Johanna Argan

WARNING! Spoilers ahead! If you haven’t finished the whole season already, then:
a) Go and do it, and
b) You’re bad at Netflix.

Background

Though Kevin Spacey receives much well-deserved praise for his power suits and performance as ruthless politician Francis Underwood, I always try to find a good guy to root for even in a shadowy world like House of Cards‘ D.C. While a few exist outside the political world, the only character who proves any definite altruism by the end of the third season is Remy Danton, the ex-lobbyist and now ex-Chief of Staff for the Underwood administration.

And who knew Remy Danton was such a romantic? After three seasons as D.C.’s slickest politician, Remy strips off his extra layer of cool when he steps down from his post with disgust after watching Underwood try and manipulate his ex-mistress. It makes sense that a badass congresswoman like Jackie Sharp would be the one to make Remy’s hear tick, as she did manage to woo former HBO heroes like Seth Bullock and Nucky Thompson.

(It was indeed Molly Parker’s picture that was used to portray Nucky’s deceased wife in the Boardwalk Empire pilot.)

What’d He Wear?

On this Casual Friday (also Good Friday), let’s have a look at how Remy dresses down after leaving his high-stress but often suited political job. I hadn’t been keeping track, but I believe Chapter 38 marks the first time we see Remy in anything but a suit or suit elements. Though he’d had a penchant for cool, dark suits throughout the show, Remy looks more comfortable than ever as he strides into Jackie’s office in casual attire to announce his new life plans… or lack thereof.

Remy’s new relaxed attitude is perfectly reflected by his choice of a comfortable unstructured sport coat. Constructed of a dark gray semi-solid heavy cotton, the jacket nicely hangs on Ali’s large 6’2″ frame.

If this man doesn’t look relaxed, I don’t know who does.

The front is single-breasted with notch lapels that roll down to a 2-button front. The jacket has flapped hip pockets that sit straight back and a welted breast pocket, to which he clips his visitor tag. The single button on each cuff is the same dark brown faux wood clusters as the buttons on the front. There is a single rear vent.

Remy gracefully excuses himself from the congresswoman’s office after turning down a massive salary.

Remy truly ditches the shirt-and-tie formality of his usual days with a blue lightweight cashmere v-neck sweater that nicely evokes his new peace of mind. Underneath is a plain white crew neck t-shirt.

Winter in D.C. gets chilly, and Remy wisely layers to combat it.

House of Cards is a dark-lit show, and – even in this relatively brighter scene in Jackie’s office and the outside hallway – not much is seen of the lower half of Remy’s wardrobe. He is definitely wearing a pair of charcoal gray flat front trousers with side pockets and, likely, plain-hemmed bottoms.

Beyond that, he appears to be wearing a pair of brown leather casual shoes and light – probably gray – socks. (Of course, even with the hi-def Netflix streaming, I could be wrong. They could be a pair of cuffed dark jeans.)

Remy struts down a Congressional hallway.

His stainless watch is new for this season, replacing the TAG Heuer Monaco he wore as a lobbyist. Although we don’t see much of it in this scene, his new watch has a large stainless case, a silver-colored crown, and an all-stainless link bracelet. The dial consists of a silver inner circle and white outer trim.

Remy’s new watch, as it appears in Chapter 29, Chapter 33, Chapter 36, and Chapter 38.

I was surprised when I chose this for my inaugural (pun) House of Cards post as Frank Underwood and his suits were basically fashioned for this blog, but Remy’s casual wear in this episode was such a refreshing change of pace that I felt the need to screencap it and push it forward. The day after I watched this episode, I scrapped together my own version (with comfortable black jeans rather than charcoal trousers), and it certainly is a comfortable and stylish approach. Thanks, Remy.

How to Get the Look

Spending a day off touring the White House? Sport something casual and comfortable like this, and you may even be mistaken for an ex-Chief of Staff and hurriedly ushered into a meeting! Fingers crossed.

• Dark gray cotton unstructured single-breasted sportcoat with notch lapels, 2-button front, welted breast pocket, flapped straight hip pockets, 1-button cuffs, and single rear vent
• Blue cashmere v-neck sweater
• White crew neck short-sleeve t-shirt
• Charcoal flat front trousers with side pockets and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Brown leather casual shoes
• Light gray socks
• Stainless steel wristwatch with white-and-silver circular dial and stainless link bracelet

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Catch up with seasons one and two, then check out the current third season on Netflix.

(Or, if it’s out by now, buy the third season on Amazon.)

The Quote

After three seasons as the man with a plan, Remy feels relieved and refreshed to answer Jackie when she asks “What are you going to do?” with:

That’s the best part, I have no idea.

Frank Sinatra and Peter Lawford with admirers in Ocean’s Eleven (1960).

Vitals

Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean, smooth-talking con man and casino heister

Beverly Hills to Las Vegas, December 1959

Film: Ocean’s Eleven
Release Date: August 10, 1960
Director: Lewis Milestone
Costume Designer: Howard Shoup

Background

Just because a man is legendary for his tux doesn’t mean he can’t rock a comfortable sweater for more casual activities. When it comes to the Chairman of the Board, there’s no argument.

What’d He Wear?

It may surprise many to know that Frank Sinatra loved the color orange.

Paul Galloway’s Chicago Tribune article, “Sinatra’s Way”, was published in November 1997, six months before the entertainer’s death. In it, he gives a style tip from Bill Zehme, the author of the excellent The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin’:

You aren’t threatened by vivid colors. Sinatra loved to wear pink, lavender, lilac. And orange was his favorite.

Knowing that, it makes sense that he would have Danny Ocean enjoying some leisure time in a classic, cool outfit consisting of a white shirt, dark trousers, and an orange sweater.

The Peach Sweater

Sinatra makes his first on-screen appearance in Ocean’s Eleven wearing a luxurious peach-colored mohair sweater. The sweater is a long-sleeve pullover with a thick ribbed v-neck. The cuffs and waistband are also ribbed. Despite this particular sweater’s considerable bulk, the famously thin Sinatra still looks slim and trim as he waltzes into the room and settles comfortably into a chair.

Frank enjoys a shoulder rub from a lovely young woman who hopefully enjoyed her mohair experience.

Mohair sweaters are very difficult to track down these days, especially for men. Scott’s Sweaters features a rotating assortment of vintage mohair sweaters for sale if you’re determined to evoke Sinatra’s on-screen brand of fuzzy luxury. Otherwise, you may need to seek out an angora blend or stick to cashmere, a comfortable but typically less fuzzy option.

Underneath the sweater, Frank wears a white poplin dress shirt. It’s likely one of the same shirts he wears with one of his suits later in the movie; based on the very long collar points, it’s probably the shirt he wears with his specked gray sportcoat or when he wears his black suit and tie to recruit Vince Massler into the heist. If so, it also has button cuffs that are hidden by the sweater’s ribbed cuffs.

We don’t see much of Danny Ocean’s charcoal gray trousers in this scene either, but it’s reasonable to assume that they’re styled like most of his others in Ocean’s Eleven with single reverse pleats and straight side pockets. They are clearly worn with a belt that slightly bulges under the sweater when Danny enters the room, but it remains concealed throughout the scene. The bottoms are plain-hemmed with no cuffs.

Peter Lawford dresses much less modestly for his massage.

When Danny kicks back, we see his dark burgundy cordovan leather tassel loafers to keep things sophisticated but informal. The rest of the outfit – particularly the bright peach sweater and the long-collared shirt – may be a bit loud for some people’s taste, but the burgundy loafers are a classy touch. Sinatra wears black dress socks.

The Salmon Red Sweater

The “eleven” take a break from heist-planning in Vegas for a bowling expedition where Danny lays down the ground rules: all work and no play until the job is done. Since it’s a casual outing, he sticks to his same principles of informal attire with a more subdued look to indicate that he’s in “serious work” mode rather than “getting massaged by random playmates in a hotel” mode.

Danny’s ensemble also needs to be comfortable enough to allow him the full range of motion when tossing the ball down the alley. For this, he wears a muted reddish salmon v-neck pullover sweater.

Frank takes a thoughtful drag of his Camel.

The material of Sinatra’s sweater in this scene is harder to ascertain. While there’s a chance it may be cashmere, it’s likely either acrylic or an acrylic/wool blend. The ribbing on the v-neck, waistband, and cuffs is slimmer than on the peach sweater, and Frank actually rolls back each sleeve to form a single cuff just above his wrist.

It doesn’t get much cooler than Frank and Dean.

This is the sole appearance of the light ecru shirt that Frank wears under his sweater. All we see is the spread collar with its long points, though not as dramatically long as the previous shirt. The color is best determined when contrasting Frank’s shirt against the plain white sport shirt that Dean Martin wears in the same scene.

The fellas go bowling.

From the waist down, Frank’s attire is the same as it was with the peach sweater. He wears the same charcoal pleated pants with the belt hidden under the sweater, although a fashion plate like Sinatra would most likely match a burgundy belt to his burgundy tassel loafers.

The only accessory present is a gold ring he wears on his left pinky with a flat black square setting. It doesn’t appear to be the gold signet ring with his family crest that he used to wear on his right hand, as quoted in Ilene Rosenzweig’s New York Times style article from 2000:

Frank Sinatra wore a signet ring with a family crest on his right hand, dressing up an otherwise inelegant mitt. ”My knuckles are like broken bananas,” he once said. He refused the gift of an ID bracelet from his family, saying he wore only the ring, and besides, ”I know who I am.”

He certainly did.

How to Get the Look

Frank’s orange sweaters were worn with classic elements to create an image of personality-infused sophistication. If you hate orange, don’t wear it. If you still want to wear it, don’t be a copycat… just do it your way.

• Orange soft v-neck pullover sweater with ribbed waistband and cuffs
• White or ecru poplin dress shirt with long-pointed spread collar and button cuffs
• Charcoal gray single reverse-pleated trousers with belt loops, straight side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Dark burgundy leather belt
• Dark burgundy shell cordovan leather tassel loafers
• Black dress socks
• Gold pinky ring with black square setting

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie. You’d also be well-advised to track down a copy of Bill Zehme’s The Way You Wear Your Hat, the definitive Sinatra style bible that spurred Paul Galloway to pen his Chicago Tribune article quoted in this post. I was lucky enough to receive my own copy of Zehme’s book from Teeritz, an excellent blogger well-known to BAMF Style’s commenters.

Footnotes

The Ilene Rosenzweig article was evidently written in response to The Sopranos‘ impact on culture as soon as it hit HBO viewers’ screens in 1999. The full text of the article, which was published in January 2000, can be found here. A highlight is her opening quote from Tony Sirico, best known now as The Sopranos‘ aging soldier “Paulie Walnuts”:

“I’ve been wearing it for 30 years,” Tony Sirico said. “It’s part of my life.” Mr. Sirico was discussing his pinkie ring, the same one he wears when playing Paulie Walnuts on The Sopranos, the HBO mob opera that started its second season last week.

“They say Mafia wear pinkie rings, but men of style wear pinkie rings,” Mr. Sirico said. “So long as they’re not gaudy and the man has a nice hand — not too feminine a hand.” Mr. Sirico, who favors what he called a “sexy” black onyx look, said he was unaware that pinkie rings had gone out of style.

George Clooney as Jack in The American (2010).

I apologize for the recent delay in blog posts; I sustained a concussion on Sunday evening, and both the idea and action of looking at a computer screen are quite headache-inducing. Luckily for me, my wise and fast-acting girlfriend was present to drive me to an emergency room and ensure that my already gin-damaged brain would continue to operate. Keeping this in mind (pun), I donned a pair of my darkest sunglasses and set to work in brief increments to bring you…

Vitals

George Clooney as Jack (aka “Edward”), American hitman-in-hiding

Dalarna, Sweden, April 2010

Film: The American
Release Date: September 1, 2010
Director: Anton Corbijn
Costume Designer: Suttirat Anne Larlarb

Background

The opening of The American finds our titular protagonist hiding out in Dalarna in central Sweden with the lovely Ingrid. Although his Syriana days are long behind him, Clooney sports a salt-and-pepper beard to let us know right away that he has been out of action for sometime. For anyone familiar with the film due to its marketing campaign or regular ol’ smarts, this “action” is contract killing.

Unlike The Bourne Legacy, where the hero is just setting out on his journey in the snowy wilderness, Jack believes he has reached the end of his. A sniper who trained at the Imperial Stormtrooper School of Gunfight Accuracy pulls Jack out of his funk, and Jack quickly puts the sniper down. Unfortunately, Ingrid witnessed this case of badassery and thus is quickly eliminated by Jack also. He flees to Rome to get to the bottom of everything and begins a quiet and viscerally-appealing story that combines the aesthetics of ’60s James Bond with the realism and paranoia of ’70s thrillers against the stunning backdrop of rural Italy.

What’d He Wear?

Not expecting action but always ready for it, Jack’s dark winter attire presents a stark contrast against the white snowy landscape of central Sweden. While going out for a walk with Ingrid, he dons a brown winter jacket, almost definitely from Ermenegildo Zegna, the Italian luxury fashion house that well-publicized its connection to Clooney and the film.

Constructed of insulated waterproof-treated micro-suede, Jack’s heavy brown Zegna down jacket would work well in any cold climate. It has dual fastening down the front with a zipper reinforced by six plastic buttons. Jack zips up to his upper chest and buttons the third, fourth, and fifth buttons, providing a warm and secure fit that still allows him the necessary range of motion.

Jack springs into action when his romantic trek through the snow is ruined by a pesky sniper.

The jacket has four external pockets. There is one zippered vertical pocket on each side of the chest. Unlike some winter outerwear, these are not crossover pockets; the right pocket is meant for the right hand to access, and the left pocket is meant for the left hand. Below those are two large square patch pockets on the hips, which fasten with two buttons on each side of the flap. These patch pockets also have a small grommet on the inner bottom corner. Jack keeps his handy Walther PPK in the right hip pocket for easy access when coming under sniper fire.

If Ingrid thinks Jack’s quick action is out of some instinct to protect her… well, she’ll learn.

The jacket’s sleeves have a single half-strap on each cuff that closes with a button. The button appears to be more for fashion than function, as there is only one on each cuff.

Under his jacket, Jack wears a thick chocolate brown ribbed wool sweater with a full-zip front, similar to the more lightweight version he wears in the rest of the film. Underneath that, he appears to wear a black crew neck long-sleeved shirt with a zippered chest, zipped up to the neck.

Yeah, don’t expect Jack’s smile to last once the shooting starts. In fact, don’t expect to see Jack smiling much at all.

Jack’s trousers are also rich dark brown, like his sweater, and appear to be constructed of a softer material like corduroy. While corduroy may not be most men’s first choice for activewear in the snow, they certainly are a warmer alternative to the usual wool or even flannel. The trousers have rear patch pockets and plain-hemmed straight bottoms, worn outside of his boots.

Jack takes the whole “snow angel” thing a little too literally.

On that note, Jack wears a pair of black leather weatherproof laced combat boots with heavy soles.

Though he doesn’t wear gloves or a scarf, Jack does wear a black knit winter cap, also known as a “beanie” by the sort of people who would call it that.

Jack continues the black and brown mixing (as sartorial traditionalists shriek in horror!) to his undershirt, a sleeveless black ribbed A-shirt that appears to be his undergarment of choice throughout the film.

Ah, the hard life. SItting around in your underwear drinking whiskey while a Swedish woman practically begs you to join her in bed.

Jack’s watch, a stainless Omega Speedmaster Professional with a black dial and black calfskin strap, is hardly seen at all here. He should be commended for protecting his Omega from the elements, but it’s a shame that watch aficionados don’t get to see it during these opening scenes.

How to Get the Look

Jack provides a smart and warm winter look for fashion-minded men heading out into the snow. It’s none too flashy (quite the opposite, actually), but it’s efficient and comfortable.

• Brown waterproof micro-suede winter down jacket with 6-button/zip front, vertical zip chest pockets, button-fastened flapped patch pockets, button-fastened cuff straps
• Dark brown ribbed wool full-zip sweater with elasticized cuffs
• Black long-sleeve shirt with quarter-zip chest
• Dark brown corduroy trousers with patch rear pockets and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Black ribbed sleeveless undershirt
• Black leather combat boots with black laces and heavy soles
• Black knit cap
• Omega Speedmaster Professional stainless wristwatch on a black calfskin strap

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

Clive Owen as “The Professor” in The Bourne Identity (2002).

Vitals

Clive Owen as “The Professor”, English sleeper assassin for the CIA

Paris, Winter 2002

Film: The Bourne Identity
Release Date: June 14, 2002
Director: Doug Liman
Costume Designer: Pierre-Yves Gayraud

Background

A hallmark of the Bourne series is the dogged adversary, usually a fellow government assassin who always manages to stay one step ahead of our protagonist, even when the agency itself can’t quite manage to do the same. The first major example of this adversary is “The Professor”, the otherwise unnamed hitman played by Clive Owen in The Bourne Identity.

After being called up from his sleeper life as a piano teacher in Barcelona, the taciturn and ruthlessly efficient killer packs up his raincoat, sniper rifle, and the latest in 2002 technology (a Motorola flip phone) to go after his first target…

I work alone, like you. We always work alone.

What’d He Wear?

“The Professor” wisely chooses attire that will help him blend in whether in the city or the countryside. The staple of his costume, a long brown raincoat, manages this task ably in both the rural and urban environments.

The Professor strikes his favorite pose.

The Professor’s raincoat is single-breasted with shirt-style collars and four brown plastic buttons down the front that close under a hidden fly, although he always wears his coat open. There are open slash side pockets on each side and a long rear single vent. Each cuff has a short squared strap that closes on a single button.

Oh, and spoiler alert – things don’t turn out so well for The Professor. That’s why it’s not called The Professor Identity.

Underneath his raincoat, Owen’s clothing varies, but he typically wears a darker brown zip-front jacket as his “assault gear”. This jacket has a crossover pocket on the left chest that, like the front, closes with a zipper.

To provide an additional layer of warmth during the chilly Parisian winter, Owen’s character also sports a black mock neck ribbed jumper that is similar to the blue sweater worn by Bourne in the latter half of the film.

The Professor packs up after another job well done.

The film focuses on his abilities as a sniper, and thus tends to ignore his lower half. Despite this, he still does wear pants; they appear to be a pair of dark brown flat front trousers with a slim leg and plain-hemmed bottoms. He sports a pair of dark – probably black – lace-up combat boots.

To ensure that the audience knows that this sinister gunman is a bad guy, The Professor also wears a pair of black leather gloves. The gloves are fingerless and close with a velcro strap over the front of the wrist.

These aren’t the sort of gloves to invest in if you’re worried about leaving fingerprints, though.

Much of The Professor’s professorial (hey, that’s a word!) look derives from his slim, steel-framed eyeglasses. Though he is a master sniper for CIA, his complaints of headaches and need to wear eyeglasses may explain why he botches the Bourne assignment. Of course, it could also be that Bourne is just that damn good.

You couldn’t ask for a better photo of The Professor’s glasses (unless you wanted one of both lenses, of course).

When not in assassination mode, The Professor nicely captures the banal look of a bored early 2000s businessman with a wrinkled tan dress shirt and a wide black loosened necktie with a small dot motif. He also appears to be wearing a light gray crew neck t-shirt underneath.

The Professor shows off his many expressions.

When we first meet The Professor in the middle of one of his piano lessons in Barcelona, he wears a dark gray flannel single-breasted sport coat with notch lapels over a dark brown dress shirt.

Thanks to Bourne, this kid will never learn anything more advanced than “Hot Cross Buns”.

How to Get the Look

The Professor dresses to fit in both in urban and rural environments with multiple layers to adjust to the climate or the situation. While you’re likely – and hopefully – not an assassin following a target through urban and rural areas of varying climates, it’s wise to travel in diverse and removable layers like this.

• Brown waterproof single-breasted raincoat with shirt-style collars, 4-button fly front, slash side pockets, 1- button cuff straps, and single rear vent
• Dark brown zip-front jacket with crossover zip breast pocket
• Black ribbed mock neck jumper/sweater
• Dark brown flat front trousers with plain-hemmed bottoms
• Black lace-up combat boots
• Steel-framed eyeglasses
• Black leather fingerless gloves with velcro front strap

The Gun

Each of the Treadstone assassins we meet appears to have a specialty. Castel, whom Bourne confronts in his Paris apartment, is a brash attack man who packs an assault carbine. Manheim, the withdrawn German featured in the finale, prefers a silent, up-close killing with a handgun. The Professor is the sniper of the bunch, using a SIG SG 550 Sniper as his weapon of choice.

The Professor does what he does best.

SIG-Sauer weapons are abundant in the Bourne franchise, with Jason carrying a different variant in each film. Even his spiritual successor, Aaron Cross, handles a SIG P229 handgun in The Bourne Legacy. It is a reasonable inclusion, as the Swiss-originated and German-manufactured SIG-Sauer has been providing arms to militaries and police forces for the better part of the last century, especially in the European regions featured in The Bourne Identity.

The SIG SG 550 rifle was first produced in 1986 after nearly a decade of development for a new Swiss Army battle rifle. The selective-fire SG 550 assault rifle was finally introduced with a gas-actuated, piston-driven, long stroke operating system and chambered for the popular 5.56×45 mm NATO round. The rounds are carried in distinctively lightweight translucent polymer magazines – typically holding 20 but some are made to hold 5 or 30 – that can snap together for “jungle-style” magazines (as seen with Lee Marvin’s Grease Gun in The Dirty Dozen).

A SIG SG 550 Sniper as carried by “The Professor” in The Bourne Identity. (Photo from IMFDb).

An accurized variant, the SG 550 Sniper, was developed for sharpshooters with a two-stage reduced-pull trigger and a heavy 650 mm barrel (nearly five inches longer than the standard SG 550) to be used exclusively with telescopic sights. The folding stock reduces the rifle’s overall length from 44.5 inches to 35.6 inches. The Sniper variant also has a slightly faster muzzle velocity, increased to 940 meters per second from the standard model’s 911 m/s.

The Professor uses his SIG SG 550 Sniper all throughout France, first using it to kill Wombosi in Paris before he takes it into the countryside to search for Bourne and Marie. According to IMFDb, the “suppressor” he attaches onto his rifle is actually a Hogue OverMolded™ free-floating handguard for the AR15/M16 rifle. IMFDb further notes that: “Even if the suppressor was functional, it would have to be attached to the end of the barrel in order to actually suppress the report of the weapon. Simply sliding it over the barrel would do absolutely nothing to the sound of the round being discharged. Also note that there are no provisions on the SIG 550 shown (IE; a threaded muzzle or some sort of mount attached to the barrel) to attach the ‘suppressor’ depicted.”

Although the gunshots sound suppressed in the film, the attachment to his barrel would actually be very useless here.

When Bourne finally gets the upper hand, The Professor is sent sprawling for his carry piece. He draws his Walther P5 Compact out of his carry bag, but Bourne kicks it out of his hand with force… so much force, in fact, that it becomes a very different CZ-100 in the next shot!

The Professor chambers a Walther P5 Compact (left) that becomes a CZ-100 in the next shot (right). As Bill O’Reilly would say, YOU CAN’T EXPLAIN THAT!

When Bourne arms himself with it for the climax in Paris, though, it is once again the P5 Compact.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Look at us. Look at what they make you give.

Footnotes

Thank you to commenter “divermarv” for the suggestion! As Marv and others have noted, the Bourne series is full of well-attired characters other than just the main protagonist. Expect to see more of Bourne’s sharply-dressed adversaries in the months to come.

(Also, for any still wondering, I’m still in concussion mode and limiting myself to no more than thirty minutes of blogging/screen-looking at a time. Once I’m fully recovered, I’ll be back to my usual verbose style of longwinded posts and e-mail/comment replies. Thanks for being awesome in the interim!)

Gene Hackman as “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection (1971).

Vitals

Gene Hackman as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, gruff NYPD narcotics detective

Brooklyn, December 1970

Film: The French Connection
Release Date: October 9, 1971
Director: William Friedkin
Costume Designer: Joseph Fretwell III

Background

To celebrate this weekend’s Academy Awards ceremony, BAMF Style is looking at The French Connection, which took home five Oscars in 1972 including Best Picture and – for Gene Hackman’s portrayal of unorthodox narc “Popeye” Doyle – Best Actor. It was the first R-rated movie to win the coveted Best Picture award, and its gritty realism set the tone for one of the greatest decades in American filmmaking.

(Unfortunately for this year’s Best Picture winner, I don’t see writing about Michael Keaton’s tighty-whities anytime in the near future.)

A few months ago, I wrote a post about Doyle’s off-duty attire during the film’s famous car chase. With only a few exceptions, Popeye spends most of the film wearing a wrinkled suit and his now signature porkpie hat, often layering up with enough outerwear to keep him warm during the cold Brooklyn winter.

What’d He Wear?

After we first meet Popeye while sporting his red Santa suit and beating up some local toughs, we next see him at the station dressed in more conventional cop attire – a suit and tie. This suit is a warm light caramel shade of brown and is more a throwback to the slim ’60s than the excessively wide ’70s, which was still not uncommon in 1971 (especially for an old-fashioned roughneck like Popeye Doyle).

The jacket is single-breasted with slim notch lapels and a low 3-button front. It has a welted breast pocket, flapped straight hip pockets, padded shoulders, 2-button cuffs, and a short rear vent.

Popeye’s matching suit trousers are flat front with cuffed bottoms that break high over his shoes. They are held in place by a dark brown leather belt with a small brass clasp.

Popeye stares at a garbage can, truly fascinated by its majestic beauty.

Popeye always wears a white dress shirt with his suits, although he rarely has it buttoned up to the slim, spread collar. His shirts have front plackets, breast pockets, and squared cuffs that close on a button. They tend to “rumple” out over the low rise of his trousers.

Popeye takes in the local bar scene.

Three different ties are seen with this suit. The first is a slim silk dark brown tie with three diagonal stripes crossing from right-down-to-left in the center. The top stripe is gold while the two thinner stripes beneath it are cream.

Popeye at the station.

Popeye’s second tie is busier (or “frantic”, as Roger Moore’s Bond would describe it) with a salmon, pink, and white pattern of intercrossing stripes. Finally, the third tie worn with the suit is plain dark red.

He wears two pairs of brown shoes with the suit. The first pair seen are the same light brown suede 2-eyelet chukka boots that he wears in the famous chase sequence with his pea coat. When he spiffs up for the bar room raid, he wears a pair of well-worn dark brown leather plain toe bluchers. He always wears high black cotton socks, ignoring the standard sartorial practice of matching socks to trousers… not that he’s the type who would care about that anyway.

Popeye’s .38. Now you see it… now you don’t!

He carries his 2″-barreled Colt Detective Special .38 on a dark brown leather ankle holster, strapped to the outside of his right ankle.

This suit is introduced in tandem with Popeye’s iconic porkpie hat. Forty years before the world had ever heard of Heisenberg (or at least that Heisenberg), Popeye Doyle was cleaning up the streets of New York City with a dark brown felt porkpie on his head. A brief flash of the white inner lining at the bar shows what is likely a manufacturer’s label and a size tag… perhaps reading 7 3/8?

Can any eagle-eyed readers figure out the maker of Popeye’s hat?

Popeye’s wristwatch is a gold Timex Marlin, identified by the guys at Watches in Movies. It has a white analog dial and is worn on a gold expanding bracelet. According to marketing of the era (and earlier), the Marlin was a basic watch designed for more rugged blue-collar types like mechanics or farmers. It’s certainly a good choice for a no-frills tough guy like Popeye Doyle.

Popeye tracks his prey.

As the story takes place around Christmas, Popeye’s many stakeouts are conducted in cold weather. He bundles up with a knee-length topcoat in dark brown wool with a 3-button, single-breasted front. The sleeves are half-cuffed with a single non-functioning button. Like the suit jacket he wears underneath, it has slim notch lapels.

When it is especially cold, Popeye dons a pair of dark brown cotton gloves and a gray herringbone scarf with frayed edges.

Popeye in stakeout mode.

How to Get the Look

Sean Connery may have slept in his suits to prepare for his role as James Bond, but Popeye Doyle’s suits actually look slept-in. If you’re going for that “I’m wearing a suit and I don’t give a good goddamn who knows it” look, Popeye is your guy to emulate. You just may want to consider cutting back on the racial epithets.

• Light caramel brown suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with slim notch lapels, 3-button front, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and single rear vent
  • Flat front low rise trousers with belt loops and turn-ups/cuffed bottoms
• White dress shirt with slim spread collar, front placket, breast pocket, and squared button cuffs
• Slim silk necktie
  • Popeye wears a variety of ties with this suit including a salmon cross-striped tie, plain dark red tie, and a brown tie with center stripes
• Dark brown leather belt with brass clasp
• Brown laced shoes
  • Popeye wears both light brown suede 2-eyelet chukkas and a dressier pair of dark brown leather plain toe bluchers
• Black cotton high rise socks
• Dark brown felt porkpie hat with wide ribbon and white lining
• Dark brown wool knee-length single-breasted topcoat with slim notch lapels, 3-button front, flapped hip pockets, half-cuffed 1-button sleeves, and single rear vent
• Gray herringbone wool scarf with frayed edges
• Dark brown cotton gloves
• Timex analog wristwatch with white dial on expanding gold bracelet
• Brown leather RHD ankle holster, for 2″-barreled .38 revolver

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie. Also, if you’re a fan of Gene Hackman’s acting – have you ever read one of the books he’s authored? He’s actually a pretty good fiction writer! I read Pursuit at the beach last summer and certainly plan on reading more.

The Quote

All right! You put a shiv in my partner. You know what that means? Goddammit! All winter long I got to listen to him gripe about his bowling scores. Now I’m gonna bust your ass for those three bags and I’m gonna nail you for picking your feet in Poughkeepsie.

I thought Santa was supposed to be jolly.

Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line (2005).

Vitals

Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash, badass but troubled country rock musician

Los Angeles, January 1968

Film: Walk the Line
Release Date: November 18, 2005
Director: James Mangold
Costume Designer: Arianne Phillips
Tailor: Pam Lisenby

Background

Columbia Exec: Your fans are church folk, Johnny. Christians. They don’t wanna hear you singing to a bunch of murderers and rapists, tryin’ to cheer ’em up.
Johnny Cash: Well, they’re not Christians, then.

The terrific 2005 biopic Walk the Line features a great scene of Cash rebooting his career as a prison performer (and reformer) when he confidently strides into Columbia Records and announces his plan to record an album live from Folsom Prison. He dudes himself up appropriately in all black and is the most self-assured as we’ve seen him throughout the film.

To honor Johnny Cash’s birthday (he would have been exactly 83 years old today), here’s a look at Joaquin Phoenix’s take on “the Man in Black”.

What’d He Wear?

Columbia Exec: And what’s with the black? He looks like he’s going to a funeral!
Johnny Cash: Maybe I am.

…although some may consider this look a bit too badass for a funeral.

Cash suits up for his meeting by donning his trademark attire, black from head to toe. His three-piece wool suit is black with very thin tonal stripe that shine under certain light.

The suit jacket is single-breasted with a fashionable late ’60s cut. The slim notch lapels glide down to the single button closure at his waist. There is a welted breast pocket and the flapped hip pockets, including the right side ticket pocket, slant backwards.

Cash oozes cool as he nonchalantly tells Columbia Records exactly what he plans to do.

His suit jacket has roped sleeveheads, 1-button cuffs, and long double rear vents. The lining is only briefly seen when he is putting on his jacket, but it is a very bright red silk that contrasts heavily with the rest of the outfit.

The suit has a matching waistcoat, although not much is seen of it as the low-fastening garment is mostly covered when he wears the jacket buttoned. It has slim notch lapels like the jacket. The same bright red silk lining on the inside of the jacket also adorns the back of the vest.

Cash’s flat front suit trousers have plain-hemmed bottoms with a very short break over his feet. His shoes are a very mod pair of black calf leather plain-toe loafers. They are very simple with no perforations, cap toes, side gussets, etc. Naturally, he wears a pair of black dress socks. This is no time for a “hint of color”.

I’ve found an affordable pair of similar loafers from Cole Haan; the Copley 2 Gore Loafer in black leather is currently offered from Jos. A. Bank’s site for only $148 if you’re looking for a reasonable pair. They also come in brown leather, but what color do you think Johnny would pick?

While he wears a white shirt for the eventual Folsom Prison performance, he wears a black silk shirt here. Like the suit, it has a thin tonal stripe, although this stripe is spaced further apart than on the suit. The shirt has a large collar, which he wears open, and no front placket. The shirt’s French cuffs are fastened by silver square links. Naturally, each link has a large black raised square in the center.

Note the contrasting black striped suit and shirt as he buttons up for the day.

To maintain his aloof appearance (and perhaps battle his withdrawal), Cash keeps his sunglasses on throughout nearly the entire scene. They are a pair of black acetate wayfarers with dark green lenses, likely a classic pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers before they started placing the logo on the temples and lenses.

Johnny Cash is a man on a mission.

June Carter: You wear black ’cause you can’t find anything else to wear? You found your sound ’cause you can’t play no better? You just tried to kiss me because “it just happened?” You should try take credit for something every once in a while, John.

How to Get the Look

They didn’t call him the “Man in Black” for no reason.

• Black wool tonal-striped three-piece suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with slim notch lapels, 1-button front, welted breast pocket, slanted flapped hip pockets, slanted right ticket pocket, 1-button cuffs, and long double rear vents
  • Low-fastening single-breasted waistcoat with slim notch lapels
  • Flat front trousers with plain-hemmed bottoms
• Black silk tonal-striped shirt with large collar, no placket, and double/French cuffs
• Silver square cuff links with raised black centers
• Black calf leather plain-toe loafers
• Black dress socks
• Black acetate wayfarer-style sunglasses

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie and, for cryin’ out loud, listen to Johnny Cash!

If you’re ever in the Pittsburgh area, friends of mine host Johnny Cash Day at the Elks Club on the North Side every September. More information is available on their Facebook page, but I can personally say that it’s an incredible event that celebrates his life, music, and style… plus there’s cheap beer and awesome bands. Even if you’re not in Pittsburgh, you should come to Johnny Cash Day.

The Quote

January 13. I’ll be at Folsom Prison with June and the boys. You listen to the tapes. You don’t like ’em… you can toss ’em.

Just Curious…

Even Johnny Cash celebrated with birthday cake!

Cary Grant in Charade (1963).

Vitals

Cary Grant as Peter Joshua (maybe), mysterious government agent

Megève, France, Winter 1963

Film: Charade
Release Date: December 5, 1963
Director: Stanley Donen

Background

The first scene of 1963’s Charade finds its two romantic leads – Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn – engaged in a flirtatious tête-à-tête at a ski resort in southeastern France. The tone of the film is excellently set in this first scene with the immediate danger of a Luger aimed at our heroine… and the immediate comedic relief that follows when it turns out to be a boy’s insanely realistic water pistol. Grant then swiftly comes onto the scene to trade barbs with Hepburn, although she nicely deflects each of his charming attempts with a witticism of her own.

What’d He Wear?

For his mountaintop introduction to Reggie Lambert, Cary Grant’s abundantly-named character – here introduced as “Peter Joshua” – is dressed for a day on the slopes… or at least a chilly day very near the slopes.

Grant wears several layers below his simple black padded ski jacket, likely constructed from weatherproof nylon. The padded ski jacket closes with a brass zipper that Grant wears up to the neck. The zipper ends a few inches below the bottom of the jacket, where two ends of a brown leather drawstring cord are loosely tied together.

Luckily for our mysterious co-protagonist, the water-blasting Luger is no match for a waterproof nylon jacket.

The black ski jacket has two jetted pockets that zip closed horizontally on each side of the chest. Grant’s jacket also has short elasticized black cuffs and a short standing “tanker-style” collar, which is mostly enveloped by the shirt collar.

The black and white buffalo check flannel collar that Grant wears outside his jacket appears to be attached to a warm red polo shirt with at least two black buttons. Only the collar is seen in the film, with an image purportedly of Grant on set showing the rest of the shirt (as well as a jacket with a larger, shirt-style collar).

Peter/Alexander/Adam/Brian valiantly perseveres while flirting with Reggie.

An additional layer of protection from the cold comes from the white, green, and yellow printed scarf that Grant wears tied at his collar.

The outfit is completed by a pair of black creased-leg ski trousers, likely worn with a pair of ski boots although Grant’s feet are never seen in the scene.

Peter/Alexander/Adam/Brian reprimands the young gunman by bringing him back to his mother by hand.

Grant also wears a pair of black leather gloves that fasten on the inner cuff with either a button or a snap.

How to Get the Look

Cary Grant shows an easily fashionable way to dress for a day at a winter resort… and you know it must look good if it catches the eye of Audrey Hepburn!

• Black nylon padded ski jacket with tanker-style collar, brass zip front, drawstring bottom, and two zip chest pockets
• Red long-sleeve polo shirt with black-and-white buffalo check flannel collar
• Black ski trousers with creased legs
• White/green/yellow printed scarf
• Ski boots
• Black leather gloves

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Cary smoothly delivers some of the smoothest pickup lines in history, nicely balanced by the always classy Audrey.

Peter Joshua: Do we know each other?
Reggie Lampert: Why, do you think we’re going to?
Peter Joshua: How would I know?
Reggie Lampert: Because I already know an awful lot of people, so until one of them dies I couldn’t possibly meet anyone else.
Peter Joshua: Well, if anyone goes on the critical list, let me know.

Robert Redford as Nathan Muir in Spy Game (2001).

Vitals

Robert Redford as Nathan Muir, experienced CIA case officer

Berlin, Christmas 1976

Film: Spy Game
Release Date: November 21, 2001
Director: Tony Scott
Costume Designer: Louise Frogley
Redford’s Costumer: David Page

Background

After recruiting the talented Tom Bishop for an assassination in the closing days of the Vietnam War, CIA case officer Nathan Muir determines that Bishop would make a fine operative for the agency. Nathan pulls the strings to isolate Bishop for more than a year, secretly assigning the young Marine to a lonely post in Berlin.

Muir then shrewdly chooses Christmas – a vulnerable holiday for lonely folks – as his opportunity to swoop in with a “chance encounter” at a train station. Bishop joins Muir and one of his wives for a Christmas party that evening, and their decade-long career is born.

What’d He Wear?

Nathan Muir provides a comfortable and fashionable way to layer for a winter party.

Muir wears an ivory-colored (or báinín) wool cable knit “fisherman sweater”, also known as an Aran jumper. This classic and oft-reinterpreted winter staple for both men and women takes its name from the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. Aran jumpers are constructed from natural, water-repellant wool fiber that can absorb 30% of its weight in water before feeling wet, keeping its sea-bound wearers warm and dry.

Muir and Bishop’s chat about joining the CIA likely trumps most people’s boring party banter.

The complex textured stitching on each sweater often uniquely tells the story of its wearer or his family, and – according to Aran Sweater Market – was often used to identify the bodies of dead fisherman who washed up on the beach after an accident. The cable seen on most fisherman sweaters symbolizes a wish for safety and good luck, the honeycomb symbolizes hardworking bees, diamonds symbolize eventual wealth and success, and the basket stitch represents the full basket that would bring home a hearty catch from a day at sea.

Beneath the sweater, Muir wears a light blue long-sleeve shirt with a subtle gray check. The shirt has a medium-spread collar and dark gray plastic buttons down the front and on the cuffs. He also wears it later during Bishop’s training, layered underneath a charcoal zip-front sweater.

At the train station, Muir foregoes an overcoat in favor of a warm tweed sportcoat and wool scarf. The slightly oversized single-breasted jacket is constructed of gray tweed with swelled edges throughout. It has notch lapels, a welted breast pocket, and flapped hip pockets. The two-button front and two buttons on each cuff are black leather clusters. It has padded shoulders with roped sleeveheads, and it appears to be ventless. It is decidedly not the same as the gray herringbone tweed sportcoat he wears during the film’s “present day” scenes set in CIA headquarters in 1990.

Muir and one of the many Mrs. Muirs.

Muir’s scarf is dark brown and navy blue plaid wool. It looks soft and is likely cashmere, a much more luxurious wool befitting a man like Nathan Muir who knows what he likes.

The same model Victorinox Officer’s 1884 as sported by Robert Redford in Spy Game.

Muir sports a pair of drab brown wool trousers and dark brown leather bluchers with this outfit. Given this knowledge and Muir’s propensity for subtlety, it can be assumed that his socks are also a dark shade of brown.

Most of Muir’s accessories are consistent with what we see through the rest of Spy Game. He wears his same stainless Victorinox Swiss Army Officer’s 1884 wristwatch on his right wrist; this watch has a stainless 41mm case, white dial, and stainless link bracelet.

Robert Redford’s usual silver ring – a gift from Hopi Indians in 1966 – is on the third finger of his right hand, while he wears a gold wedding band on the ring finger of his left hand, apropos to the beautiful blonde on his arm in the Berlin train station.

Rather than the Oliver Peoples specs he wears in the film’s later-set sequences, Muir wears a pair of gold-framed aviator-style eyeglasses seen in most of Spy Game‘s 1970s segments.

What to Imbibe

Muir lays out his rules for drinking pretty clearly during Bishop’s training.

Bishop: I thought spies drank martinis.
Muir: Scotch, never less than twelve years old.
Bishop: Is that right? Agency rules?
Muir: My rules.

Like any good spy (and person), Muir enjoys his single malt neat – with no ice.

Here, the Scotch in question is a bottle of The Glenlivet 18 Year single malt. If you’ve ever got about $80 burning a hole in your pocket, it may be worth it for you to invest in a bottle as well.

How to Get the Look

Nathan Muir proves that no red or green are needed to look stylish and comfortable for a chilly holiday party.

• Ivory cable-knit natural wool crew-neck “fisherman’s sweater”
• Light blue gray-checked long-sleeve shirt
• Gray tweed single-breasted 2-button sportcoat with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and ventless back
• Brown trousers
• Dark brown leather bluchers
• Dark brown socks
• Victorinox Swiss Army Officer’s 1884 wristwatch with stainless 41mm case, white dial, and stainless link bracelet, worn on right wrist
• Silver Hopi Indian ring with black imprint, worn on right ring finger
• Gold wedding band, worn on left ring finger
• Gold square-framed “aviator” eyeglasses

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Technology gets better everyday. That’s fine. But most of the time all you need is a stick of gum, a pocket knife and a smile.

Anatol Yusef, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Vincent Piazza as Meyer Lansky, Arnold Rothstein, and “Lucky” Luciano, respectively, on Boardwalk Empire (Episode 3.01 – “Resolution”).

Vitals

Michael Stulhbarg as Arnold Rothstein, powerful New York gambler and racketeer
Vincent Piazza as Charlie “Lucky” Luciano, the Mafia’s smooth and ambitious future chief
Anatol Yusef as Meyer Lansky, Rothstein’s clever mob protégé
Bobby Cannavale as Gyp Rosetti, violent and hotheaded Italian-born gangster

Atlantic City, New Year’s Eve 1922

Series: Boardwalk Empire
Episode: “Resolution” (Episode 3.01)
Air Date: September 16, 2012
Director: Tim Van Patten

Background

Not every man is a Nucky Thompson. A group of New York gangsters choosing Nucky’s basement to talk business while a party oblivious heaves forward upstairs leads itself to a major conglomeration of styles – both in leadership and in attire – that illustrate just how much about a man can be determined by looking at the way he puts himself together.

What’d They Wear?

The notion of black tie may sound restrictive to a novice, but part of its charm comes from the amount of personalization that a man can still fashionably pull off without being relegated to the implied limitations of a “penguin suit”.

When A.R., Lucky, Lansky, and Rosetti converge on Nucky Thompson’s New Year’s Eve party, Boardwalk Empire presented a mishmash of formalwear fashion that nicely represented each man’s position both in life and in the criminal hierarchy.

Arnold Rothstein, George Remus, Meyer Lansky, and “Lucky” Luciano are among Nucky Thompson’s distinguished New Year’s guests. We’ll disregard George Remus just because anyone who refers to himself in the third person so frequently (then shoots and kills his wife, but that’s a different story) doesn’t quality as a BAMF in my book.

Arnold Rothstein

The low-key but successful gambler dresses in traditional black tie with his single-breasted peak-lapel dinner jacket and wing collar shirt. However, he does add a touch of the classic Old West gambler look with a fancy waistcoat, evoking images of Doc Holliday and the frontier forbearers of Rothstein’s chosen occupation and favorite pastime.

A real life mentor to up-and-coming mobsters like Lansky and Luciano, Rothstein prided himself on his attire, and he is arguably the best-dressed of Nucky’s most prominent guests.

Details:

• Black wool single-breasted 1-button dinner jacket with satin-faced peak lapels and welted breast pocket
• Blue & gold paisley single-breasted waistcoat with sharp peak lapels, six high-fastening covered buttons, four welt pockets, and notched bottom
• Black wool forward-pleated formal trousers with satin side stripes and slanted side pockets
• White formal shirt with mother-of-pearl studs down front placket, double cuffs, and detachable wing collar
• Black satin bow tie
• Gold pocket watch, worn on a gold chain through waistcoat

Charlie “Lucky” Luciano

As a slick gangster who cared a little too much about the ladies, Salvatore Lucania always strived to dress at the cutting edge of fashion. His shawl-lapel dinner jacket, striped waistcoat, and large wing collar would have drawn much attention in the early 1920s.

Shawl lapels had all but disappeared from white tie tailcoats during World War I, so the fashionable Luciano’s shawl lapel on his dinner jacket a decade later indicates a clear movement away from tradition.

Details:

• Black wool single-breasted 1-button dinner jacket with satin-faced shawl lapels and welted breast pocket
• Dark blue striped silk single-breasted waistcoat with shawl lapels, six covered high-fastening buttons, four welt pockets, and notched bottom
• Black wool formal trousers with satin side stripes
• White formal shirt with mother-of-pearl studs down wide front placket, double cuffs, and detachable wide wing collar
• Black satin butterfly-shaped bow tie

Meyer Lansky

Lansky was always known for his sharp business savvy before his dress, although he was certainly no slouch. Here, the youthful mobster – only 20 years old and far from his future reputation as the “Mob’s Accountant” – looks a bit less refined than the others in his dinner jacket with its large notch lapels. Lansky also wears a wristwatch with his dinner suit, not yet acceptable for black tie in 1922 as pocket watches were still the norm. A practical decision for a practical guy.

Notch lapels on dinner jackets were certainly not uncommon in the early 1920s; they were merely considered less traditional. Still, the unique shape of his notches and other details like the satin stripe around each cuff draws a clear distinction between Lansky’s dinner jacket and a modern rental tuxedo jacket.

Details:

• Black wool single-breasted 1-button dinner jacket with satin-faced wide-notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, and 2-button cuffs with thin satin stripe above buttons
• Black single-breasted 3-button waistcoat with low V-shaped opening, slim lapels, and notched bottom
• Black wool formal trousers with satin side stripes
• White formal shirt with black studs down pleated front, double cuffs, and detachable short-wing collar
• Black satin bow tie
• Gold wristwatch, worn on black leather strap

Gyp Rosetti

Gyp was a true individualist, and not to anyone’s benefit! He shows it in every part of his dinner suit, from his striped double-breasted dinner jacket to his loud, pumpkin orange waistcoat.

Gyp’s look most resembles what you’d see at a modern day prom.

Details:

• Black tonal-striped double-breasted dinner jacket with satin-faced peak lapels, high 6-on-3 button stance, welted breast pocket, and 4-button cuffs
• Orange floral-printed single-breasted waistcoat with lapels, six high-fastening covered buttons, four welt pockets, and notched bottom
• Black tonal-striped formal trousers with satin side stripes
• White formal shirt with detachable wing collar and single cuffs
• Black satin diamond-pointed bow tie
• Cream silk pocketsquare

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Enjoy the entire show in all five seasons of its glory. If you have a penchant for watching New Year-themed episodes of your favorite shows, you’ll find “Resolution” at the beginning of Boardwalk Empire‘s third season.

The Quote

Gyp Rosetti: I’ll shit you out like yesterday’s sausage, you bog-trottin’ prick.

Gyp Rosetti tells it like it is. Or at least like he thinks it should be.

And Happy New Year to you too, Gyp.

Dean Martin as Sam Harmon in Ocean’s Eleven (1960).

Vitals

Dean Martin as Sam Harmon, lounge singer, war veteran, and casino heister

Beverly Hills to Las Vegas, December 1959 through January 1960

Film: Ocean’s Eleven
Release Date: August 10, 1960
Director: Lewis Milestone
Costume Designer: Howard Shoup
Tailor: Sy Devore

Background

The height of the Rat Pack’s heyday was 1960. Frank’s buddy Jack was elected into the White House, Marilyn was still alive, and the whole gang was living it up in Vegas while filming Ocean’s Eleven. The movie began after Peter Lawford heard the story from Gilbert Kay, who had heard it from a gas station attendant. Once Frank Sinatra was on board, there was no doubt that his famous pals Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. would fill out the rest of the top billing.

It was while filming the movie’s finale, an irony-laden funereal march in front of The Sands, that one of the most iconic of Rat Pack images was captured: the five main performers – Sinatra, Dino, Sammy, Lawford, and Joey Bishop – in front of their names on the Sands’ marquee. Suited up by the legendary Sy Devore, the five men look like they could run the world. And in Las Vegas, they did.

What’d He Wear?

Sam Harmon makes his first appearance in Ocean’s Eleven when he steps off a plane in Beverly Hills wearing a medium gray semi-solid wool suit, tailored especially for him by Sy Devore, the “tailor to the stars” who kept the Rat Pak sharkskin-sharp.

Ah, the glorious air travel of a bygone era…

Martin was a regular customer of Devore’s, and a Los Angeles Times article written in the wake of the Ocean’s Eleven remake in 2001 and posted on SyDevore.com states that “Dino’s collar is slightly higher on the neck,” as he preferred.

The men of the Rat Pack, suited by Sy Devore.

Given Devore’s expensive-at-the-time price of $285 for a custom-made suit (or $200 for a sport coat and $85 for slacks), it makes sense to see Sam Harmon dressing efficiently throughout the movie, wearing only one suit (this one), two sport jackets, and – since he’s Dean Martin – a sharp dark tuxedo. Dino himself had a very economic sense of style, wearing the same clothes over the course of several years as opposed to his comedic partner Jerry Lewis. Despite Martin’s more debonair reputation, it was Lewis who was referred to in the article as “the biggest Devore clotheshorse in town” due to his sartorial habits of giving away suits at the first sign of soiling and never wearing a pair of socks more than once.

Martin’s gray suitcoat in Ocean’s Eleven is styled and tailored very similarly to his brown and blue striped sport jackets. The single-breasted jacket has a low two-button front and wide, padded shoulders that nicely reflect the relaxed, swinging demeanor of both the character and the actor. It also 3-button cuffs and the short double side vents that were fashionable throughout the early ’60s.

The suit jacket’s two hip pockets and the breast pocket are square patch pockets as seen on his other jackets. A dark red printed silk handkerchief cheekily pokes out from the breast pocket.

Sam’s jaunty, playful swagger would be reasonably snuffed out after the death of a brother-in-arms.

Martin’s flat front suit trousers have slanted side pockets – often for his hands – and plain-hemmed bottoms. He never unbuttons his jacket so additional details remain unseen, but they’re likely styled like his other trousers with belt loops and a jetted right rear pocket that closes with a button.

Dean Martin wears his usual white cotton shirts with button-down collars with every outfit in Ocean’s Eleven without exception, even when clad in his tux. The shirts, which Devore would create for $25 each, also had a front placket and button cuffs. Martin would request the button-down collars on his shirts to rise high on the neck, creating a substantially large collar that would dwarf the tight tie knots.

Both of Sam Harmon’s ties with this outfit are slim patterned silk ties. When first seen at the Beverly Hills airport, Sam wears a gray silk tie printed with repeating clusters of four silver dots connected in the center by a smaller black dot.

Sam establishes his look of slim ties and a big collar.

For the funeral finale in Vegas, Sam wears a more somber tie with wide right-down-to-left stripes that alternate between navy and burgundy. (A continuity error results in a different tie – the burgundy, dark navy, and forest green striped one previously seen swapped in with the brown striped jacket – worn while actually leaving the funeral during the credits. It’s this tie that shows up on the iconic poster seen above.)

Sam’s shoes are black leather plain-toe bluchers, worn with a pair of black silk dress socks.

Both of Dino’s accessories are sported on his left hand: a silver pinky ring and a steel chain-link bracelet.

What to Imbibe

As the very eloquent Teeritz once stated in a post on his blog, “Much has always been made of Frank Sinatra, his voice, and his legacy and I agree with most of it, but for me, Dino seemed like the one that I would rather have a smoke and a drink with. Even though the hard partying image that he portrayed on stage was a myth. His glass was usually filled with apple juice, not Scotch.”

Although Dean does look here like he just found out that even the prop bottle is only full of apple juice.

Although Sam Harmon grabs a bottle of J&B at Spyros’ house, it’s quite likely that the actual contents consumed were his usual apple juice. J&B Rare is a blend of 42 Scotch whiskies that was developed for the American market and exploded in popularity after the repeal of Prohibition. In addition to being a real-life favorite of Dean Martin’s, J&B was known to be the preferred spirit for Truman Capote, who would order it only by its full name “Justerini and Brooks”, named for the Bologna-born distiller Giacomo Justerini and the company’s eventual buyer Alfred Brooks. It does make sense that Dean Martin’s favorite Scotch would still have such a strong Italian influence…

How to Get the Look

Dean Martin’s Sam Harmon wears his sharp tailored suit in a variety of situations, from being the coolest guy to step off a plane to looking slick even during a funeral march.

• Gray semi-solid wool tailored suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted 2-button jacket with slim notch lapels, patch breast pocket, patch hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and short double side vents
  • Flat front trousers with cuffed bottoms/turn-ups
• White cotton shirt with large button-down collar, front placket, and button cuffs
• Slim printed silk necktie
• Black leather plain-toe bluchers
• Thin black silk dress socks
• Burgundy printed silk handkerchief, worn “puffed” in breast pocket
• Silver pinky ring (on left pinky)
• Silver chain bracelet (on left wrist)

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

Robert Redford as Jack Weil in Havana (1990).

Vitals

Robert Redford as Jack Weil, charmingly smooth yet cynical gambler and U.S. Navy veteran of World War II

en route Havana, December 1958

Film: Havana
Release Date: December 14, 1990
Director: Sydney Pollack
Costume Designer: Bernie Pollack

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

Robert Redford’s attire in Havana has been a frequent request on this blog, so I ordered the DVD, screencapped every outfit, researched, and have posts scheduled throughout the next year. You’re welcome!

This inaugural Havana post will focus on the first major outfit that Jack Weil (Redford) wears on screen. It appears to be his preferred travel outfit, as he wears it when ferrying to and from Havana. The film begins on Christmas Eve 1958, mid-way through the ferry’s crossing and toward the end of a poker game between Weil, the ferry captain, and several other bigwigs on board. After Cuban authorities discover a contraband Walther PPK on board, Weil claims ownership and charms bribes his way out of trouble and shrewdly blackmails the pistol’s true owner for a few extra bucks in his pocket.

Weil’s behavior is observed by the alluring Roberta Durán (Lena Olin), who recognizes a potential mercenary that will assist her husband’s revolutionary activity for a fee… and a Casablanca-inspired plot ensues as Weil’s cynical exterior is gently broken down out of romantic feelings for a woman already married to a passionate, dedicated fighter.

What’d He Wear?

Robert Redford’s look in Havana was developed by the director’s brother, Bernie Pollack, a costume designer whose work with Redford stretches back to the early ’70s when Bernie was an uncredited costumer in films like The Candidate, The Sting, The Way We Were, The Great Waldo Pepper, and Three Days of the Condor. All the President’s Men was one of the first films where Bernie Pollack was credited on the costume design team, and he has since developed his resume as a trusted costumer of major stars like both Redford and Harrison Ford.

Jack Weil decks himself out for the passage to Havana in primarily blue and gray. The highlight of his ensemble is a dark navy dupioni silk sportcoat, custom made for Redford by the Western Costume Company.

Call me an old romantic, but Jack’s slubby dupioni silk jacket seems to shine the most when he is talking to Bobby.

The silk sportcoat is fit very stylishly for the late 1950s with wide, padded shoulders with roped sleeveheads, a darted front, and ventless back. The single-breasted jacket has a two-button front with matching 3-button “kissing” cuffs at the end of each sleeve. All three external pockets are patches: one breast pocket and two larger hip pockets.

Jack checks out the hip bathroom scene on the Miami-Havana ferry.

Weil wears a richly-colored navy dress shirt with a tag by Nat Wise of London (now Anto). Rakish gambler that he is, Weil almost always wears the long-pointed collar unbuttoned with his tie loosened to some degree. The placket down the front has large white plastic buttons that match the single button on each slightly rounded cuff (and the slightly smaller button that closes the gauntlet further up the wrist). The top of the placket is squared off at the collar. Weil often keeps his pack of unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes in the shirt’s breast pocket.

Jack reflects during his last morning in Havana.

For the Christmas Eve party and subsequent visit to Joe Volpi’s casino, Weil wears a boldly-printed silk tie that evokes the Art Deco era and ties in both predominant colors of his outfit. The tie is split down the middle with a navy ground on the right and a silver ground on the left. The silver creeps into the navy half in the form of a branch-like series of lines down the tie, almost resembling amoeba; the silver-grounded left side is split by a bubbled column of alternating navy and silver dots.

Cynicism sets in hard during a visit to Joe Volpi’s casino.

After the revolution, Weil leaves Havana and sees Bobby for the last time. With no Christmas party to attend and nothing to celebrate, he wears the same outfit but ditches the tie.

Jack wears a pair of comfortable and fully-cut light gray trousers made from a soft material that suggests silk or a silk blend. They have belt loops, double reverse pleats, button-through jetted back pockets, and straight side pockets where Redford almost always keeps at least one of his hands. The bottoms are finished with cuffs (or turn-ups) with a medium break over his shoes.

Weil’s trousers are best seen as he struts into the open-air restaurant on his last morning in town as well as in some production photos featuring both Lena Olin and a sharp ’55 Cadillac convertible.

Jack’s slim black leather belt has a small, closed gold rectangular buckle.

Jack reaches for his handy bribe money after taking the blame for some on-ship contraband.

“Nice shoes, Jack,” comments Joe Volpi. “New?”

Jack Weil’s two-tone leather “spectator shoes” are the major visual introduction to the character. His black-and-white wingtip brogues immediately signify to the audience that this is a guy who takes pride in his appearance and knows the impression that his clothes make for him. They are 5-eyelet balmorals (or oxfords) with a black perforated toe cap, black outside counter on the heel, black eyelet tabs, and black laces; the vamp and quarter are all white. The shoes are featured with another outfit, a turquoise blue suit that Redford wore in the film, at The Golden Closet. In this scene, he wears them with black socks.

Jack’s shoes are the first thing we see, but just from seeing those, we can tell he’s no schlub.

On his right wrist, Jack wears a gold watch with a round case, gold dial, and flat gold bracelet. He also wears what appears to be an ornate gold signet ring on his right pinky. This is one of the few times that Redford isn’t wearing the silver ring that he describes as a real-life gift from Hopi Indians in the 1960s.

Jack bends down to put Bobby’s Regalias cigarettes back in her purse, flashing his gold jewelry as he does.

Many outfits from Havana, including this one, have been featured on various online auctions. This jacket, shirt, and belt was auctioned with a different pair of trousers and shoes as part of Profiles in History’s “Hollywood Auction 56” in July 2013, the very same auction that included Steve McQueen’s iconic tweed shooting jacket from Bullitt, Tony Montana’s “little friend” grenade launcher in Scarface, Indiana Jones‘ hat and whip from Last Crusade, and even the Walther air pistol used by Sean Connery for promotional James Bond photo shoots. According to the auction page:

This original costume was worn by Robert Redford as “Jack Weil” in Sydney Pollack’s epic Havana. The outfit includes a dark blue sport jacket, dark blue dress shirt, black belt, a pair of brown two-tone wing tip shoes and khaki pants. Redford wore this ensemble in several scenes, most notably during a rendezvous with “Roberta Duran” (Lena Olin). The outfit is also seen at a restaurant when “Jack” is preparing to depart Cuba for the United States. The suit was custom-made for Mr. Redford and bears the original Western Costume Company internal labels with “Robert Redford” and sizing information. The blue dress shirt was made by “Nat Wise of London” and includes the actor’s initials “RR” and the production date “January 1990.” Director Sydney Pollack’s brother Bernie Pollack designed the costumes for Havana.

The auctioned outfit, which includes “a pair of brown two-tone wing tip shoes and khaki pants” featured in other scenes, can be found on page 280 of the Profiles in History catalog. It is item #755 and featured on the same page as a dress worn by Jennifer Connolly in The Rocketeer and the distinctive Hammerli 280 pistol used by Bridget Fonda in Point of No Return.

A few years ago, during one of my frequent thrift store shopping outings, I discovered a great blue silk blend jacket from Kuppenheimer, a venerated men’s fashion house that went bankrupt in 1997 after more than 140 years in business and had once been the preferred costumer by Rod Serling. I’m not sure of the age – I would guess it’s from sometime in the early ’90s based on styling and labels – but it is always a popular option when I want to liven up my attire for a night out.

My lucky find: a Kuppenheimer blue silk blend jacket.

What to Imbibe

Delicious Cuban cocktails abound in Havana, beginning with the refreshing-looking Daiquiri that Jack Weil orders when he and Bobby reunite in Joe Volpi’s casino on Christmas afternoon.

Sipping on an admittedly pleasantly-garnished ginger ale, Bobby must have been rather jealous of Jack’s refreshing daiquiri.

A favorite of many from Ernest Hemingway to John F. Kennedy, the Daiquiri was supposedly invented by an American in Cuba around the time of the Spanish-American War. Most credit is given to Jennings Cox, an expatriate mining engineer working in Cuba who ran out of gin while entertaining guests. Adding sugar and lime juice to sweeten the drink to meet his genteel guests’ tastes, the Daiquiri was born.

Although it was brought to the U.S. via Rear Admiral Lucius W. Johnson at Washington D.C.’s Army and Navy Club in 1909, it wasn’t until World War II when the drink caught on for Americans. With whiskey harder to come by due to wartime rationing and FDR’s Pan-American program popularizing Latin American culture, rum-based drinks like the Daiquiri began the enduring popularity that lasted decades after the war through the rise of Tiki culture in the ’50s and ’60s.

More than a century after Jennings Cox concocted his impromptu crowdpleaser, the general preparation has remained the same. To make a classic Daiquiri, pour 9 parts white rum, 5 parts lime juice, and 3 parts simple syrup into an ice-filled shaker. Shake it well, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. (If you want a frozen Daiquiri, which is also trendy, mix everything together with pulverized ice in a blender.)

How to Get the Look

As Jack Weil in Havana, Robert Redford wears a stylish and luxurious blend of blue and gray silk that certainly would have indicated his celebrity status in 1958 Cuba.

• Dark navy blue dupioni silk single-breasted 2-button sportcoat with notch lapels, patch breast pocket, patch hip pockets, 3-button “kissing” cuffs, and ventless back
• Dark navy blue dress shirt with long-pointed collar, front placket with white buttons, breast pocket, and rounded button cuffs
• Navy and silver silk “branches and bubbles” Deco-printed necktie
• Light gray silk double reverse-pleated trousers with belt loops, straight side pockets, button-through jetted back pockets, and turn-ups/cuffs
• Black leather belt with gold rectangular closed buckle
• Black & white two-tone leather 5-eyelet wingtip balmoral brogues
• Black dress socks
• Gold wristwatch with round gold dial on flat bracelet
• Gold signet pinky ring

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

I can be suave, believe me.

Footnotes

There are some great production photos of Robert Redford (and Lena Olin!) while he is wearing this outfit on set, but watermarks prevented me from being able to use them on this page. Check them out at Alamy.com!

Jack Weil also often enjoys a shot of añejo with his morning coffee, which also serves as his parting drink before he leaves Havana for the last time.

Steve Martin with Rick Moranis in My Blue Heaven (1990). Sadly, this is just a promotional photo and Steve’s rad Ray-Ban sunglasses didn’t make it into this scene.

Vitals

Steve Martin as Vinnie Antonelli (aka Tod Wilkinson), ex-Mafia informant

New York City, Early Winter 1990

Film: My Blue Heaven
Release Date: August 17, 1990
Director: Herbert Ross
Costume Designer: Joseph G. Aulisi

Background

This week’s focus on dupioni silk continues with the loud red suit worn by Steve Martin in My Blue Heaven, posted today to celebrate my sister’s birthday as this flick is a family favorite that she and I are constantly quoting to each other.

Although Ray Liotta’s Henry Hill provides himself the living epigraph of living the rest of his life “like a schnook” at the end of Goodfellas, the story really didn’t end there. Loosely based on Hill’s post-mob life in the witness protection program, My Blue Heaven was written by Nora Ephron, who had been inspired by her husband Nicholas Pileggi’s interviews with Hill. Through the interview process, it was discovered that a career criminal like Hill didn’t reform himself immediately (if at all) and was often getting into trouble with authorities – returning to his old criminal ways, maintaining a high profile, and even entering a bigamist marriage under his “new” name – all depicted in My Blue Heaven.

This sequence finds Vinnie Antonelli – the film’s Henry Hill substitute played by Steve Martin – returning to New York to testify in a major mob trial against his old boss. The reserved FBI agent guarding him, Barney Coopersmith (Rick Moranis), expects that the two will be spending the night in at the motel and attempts to satiate Vinnie’s wish for Italian food in the form of macaroni and cheese and salad with Italian dressing. Vinnie, finally back on his home turf after months in suburbia, has other ideas.

What’d He Wear?

As Vinnie and Barney ostensibly begin to settle in for a quiet evening at their motel, Vinnie wears a red dupioni silk suit, styled like many of his others, that was evidently newly acquired that day from his tailor Gaetano. Hardly an outfit for being babysat by a milquetoast FBI agent, Vinnie clearly already has his pre-testimony night of “drinking and girls” on his mind.

Vinnie’s suit has a single-breasted jacket with a low-stance single-button closure. The wide peak lapels have a slightly abbreviated gorge and a buttonhole stitched in the left lapel.

Vinnie talks Barney into enjoying a night on the town.

The jacket has straight, wide, padded shoulders and a ventless back, all very characteristic attributes of stylish suits at the time although it thankfully avoids the excessively baggy, full fit of the era that even James Bond couldn’t avoid in Licence to Kill. The jacket has a welted breast pocket and straight jetted hip pockets. Each sleeve ends with 3-button “kissing” cuffs.

Vinnie’s red silk suit shines with every turn he makes.

The low button stance of the jacket works nicely with the lower rise of the trousers, which have single reverse pleats, straight side pockets, and no back pockets. Vinnie wears a black leather belt with a slim single-claw gold buckle to hold up his trousers.

Barney doesn’t seem to notice that, while he is ordering dismal room service, Vinnie is getting dressed to go out.

Vinnie’s light pink dress shirt nicely compliments the overwhelming quantity of red in the rest of the outfit. The shirt has a spread collar, front placket, and a plain back with no pleats. He further thumbs his nose at anonyminity by wearing a shirt with his distinctive initials – “V.A.” – monogrammed on the left breast pocket.

Vinnie isn’t staying Very Anonymous with the monogrammed shirt.

The shirt has long, squared French cuffs that Vinnie fastens with an elaborate pair of gold cuff links that each feature a mounted onyx pebble.

Also a good view of Vinnie’s Rolex.

Vinnie’s silk tie is printed with a lavender paisley pattern.

He wears a pair of well-shined black leather tassel loafers, a more subtle option that downplays the loud suit more than his flashier “everyday” two-tone spectator loafers in black and white would. The trouser leg line is nicely carried into the shoes by a pair of maroon silk dress socks.

Vinnie goes the whole nine yards and sports a pair of socks that perfectly matches his suit.

A man of luxury, Vinnie doesn’t let his new witness protection status get in the way of his jewelry either. His two-tone Rolex DateJust is possibly a 116233 model with a stainless steel 36mm case, 18-karat yellow gold bezel, and a mixed gold and stainless Jubilee bracelet. The white face appears to be the appropriately named “Roman dial”.

Vinnie and Barney get closer than ever while dancing with new pals.

An expensive watch might not signify his criminal background to the nice folks of Fryburg, California, but Vinnie’s gold pinky ring would certainly make him stand out further from the early bird crowd. Nicely calling out the color of his suit, Vinnie’s ring has a brick red-colored, oval-shaped setting.

Go Big or Go Home

Honestly, this scene has lent me some of the best advice for dating (or confidence in general) when Vinnie advises Barney to “look ’em in the eye” when talking to women. Despite his bigamy and his self-admitted preference for women who are “kinda dirty or somethin'”, Vinnie proves to be a reasonably respectful barroom suitor.

In fact, Vinnie hands down many life lessons – possibly part of his new wave of inspiration as he writes his story – including:

• How to treat a suit: don’t sit around wearing your pants without the jacket.
• How to talk to women: “look ’em in the eye.”
• How to dance… especially the meringue.

  Vinnie follows all three of his own rules during his night out with Barney and the charming guidettes.

How to Get the Look

You can take the guy out of the Mafia, but you can never take the Mafia out of the guy; Vinnie proves both unwilling and unable to even pretend he’s no longer the type of guy who goes out in a bold red silk suit, flashing his Rolex and pinky ring as he buys rounds of drinks for the bar.

• Red dupioni silk tailored suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted 1-button jacket with wide peak lapels, padded shoulders, welted breast pocket, jetted hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and ventless back
  • Single reverse-pleated trousers with belt loops, straight side pockets, no back pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Light pink dress shirt with spread collar, front placket, monogrammed breast pocket, and double/French cuffs
• Lavender paisley printed silk tie
• Gold elaborate cuff links with a mounted onyx pebble
• Black leather belt with rounded-edge gold single-claw buckle
• Black leather tassel loafers
• Maroon silk dress socks
• Rolex DateJust two-tone gold wristwatch with white Roman dial on yellow gold and stainless mixed Jubilee bracelet
• Gold pinky ring with brick red oval setting

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

Footnotes

Another sartorial focus in this scene would be the two stereotypically-dressed mob assassins who track down Vinnie at the nightclub. They are wearing, as Hannah later unwittingly mocks:

Your honor, are we to believe that this man is in danger? That some cartoon character hitmen in black suits with white-on-white ties armed with guns are going to walk through that door…?

If these guys were any more stereotypical, their names would be Rocco and Bruno or something like that.