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Henry’s Ivory Silk Jacket in Goodfellas

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Ray Liotta as Henry Hill in Goodfellas (1990).

Ray Liotta as Henry Hill in Goodfellas (1990).

Vitals

Ray Liotta as Henry Hill, ambitious New York mob associate

Queens, NY, Summer 1963

Film: Goodfellas
Release Date: September 19, 1990
Director: Martin Scorsese
Costume Designer: Richard Bruno

Background

For Mafia Monday, I’m taking a look at what was always one of the more memorable movie outfits for me growing up.

Goodfellas introduces us to the adult Henry Hill, aged 20, while casually taking part in a heist at Idlewild Airport. Presumably that evening, he and his mobbed-up cronies take their beehive-haired comares to The Bamboo Lounge, an actual former hangout for the gang located in Canarsie. (The location used in the film was actually the Polynesian bar Hawaii Kai, previously located at 1638 Broadway in Manhattan before it was closed the year before Goodfellas was released.)

The scene shows us the potential glamour of mob life, with silk-suited mobsters with names like “Fat Andy” and “Jimmy Two Times” sipping on anisette while seated next to women who are far out of their league. The hardworking Henry is able to enjoy these aspects of the night while also working, shuffling in racks of stolen mink coats and planning his next heist at the Air France terminal.

While the scene would have already been memorable for these reasons, it has become legendary for the mostly improvised “You think I’m funny?” banter between Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) and Henry. The scene emerged from Pesci recounting a very similar story to Martin Scorsese, who decided to include it in the film under Pesci’s direction.

What’d He Wear?

Henry stands out from the other guys in their gray silk suits with his slick mixing and matching of white and black, including an ivory jacket and a black shirt with a distinctively large contrast collar.

GOODFELLAS

This is one of those “smoking is cool” moments in movies that the tobacco companies must secretly love.

The off-white single-breasted jacket that Henry wears for his night out appears to be ivory silk and resplendent with sumptuously sporty details. Both buttons on the front are covered in the same ivory silk as the jacket as is each button on the cuff. The sleeves end with a narrow turnback cuff likely around ¾” long.

The breast pocket and both hip pockets are all patch pockets. Henry’s jacket has straight shoulders, roped sleeveheads, and a ventless back. The notch lapels have swelled edges.

GOODFELLAS

Henry is just as comfortable at the bar as he is in the storage room, providing that he’s got a fat stack of cash coming his way for all that swag.

Although we see his black trousers, not much else is seen of Henry’s lower half in the scene. I think we can safely assume that he changed out of his olive alligator shoes into a pair of black leather loafers with black silk socks, but these gangsters aren’t always so predictable when it comes to style.

In fact, Henry’s black shirt with its contrast collar and cuffs is anything but predictable. Only the shirt itself is black; the long-pointed collar, the button cuffs, and even the plastic buttons down the front placket are all white.

It incorporates the almost impossibly long-pointed “Goodfella collar” with its nearly non-existent spread. Though its nomenclature is derived from this movie, it’s been seen on mobsters represented in other Scorsese flicks like Raging Bull and Casino. You can’t just walk into a Macy’s and ask for a shirt with this type of collar, though. (Maybe not outside of Brooklyn, at least.)

A few sites online – like Guido Fashions – specialize in marketing the “Goodfella collar” or “Italian collar”, but I have yet to test any of them out myself. In fact, I tried to emulate the look in my youth by sporting a standard black dress shirt over a vintage white shirt with a long ’70s collar poking out over the shirt, but it looked horrible and made me very sweaty to boot.

GOODFELLAS

Also, most Macy’s salespeople don’t like to be told to “shut the fuck up” like this. They just don’t get it.

Ray Liotta has recalled anecdotes of Scorsese stepping in to tie Liotta’s necktie for him to ensure that it would be totally accurate for the period and setting. The slim ivory silk tie that Henry wears in this scene is certainly reasonable for a sharp, ambitious mobster to wear for a night out in the summer of ’63, although most of the knot is totally hidden beneath that big collar.

GOODFELLAS

Henry feels some stress from working nights.

Not yet totally swamped by the jewelry demands of being both a mobster and a married man, Henry keeps his accessories somewhat simple early on. In addition to the Standard Mafia Issue gold pinky ring on his right hand, he also wears an all-gold watch secured to his right wrist by a black alligator strap. Still fully Catholic, he wears only his gold cross on a gold necklace with no Star of David to be seen.

Go Big or Go Home

Although Scorsese is careful to avoid glamorizing the Mafia lifestyle, these early scenes of the guys kicking back in a nightclub with everything on the house can’t help but to make any reasonable guy wonder if he’s chosen the right occupation. Luckily, the opera of deaths, arrests, and living “like a schnook” during the film’s finale should reassure that reasonable guy that selling insurance is an a-okay life decision!

Of course, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t feel free to have a Goodfellas-themed night out on the town, especially if you’ve got a friendly bar owner in your list of contacts. Button up your silk suit, hide that little tie knot under a big shirt collar, and spend far too much on making your girlfriend’s hair look like a beehive. Put some classic Italian pop – in this case, it’s Mina’s 1960 hit “Il cielo in una stanza” – and line up your table with liquor. Safe bets are Leroux anisette and Crown Royal, which was indeed the real Tommy DeSimone’s preferred whiskey. (Interestingly, Crown Royal wasn’t legal to import into the U.S. until 1965, which makes many people think it’s an error to see it in this scene set in 1963. Um… would a silly think like a law really stop these guys from bringing their favorite booze into the country?)

Keep in mind that Manischewitz would look funny on Tommy’s table. And speaking of “funny”…

GOODFELLAS

GOODFELLAS

Tommy’s reputation as a violent hothead doesn’t do him any favors with his friends. Sure, they love to hear his stories, but you might be sacrificing your life just by showing your appreciation for them:

Henry: You’re a pistol, you’re really funny. You’re really funny.
Tommy: What do you mean I’m “funny”?
Henry: (laughs) It’s funny, you know. It’s a good story, it’s funny… you’re a funny guy.
Tommy: What do you mean? You mean the way I talk? What?
Henry: It’s just, you know, you’re just funny, it’s… funny, the way you tell the story and everything.
Tommy: Funny how? What’s funny about it?
Anthony Stabile: Tommy, naw, you got it all wrong.
Tommy: Oh, oh, Anthony. He’s a big boy, he knows what he said. What’d ja say? Funny how?
Henry: Just-
Tommy: What?
Henry: Just… ya know… you’re funny.
Tommy: You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it’s me, I’m a little fucked up maybe, but I’m funny how, I mean funny like I’m a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh? I’m here to fuckin’ amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny?
Henry: Just… you know, how you tell the story, what?
Tommy: No, no, I don’t know, you said it. How do I know? You said I’m funny. How the fuck am I funny, what the fuck is so funny about me? Tell me, tell me what’s funny!
Henry: (after a long pause) Get the fuck out of here… Tommy!
Tommy: (leading the laughter) Ya motherfucker! I almost had him, I almost had him. Ya stuttering prick ya. Frankie, was he shaking? I wonder about you sometimes, Henry… You may fold under questioning!

How to Get the Look

Although not everything (like morality) is black and white in Henry’s mob world, that’s no reason not to find a creative marriage of both colors for a night out with fellow gangsters.

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  • Ivory silk single-breasted sportcoat with notch lapels, 2 covered-button front, patch breast pocket, patch hip pockets, “turnback” cuffs with single decorative covered button, and ventless back
  • Black trousers
  • Black dress shirt with long white point collar and white button cuffs
  • Ivory silk tie
  • Black leather horsebit loafers
  • Black silk dress socks
  • White sleeveless ribbed cotton undershirt
  • Gold watch on black leather strap
  • Gold pinky ring, worn on right pinky
  • Gold Catholic cross pendant, worn on gold necklace

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie. Seriously, you’ll love it.

The Quote

For us to live any other way was nuts. To us, those goody-good people who worked shitty jobs for bum paychecks and took the subway to work every day, and worried about their bills, were dead. I mean, they were suckers. They had no balls. If we wanted something, we just took it. If anyone complained twice they got hit so bad, believe me, they never complained again.

GOODFELLAS

I use this still of Ray Liotta’s laughing face as the background on my iPhone. I honestly do.

Footnotes

I recently came across a cool blog that stays up to date with the latest mob-related news – appropriately titled Cosa Nostra News – and I recommend it for fellow historians of American organized crime.

If you’re curious about how accurate Goodfellas really is, pay attention to when Henry’s voiceover introduces us to “Fat Andy” at the bar. (Hint: he’s the fat guy.) This brief part was played by NYPD detective Louis Eppolito. Eppolito could be called the good egg from a bad family after his father, uncle, and cousin had all been linked to the Mafia… except that Eppolito himself was arrested in 2005 and charged with racketeering, obstruction of justice, extortion, and up to eight murders. Both Eppolito and his partner were sentenced to life imprisonment. (Technically, life imprisonment plus 80 years, should their lives be unexpectedly long.)



Justified – Boyd Crowder’s Gray Corded Jacket

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Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder on FX's Justified.

Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder on FX’s Justified.

Vitals

Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder, scrappy Harlan County criminal and ex-miner

Harlan County, Kentucky, Fall 2010

Series: Justified
Episodes:
– “The Hammer” (Episode 1.10, Director: John Dahl, Air Date: May 18, 2010)
– “Veterans” (Episode 1.11, Director: Tony Goldwyn, Air Date: May 25, 2010)
Costume Designer: Ane Crabtree

Background

Fresh out of prison, Harlan County’s wiliest and wittiest criminal mastermind Boyd Crowder finds himself in the backwoods of his old Kentucky home, teaching his particular brand of religion to a congregation of redneck drug slingers. Not satisfied with having shot him in the chest earlier that year, Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens shows up and rubs proverbial salt in Boyd’s wound by reminding the “congregation” that there is a standing $50,000 reward for anyone who can provide information sending their new leader back to prison.

What’d He Wear?

Boyd leads his backwoods brethren by layering comfortably for the brisk fall weather. The main staple of his attire in these episodes is a dark gray thin-wale corded jacket with black fleece insulation that extends over the collar; Levi calls this style a “sherpa trucker jacket” and their similar product can be found for $98 online.

Boyd's "sherpa jacket" is apropos for his new status as a mountain man.

Boyd’s “sherpa jacket” is apropos for his new status as a mountain man.

Boyd’s fleece-insulated trucker jacket has six silver-toned metal buttons down the front with a single button to fasten each cuff. Each side of the waistband has a short tab with two buttons to adjust the fit.

The metal buttons of Boyd's trucker jacket are best seen when he's accepting a gift from his loving father.

The metal buttons of Boyd’s trucker jacket are best seen when he’s accepting this thoughtful gift from his loving father.

The two patch pockets on the chest have pointed bottoms and close with pointed flaps that each close with a single button. A double front yoke detail extends down each panel, starting under the pocket flap and slightly tapering toward each other before meeting the waistband. Each side of the jacket features a vertical welt pocket used as handwarmers.JustBoydCord-CL1-Jkt3

It is interesting to compare how Boyd and Raylan wear their trucker jackets in cooler weather. A stoic lawman in the tradition of the Old West, Raylan sports the same blue denim jacket as usual but wears a dark wool long coat over it as an extra layer against the cold. Boyd, a criminal used to life on the run, minimizes by wearing one thicker, isolated jacket.

Harlan County's finest meets Harlan County's most wanted.

Harlan County’s finest meets Harlan County’s most wanted.

If he does need an extra layer, Boyd wears a cream-colored wool scarf around his neck and under his jacket. The scarf may even be cashmere, far more luxurious than one would expect for a character in these surroundings but certainly not out of character for Boyd Crowder.

JustBoydCord-CL1-Scarf

These episodes also introduce us to Boyd’s enduring habit of wearing his shirts buttoned up to the throat. In “The Hammer” (Episode 1.10), he sports a black flannel shirt with black buttons and a gray chambray shirt.

In “Veterans” (Episode 1.11), Boyd wears a light blue chambray shirt, naturally buttoned to the throat. The blue plastic buttons fasten down a front placket with white edge stitching. The patch pocket on the right chest closes with a button-down flap with mitred corners; the left chest pocket is an open square patch with no flap.

Boyd finds himself in a tight spot in "Veterans" (Episode 1.11).

Boyd finds himself in a tight spot in “Veterans” (Episode 1.11).

The jacket also makes some sporadic appearances throughout the second season. In “The I of the Storm” (Episode 2.03), Boyd wears the gray sherpa jacket over a dark blue shirt with a subtle gray and green overcheck. “Save My Love” (Episode 2.07) finds coal miner Boyd arguing at work while wearing this jacket over a colorful flannel shirt in maroon, blue, and orange plaid. Finally, in “The Spoil” (Episode 2.08), he is briefly seen wearing the corded jacket over a white shirt. Of course, all of these shirts are also worn buttoned to the throat.

The jacket makes a brief return in "Save My Love" (Episode 2.07) and "The Spoil" (Episode 2.08).

The jacket makes a brief return in “Save My Love” (Episode 2.07) and “The Spoil” (Episode 2.08).

Boyd’s dark blue denim jeans have a “skinny” fit, suitable for the slim-framed Walton Goggins. The jeans have narrow cuffs folded at the bottom of the tapered legs, and Boyd wears a smooth dark brown leather belt through the waist loops.

Boyd lays down the law for his fellow outlaws.

Boyd lays down the law for his fellow outlaws.

A man of the people – despite his cashmere scarf – Boyd wisely foregoes luxury when choosing his footwear, opting for a pair of well-worn tan leather work boots. The boots are laced through four brass eyelets with at least two brass hooks above them.

How to Get the Look

JustBoydCord-cropStill finding his place in Harlan County’s criminal hierarchy, Boyd dresses comfortably with only a hint of luxury sneaking through his badass blue-collar look. He needs to be rugged enough to be able to live and work out in the woods while still commanding respect from his hillbilly flock.

  • Dark gray corded “sherpa trucker jacket” with black fleece collar and lining, 6-button front, button-down flapped chest pockets, welted handwarmer pockets, 1-button cuffs, and 2-button adjustable waist tabs
  • Long-sleeve utility shirt, buttoned to throat
  • Dark blue “skinny” denim jeans with hand-cuffed bottoms
  • Dark brown smooth leather belt with squared brass single-claw buckle
  • Tan leather plain-toe work boots with brass eyelets and hooks
  • Cream cashmere wool scarf

The Gun

Boyd Crowder first draws his Beretta 92FS, which would go on to become his sidearm of choice in the series, in “The Hammer” (Episode 1.10) when he is trying to get Bobby Joe Packer off drugs.

Boyd finds a foolproof way of "getting through" to Bobby Joe.

Boyd finds a foolproof way of “getting through” to Bobby Joe.

The Beretta 92FS evolved from the original Beretta 92, introduced in 1972. The U.S. military adapted the 92F variant to become the M9 service pistol in the mid-1980s. The 92FS is differentiated from the earlier 92F only by an enlarged firing pin on the underside of the slide to keep the pistol relatively intact should the slide crack. Both the 92F and the 92FS are chambered for the popular 9×19 mm Parabellum round with 15-round standard magazines.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Watch the entire series. If you want to see these episodes in particular, check out the first and second seasons. Just know that, like the fine bourbon sipped in the show, Justified gets even better with age.

The Quote

Truth always sounds like lies to a sinner.


Rob Delaney’s Barbour Jacket on Catastrophe

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Rob Delaney as Rob Norris on Catastrophe (2015-).

Rob Delaney as Rob Norris on Catastrophe (2015-).

Vitals

Rob Delaney as Rob Norris, large-chinned American advertising executive

London, Fall 2014

Series: Catastrophe
Episodes: Episodes 1-6
Air Dates: January 19, 2015 – February 23, 2015
Director: Ben Taylor
Created by: Rob Delaney & Sharon Horgan
Costume Designer: Rosa Dias

Background

2015 was the year I finally watched more TV streamed online than DVDs, and I finally cashed in on my Amazon Prime membership by checking out Catastrophe, the excellent series developed by Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney that perfectly and hilariously nails a realistic relationship. Sharon and Rob play a couple named Sharon and Rob – appropriately enough – who fall prey to the biological result of a week of unprotected sex. Rob, an American ad man (but sadly likened more to Harry Crane than Don Draper by another character on the show), immediately moves across the pond to live in London with Sharon and try to make it work.

Rob Delaney’s Twitter account was one of the reasons I stuck with Twitter, and – given that today is his birthday – BAMF Style is breaking down his cool casual style on Catastrophe.

What’d He Wear?

The Barbour Jacket

Almost immediately after Daniel Craig’s James Bond blazed through Skyfall in a limited edition Barbour “X To Ki To” Beacon Heritage jacket, fans began flocking to stores and sites to get their hands on the venerable brand’s jacket. Needless to say, the jacket sold out in less than 12 parsecs and fans (both of 007 and of great style) were left out in the cold. Barbour wisely introduced a new jacket, the Barbour Commander, for its Dept. B collection in July 2013. The Commander – renamed the “Heritage Beacon Sports Jacket” that December – was similar to the original X To Ki To and incorporated many of the modifications made for Skyfall into its design. James Bond Lifestyle nicely breaks down the differences between the two jackets.

The versatile Barbour jacket offers two different looks based on how the lapels are worn.

The versatile Barbour jacket offers two different looks based on how the lapels are worn.

In each of the six episodes of Catastrophe‘s first season, Rob can be seen around London in the Barbour Heritage Beacon Sports Jacket, constructed from the same olive brown 6 oz. Sylkoil Thornproof waxed cotton as the X To Ki To. The single-breasted jacket has two buttons closely placed on the torso with a third button at mid-chest, halfway toward the top. A fourth button at the top is designed to be fastened to a throat latch under the left lapel.

Rob keeps his jacket open at the neck, preferring a scarf for his extra layer of warmth.

Rob keeps his jacket open at the neck, preferring a scarf for his extra layer of warmth.

The Beacon jacket has notch lapels with a brown leather collar. When the collar is raised, another button can be seen under each collar point. These two buttons are used to hold a triangular throat flap into place, which would provide its wearer with an additional level of protection against the elements.

Brown leather detailing is found throughout the jacket, in addition to the collar, most notably on the edges of each cuff. Additional sporty details include round shoulder patches and elbow patches.

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The welted chest pocket on the left closes with a button under a pointed flap. There is a large bellowed patch pocket on each hip, each one also closing with a single-buttoned flap. The left pocket has a “Barbour Dept B” patch, which is best seen in the second episode when Rob is digging his iPhone out of his pocket.

The back is ventless with two vertical “poacher pockets” that each close with a zipper. These pockets were originally designed as a way for sneaky poachers to hide illegal game, but that would be a surprising use for a character like Rob Norris.

Rob wears his British jacket and American jeans before a tryst in the loo.

Rob wears his British jacket and American jeans before a tryst in the loo.

Everything Else

Appropriately for his “American in London” character, Rob contrasts his decidedly British jacket with a pair of classic dark blue Levi’s 501 jeans. Rob’s Levi’s have four silver-toned metal buttons on the fly and the usual five-pocket layout.

Rob wears a pair of brown leather moc-toe low ankle boots with tan soles. The blucher-style boots are laced through four brass eyelets. When he takes off his shoes at Chris and Fran’s house in the first episode, we get a closeup of the black cotton socks worn underneath them.

CatasRobB-CL3-shoes

While on the topic of underneath, Rob also shows a preference for blue underwear, wearing a pair of light blue cotton boxers in the first episode and electric blue boxer briefs while teleconferencing with his bosses from the toilet in the third episode.

Rob's employers don't have a very stringent dress code.

Rob’s employers don’t have a very stringent dress code.

Blue is also Rob’s color of choice for his outerwear as he sports a two-tone blue herringbone wool scarf with blue frilly edges under his Barbour jacket.

Even Chris has adopted Rob's work attire standards later in the same episode.

Even Chris has adopted Rob’s work attire standards later in the same episode.

Rob wears his real-life watch, a Rolex GMT Master II with a red and blue “Pepsi” ceramic bidirectional bezel and a black dial. Rob’s GMT Master II is worn around his left wrist on an Oyster bracelet of flat three-piece links made from the same 904L steel as the 40 mm case.

Rob wears his GMT Master while prepping breakfast.

Rob wears his GMT Master while prepping breakfast.

Rob’s Shirts

Rob always wears long-sleeved shirts under his Barbour jacket, either button-ups or t-shirts, and often layered over a white crew-neck undershirt.

His button-ups range from casual flannels and plaids to dressier oxford shirts, all with long sleeves and front plackets. In the first episode alone, he wears a light blue casual button-up, a pink shirt with a subtle white windowpane overcheck, and a purple and black tartan plaid flannel shirt with a red and white overcheck and two patch pockets on the chest that close with button-down flaps.

Rob wears plaid for Chris and Fran's dinner party in the first episode.

Rob wears plaid for Chris and Fran’s dinner party in the first episode.

A blue flannel shirt with a white and orange plaid overcheck appears in the first two episodes. This shirt also has two chest patch pockets that close with pointed button-down flaps. In the second episode, he wears a dark plaid flannel shirt with a purple and green check. The two patch pockets on this shirt close with a button but no flaps. The third and fourth episodes feature a light blue lightweight oxford shirt with a slim button-down collar, front placket, and left chest pocket; Rob wears this under a red knit Aran-style jumper in the third episode. When meeting up with Fran in the fourth episode, Rob wears a light green button-up shirt.

In addition to the button-up shirts, Rob also often wears red or blue cotton long-sleeve t-shirts, some built more like lightweight sweatshirts, with raglan sleeves and crew necks.

Rob is reasonably excited about his recent purchase in the second episode.

Rob is reasonably excited about his recent purchase in the second episode.

The heathered blue crew neck sweatshirt is the closest approximation to Bond’s Skyfall Manor outfit.

These shirts look awfully comfortable.

These shirts look awfully comfortable.

How to Get the Look

James Bond showed us how to wear a brown Barbour sport jacket for a day of action in the Scottish highlands; now, Rob Delaney shows how it can offer a more practical, comfortable purpose around the city.

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  • Barbour “Heritage Beacon” single-breasted 3-button sport jacket in olive waxed cotton with button-flapped breast pocket, button-flapped hip bellows pockets, vertical-zip rear poacher pockets, and leather accents on patches and cuffs
  • Red cotton long-sleeve crew neck sweatshirt with raglan sleeves
  • Levi’s 501 dark blue denim jeans with button fly
  • Brown leather moc-toe 4-eyelet low ankle boots
  • Black cotton socks
  • Light blue cotton boxers
  • Blue and light blue herringbone wool scarf with blue frilly edges
  • Rolex GMT Master II stainless steel watch with 40 mm case, red and blue “Pepsi” bezel, black dial, and stainless Oyster bracelet

If dressing up for a date or a dinner party, Rob swaps out the vibrant long-sleeve t-shirts for a dark plaid flannel button-up or a muted oxford shirt.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Watch the series! I believe us Americans can only watch on Amazon Prime. All screencaps here are from the brilliant and hilarious first season.

Rob’s book is quite a delight as well!

The Quote

Can you – for a second – accept the fact that I like you and want to be with you, you fucking idiot?

Footnote

Rob Delaney is a pretty common name, but the coolest guy with whom the comedian shares his moniker has to be Robert Augustus Delaney, a British cat burglar who dressed in formal dress – white tie and tails – and would break into mansions with a black silk robe to purloin his ill-gotten goods.


Tony Soprano’s Tabasco Sauce Polo

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James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano on The Sopranos (Episode 5.02: "Two Tonys").

James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano on The Sopranos (Episode 5.02: “Two Tonys”).

Vitals

James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, New Jersey mob boss

New Jersey, March 2004

Series: The Sopranos
Episode:“Rat Pack” (Episode 5.02)
Air Date: March 14, 2004
Director: Alan Taylor
Creator: David Chase
Costume Designer: Juliet Polcsa

Background

I’m not sure why, how, or who decided it, but today – January 22nd – is considered to be National Hot Sauce Day in America.

Today’s post is a short one but appropriate given today’s “holiday”.

What’d He Wear?

During a brief scene in the Bada Bing’s back office in “Rat Pack” (Episode 5.02), Tony Soprano holds a brief meeting while wearing a shirt loudly celebrating Louisiana’s venerable pepper-based condiment.

The black cotton polo shirt is printed with images of the iconic Tabasco sauce bottle with bursts of red peppers all over the shirt. The shirt has three white buttons, both left open by Tony, below the solid black collar. The end of each short sleeve is solid black and elasticized. From what I can tell, this is the shirt’s only appearance on the show.

Tony angrily shows off his love for one of America's favorite sauces.

Tony angrily shows off his love for one of America’s favorite sauces.

The McIlhenny Company, which has produced Tabasco sauce since its inception in 1868, also officially manufactures clothing and other goods bearing Tabasco branding. As this episode aired in 2004, it’s hard tracking down information on this exact shirt, but it’s almost definitely an example of a McIlhenny-produced shirt. Some similar items can be found on eBay for any curious hot sauce aficionados out there.

The rest of Tony’s outfit is all black: his reverse-pleated trousers, his leather bluchers, and his dress socks.

Tony kicks back.

Tony kicks back.

Tony also wears the rest of his usual mobbed-up jewelry, including his yellow gold Rolex President Day-Date on his left wrist, the gold chain bracelet on his right wrist, and his gold pinky ring with a ruby and diamond on his right hand.

Although we can’t see it in this scene, we can assume that Tony is also wearing his usual gold open-link chain necklace with a pendant of St. Jerome.

His trusty Rolex stays on his left hand even when his wedding band isn't.

His trusty Rolex stays on his left hand even when his wedding band isn’t.

How to Get the Look

Who knew Tony was so passionate about Tabasco sauce that he actually owned a shirt colorfully dedicated to celebrating it?

  • Black Tabasco-printed cotton short-sleeve polo shirt with 3-button collar
  • Black reverse-pleated trousers with plain-hemmed bottoms
  • Black leather bluchers
  • Black dress socks
  • White ribbed cotton sleeveless undershirt
  • Rolex President Day-Date 118238 yellow gold wristwatch
  • Gold open-link chain bracelet
  • Gold pinky ring with ruby and diamond stones
  • Gold open-link chain necklace with round St. Jerome pendant

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the entire series, and give yourself an extra dose of hot sauce with dinner tonight!


Don Draper’s Brown Hershey Pitch Suit

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

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

Vitals

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

New York City, Fall 1968

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

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

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

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

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

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

What’d He Wear?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Favors" (Episode 6.11)

“Favors” (Episode 6.11)

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

"In Care Of" (Episode 6.13)

“In Care Of” (Episode 6.13)

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

Dawn watches as Don marches off to an uncertain fate.

Dawn watches as Don marches off to an uncertain fate.

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

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

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

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

How to Get the Look

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

MMHershey-crop

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

Do Yourself a Favor and…

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

The Quote

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

Footnote

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


Terry Leather’s Herringbone Coat in The Bank Job

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Jason Statham as Terry Leather in The Bank Job (2008).

Jason Statham as Terry Leather in The Bank Job (2008).

Vitals

Jason Statham as Terry Leather, fledging bank robber and former car salesman

East London, September 1971

Film: The Bank Job
Release Date: February 29, 2008
Director: Roger Donaldson
Costume Designer: Odile Dicks-Mireaux

Background

Based partially on some possibly true events (or at least theories) surrounding the famous Baker Street robbery of 1971, The Bank Job is a fun caper flick from 2008 that stars Jason Statham in a decidedly less Statham-esque role than usual, leading a team of non-violent petty criminals chosen by the British government to burglarize a bank.

Of course, it’s not that simple as Statham’s crew isn’t even aware that they’re working for the government and wedging themselves between a sadistic London gangster and a militant revolutionary.

What’d He Wear?

We first meet Terry Leather when he is, appropriately enough, wearing a pretty badass brown leather coat. For much of the heist planning, including casing the bank with his ex-model ex-girlfriend Martine (Saffron Burrows), Terry wears a knee-length wool topcoat in a fine black and white herringbone.

THE BANK JOB

Terry spends much of his day looking far too suspicious for a man trying not to garner much attention while casing a bank.

Terry’s herringbone coat is double-breasted with a 6-on-3 button front. It is styled similar to a longer length pea coat with its large lapels, double-breasted front, plain cuffs, and slanted welt handwarmer pockets. The single vent up the back splits the coat to just below his waistline.

THE BANK JOB

Terry and Martine case the Baker Street branch of Lloyds Bank.

Since he typically only wears one layer beneath the coat, Terry drapes a scarf around his neck to battle the London fall weather. Terry’s olive green silk scarf has a pattern of white squares. Each square has an olive dot in the center.

THE BANK JOB

Recruiting “The Major”.

Both of Terry’s shirts worn under his topcoat are black, solidifying his status as a competent movie criminal. His first is a black long-sleeve polo shirt, constructed from a soft material that may be acrylic, with a 2-button collar. He also wears this shirt for a date with his wife under a brown flannel single-breasted sport coat.

THE BANK JOB

Sadly, Terry looks happier when planning or committing a crime than he does on an evening out with his wife.

As things get closer to crime time (as well as slightly later in the fall), Terry pulls out all the criminal stops and dons a black lightweight turtleneck jumper.

THE BANK JOB

The herringbone coat provides a nice contrast against the starkness of the black turtleneck.

Terry avoids the stereotypical movie criminal look of a black shirt and black trousers while managing the same effect by wearing a pair of charcoal pants instead. These flat front trousers have a full, straight fit like his others, and the bottoms are plain-hemmed.

THE BANK JOB

THE BANK JOB

Terry again wears brown leather shoes, although these are darker than the calfskin 3-eyelet bluchers seen with the leather coat. His lined gloves are also brown leather.

Terry’s watch is the iconic TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph, introduced as the Heuer Monaco in 1969 and made famous two years later when it appeared on Steve McQueen’s wrist in Le Mans. The Monaco, with its stainless rectangular case and blue dial with two white sub-dials, is one of the most recognizable watches in the world. The version that Statham wears is an anachronistic modern TAG Heuer, though, rather than the more period-correct Heuer that would have been available in 1971.

How to Get the Look

Terry stays classy and comfortable while scoping out Lloyds Bank for his ragtag team’s eventual takedown.

BJhbone-crop

  • Black & white fine herringbone wool double-breasted 6×3-buttoning topcoat with large lapels, slanted welt handwarmer pockets, plain cuffs, and single rear vent
  • Black long-sleeve soft polo shirt with 2-button collar
  • Olive green silk scarf with white square motif
  • Charcoal gray flat front trousers with plain-hemmed bottoms
  • Dark brown leather shoes
  • Dark brown leather lined gloves
  • Plain gold wedding band
  • TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph wristwatch with stainless rectangular case, blue dial, and black leather strap

For more of a Sterling Archer-approved stealth look, swap out the polo for a black turtleneck/tactileneck jumper.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Look honey, I’m going to be working some strange hours over the next week or two, so don’t ask me what I’m doing because I don’t want to lie to you.


Gene Hackman’s Tweed Suit as Buck Barrow

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Gene Hackman and Estelle Parsons as Buck and Blanche Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde (1967).

Gene Hackman and Estelle Parsons as Buck and Blanche Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde (1967).

Vitals

Gene Hackman as “Buck” Barrow, bank robber, ex-convict, and family man

Texas, May 1933

Film: Bonnie & Clyde
Release Date: August 13, 1967
Director: Arthur Penn
Costume Designer: Theadora Van Runkle

Background

Happy birthday to Gene Hackman, who turns 86 years old today!

Bonnie and Clyde marked the first major role for Hackman, who had spent much of the ’60s as a struggling actor who shared rooms with fellow struggling actors Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall. 1967 turned out to be a banner year for the friends and roommates, earning Hackman and Hoffman their first Academy Award nominations.

Hackman brings an easygoing charm to the role of the more famous Clyde’s older brother Buck, and the film gets many of the “on paper” details right about Buck. As Clyde’s older brother, he had more experience tangling with the law and spent the first few months of Clyde’s criminal career in the Texas state prison. He had escaped once, but – as Hackman tells Warren Beatty’s Clyde – it was his new wife Blanche that talked him into returning to prison to serve out the rest of his sentence, and he would be pardoned 15 months later. Buck and Blanche journeyed to visit Bonnie and Clyde, ostensibly for a reunion and possibly for Buck to try and talk Clyde into following his good example. Of course, the murder of two Joplin policemen during this reunion meant Buck would be wanted again as well, and the brothers led the motley “Barrow Gang” in a string of small-town stickups and kidnappings over the next three months.

Buck and Blanche enjoy some tender moments, both in real life and on film.

Buck and Blanche enjoy some tender moments, both in real life and on film.

The charismatic Buck that Hackman portrays is far from the dangerous and serious criminal that had become so well known to Dallas police. Born Marvin Ivan Barrow in March 1903 in west Texas, the adventurous boy quickly gained a reputation for his restless spirit and was given the nickname “Buck”. Buck’s restlessness, combined with poverty and any existing psychological factors, made the young man’s descent into crime inevitable. The impressionable Clyde, six years younger and always looking up to Buck, would certainly follow in the same path. In November 1929, two weeks after Buck made the acquaintance of a lovely young Oklahoma girl named Blanche Caldwell, Buck was shot, wounded, and captured during a holdup in Denton, Texas. Clyde, who had been one of his accomplices, got away. (Perhaps if the family would have had the foresight to observe Clyde’s ability to run away from trouble while Buck was constantly being captured, they would have endowed the younger brother with the “Buck” moniker.)

While he enjoyed a joke as much as any other good ol’ boy, Buck was still a serious, deadly criminal who didn’t hesitate to pick up a shotgun or one of Clyde’s trademark Browning Automatic Rifles to fire back at the police when the gang was cornered. He was certainly the triggerman in at least one of the two Joplin policemen’s deaths, and he alone was responsible for the death of Henry D. Humphrey, the city marshal of Alma, Arkansas who nearly captured Buck and gang member W.D. Jones after a failed robbery.

(Blanche, who was still alive when Bonnie and Clyde was released in 1967, was incensed at her portrayal by Estelle Parsons and was embarrassed that she had taken her husband Eddie with her to see the film. She had previously approved the script and was fond of Warren Beatty, but Blanche said the finished product made her look like “a screaming horses’s ass!” Of course, Parsons had the last laugh as she was the only cast member to receive an Academy Award for her performance.)

What’d He Wear?

A curious choice for a warm Texas day, Hackman’s Buck accompanies Bonnie and Clyde on a bank robbery while wearing a brown Donegal tweed three-piece suit with light brown horn buttons on the jacket and vest. (Clyde himself wears a brown herringbone tweed suit, so perhaps the day was colder than it looks!)

"Aw, let's host a lighthearted kidnapping," is basically the subtext of this scene.

“Aw, let’s host a lighthearted kidnapping,” is basically the subtext of this scene just before the gang abducts a young couple at gunpoint.

Buck’s single-breasted suitcoat has notch lapels (with a buttonhole through the left lapel) that roll to the top of the jacket’s 2-button front. It has a breast pocket and straight hip pockets with flaps, although the flaps are often tucked in. The shoulders are padded with roping at the sleeveheads and 2-button cuffs. The lining is burgundy-colored, and a single vent cuts up the back to ease some of Buck’s more acrobatic bank robbery maneuvers.

Buck was very sweet but sometimes thickheaded, not realizing he didn't need to put his hands up when he's the one actually robbing the bank.

Buck was very sweet but sometimes thickheaded, not realizing he didn’t need to put his hands up when he’s the one actually robbing the bank.

Buck’s suit has a matching single-breasted vest with a single-breasted, 6-button front. It has four welt pockets and a notched bottom. Although Buck never takes off his suit jacket during these scenes, the tan-colored back lining can be seen when he leaps over the bank counter.

"Show us on the elderly security guard where the bank robber touched you..."

“Show us on the elderly security guard where the bank robber touched you…”

Much of the men’s costuming in Bonnie and Clyde is mixed-and-matched from various suits and outfits, adding a sense of verisimilitude since these people were constantly on the move, washing their clothes in rivers and streams when they couldn’t take the chance to visit a small-town laundry. Buck previously wore the tweed trousers from this suit while hanging out with the gang in Joplin, paired with his leather flight jacket and a blue chambray shirt. These low rise trousers have a flat front with on-seam side pockets but no back pockets. The legs are slightly flared with narrow turn-ups.

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS!

DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS!

Although suspenders or braces are traditionally worn with three-piece suits, a true Texan like Buck wears a big brass horseshoe-shaped belt buckle on his tan tooled leather belt. Belts were also becoming more common on men’s trousers during the previous decades as waist lines began to fall lower.

Buck’s dress shirt looks solid white in most shots, but close-ups reveal subtle thin gray stripes. The shirt has a front placket and 1-button rounded cuffs.

In his role as "a grand host", Buck re-buttons his vest when the gang has "company".

In his role as “a grand host”, Buck re-buttons his vest when the gang has “company”.

Buck wears a solid red silk tie that reveals its surprisingly short length when he opens his vest while counting money after the bank job.

Even Buck and Blanche fell victim to common marital squabbles like which partner should receive the greater portion of the proceeds from a bank robbery.

Even Buck and Blanche fell victim to common marital squabbles like which partner should receive the greater portion of the proceeds from a bank robbery.

On his feet, Buck sports a pair of brown calfskin leather medallion wingtip bluchers with black socks.

Though he didn’t wear it during the heist itself, Buck’s hat is a black felt wide-brimmed fedora with black grosgrain edges and a red grosgrain ribbon.

BuckTweed-CX-Hat

Hackman recalls a story from the set when he noticed an old Texan farmer behind him, staring at him. The man said, “Hell, Buck would’ve never worn a hat like that.” Hackman turned to him and responded with, “Maybe not.” The farmer stepped forward to introduce himself by saying, “Nice to meet you. I’m one of the Barrows.”

Go Big or Go Home

The bank robbery that serves as the centerpiece of the movie would have been pure fantasy for the real Clyde, who hardly ever left a bank without more than a few hundred dollars clenched in his fist while tellers, guards, and police fired wild shots all around him. Clyde is given a heroic moment of allowing a poor farmer to keep his own cash since it doesn’t belong to the bank, an apocryphal story often attributed to either John Dillinger or “Pretty Boy” Floyd.

Buck is also given a Dillinger-esque moment when he swiftly leaps over the tellers’ cage in a stunt borrowed often times in real life by John Dillinger, who had himself lifted it from watching Douglas Fairbanks in The Mark of Zorro.

Hackman channels Dillinger channeling Fairbanks.

Hackman channels Dillinger channeling Fairbanks.

And, of course, the always considerate Buck wouldn’t think to leave the scene of a crime without picking up a little something for his wife; Buck filches a pair of sunglasses from an elderly security guard for his wife, Blanche. This would turn out to be a fortuitous gift as Blanche is only a few weeks away from being nearly blinded!

Awh!

Buck’s finger on the trigger could have made the excitement of gift-giving a little more tragic in the wrong circumstances…

How to Get the Look

BuckTweed-cropAlthough perhaps a bit warm for its context, Buck looks every bit the countrified gentleman for he and his brother’s small-town bank holdup.

  • Brown Donegal tweed suit, consisting of:
    • Single-breasted 2-button suit jacket with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and single rear vent
    • Single-breasted 6-button vest with four welt pockets, notched bottom, and tan-lined back
    • Flat front low rise trousers with belt loops, on-seam side pockets, and turn-ups/cuffed bottoms
  • White gray-striped dress shirt with front placket and 1-button rounded cuffs
  • Red silk short necktie
  • Tan tooled leather belt with curved brass horseshoe-shaped buckle
  • Brown calfskin leather medallion wingtip bluchers
  • Black dress socks
  • Black felt fedora with red grosgrain ribbon

The Gun

Although both Clyde and his brother preferred .45-caliber Colt M1911 pistols, the .45 ACP blank round was notoriously unreliable in semi-automatic handguns at the time Bonnie and Clyde was filmed. Buck’s preferred sidearm throughout the film is thus a Colt New Service revolver, also chambered in .45 ACP.

A production photo of Gene Hackman with Buck's Colt New Service.

A production photo of Gene Hackman with Buck’s Colt New Service.

The New Service was first produced by Colt in 1898 to fill both government and civilian contracts. The swing-out cylinder was still in its relative infancy after having been introduced for the 1889 model New Army & Navy revolver. For nearly fifty years, the Colt New Service was produced in a variety of heavy calibers from .357 Magnum and .38 Special up to .44-40 Winchester and .455 Webley. As a large-framed service revolver, barrel lengths ranged between 4″ and 7.5″.

The Colt New Service was first produced in .45 ACP during World War I when supplies of the M1911 pistol were unable to meet troop demands. The M1917 was developed, with Colt adapting its New Service and Smith & Wesson adapting its .44 Hand Ejector to fire .45 ACP cartridges loaded from half-moon clips.

Buck is seen with a few other weapons during the film, but the New Service appears to be his sidearm of choice. He fires a double-barreled shotgun during the Joplin gunfight, he holds a blued Smith & Wesson on Frank Hamer when they briefly capture the lawman, and he is seen loading Bonnie’s nickel-plated Smith & Wesson after the bank robbery featured in this scene. Hackman also holds a Winchester lever rifle in some promotional photos for the film, but these are never seen in the gang’s arsenal (either in the movie or in real life).

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the Ultimate Collector’s Edition. I also recommend reading Frank Ballinger’s page, Bonnie & Clyde’s Texas Hideout, the ultimate web source for Barrow gang knowledge and artifacts.

I also was lucky to recently watch an episode of American Experience with a very good friend of mine who has been interested in learning more about the outlaw duo, and I found myself very pleased to be able to watch it without having to interject with corrections or commentary of my own! (Also, I think she’s now seriously considering bank robbery as a vocation.)

The Quote

We’re the Barrow boys!


The Sopranos: Christopher’s Blue Herringbone “Made Man” Suit

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

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

Vitals

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

New Jersey, Fall 2001

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

Background

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What’d He Wear?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sops303ChrisMade-CL3-Tie

He told me to shine my shoes…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go Big or Go Home

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

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

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

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

How to Get the Look

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

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

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

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

Do Yourself a Favor and…

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

The Quote

May I burn in hell if I betray my friends.



Bogart’s Ivory Dinner Jacket in Casablanca

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Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in a 1942 studio portrait to promote Casablanca.

Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in a 1942 studio portrait to promote Casablanca.

Vitals

Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine, cynical “gin joint” manager and former arms dealer

Casablanca, Morocco, December 1941

Film: Casablanca
Release Date: November 26, 1942
Director: Michael Curtiz

Background

Although remembered today as one of the greatest romances to grace the screen, the Los Angeles Times‘s Bob Strauss was most accurate when he declared Casablanca a “near-perfect entertainment balance” of comedy, romance, and suspense. In fact, the movie has become so engrained as a romance classic that few recall just how badass it actually is.

Take the leading male: Rick Blaine. Played by Humphrey Bogart (which already lends plenty of BAMF credibility), Rick is more cynical than any of the private eyes that Bogie ever played on screen. He owns a bar with an illegal gambling den and maintained a successful side racket of running guns to Ethiopia, in addition to packing his own pistol on most occasions.

When Ilsa, the love of his life, walks back into his bar after nearly two years, he takes to the bottle… and he does so with gusto. The bitter Rick refuses to help Ilsa’s crusading resistance leader husband, to which she responds by drawing her own gun. After sorting out conflicted feelings, old flames, and a bullet or two in the gut of a Nazi, Rick finally manages to find closure with his old love while paving the way for further shady business ventures. The end.

With just over a week left until Valentine’s Day, Rick Blaine provides a classic, dapper look sure to make your special lady swoon on this most hated of holidays. Good luck, fellas.

What’d He Wear?

For the first few decades of the dinner jacket’s existence, black or midnight blue wool was the standard. It wasn’t until the early 1930s when travelers in warm, tropical climates began to abandon darker colors in favor of the less formal “white” dinner jacket. Technically colored in shades of white like ivory or cream, these lighter dinner jackets provided a comfortable alternative for gentlemen in warm tropical heat who didn’t want to endure their vacation in heavy, dark wool.

Rick Blaine, operating his club in the heat of Morocco’s largest city, wears an ivory summer-weight worsted dinner jacket as part of his nightly attire. The classic image of Bogie, clad in his ivory dinner jacket with a glass of Bourbon in front of him and cigarette smoking from his hand while half of his scowling, embittered face is cloaked in a shadow, has become an icon.

Cheer up, Bogie!

Cheer up, Bogie!

Rick’s dinner jacket is double-breasted with a 4-on-1 stance of white plastic buttons. The wide shawl lapels are appropriately self-faced, and the shoulders are padded with roped sleeveheads. There are four buttons on the cuff of each sleeve. The back is ventless.

Everybody comes to Rick's...

Everybody comes to Rick’s…

Rick’s jacket also has three external pockets: two straight jetted hip pockets and a welted breast pocket with a white silk handkerchief poking out. Since his jacket is double-breasted and he always wears it closed, Rick likely wears no cummerbund or any sort of waist covering that would just be an added layer of uncomfortable warmth in the Moroccan heat.

Two slightly different men in two very different white jackets.

Two slightly different men in two very different white jackets. (Gotta love the way Bogart holds his cigarettes…)

Magnoli makes a “replica” of the jacket in either wool or a wool blend with a few different touches that differentiate it from the classic Bogart jacket, such as three functional cuff buttons instead of the four seen in the movie. Magnoli offers several options, including color, fabric, and lapel facings.

Rick’s trousers are the same dark wool formal trousers – likely black – that one would wear with any dinner jacket. They have a black satin side stripe down each leg to the plain-hemmed bottoms.

Rick wears a white dress shirt with a long-pointed turndown collar. Soft turndown collars are the preferred option for pairing with a warm-weather dinner jacket due to the shared relaxed vibe that both garments exude. The double cuffs on Rick’s shirt are fastened with white disc links, and white buttons fasten down the front placket.

Rick beats himself at yet another chess game.

Rick beats himself at yet another chess game.

A black silk thistle-shaped bowtie is neatly tied at Rick’s neck. The tie is surprisingly small compared to the size of Rick’s shirt collar and jacket lapels.

A proud moment for this club owner.

A proud moment for this club owner.

Rick’s shoes are best seen in production stills, but they appear to be black patent leather cap-toe balmorals with black dress socks.

Bogie strikes a Captain Morgan pose... perhaps not realizing that he would, in fact, be playing a Captain Morgan in To Have and Have Not two years later.

Bogie strikes a dignified Captain Morgan pose on the set… perhaps not realizing that he would, in fact, be playing a Captain Morgan in To Have and Have Not two years later.

All of Bogart’s usual accessories are present. His father’s gold ring – with two rubies and a diamond – is on the third finger of his right hand, with replicas available from Royalty and Hollywood Jewelry and Amazon.

Man, he is having a rough night!

Man, he is having a rough night!

Bogart also wears his Longines Evidenza wristwatch. The Evidenza was released in 1941, so Bogie’s – with its tonneau-shaped gilt case and dark brown leather strap – would have been relatively new at the time Casablanca was filmed.

Go Big or Go Home

While you’d be wise to avoid any sort of doomed romance like Rick and Ilsa, there’s no reason why your Casablanca-themed date shouldn’t end with you getting the girl instead of sending her off in an airplane to go help the resistance effort while you spend your time glad-handing corrupt public officials. The first thing you’ll want to do is set the mood.

Drinking alone is not a good way to set a romantic mood!

Drinking alone is not a good way to set a romantic mood!

Since you probably don’t have a jovial piano player at your beck and call, you’d be well-advised to get a classic version of “As Time Goes By” playing for your date. You could even take it a step further and play it on the piano yourself, but it may end up awkward for your date to stand there for three minutes while you fiddle around on the keys.

What to Imbibe

Next – libations. Rick drinks Bourbon (the fictional Kentucky Hill brand) and cognac (appears to be Cognac Vieux from Lehman ses Fils), but the film also prominently features the French 75 cocktail when Yvonne is ordering at the bar with her new boyfriend.

So what the hell is a French 75? I tried to order one once at Red Lobster and was flatly rejected. (True story. At least I filled up on Cheddar Bay Biscuits.) Although it may not look it and its non-Ron Swanson-approved ingredients may lead you to believe otherwise, the French 75 is one of the more badass cocktails because it’s named after a gun. A fucking big gun. A 75mm field gun, to be precise. The French Canon de 75 modèle 1897.

Doesn't really look like it was named after a massive gun, right?

Doesn’t really look like it was named after a massive gun, right?

The French 75 was developed during World War I (yet another BAMF point in its favor!) as, essentially, a fancier version of the Tom Collins cocktail but replacing the carbonated water with champagne… which is about as fancy as replacing water can get. The legendary Harry MacElhone, a god amongst barmen, first developed the cocktail at the New York Bar in Paris. The name came from the kick of the drink, which imbibers compared to being shelled by a 75mm field gun.

Though it was developed in 1915, the French 75 became the toast of the Roaring Twenties as a popular order at the Stork Club in New York. Harry himself first listed the drink in print as “the 75” in the 1922 edition of Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails (consisting of gin, Calvados, grenadine, and abstinthe!), but it wasn’t until five years later – in Judge Jr.’s Here’s How – that the now-common recipe of gin, sugar, lemon juice, and champagne was listed. Finally, the “French 75” name appeared in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930, fifteen years after MacElhone first mixed it.

So how would you make yours?

Combine three parts gin, two dashes of simple syrup (or a teaspoon of superfine sugar), and 1.5 measures of lemon juice into an ice-filled cocktail tumbler. Shake it all until it’s very cold, then strain it into a chilled Collins glass or champagne flute. (In case you can’t tell, you’re gonna want this drink to be cold!) Finally, top it up with six measures of champagne. G.H. Mumm was the champagne of choice throughout Casablanca, and it’s a fine spirit for you to include in your concoctions as well.

Some folks add a lemon twist for garnish and an extra citrussy pop. Some customize theirs a step further by swapping out the gin for cognac, although this is technically called a King’s Peg in some circles.

How to Get the Look

With Rick Blaine’s iconic formalwear, Humphrey Bogart shows us why being a cynical tough guy doesn’t mean foregoing elegance.

CasaBogieTux-crop

  • Ivory wool double-breasted dinner jacket with 4-on-1 button front, shawl lapels, welted breast pocket, straight jetted hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and ventless back
  • Black wool formal trousers with black satin side stripe, side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
  • White dress shirt with long-pointed turndown collar, front placket with white buttons, double/French cuffs
  • Black silk bowtie
  • White disc cufflinks
  • Black patent leather cap-toe balmorals
  • Black dress socks
  • Longines Evidenza gilt-cased wristwatch on dark brown leather strap
  • Gold ring with two rubies and diamond
  • White silk pocket kerchief

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine…

Footnotes

I haven’t been able to find any information about what happened to Bogart’s dinner jacket, but the black dinner jacket worn by S.K. Sakall as Carl the waiter was auctioned by Bonham’s in November 2014, fetching $3,750.

Although filmed and released in 1942, it’s interesting to note that Casablanca is set in early December 1941 as Rick dates a check for December 2nd, a decision by the screenwriter to add plausibility to Rick’s motivation. It’s also interesting to wonder what the super-neutral American Rick would have done just days later after his own country was pulled into the war. (Supposedly, a scene was planned of Rick and Renault joining the Allies for the 1942 invasion of North Africa, but Rains’ unavailability meant this scene was wisely scrapped and the ending remained untouched.)


American Gangster: Frank Lucas’ Wedding Suit

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Denzel Washington and Lymari Nadal as Frank Lucas and Eva Lucas in American Gangster (2007).

Denzel Washington and Lymari Nadal as Frank Lucas and Eva Lucas in American Gangster (2007).

Vitals

Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas, heroin kingpin

Harlem, Summer 1971

Film: American Gangster
Release Date: November 2, 2007
Director: Ridley Scott
Costume Designer: Janty Yates

Background

For BAMF Style, the week leading up to Valentine’s Day always means a Week of Weddings, focusing on how some of the greatest on-screen tough guys dress up for their big day.

American Gangster depicts the rise and fall of heroin trafficker Frank Lucas and his disputed claims of smuggling dope home in the caskets of American servicemen who had died during the Vietnam War. He meets the Puerto Rican beauty queen Eva (her real name was Julianna) at his nightclub, and the two are soon married.

What’d He Wear?

If Casino and American Gangster tell us anything, it’s that gangsters in the early ’70s wore white-on-white ties under black peak-lapel single-breasted suits for their nuptials.

Frank Lucas walks down the aisle in a very distinctive black wool dinner suit with satin accents at nearly every turn. The single-breasted jacket has sharp peak lapels with satin facings. Both the welted breast pocket and the rear-slanted welted hip pockets have satin-faced besoms. To provide some extra celebratory pop to his jacket, Frank has a white boutonnière pinned to his left lapel and a white silk handkerchief – with black edges – folded into his breast pocket.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Lucas greet their friends and family and fellow gangsters.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Lucas greet their friends and family and fellow gangsters.

All of the buttons on Frank’s dinner jacket are flat plastic with a metallic sheen. The jacket is worn closed in the front with a single button, and there are four buttons on each cuff.

The flat front suit trousers have side pockets. They have a large, comfortable fit throughout down to the slightly flared plain-hemmed bottoms which have a full break over Frank’s black leather slip-on loafers, a surprisingly informal choice of footwear for such an important day in Frank’s life.

This brief glimpse at Frank's surprisingly informal shoes also shows off his jacket and shirt cuffs.

This brief glimpse at Frank’s surprisingly informal shoes also shows off his jacket and shirt cuffs.

In honor of the traditional purity symbolized in most weddings, Frank wears all white beneath his suit. His textured dress shirt has a large spread collar and French cuffs. This appears to be the same shirt he had worn earlier with a brown suit during his arrest.

Frank faces off against a conniving Trupo.

Frank faces off against a conniving Trupo.

Frank’s silk necktie is an ivory shade warmer than his white shirt and waistcoat. He ties it with a wide Windsor knot and fastens it into place high on his chest where the vest breaks. His tie pin, like his cuff links, is round and black with silver edges.

AGfl9w-CL2-Tie

Although false-back vests were already popular by the time of Frank’s wedding in the summer of 1971, his white silk paisley-printed waistcoat appears to be the real deal with a high-fastening 6-button single-breasted front and a full back.

Frank's mysterious white silk vest...

Frank’s mysterious white silk vest…

When he’s sitting in front of the fire at home after having taken off his jacket, the shoulders appear to have the thin straps indicating a false-backed vest, but the shot of Frank ascending his spiral stairs clearly shows a fully-backed vest.

Go Big or Go Home – Wedding Edition

The Venue

Frank and Eva enjoy a nice service at a Baptist church and Harlem until…

Notable Guests

…that bastard Detective Trupo shows up and ruins everything with his veiled threats.

How to Get the Look

This production photo makes me wonder if Frank's suit is actually midnight blue, which would make sense...

This production photo makes me wonder if Frank’s suit is actually midnight blue, which would make sense…

Frank’s wedding attire is far more black and white than his dubious morality.

  • Black wool formal suit, consisting of:
    • Single-breasted 1-button dinner jacket with satin-faced peak lapels, satin-faced welt breast pocket, satin-faced slanted welt hip pockets, and 4-button cuffs
    • Flat front trousers with side pockets and plain-hemmed bottoms
  • Ivory paisley-printed silk single-breasted 6-button vest with notched bottom
  • White textured silk shirt with large spread collar and double/French cuffs
  • Ivory silk necktie, tied in Windsor knot
  • Silver-edged black round cuff links
  • Silver-edged black tie pin
  • Black patent leather plain-toe loafers
  • Black dress socks

Although not typically one for flashiness, Frank lets himself enjoy the celebratory nature of the day by pinning a white boutonnière to his lapel and folding a black-trimmed white silk display kerchief into his jacket breast pocket.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Before you say anything about me or about my wife, understand this is the most important day of my life, detective.


John Shelby’s Glen Plaid Suit for Peaky Blinders’ Gypsy Wedding

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Joe Cole as John Shelby on Peaky Blinders (Ep. 1.04, 2013).

Joe Cole as John Shelby on Peaky Blinders (Ep. 1.04, 2013).

Vitals

Joe Cole as John Shelby, impulsive Peaky Blinder gang member

Birmingham, England, September 1919

Series: Peaky Blinders
Episode: Episodes 1.04
Air Date: October 3, 2013
Director: Tom Harper
Costume Designer: Stephanie Collie

Background

Week of Weddings continues with a look from BBC Two’s Peaky Blinders. In the fourth episode, the Shelby brothers gather the Peaky Blinders for what ostensibly seems like an attack on the rival gypsy Lee family. John, the hotheaded younger brother of gang leaders Tommy and Arthur, has recently come to his family requesting their blessing to marry the neighborhood’s most prolific prostitute. The Lees, on the other side of town, have a girl that’s “gone a bit wild”. Tommy sees the opportunity here to end things without blood. (Not including the blood symbolically drawn from each new spouse’s hand.)

On the morning of the big showdown, John shows up especially itching for a fight… until Tommy pins a boutonniere on John’s left lapel and directs him to his new wife Esme.

John is initially hesitant (and that’s putting it nicely), but one look at Esme – and, of course, the realization that he is helping align the family with the Lees against Billy Kimber – allays John’s reluctance.

One look at his bride-to-be tells John that marriage might not be all bad.

One look at his bride-to-be tells John that marriage might not be all bad.

What’d He Wear?

John’s fighting suit, which quickly became his fighting suit, is a black and white Glen plaid wool three-piece suit with a light blue windowpane overcheck.

John heads to meet his fate... at the altar.

John heads to meet his fate… at the altar.

The single-breasted suit jacket fastens high on John’s torso with short notch lapels rolling to the top of the three-button front. The jacket has natural shoulders, roped sleeveheads, 2-button cuffs, and a ventless back. There is a welted breast pocket and two straight flapped hip pockets.

John prepares for battle with a natty pinkish-gray silk handkerchief poking out of his breast pocket. Tommy further dandies him up for the day with a white boutonniere on his left lapel.

John is none too pleased by his family selling him into a marriage to end a war... nor is he pleased by a flower on his lapel ruining his tough guy image.

John is none too pleased by his family selling him into a marriage to end a war… nor is he pleased by a flower on his lapel ruining his tough guy image.

John’s matching suit vest is, like his jacket, single-breasted with a high-fastening front. The five-button front closes over a notched bottom, and there are four welt pockets. John wears his gold pocket watch in the lower left pocket, strung on a chain through the third buttonhole.

Realizing that the decision to get married is out of his hands, John approaches the altar with the last of his swagger intact.

Realizing that the decision to get married is out of his hands, John approaches the altar with the last of his swagger intact.

The suit’s trousers rise high under the vest with a slightly tapered leg to the plain-hemmed bottoms that break high over his black leather boots. His boots may be front-laced “boondockers” like his brother Tommy wears.

JSPeaky104-CL3-Feet

John also takes after Tommy with his choice of striped shirt, club collar, and no tie. John’s shirt alternates between light blue stripes and white stripes, in turn broken by a thin blue stripe. The front bib and cuffs close with white buttons, and the white detachable club collar is secured by a single brass stud in the front and a second in the back.

Once a Peaky Blinder, always a Peaky Blinder.

Once a Peaky Blinder, always a Peaky Blinder.

A proud Peaky Blinder, John wears a dark brown wool newsboy cap with his “blinder” razor stitched above the brim.

Go Big or Go Home – Wedding Edition

The Venue

As the family of the bride, the Lees are gregarious hosts for the Shelby family’s visit to their camp.

Notable Guests

A potential battle turns into a reception to remember. Certainly a new spin on a “shotgun wedding”.

Somehow, this doesn't go horribly wrong.

Somehow, this doesn’t go horribly wrong.

The Music

The entertainment is boisterous, as one would expect, with a violin providing the soundtrack for much of the liquor-fueled dancing.

The 1919 version of the Cha Cha Slide.

The 1919 version of the Cha Cha Slide.

How to Get the Look

John’s style is clearly influenced by his brother Tommy, wearing a simpler version of the “Shelby uniform” without some of the extra personal touches that Tommy incorporates in the form of details or accessories.

JSPeaky104-crop

  • Black and white Glen plaid wool three-piece suit with light blue windowpane overcheck:
    • Single-breasted 3-button jacket with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and ventless back
    • Single-breasted 5-button vest with notched bottom and four welted pockets
    • Flat front high-rise trousers with side pockets, slightly tapered legs, and plain-hemmed short break bottoms
  • Light blue-and-white striped collarless shirt with front placket, white collar band, and button cuffs
  • White detachable stiff club collar
  • Black leather front-laced boondocker” half boots
  • Off-white long-sleeve undershirt
  • Dark brown wool newsboy cap
  • Gold pocketwatch, worn on gold chain with fob

For the big day, John wears a pink-ish gray silk pocket handkerchief and a white boutonniere on his left lapel.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the first season if you want to see this episode… and the rest of the six brilliant episodes that kicked the show off. The show’s impressive first two seasons are currently available on Netflix, and the showrunners have confirmed (luckily!) that a third season will be coming our way soon.

The Quote

Tommy, I’m not bloody marrying some fucking mushroom picker!

In case you weren’t convinced that John was a romantic at heart… he later bends and adds only one caveat:

She’d better be under 50.


Frank Underwood’s Cream Linen Suit

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Kevin Spacey as President Frank Underwood in "Chapter 33" of House of Cards (2015).

Kevin Spacey as President Frank Underwood in “Chapter 33” of House of Cards (2015).

Vitals

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

Gaffney, SC, August 2015

Series: House of Cards
Episode: “Chapter 33” (Episode 3.07)
Streaming Date: February 27, 2015
Director: John Dahl
Costume Designer: Johanna Argan

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

The Week of Weddings comes to an end with a subdued renewal of vows for that coldest of TV couples, Frank and Claire Underwood.

“Chapter 33” is a particularly meditative episode for a show that has found its lead character throw another major character in front of a train. The episode uses the creation and subsequent destruction of a Hindu mandala to tell the story of the unorthodox Underwood marriage. While political murders and extramarital affairs aren’t enough to kill their marriage, the President and his wife find themselves more divided than ever after the events of the previous episode. It’s significant that they return to the original church in Gaffney where their formation was created in order to rejuvenate their relationship, and it’s while talking to Yates in front of their first home together that he can admit:

I can tell you this, though, there would have been no White House without Claire.

Of course, Gaffney was also the place where Frank Underwood was created, and it is here – through the increasingly less biased eyes of biographer Thomas Yates – that he is as removed from his ruthless political self as possible. He is disarmingly introspective and charismatic, pouring out stories and wisdom though it were from a bottle of Bourbon in his office.

What’d He Wear?

As a son of South Carolina, Frank Underwood assumes the role of the ultimate Dixie gentleman for his pilgrimage to his hometown, sporting the Southern summer classic of an off-white linen suit. The actual cream linen suit worn by Underwood was custom-made and tailored for the production by the show’s costume designer Johanna Argan.

Mr. and Mrs. Underwood.

Mr. and Mrs. Underwood.

The suit’s single-breasted jacket has slim notch lapels – with a buttonhole through the left lapel – that roll to the top of the two-button stance. It has a welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, and double vents.

The wrinkles in Frank's linen suit evoke the wrinkles in time that take him back to his roots in Gaffney. (This is a stretch. Linen just happens to wrinkle very easily.)

The wrinkles in Frank’s linen suit evoke the wrinkles in time that take him back to his roots in Gaffney. (This is a stretch. Linen just happens to wrinkle very easily.)

Prior to the vow renewal ceremony, Frank pays a visit to his tailor. The tailor advises, “I want to take the sleeves up a touch,” but Frank refuses. “Oh, I think they’re perfect,” he responds. Of course, the wise tailor was correct as the sleeves – which have roping at the heads and 3-button cuffs at the ends – are certainly too long.

Even the President needs to listen to his tailor.

Even the President needs to listen to his tailor.

Frank’s suit trousers have a flat front and a medium rise to just below his waist. He often places his hands in the trouser side pockets, and both back pockets are jetted – although only the left one has a button. The trousers have a comfortably large fit, as linen is uncomfortable when too tight, and plain-hemmed bottoms.

HoC307FUw-CL1-Trou1

Frank wears a dark brown leather belt through his trouser loops. The belt has a decorative rectangular single-claw buckle in polished steel.

Frank takes Yates to his old homestead.

Frank takes Yates to his old homestead, where both unravel a secret or two.

The styling and tailoring of the suit are very similar to the blue linen suit that Underwood sports when he returns to the Oval Office in the following episode, “Chapter 34”.

Frank’s plain white cotton dress shirt looks especially stark against Spacey’s warm complexion and the buttery cream linen of the suit. Although white is often unflattering for this combination, it does serve to remind both Yates and the audience that this man exploring his small town roots can’t cover up his dark, sinister self with just a brightly-colored suit.

Frank Underwood shows just how versatile a white shirt can be.

Frank Underwood shows just how versatile a white shirt can be, looking totally different with off-white linen than with a dark business suit.

The shirt has a front placket and no breast pocket. The collar appears to have concealed buttons that fasten it close to the shirt; at least the right one appears to be fastened while the left one sometimes hangs free. The aforementioned long sleeves of the jacket cover the wrists, but the shirt appears to have plain button cuffs.

Frank’s undershirt is his usual white cotton crew neck short-sleeve t-shirt, which he wears without his dress shirt when visiting his tailor.

Frank follows one of the better-known rules of fashion by matching his belt and shoes; he wears a pair of dark brown leather cap-toe bluchers with brown socks.

Strutting around the old family home...

Strutting around the old family home…

Even the President’s watch adheres to the earthtone guidelines of the outfit. Spacey, an IWC ambassador, wears only IWC wristwatches in his role as Frank Underwood, and this watch appears to be a yellow gold IWC Portuguese 7 Day Power Reserve with a white dial and two white sub-dials, worn on a dark brown leather strap. This watch first appeared halfway through the second season when Frank Underwood was still Vice President Frank Underwood.

Frank wears both his class ring and his wedding band, and it’s worth noting that each ring holds regional significance in this episode. His class ring from “The Sentinel” is based on the gem-less, heavy 10-karat gold ring worn by graduates of The Citadel, a military college in South Carolina. The year “1981” was seen inscribed on Frank’s ring when he buried it in “Chapter 18”, eight episodes before receiving a replacement from Claire as a pre-birthday gift. He wears his Sentinel ring on the third finger of his right hand.

On the third finger of his left hand, Frank wears the plain gold wedding band that he first wore when marrying Claire in that same church in Gaffney.

Go Big or Go Home – Wedding Edition

Not quite a wedding since they’re actually renewing their vows (and a lot of good that does), the Underwoods return to the same church in Gaffney, South Carolina where they were originally married 28 years earlier.

The "happy" couple.

The “happy” couple.

How to Get the Look

Frank Underwood is certainly more at home in a dark political power suit, but he knows he has to play the part of the authentic Southerner when returning to Carolina. Plus, cream linen is very comfortable in the heat of a Dixie summer.

HoC307FUw-crop2

  • Cream linen custom-made tailored suit, consisting of:
    • Single-breasted jacket with slim notch lapels, 2-button front, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and double rear vents
    • Flat front trousers with belt loops, side pockets, jetted back pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
  • White cotton dress shirt with concealed-button collar, front placket, and button cuffs
  • Dark brown leather cap-toe bluchers
  • Brown dress socks
  • Dark brown leather belt with polished steel single-claw buckle
  • IWC Portuguese 7 Day Power Reserve wristwatch with round gold case, white dial with two white sub-dials, and brown leather strap
  • Gold “Sentinel” class ring
  • Gold plain wedding band
  • White cotton crew neck short-sleeve undershirt

Do Yourself a Favor and…

House of Cards was one of the early shows to help establish Netflix as a TV force to be reckoned with, but traditionalists can still pick up the first, second, and third seasons on DVD. And keep an eye out for season 4, premiering on Netflix on March 4!

The Quote

Hard work is only worth it in the right conditions.

Footnotes

Appropriately enough for this Presidential post, I’m in Washington D.C. for the weekend with my sister and her husband to see Oh Hello at the Warner Theatre. For anyone who doesn’t know, Oh Hello finds Nick Kroll and John Mulaney reprising their Kroll Show characters as two cantankerous New Yorkers who try much too hard to “prank” their guests with Too Much Tuna.


Henry’s Copa Date Suit in Goodfellas

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Ray Liotta as Henry Hill in Goodfellas (1990).

Ray Liotta as Henry Hill in Goodfellas (1990).

Vitals

Ray Liotta as Henry Hill, ambitious New York mob associate

New York, Spring 1964

Film: Goodfellas
Release Date: September 19, 1990
Director: Martin Scorsese
Costume Designer: Richard Bruno

Background

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, so BAMF Style is appropriating Mafia Monday for one of the most memorable scenes from Goodfellas, the impressive Steadicam shot that follows Henry and Karen’s date at their Copacabana. After leaving his Chrysler Newport with a doorman across the street (“It’s easier than leaving it at a garage”), the camera follows Henry as he spirits Karen through the labyrinth of hallways and kitchens into the famous nightclub, peeling off twenties for every hand that helps along the way.

Last April, Filmmaker magazine spoke to Steadicam operator Larry McConkey about filming that famous Copa tracking shot. As well as including some interesting insight about the early days of Steadicam in the late ’70s, the interview also includes great trivia for Goodfellas fans about one of the most iconic scenes in the movie, revealing that it was blocked, lit, and filmed in a half-day… before lunch. As Larry described:

I had to be wide to follow [Ray and Lorraine] down the stairs, because otherwise it would be a shot of the tops of their heads, but when they got to the bottom of the stairs they turned a corner and they would disappear if I didn’t catch up to them. So I said, “Ray, we have to figure out a way for you to stall at the bottom of the stairs so I can catch up to you.” Joe Reidy said, “We have a lot of extras so we can have a doorman and Ray could talk to him.” Then someone came up with the idea “You know what, Ray should give him a tip.” Now we’re echoing a theme that’s built into the character and built into the movie. Then walking down the hallway I said, “Ray, I really want to see your face now. So we’ve got to figure out a reason for you to turn around.” He said, “Well, I can talk to somebody else in the hall.” So we brought in a couple who were making out and Ray would turn and say, “Every time, you two.” So we structured events within the shot that covered the limitations of not being able to cut in order to give it pace and timing. What I didn’t expect, and what I only figured out later, was that all those (interactions) ended up being the heart and soul of the shot. Because Ray incorporated his character into those moments, those moments actually became what the shot was about instead of being tricks or being artifices.

What’d He Wear?

As part of a circle that spends its nights covered in silk suits and gold jewelry, Henry could be considered a relatively subtle dresser. Even his flashier moments are executed with a fashion sense not often seen among the ’70s Mafia set. For his big date with Karen at the Copa, Henry wears a sharp charcoal two-piece suit likely made from mohair or a mohair/wool blend, based on the way it shines in certain light.

The details of Henry’s single-breasted 2-button suit jacket fall perfectly in line with the slick minimalism that was fashionable in the mid-’60s. It has slim notch lapels, short side vents, and jetted hip pockets. The sleeveheads are roped with two buttons on each cuff. Henry interestingly pops a black silk handkerchief into the jacket’s welted breast pocket; the pocket square’s dark color barely contrasts against the dark charcoal suit, but carries the understated message of “this is my nighttime pocket square.”

Henry leads Karen through the Copa kitchen.

Henry leads Karen through the Copa kitchen.

Most of the shot tracks Henry’s upper half (and specifically, his back), so all that we can tell about his flat front trousers is that they have a low rise with belt loops, through which he wears a black leather belt. Assuming that they follow his usual style points from this era on screen, they would have plain-hemmed bottoms.

And since we can’t see below Henry’s thighs, more guesswork is needed for his shoes. Based on Henry’s fashion sense and his usual belt-matching, it’s safe to say that he was sporting black shoes and socks. Oxfords would be the most traditional shoe for a suit like this, but Henry’s penchant for horsebit loafers – to the point of wearing them for his wedding – likely means that he would be sporting them for a night out like this.

The ubiquitous long-pointed “Goodfella collar” returns on Henry’s white dress shirt, which also features a front placket and French cuffs. Some online retailers specialize in marketing the “Goodfella collar” or “Italian collar”, but I can’t speak personally to their quality.

Henry’s tie is maroon silk with a motif of large printed circles, all slightly darker red than the tie ground. According to Liotta, Scorsese would often step in to keep his tie knots accurate for the setting.

Karen doubts that a construction union delegate could really afford front-row seats at the Copa, let alone dishing out $20 to everyone who flashes them a smile, but a woman would do just about anything to see Henny Youngman in person, right?

Karen doubts that a construction union delegate could really afford front-row seats at the Copa, let alone dishing out $20 to everyone who flashes them a smile, but a woman would do just about anything to see Henny Youngman in person, right?

Although Karen covered it up for their last date, Henry is likely still wearing his gold Catholic cross pendant on a gold chain around his neck. The rest of his gold accessories adorn his right hand, with a pinky ring on his finger and a gold watch on a black strap around his wrist.

Go Big or Go Home

Henry knows how to impress a date! Granted, it’s probably an expensive night, but it certainly looks cool. With a confidence dialed down from arrogant swagger, Henry dazzles Karen as he leads her through the back entrance of the Copa to avoid lines, greeting many familiar faces along the way (“Every time, you two!”) before finally ending up in the club itself. The maitre’d immediately ignores the long line in order to personally greet and shake Henry’s hand.

Scorsese took measures to make sure the scene had the same impact on audiences as it did when he witnessed the same thing as a young man: “…the table should fly at the camera and fill the frame,” Scorsese told Larry McConkey. “When I was a kid I came to a club like this and it was incredible to me and the thing I most remember was the way a table would appear out of nowhere.”

And it is indeed impressive to see a table whisked from seemingly nowhere and set up in record time with a tablecloth, a centerpiece light, and two chairs just in time for Henry and Karen to take their seats. After palming a twenty to each of his waiters, another walks over with a bottle of champagne (Dom Pérignon, because of course) and explains that it’s from a “Mr. Tony, over there.” After cursory nods of appreciation, Henry turns back to Karen with the same casual self-satisfaction that I offer a date after upgrading my Arby’s meal from a medium to large. Her following three lines express her surprise (“You gave them $20 each!”), suspicions (“What do you do?”), and arousal (“They don’t feel like you’re in construction…”)

The entertainment shifts from the non-diegetic soundtrack featuring one of the greatest tracks of the early ’60s “girl group” era to “the king of the one-liners” as Henny Youngman himself takes the stage and does some dazzling of his own:

Take my wife, please. I take my wife everywhere but she finds her way home. I said, “Where do you wanna go for our anniversary?” She said, “Let’s go somewhere I’ve never been.” I said, “Try the kitchen.” Dr. Wellsler is here. Gave a guy six months to live. Couldn’t pay his bill. Gave him six more months.

The song used during Henry and Karen’s iconic club entrance is “Then He Kissed Me” by The Crystals, produced by Phil Spector and released in July 1963. In two-and-a-half minutes, the song basically tells a sanitized version of Karen’s romance with Henry as an encounter leads to dating, which leads to eventual marriage. The idyllic song is optimistic and hopeful, a far cry from a future that involves hard drug addiction, multiple arrests and murders, and – eventually – witness protection.

(By the way, $20 in 1964 is inflated to just over $152 in 2016. Since there is no such thing as a $152 bill, the best thing to do is probably still hand out twenties. If the guys you’re tipping complain about inflation, send them to Paulie.)

How to Get the Look

A charcoal suit, white shirt, and dark red tie is often found in the business world, but the details of Henry’s ensemble differentiate his attire for a well-to-do mobster’s night on the town.

Henry forgets that most dates like if you have your eyes open most of the time.

Henry forgets that most dates like if you have your eyes open most of the time.

  • Charcoal mohair suit, consisting of:
    • Single-breasted 2-button suit jacket with slim notch lapels, welted breast pocket, jetted hip pockets, short double rear vents, and 2-button cuffs
    • Flat front low rise trousers with belt loops and plain-hemmed bottoms
  • White dress shirt with long-pointed “Goodfella collar”, front placket, and double/French cuffs
  • Maroon silk necktie with printed circles
  • Black leather horsebit loafers
  • Black dress socks
  • White sleeveless ribbed cotton undershirt
  • Gold watch on black leather strap
  • Gold pinky ring, worn on right pinky
  • Gold Catholic cross pendant, worn on gold necklace

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

Script to Screen

Scorsese stuck pretty close to he and Nicholas Pileggi’s original vision for the scene:

               EXT.  COPACABANA - NIGHT

               HENRY gives the keys and a rolled-up twenty-dollar bill to 
               the DOORMAN at the building across the street and steers 
               KAREN toward the Copa.

                                     KAREN
                         What're you doing? What about the 
                         car?

                                     HENRY
                              (while pushing her 
                              through the crowd 
                              waiting to get in)
                         He watches it for me. It's better 
                         than waiting at a garage.

               HE SEE HENRY deftly steer KAREN away from the Copa's main 
               entrance and down the basement steps. A HUGE BODYGUARD, 
               eating a sandwich in the stairwell, gives HENRY a big 
               "Hello." WE SEE HENRY walk right through the basement 
               kitchen, which is filled with CHINESE and LATINO COOKS and 
               DISHWASHERS who pay no attention. KAREN is being dragged 
               along, open-mouthed, at the scene. HENRY starts up a stained 
               kitchen staircase through a pair of swinging doors and 
               suddenly KAREN sees she is inside the main room. The harried 
               MAITRE D' (he is surrounded by CUSTOMERS clamoring for 
               their tables) waves happily at HENRY and signals to a 
               CAPTAIN. WE SEE a table held aloft by TWO WAITERS wedging 
               their way toward the stage and plant the table smack in 
               front of what had until that moment been a ringside table. 
               As HENRY leads KAREN to their seat, she sees that he is 
               nodding and shaking hands with MANY of the OTHER GUESTS.  
               WE SEE HENRY quietly slip twenty-dollar-bills to the 
               WAITERS.

                                     KAREN
                              (sitting down)
                         You gave them twenty dollars each?

               WE SEE the CAPTAIN approach with champagne.

                                     CAPTAIN
                         This is from Mister Tony, over 
                         there.

                                     HENRY
                         Where, over there?

                                     CAPTAIN
                         Over there, over there.

               KAREN watches HENRY turn around and wave at a 280-POUND 
               HOOD.

                                     KAREN
                         What do you do?

                                     HENRY
                              (toasting Karen and 
                              clinking glasses)
                         I'm in construction.

                                     KAREN
                              (taking his hands)
                         They don't feel like you're in 
                         construction.

               HENRY turns to the stage where the lights begin to dim and 
               HENNY YOUNGMAN walks out.

                                     HENRY
                         I'm a union delegate.

Lee Marvin’s Gray Silk Suit in The Killers

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Lee Marvin as Charlie Strom in The Killers (1964).

Lee Marvin as Charlie Strom in The Killers (1964).

Vitals

Lee Marvin as Charlie Strom, professional mob hitman

Miami, Fall 1963

Film: The Killers
Release Date: July 7, 1964
Director: Don Siegel
Costume Designer: Helen Colvig

Background

Tomorrow would have been the birthday of Lee Marvin, who was born in New York on February 19, 1924. After his WWII service with the Marine Corps, Marvin spent a few decades acting before lighting up the screen as introspective assassin Charlie Strom in Don Siegel’s adaptation of The Killers. In addition to his first top-billed film role, The Killers also led to Marvin winning the BAFTA Award for Best Actor (in addition to his role in Cat Ballou).

The story originated as an Ernest Hemingway short story in 1927 and was first filmed in 1946 with Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, and William “Fatman McCabe” Conrad in his first credited role. In a rare instance of an author appreciating the cinematic adaptation of his work, Hemingway was reportedly quite pleased with this now-classic film noir that borrowed his words for the opening act before taking audiences through the totally original story co-penned by Richard Brooks, Anthony Veiller, and John Huston.

In 1964, Don Siegel directed this remake which appropriately brought the two titular assassins – played here by Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager – to the forefront. Siegel and screenwriter Gene L. Coon avoided the issues that plague most remakes by totally revamping the story and characters while maintaining the opening premise and violent tone that hooked readers and viewers for the last four decades. The blog Immortal Ephemera pays tribute to both adaptations and draws out the strength of this newer version:

For me it took the 1964 Don Siegel movie version of The Killers to realize the true genius of Hemingway’s story. That movie is a further step removed from the text, more a movie remake than straight adaptation of the Hemingway story. The Siegel film retains the killers, removes the Nick Adams character, but leaves Lee Marvin’s hitman character to obsess over all that had first puzzled Nick when the story was first published in Scribner’s in 1927.

The Killers begins with its two laconic hitmen, Charlie (Marvin) and Lee (Gulager) striding into a school for the blind, searching for a teacher named Johnny North (John Cassavetes). North receives a warning call, but he calmly waits at his desk as Charlie and Lee swiftly gun him down. The psychotic Lee is satisfied by the large payout coming their way, but Charlie is bothered by North’s acceptance of his fate and determines that there is more to the story.

What’d He Wear?

Charlie Strom’s light gray semi-solid silk two-piece suit immediately differentiates him as an outsider in the bucolic school for the blind in the opening act. In fact, Johnny North probably chose a place like this to hide since any professional killer in a silk suit would draw attention immediately.

KILLERS

Charlie’s silk suit is more fitting when he goes to Miami, but even then his mechanic shop surroundings provide a clear contrast to his urban gangster ensemble.

The single-breasted suit jacket has slim notch lapels that roll down to the two-button front, which Charlie alternates between wearing with either only the top button closed (for sartorial correctness) or only the bottom button closed (to keep his jacket closed while allowing him easier access to his large revolver holstered underneath it.)

Charlie’s jacket has a welted breast pocket and straight hip pockets with slim flaps. The shoulders are padded, and the sleeveheads are roped with two buttons at the end on each cuff. The back has short double side vents.

KILLERS

Since he keeps his jacket closed throughout this brief opening scene, the only confirmed detail about Charlie’s flat front trousers are the cuffed bottoms with their tall turn-ups. At 6’2″, Lee Marvin can get away with taller cuffs on his trousers without sacrificing the appearance of his own height.

Each of Charlie’s suits in the film is differently styled, but the trousers seem to be consistent with on-seam side pockets, jetted back pockets with button loops, and belt loops, through which he wears a black belt when wearing black shoes. I think we can reasonably assume that Charlie’s trousers are similar to his others when it comes to some of these details.

Charlie wears a white dress shirt with a spread collar and single-button squared cuffs. When relaxing on the train, he takes off his jacket and tie to reveal a front placket and pointed-bottom breast pocket.

KILLERS

Charlie’s tie typically matches his suit, and his slim silver silk necktie with this outfit is no exception. The tie has a short length, and the pointed tip falls out of his jacket when he leans over with only the bottom button fastened.

KILLERS

Charlie’s way with women could use some work.

Charlie struts down the school hall in black calf leather 2-eyelet derby shoes with cap toes. Rather than matching his socks to his trousers, he wears a pair of black dress socks, likely made of thin silk.

KILLERS

Although Lee has swagger, Charlie is clearly the leader of the two hitmen.

To show his cool indifference for his surroundings, Charlie keeps on both his hat and sunglasses while inside the school.

Even Charlie’s hat indicates his preference for sticking to shades of gray. Both the felt fedora and its wide grosgrain ribbon are darker gray, with a small red feather pinned into the bow on the ribbon’s left side. The fedora’s short brim is snapped down in the front.

Charlie’s sunglasses have thick brown plastic frames with dark green lenses.

KILLERS

Either he’s blatantly indifferent to the school’s sense of decorum or Charlie Strom is nursing one hell of a hangover.

Although not very clearly seen here, Charlie appears to be wearing a stainless non-date Rolex Submariner 5513 with a black dial and black bezel on a stainless link bracelet. It is best seen when wearing his Glen plaid suit to lock Norman Fell into a sweatbox or when wearing his blue suit and firing his suppressed .357 during the gunfight finale.

Kill64LMGray-crop2How to Get the Look

Unlike other professional killers, Charlie Strom doesn’t care that his sharp clothing draws attention. In fact, he seems to relish looking every bit the intimidating gangster.

  • Light gray semi-solid silk suit, consisting of:
    • Single-breasted 2-button jacket with slim notch lapels, welted breast pocket, slim-flapped hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and short double rear vents
    • Flat front trousers with belt loops, side pockets, jetted back pockets, and turn-ups/cuffed bottoms
  • White dress shirt with spread collar, front placket, breast pocket, and 1-button cuffs
  • Silver silk necktie
  • Black leather 2-eyelet cap-toe derby shoes
  • Black thin dress socks
  • Gray felt short-brimmed fedora with wide dark gray grosgrain ribbon
  • Brown plastic-framed sunglasses with dark green lenses
  • Rolex Submariner 5513 with stainless case, black dial, and black bezel on stainless link bracelet

The Gun

Charlie’s weapon of choice for the opening hit is the same blued Smith & Wesson Model 27 that he would use during the finale.

Interestingly, the revolver is fitted with a somewhat silly-looking “soup can” suppressor; while movies, TV, and books always like to outfit its professional hitmen with intimidating-looking “silencers”, it’s not often realized that the gas escaping through the cylinder makes a suppressor on a revolver practically useless. (Plus, Strom kills most of his victims in broad daylight with plenty of witnesses… what good would it do to silence the sound?)

Despite the relatively useless suppressor, Charlie’s weapon of choice is far from useless itself. Smith & Wesson first introduced the venerable .357 Magnum cartridge in 1935 for its Registered Magnum model. The .357 Magnum quickly gained a reputation as a powerful and reliable self-defense round, and shooters also appreciated that .38 Special rounds could be fired from a .357 revolver. When Smith & Wesson began numbering its models in the mid-1950s, the large carbon-steel N-frame .357 Magnum was officially designated the Model 27.

KILLERS

The movie’s titular killers, doing what they do best.

Charlie Strom is clearly a fiercely independent, unique brand of assassin. He’s confident striding into a hit, wearing a flashy suit and blowing away his victim in a room full of witnesses, then he takes the time afterward to actually think about what he’s just done. It makes sense that he would carry distinctive weapons like the Model 27 and, as a backup, a Single Action Army holstered to his belt (as we’ll see later). While revolvers and semi-automatic pistols each offer their own relative pros and cons, one major benefit of a revolver to a hitman like Charlie would be the lack of ejected shells (and thus evidence) left on the scene.

For his next violent revenge-crime flick, Point Blank, Lee Marvin would “upgrade” to the large-framed Smith & Wesson Model 29 in .44 Magnum.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie. The Criterion Collection offers a dual-pack with the original 1946 version starring Burt Lancaster as well as this 1964 update.

The Quote

I gotta find out what makes a man decide not to run… why, all of a sudden, he’d rather die.


The Birds: Mitch’s Tweed Jacket and Drab Trousers

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Rod Taylor as Mitch Brenner in The Birds (1963).

Rod Taylor as Mitch Brenner in The Birds (1963).

Vitals

Rod Taylor as Mitchell “Mitch” Brenner, smooth defense lawyer

Bodega Bay, California, Summer 1963

Film: The Birds
Release Date: March 28, 1963
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Wardrobe Supervisor: Rita Riggs

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

I try to be very responsive to comments, e-mails, and suggestions on this blog, but sometimes life gets in the way. (Feel free to prod if you’re waiting for a response on something, of course!)

Three years ago, “Teeritz” (a wonderful commenter and blogger well-known to the BAMF Style community) suggested covering Rod Taylor’s outfits in The Birds, particularly the tweed suit jacket and side-pocket trousers worn for the day of the actual bird attack. I’m ashamed to admit that I had gone 26 years of life without seeing The Birds until last month, and my fellow Pittsburghers know that sharing the city with pigeons means that few things are more frightening than a potential avian mutiny.

What’d He Wear?

With tensions running high after the unusual bird activity the day before, Mitch Brenner is quick to leap into action after his mother reports the death of a neighbor who appears to have been pecked to death by birds. Though dressed casually for the day, he throws on the gray mixed tweed suit jacket that he wore for his little sister’s birthday party the day previously and heads into town.

Mitch’s single-breasted tweed suit jacket has slim notch lapels that roll cleanly down to the closely-spaced three-button front, which he buttons in the center just above the waist. Appropriately sporty for a tweed “vacation” suit, Mitch’s jacket has flapped hip pockets that slant slightly back as well as a flapped ticket pocket on the right that follows the same rear slant. The jacket also has a welted breast pocket, roped sleeveheads, 3-button cuffs, and double side vents.

THE BIRDS

Mitch counsels the mostly useless townspeople.

Mitch also wears the same type of white cotton dress shirt that he’s worn with all of his suits and sport jackets. The shirt has a large spread collar, front placket, and rounded cuffs that close with a single button and no gauntlet button. There are also no darts or pleats on the back or sides.

THE BIRDS

Most people wouldn’t wear a white dress shirt for housework projects, but a practical guy like Mitch doesn’t change when saving his family from a bird attack is the order of the day.

Mitch’s suit has matching trousers, of course, which he wore the day before during the party. For this casual day around the house, he instead wears the same olive drab utility pants previously seen with his cream cable-knit sweater worn during Melanie’s first venture to Bodega Bay. The trousers are held up with a thick dark brown oiled leather belt that closes in the front through a brass single-claw buckle with rounded corners.

THE BIRDS

Mitch preps for a game of Angry Birds, 1963 style.

The olive drab cargo pants do not appear to be any of the utility trousers issued by the U.S. military during the era, although the fabric and color resembles the “OG-107” olive green cotton that was used on field garments through the early 1970s when it was replaced by the “OG-507” polyester/cotton blend.

Mitch’s trousers are very simple with only a large patch pocket on each side that closes with a single metal button through each flap. There are no hand pockets or back pockets, and the bottoms are plain without turn-ups or straps. The straight fly likely closes with buttons.

THE BIRDS

This scene was very sad for me as I’ve been a big fan of Suzanne Pleshette ever since I first saw The Bob Newhart Show as a youth. That voice…

Mitch also wears the same brown leather low boots as he did with his cream sweater. These dark brown boots have four brass eyelets and tan stitching on the moc-toe, on the quarters, and around the heelcap. While protecting Melanie from the upstairs bird attack, he briefly flashes the heavy brown soles at the camera, revealing a yellow rectangular logo on the arch. His light gray socks are briefly glimpsed when bending over to help before the gas station explosion.

THE BIRDS

Mitch looks forward to kicking some bird ass.

Although not cosmetically exact, I received this pair of Clarks Bushwick boots for Christmas this year (Thanks, Mom!), and I can personally testify that they’re quite practical and comfortable, although I’m thankful that I haven’t yet had to test their utility during a bird strike.

Mitch’s simple yet elegant wristwatch has a gold case with a gold crown and silver dial with plain hour indicators, worn on a dark brown alligator strap.

THE BIRDS

R.I.P. :(

How to Get the Look

Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor in The Birds (1963).

Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor in The Birds (1963).

Mitch’s resourcefulness is evident in his practical and comfortable attire during the bird attack, incorporating fashion and utility as he prepares to protect his family, his new girlfriend, and his town from the foul fowl.

  • Gray mixed tweed single-breasted 3-button suit jacket with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, slanted flapped hip pockets, flapped ticket pocket, 3-button cuffs, and double side vents
  • White cotton dress shirt with large spread collar, front placket, and 1-button rounded cuffs
  • Olive green cotton utility trousers with tall belt loops, button-down flapped side cargo pockets, and plain bottoms
  • Dark brown oiled leather belt with round-edged single-claw brass buckle
  • Dark brown leather moc-toe 4-eyelet boots
  • Light gray socks
  • Gold wristwatch with silver dial on dark brown alligator leather strap

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

I think we’re in real trouble. I don’t know how this started or why, but I know it’s here and we’d be crazy to ignore it…

Footnote

It was legendary costume designer Edith Head who designed the iconic mint green suit that Tippi Hedren wears throughout The Birds.



Dean Martin’s Gray Suit in Ocean’s Eleven

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

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...

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.

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.

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.

O11DMgray-CL2-Shirt

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.

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.

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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 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.

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  • 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.


Collateral – Vincent’s Suit

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Finally took the time to revisit and update an old post that was in dire need of more detailed attention… Happy Leap Day!

BAMF Style

Tom Cruise as Vincent in Collateral (2004).

Vitals

Tom Cruise as Vincent, professional freelance assassin

Los Angeles, January 2004

Film: Collateral
Release Date: August 6, 2004
Director: Michael Mann
Costume Designer: Jeffrey Kurland
Tom Cruise’s Costume Designer: Kendall Errair

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

A year before he jumped up and down on Oprah’s couch, Tom Cruise played a role no one saw coming: a world-weary, cold-blooded, and ruthless paid assassin. In the film, Cruise’s assassin, Vincent, kidnaps a taxi cab driver named Max (played by Jamie Foxx) and forces him to chauffeur him to his various assassinations. Tension grows as Max realizes he is likely to be Vincent’s final kill of the night.

For his look in the Michael Mann flick, a modern take on Cary Grant’s famous North by Northwest suit was developed for Cruise’s character. The choice is an interesting contrast: in North by Northwest, Grant’s character…

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The Last Run: Harry’s Navy Flannel Jacket

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George C. Scott as Harry Garmes in The Last Run (1971).

George C. Scott as Harry Garmes in The Last Run (1971).

Vitals

George C. Scott as Harry Garmes, washed-up expatriate getaway driver

Portugal, Spring 1971

Film: The Last Run
Release Date: July 7, 1971
Director: Richard Fleischer
Wardrobe Supervisor: Annalisa Nasalli-Rocca

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

The Last Run is a relatively obscure crime flick from the early ’70s that starred George C. Scott, fresh off of his Oscar-winning turn in Patton, as a retired Bogart-esque criminal living the easy expatriate life in Europe à la Hemingway when he is called back for the proverbial “one last job”. Of course, anyone who’s ever seen any movie ever knows that “one last job” is never quite as easy as it sounds, and our aging protagonist finds himself facing more than he bargained for when driving escaped killer Paul Rickard (Tony Musante) and his girlfriend Claudie Scherrer (Trish Van Devere) across Portugal and Spain into France.

Based on a recommendation (and the gracious gift of the film itself on DVD!) from Craig, a frequent and astute blog commentor, I was immediately enthralled by The Last Run and paid it tribute with a Car Week post in December 2015 that focused on Harry Garmes’ brown leather jacket and rare BMW 503 roadster. Today’s post breaks down Harry’s look as he speeds through the final leg of his last run.

What’d He Wear?

This outfit is more “business casual” than Harry’s brown leather jacket, dark turtleneck, and khakis from earlier in the film. Harry wears a navy blue single-breasted jacket constructed from soft woven flannel.

Harry Garmes in his zone: behind the wheel of a fast car.

Harry Garmes in his zone: behind the wheel of a fast car.

Harry’s navy sportcoat has notch lapels, a welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, and a long single rear vent that reveals the jacket’s tan lining when blown up by the wind. Each of the distinctive mitred cuffs has a single functioning button, dark blue plastic just like the two in the front.

In case you're worried that this is a spoiler... uh, Harry has an unfortunate incident with a vat of red paint. Poor Harry!

In case you’re worried that this is a spoiler… uh, Harry has an unfortunate incident with a vat of red paint. Poor Harry!

Harry pairs the sport jacket with a pair of gray wool flat front slacks with side pockets and jetted back pockets. He wears a black leather belt – likely the same from his other outfit – through the belt loops. The trousers have plain-hemmed bottoms with a short break.

Harry crafts a booby trap to ward off his pursuers.

Harry crafts a booby trap to ward off his pursuers.

On the second day of Harry’s drive with Paul and Claudie, he wears a light gray acrylic long-sleeve polo shirt, which closes at the neck with two black plastic buttons beneath the large collar. There is also a single button on the inside of each elasticized cuff at the end of the shirt’s long sleeves. The welted pocket over Harry’s left breast also closes with a button. Like the cuffs, the waistband is elasticized.

Harry is stuck sharing a hotel room with Paul and Claudie.

Harry is stuck sharing a hotel room with Paul and Claudie.

For their final day on the road, Harry swaps out the polo for a cream cable-knit turtleneck jumper. The ribbed wool sweater appears to be a soft variation like cashmere, a luxurious choice that would make sense for an aging career criminal living out his retirement.

Most men wouldn't choose cashmere for a grease monkey session, but Harry Garmes doesn't stand on ceremony.

Most men wouldn’t choose cashmere for a grease monkey session, but Harry Garmes doesn’t stand on ceremony.

Although he wore desert boots for his first day on the road, Harry opts for different footwear here that fits better with the rest of his outfit. Harry sports a pair of black leather monk strap ankle boots with a single strap on each that closes over the outside through a brass buckle. He also wears black socks.

Harry checks out the BMW.

Harry checks out the BMW.

Perhaps unfortunately, The Last Run clearly shows us Harry Garmes’ underwear of choice: white Jockey briefs with a thin gray stripe around the waistband.

More fortunately, we also get some great shots of Harry’s stainless watch, worn on his left wrist with a steel bracelet. It has a large round silver dial with two sub-dials, and at least one commentor on this blog has stated their belief that it’s an Omega.

Although Harry's watch and booze leave some speculation, The Last Run makes it clear that our hero prefers Marlboro: the standard cigarette of American badasses for more than 60 years.

Although Harry’s watch and booze leave some speculation, The Last Run makes it clear that our hero prefers Marlboro: the preferred cigarette for American badasses for more than 60 years.

Harry’s only other accessory is the plain gold wedding band that adorns the third finger of his left hand.

Go Big or Go Home

Despite his German car and Spanish gun (a Star Model B, though it’s based off of the very American M1911A1 pistol design), Harry Garmes remains rooted in the grizzled yet honorable cynicism that defined so many great American anti-heroes drafted by Hemingway or portrayed by Bogart. He’s totally abandoned any semblance of hope or religion as he hurdles toward the end of the road on what he knows to be his last run, contently behind the wheel of his prized 1957 BMW 503 convertible.

Henry chauffeurs Claudie to the end of the road.

Henry chauffeurs Claudie to the end of the road.

How to Get the Look

Harry dresses up a little more for his last few days with his guests, showing how a guy can still look nice even when spending the bulk of his time in the driver’s seat.

Harry Garmes proudly stands beside his BMW.

Harry Garmes proudly stands beside his BMW.

  • Navy blue flannel single-breasted 2-button sportcoat with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, mitred 1-button cuffs, and long single rear vent
  • Light gray acrylic long-sleeve polo shirt with 2-button placket, buttoned welt pocket, and elasticized cuffs with single inner button
  • Gray wool flat front trousers with belt loops, side pockets, jetted back pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
  • Black leather belt
  • Black leather monk strap ankle boots with brass buckles
  • Black socks
  • White cotton Jockey briefs
  • Stainless wristwatch with round silver dial, 2 sub-dials, and steel bracelet
  • Gold wedding ring

In cooler weather (or, in Harry’s case, a bullet-flying romp by the sea), a chunky cream cashmere turtleneck sweater would be a great alternative to a polo.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.


Bond’s Gun Club Check in The Living Daylights

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Timothy Dalton as James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987).

Timothy Dalton as James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987).

Vitals

Timothy Dalton as James Bond, British government agent

Oxfordshire, England, Fall 1986

Film: The Living Daylights
Release Date: June 27, 1987
Director: John Glen
Costume Designer: Emma Porteous
Costume Supervisor: Tiny Nicholls

Background

For the 00-7th of March, I’m finally getting around to my first post celebrating Timothy Dalton’s brief tenure as James Bond. After a few tumultuous years for the Bond franchise which saw Roger Moore going head to head with Sean Connery’s Never Say Never Again, Pierce Brosnan briefly signed to take over the role before Remington Steele came calling back, and a geriatric Roger Moore going head to head with Grace Jones in A View to a Kill, the franchise gave itself its first attempt at a reboot.

Timothy Dalton had long been considered for the Bond role, first approached nearly 20 years earlier when Sean Connery walked away after You Only Live Twice. Dalton made the mature decision of realizing that – not yet 25 years old – he wasn’t old enough for every man’s dream role nor did he want to try to steal the spotlight from Connery. After Moore’s retirement and Brosnan’s recall to TV in 1986, Dalton was again approached and finally decided to take the role.

Dalton had been a fan of Ian Fleming’s novels, so his portrayal meant a return to the basics: less lavish outrageousness and more grounded seriousness. Dalton’s Bond was a seasoned, professional spy who shared his predecessors’ appreciation – if not weakness – for fast cars, women, and martinis.

In this scene, Bond is called to MI6’s Blayden House (actually Stonor House in Oxfordshire), where his superiors are debriefing with General Georgi Koskov, the loquacious ex-KGB official played by Jeroen Krabbé, the Dutch actor who seemingly specializes in playing charmingly eccentric villains whose treachery is always discovered in the final act.

What’d He Wear?

Despite Moneypenny telling him that M wanted him to “hurry”, Bond changes out of his gray herringbone three-piece city suit into a more appropriate country outfit of a gun club check sportcoat, knit tie, and trousers.

Bond wears gun club check for his trip to the safe house.

Bond wears gun club check for his trip to the safe house.

The last time gun club check appeared on BAMF Style, it was a louder pattern sported by Mad Men‘s Don Draper during a visit to the west coast in season four’s “The Good News”. A GQ analysis of this sporty style also delves into the origins; gun club check emerged in the mid-1800s as “the Coigach”, based on the district of the Scottish highlands where it originated, and thus also providing a nod to Bond’s Scottish heritage. The four original colors of the Coigach – black, red-brown, light gold, and pine green – intersected to create a geometric box pattern designed to resemble the district’s landscape palette.

Bond’s wool gun club check sportcoat is created by intersecting brown, blue, green, and black checks. The single-breasted, two-button sportcoat has notch lapels, a welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, and two-button cuffs. The padded shoulders are so wide that each roped sleevehead is slightly lower than usual on Dalton’s shoulders, a product of 1980s tailoring.

M is understandably concerned by Bond's "expense receipt".

M is understandably concerned by Bond’s “expense receipt”.

This sportcoat was auctioned by Christie’s in December 2001, fetching £411 ($593) and identifying the jacket’s maker as Benjamin Simon. Although other details are confirmed by the listing – such as the brown “art” silk – it strangely incorrectly mentions a “single vent” when the sport jacket seen in the film clearly has long double vents, best seen when Bond is entering the safe house.

Bond enters the safe house wearing the same gun club check sportcoat that was auctioned at Christie's 14 years later (inset).

Bond enters the safe house wearing the same gun club check sportcoat that was auctioned at Christie’s 14 years later (inset).

The gun club check sportcoat can be spotted later in the film; Bond is wearing it in the photo for his Soviet passport as “Jerzy Bondov”.

Different tie in the passport photo, though.

Different tie in the passport photo, though.

The rest of Bond’s outfit is comprised of various shades of brown, evoking his rustic surroundings and further establishing his outfit’s fitness for the country. His low rise trousers are dark brown wool with single pleats, slanted side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms.

Bond’s light ecru dress shirt has a spread collar, front placket, and single-button cuffs. His knit tie, a Fleming favorite, is dark brown with a flat bottom.

Bond sits in a cloud of smoke as Koskov debriefs the British intelligence chiefs.

Bond sits in a cloud of smoke as Koskov debriefs the British intelligence chiefs.

Bond’s brown leather oxfords are briefly seen as he exits his Aston Martin, although the break of the trousers and the distance of the shot prevent any additional details from being determined. Based on the brown shoes and trousers, it can be safely assumed that Bond is wearing brown socks as well.

A behind-the-scenes shot gives another look at Bond's outfit.

A behind-the-scenes shot gives another look at Bond’s outfit.

For another analysis of this outfit, check out Matt Spaiser’s post on his blog, The Suits of James Bond.

The Living Daylights meant the return of Swiss watches for James Bond, although this film was the only time 007 wore a TAG Heuer. He evidently forewent a wristwatch for this scene, however. His only visible accessory is the black leather shoulder rig that securely holsters his trusty Walther PPK under his left armpit, until the security detail takes it away.

"Sorry, Mr Bond. You'll have to leave the metal."

“Sorry, Mr Bond. You’ll have to leave the metal.”

Go Big or Go Home

Timothy Dalton marked the franchise’s first attempt to return to the source material for its character, a subtle but fashionable dresser with definite opinions about what he likes, remaining a shade shy of snobbery. The strong, unfiltered cigarettes of Fleming’s Bond make their return, likely due to Timothy Dalton’s real life smoking habit. Bond’s V8 Vantage is also the first Aston Martin seen in the series since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, a convertible here until Q “winterizes” it for his snowy trip to the continent.

Dalton gets a nod to the snobbishness of Fleming’s Bond when he brings a picnic basket of gourmet food to General Koskov. M quickly realizes that Bond opted for items beyond the scope of MI6’s allotted budget, and it’s telling that this is one of the few times we actually see Bond turn in an expense receipt.

Koskov: As Russians say, hearts and stomachs good comrades make. What’s this? Caviar. Well, that’s peasant food for us, but with champagne it’s okay. Bollinger RD. The best!
Bond: (off M’s look) The brand on the list was questionable, sir, so I chose something else.

How to Get the Look

A callback to the sportier suits and jackets that Ian Fleming chose for his literary James Bond’s trips to the country, Timothy Dalton’s 007 dresses simply but stylishly when meeting with his business-suited superiors at the Blayden safe house.
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  • Brown, blue, black, and green gun club check wool single-breasted 2-button sportcoat with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and long double vents
  • Dark brown wool single-pleated trousers with slanted side pockets and plain-hemmed bottoms
  • Light ecru dress shirt with spread collar, front placket, and 1-button cuffs
  • Dark brown knit necktie
  • Brown leather loafers
  • Brown dress socks
  • Black leather shoulder holster (RHD), for Walther PPK

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.


Don Draper’s Black Tie in 1960

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Jon Hamm as Don Draper on Mad Men (Episode 1.05: "5G").

Jon Hamm as Don Draper on Mad Men (Episode 1.05: “5G”).

Vitals

Jon Hamm as Don Draper, mysterious and award-winning Madison Avenue ad man

Ossining, New York, Spring 1960

Series: Mad Men
Episode: “5G” (Episode 1.05)
Air Date: August 16, 2007
Director: Lesli Linka Glatter
Creator: Matthew Weiner
Costume Designer: Janie Bryant

Background

Happy birthday to Jon Hamm, born today in 1971!

While Jon is celebrating his birthday, Don Draper also had a reason to celebrate in “5G” after winning the Newkie(?) award. Although Don is dubious about his own achievements, Betty (January Jones) is very proud of him. Don had reason for concern, though, as his photo in Advertising Age gets him some unwanted attention.

This episode was the first to truly begin peeling back the layers of Don Draper, née Dick Whitman. Other than the man who recognized Don on a train a few episodes earlier, the appearance of his wide-eyed but estranged brother Adam Whitman gives our protagonist his first impetus to face his shady past.

What’d He Wear?

“Look at you in this tuxedo,” Betty coos while admiring Don’s dinner suit after returning from the awards dinner. “5G” marks the first of several appearances of Don Draper in black tie, and – set in spring 1960 – this one nicely exemplifies the “Continental look” that could be found on many fashionable gentlemen during the jet age, as Black Tie Guide outlines.

Don still looks plenty "Continental" when he gets home.

Don still looks plenty “Continental” when he gets home.

Don’s single-breasted dinner jacket is black wool with slim shawl lapels that are distinctively trimmed with satin edges rather than fully faced. This style was popular during the late 1950s and early 1960s and thus would’ve been very fashionable for Don to wear at this event.

A respected problem solver, Don doesn't let a silly thing like a distant light switch get between him and a full night's sleep.

A respected problem solver, Don doesn’t let a silly thing like a distant light switch get between him and a full night’s sleep.

The dinner jacket has a full cut with heavily padded shoulders and a ventless back. Don wears a neatly folded white linen pocket square in the welted breast pocket. His dinner jacket also has jetted hip pockets and 2-button cuffs.

To match his dinner jacket, Don wears black wool formal trousers with double reverse pleats. The trousers have a wide satin stripe on the side of each leg, over the straight on-seam side pockets down to the slightly flared plain-hemmed bottoms. There are two jetted pockets in the back; the left pocket closes with a button but the right pocket does not.

Don's in for a harsh awakening. Inset photo: A behind-the-scenes shot.

Don’s in for a harsh awakening. Inset photo: A behind-the-scenes shot.

Don covers his waist with a black satin silk cummerbund, appropriately worn with the pleats facing upward. Although originally done for gentlemen to place their concert tickets, this upward-pleated design led to the cummerbund’s moniker of “crumb catcher”; for Don Draper, it likely also caught some loose tobacco from his trusty Lucky Strikes. The cummerbund fastens with a steel buckle through the black back ribbon.

A telltale sign that someone is rich? He sleeps in a cummerbund.

A telltale sign that someone is rich? He sleeps in a cummerbund.

Don’s white formal shirt has a spread collar and French cuffs. The front bib has 1″-wide pleats and a rounded bottom below the third stud. Both the cuff links and the slightly smaller shirt studs are round and black with gold trim. Below the three visible studs on the bib, the shirt buttons are mother-of-pearl.

Even during a conversation with his wife, Don takes an especially strong drag on his Lucky to remind us that he is Don Draper.

Even during a conversation with his wife, Don takes an especially strong drag on his Lucky to remind us that he is Don Draper.

Don wears a black silk, straight-ended “batwing”-style bow tie, yet another style that was popular during the era.

Don shoots for the moon.

Don shoots for the moon.

Don’s choice of footwear is also fashionable, a pair of well-shined black patent leather cap-toe oxfords with black dress socks. He manages to kick off one of the shoes before going to sleep, but uncomfortably wakes up with the other still on.

A production photo of Jon Hamm and January Jones.

A production photo reveals just how nicely shined Don’s oxfords are.

When changing for work the next morning, Don reveals that he wears his usual undershirt – a white cotton crew-neck T-shirt – under his tuxedo. It can likely be deduced that he’s also wearing his usual white cotton boxer shorts, but that’s both speculation and truly unnecessary knowledge.

Although Joe’s Daily has confirmed that Don Draper wore a “tuxedo” dial Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox throughout the first season, he doesn’t appear to be wearing it during this scene. This is unfortunate for Don, as Joe’s mentions that it was the first automatic wristwatch to include a mechanical alarm function, and our protagonist oversleeps until 8:00 the next morning.

Mad Men audiences wouldn’t see Don Draper in black tie again until two seasons later when accepting an award in “The Color Blue” (Episode 3.10), where he again wears a black dinner jacket with shawl lapels except the lapels in “The Color Blue” are fully faced with black satin. It may be significant to note that these episodes serve as bookends for the Dick Whitman/Don Draper storyline; it is in “5G” that the audience first learns of his true identity but not until “The Color Blue” that Betty does. Her attitude at the black tie awards dinner in “The Color Blue” is notably different than her excitement after the “5G” dinner.

Although he doesn’t wear traditional black tie until two seasons later, Don does wear an off-white dinner jacket during a summer evening on the town in “The Gold Violin” (Episode 2.07).

Go Big or Go Home

Don’s lucky enough to get big at home, if you catch my drift.

I always forget how many of these early episodes gave January Jones a chance to model some early '60s underwear, and I also do not have a problem with that.

I always forget how many of these early episodes gave January Jones a chance to model some early ’60s underwear, and I also do not have a problem with that.

Unfortunately for both parties, it was a boozy party and they can hardly get out of their shoes, let alone the more interesting garments. We see some very interesting solutions for the problems facing one feeling lazy after imbibing too much.

Can’t reach the switch to turn off the light? Just yank the cord until you unplug it.

Wake up coughing incessantly? Follow your instincts and grab that pack of unfiltered cigarettes you left on the nightstand. After all, you only live twice.

How to Get the Look

Don’s hangover may mean a rough morning, but owning his own tuxedo means not having to dodge pink elephants while driving a rental back (in addition to the other many pros of not having to rent a dinner suit!)

MM105Tux-crop

  • Black wool single-breasted 1-button dinner jacket with satin-trimmed shawl lapels, welted breast pocket, straight jetted hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and ventless back
  • Black wool double reverse-pleated formal trousers with satin side stripe, on-seam side pockets, jetted back pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
  • White formal shirt with spread collar, 1″-pleated bib front with three black studs, double/French cuffs
  • Black satin silk “batwing” bow tie
  • Black round cuff links with gold trim
  • Black satin silk cummerbund
  • Black patent leather 5-eyelet cap-toe balmorals/oxfords
  • Black dress socks
  • White cotton crew-neck short-sleeve undershirt
  • White cotton boxer shorts
  • White linen pocket square

Do Yourself a Favor and…

If you’re a fan of good TV, you should really do yourself the favor of catching up on the entire series of Mad Men. Of course, that would include starting at the beginning with the first season; “5G” is – appropriately enough – five episodes in.

The Quote

What, take that thing on the train like some kid who won at the 4H? Besides, no one wants to look like they care about awards.

Footnotes

Six years old or not, Sally is reasonably perplexed about Don’s award. After six years in the business myself, I’ve never heard of a “Newkie” nor have I ever seen any marketer take home an award with a golden horseshoe (or any horseshoe) on it.

MM105Tux-FN-award

And speaking of awards, it was last month that Jon Hamm himself won his second Golden Globe for his portrayal of Don Draper… although the Golden Globes misprinted his name as John Hamm on the actual award. While this could be some strange reference to Hamm playing a character using a fake name, I think it’s just safe to say that someone fucked up. (Especially since he’d already won one before in 2008!)

More trivia: The first person to congratulate Don as he enters the Sterling Cooper office is Allison, working at the front desk. Allison would eventually rise to the position of Don’s personal secretary and fall to the position of one night stand when he drunkenly sexes her up in “Christmas Comes But Once a Year” (Episode 4.02). Allison’s excitement in this episode over Don getting his photo in Ad Age is a sad indication that she must’ve been harboring some long time feelings for her boss before his somewhat unwise and certainly inebriated seduction of her.


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