Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos (Episode 1.02: “46 Long”)
Vitals
Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti, hotheaded Mafia associate
New Jersey, Fall 1998
Series: The Sopranos
Episodes:
– “46 Long” (Episode 1.02, dir. Dan Attias, aired 1/17/1999)
– “The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti” (Episode 1.08, dir. Tim Van Patten, aired 2/28/1999)
– “Isabella” (Episode 1.12, dir. Allen Coulter, aired 3/28/1999)
Creator: David Chase
Costume Designer: Juliet Polcsa
Background
Happy birthday to Michael Imperioli, the New York-born actor known for his unforgettable portrayal of Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos, racking up an impressive five Emmy nominations and a well-deserved win along the way.
The landmark series aired its first season 25 years ago through early 1999, introducing the world to conflicted New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) balancing the demands of his family… and his Family. The two intersected with Christopher—the ambitious but dangerously impulsive young mobster who caused some of Tony’s biggest headaches as both his nephew and protégé.
From his signature tracksuits to his unpredictable outbursts, Christopher Moltisanti became an integral part of the show’s DNA, adding layers of complexity to the already rich tapestry of The Sopranos‘ universe.
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What’d He Wear?
In three episodes across The Sopranos‘ first season, Christopher often wears a blue Nike tracksuit that became one of his signature pieces before he matured his style to black leather jackets, sports coats, and suits as the series—and his position within the mob—advances.
The costume signals Christopher’s desire to fit in among his colleagues who, according to Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese), “wanna be buried in their jogging outfit.” However, Christopher’s youth and status mean he typically wears sportier brands and styles than some of the more [dare I say] sophisticated silk tracksuits worn by his more established colleagues like Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico) and even the skip himself.
Christopher would actually wear several Nike tracksuits across the first season, though this blue short-sleeved piece is arguably the most recognizable due to its frequency and appearance during memorable sequences like Chrissy’s dream that opens the eighth episode, “The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti”.
The baggy blue polyester track jacket has a straight front zip with a black leather pull tab attached to the gunmetal-toned slider. The zipper extends all the way up to create a funnel-neck, though Chris wears it unzipped enough that the top falls flat like a collar. The knitted collar lining and the ends of the elbow-length sleeves are banded in white-bordered gray stripes—a single band around each sleeve and two around the collar. The elasticized waist hem is a plain dark-blue to match the rest of the jacket.
Two open hand pockets are positioned low on the front of the jacket. The back is branded with “NIKE” in large heather-gray jersey-knit letters, each bordered with white thread. The classic Nike “swoosh” is embroidered in white over the left breast, about two inches below the horizontal yoke that extends across the front and back.
The technique of positive visualization ain’t gonna get you and Brendan out of this one, Chrissy.
The matching navy polyester track pants have the requisite drawstring-fastened elastic waistband and jogger-style elasticized bottoms with knee-high zippers up each side that allow the wearer to more easily take their their pants on and off over their shoes. This feature would appeal to athletes who have been wearing their warmup suits on the sideline and need to pull off their pants before competing… as, presumably, they’d be wearing athletic shorts underneath. Gangsters may also appreciate that the zip-up bottoms allow them to quickly disrobe—either to demonstrate that they’re not wearing a wire or to get down to business with the stewardesses from Icelandic Air.
My friend Gabe who curates the excellent @tonysopranostyle account on Instagram frequently posts items identical to those worn on screen, including several colorways of Christopher’s familiar short-sleeved Nike tracksuit, like this one in blue (like Chrissy wore) and one in dark green.
Thanks to Gabe’s detective work, we can discern more details that aren’t as easily discerned on screen, specifically around the track pants and the fact that they’re decorated with a white Nike swoosh embroidered on the lower left shin.
A late ’90s-vintage navy Nike tracksuit, identical to what Michael Imperioli wore as Christopher Moltisanti, provided courtesy of @tonysopranostyle.
Throughout the first season, Christopher typically pairs all of his tracksuits with the same white leather sneakers detailed with black accents, which I believe to be Fila—another athleisure brand he favors, wearing at least three Fila tracksuits over the course of the series, though Chrissy likely appreciates that Fila shares his own Italian heritage.
Under the track jacket, Christopher wears only one of his usual white ribbed cotton sleeveless undershirts. Even by the final season, he never ascends to the level of gangland style that comes with pinky rings and ID bracelets, so his religious necklace and luxury watch are relatively restrained when compared to his criminal cohorts. He appropriately wears a gold St. Christopher medallion on a thin gold chain, at this point his sole necklace until supplementing it with a second one by the start of the series’ fifth season.
Christopher rotates through his luxury wristwatches more frequently than most other main characters, perhaps always hoping to signal his rising status. Throughout the first season, he wears an 18-karat yellow-gold Cartier Tank watch with a white square dial detailed with Roman numeral hour indices and gold link bracelet. He would switch to a Rolex for the second season before again wearing Cartiers through the end of his time on the series.
Salut!
Silvio: Who do we blame for the hat?
Christopher: I was down the shore at Toms River on Denny Najarian’s boat.
Paulie raises an excellent point, as there’s really no good reason why Chrissy would still be wearing his beige canvas bucket hat—and all of its dangling fishing tackle—when dropping in to visit Tony after his assassination attempt in “Isabella” (Episode 1.12). A Redditor helpfully offered that “it may have been put in there to further emphasize the surreal tenor of the whole episode.”
“All due respect, Ton… it had to be your uncle, right?”
How to Get the Look
Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos (Episode 1.12: “Isabella”)
Whether it was the athleisure boom during the early days of COVID or merely a continued trend of informality, menswear writers like Joseph Longo for Mel Magazine have observed the resurgence of Sopranos style among young men—particularly citing track suits and gold jewelry.
- Navy-blue polyester Nike short-sleeve zip-up track jacket with gray-banded knitted collar and cuffs, open slash side pockets, and elasticized waist hem
- Navy-blue polyester Nike track pants with drawstring-elasticized waistband, straight/on-seam side pockets, and zip-up elasticized jogger bottoms
- White ribbed cotton sleeveless undershirt
- White (with black accents) leather FILA sneakers
- Beige canvas bucket hat with black ventilation grommets and dangling fishing tackle
- Thin gold necklace with a round gold St. Christopher medallion
- Cartier Tank wristwatch with 18-karat yellow-gold square case, white square dial, and yellow-gold link bracelet
Do Yourself a Favor and…
Check out the series.
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