Harry Dean Stanton in Paris, Texas (1984)
Vitals
Harry Dean Stanton as Travis Henderson, once-wandering drifter
Los Angeles, Fall 1983
Film: Paris, Texas
Release Date: September 19, 1984
Director: Wim Wenders
Costume Designer: Birgitta Bjerke
WARNING! Spoilers ahead!
Background
Exactly four months after its Palme d’Or-winning debut at the 37th Cannes Film Festival, Paris, Texas was officially released in France forty years ago today on September 19, 1984.
Directed by Wim Wenders, this reflective film provided a rare leading role for stalwart character actor Harry Dean Stanton, who portrayed the lost Travis Henderson, who attempts to reconnect with his family after four years of aimless wandering, following the dissolution of his increasingly troubled relationship with his estranged wife.
Travis’ brother Walt (Dean Stockwell)—who had been raising Travis’ young son Hunter (Hunter Carson)—brought a disconnected Travis back from the west Texas desert to Los Angeles, where he confronts his own past and works on rebuilding a relationship with his son as part of his profound desire for redemption.
What’d He Wear?
As part of his desire to reconnect with his son on a deeper level, Travis demonstrates his commitment to being Hunter’s father again, even if he still feels somewhat estranged from the idea of fatherhood, by requesting the help of Walt’s maid Carmelita (Socorro Valdez). She first provides him with a brown trilby, supplemented by one of Walt’s three-piece suits after Travis elaborates that he wants to look like a “rich” father, projecting a level of success that he hopes will ease Hunter’s acceptance.
“One thing you must remember: to be a rich father, Señor Travis, you must look to the sky, and never at the ground,” Carmelita advises Travis while dressing him in one of Walt’s suits and hats.
The oatmeal-colored suit is woven in a slubby cream and taupe-brown micro-check, sportily detailed with swelled edges. The single-breasted jacket has notch lapels that roll to a two-button stance, positioned just over Harry Dean Stanton’s natural waist, the proportional fit suggesting that the Henderson brothers share similar measurements. The jacket has a welted breast pocket, patch hip pockets covered with pointed flaps, and a long single vent. The sleeves are finished with three “kissing” cuff-buttons.
The suit’s matching five-button waistcoat has two jetted pockets positioned just below the center button, and the taupe satin-finished back matches the lining of the jacket. The mid-rise trousers have either a flat-front or darts (essentially pleats sewn closed) and belt loops, through which he wears his usual brown hybrid leather belt that is woven across most of the body except for a smooth pointed end with three punch-holes for the silver-toned single-prong buckle. The trousers have quarter-top slanted side pockets and plain-hemmed bottoms.
Rather than the brown trilby that Carmelita had initially given him, Travis matches his hat to his suit by stepping out in a cream felt fedora that has a matching grosgrain band and a self-edged brim that he plays with to amuse Hunter when meeting him across the street from his school.
Travis continues wearing Walt’s “old boots”, a set of russet-brown leather pointed-toe cowboy boots with decoratively stitched shafts that extend up to mid-calf in the “roper” style.
Travis may have had Carmelita’s help in colorfully appointing the neutral suit with a rose-pink shirt and printed tie. The long-sleeved shirt has a spread collar, front placket, and button cuffs. The dark-navy tie’s design resembles magenta-bodied dragonflies, coordinating them to the pink in his shirt.
How to Get the Look
Harry Dean Stanton in Paris, Texas (1984)
Whether you’re raiding your brother’s closet to look like a rich father or merely spice up a suit and tie beyond the conventional blues and grays…
- Cream-and-taupe micro-check three-piece suit:
- Single-breasted 2-button jacket with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, patch hip pockets (with pointed flaps), 3-button cuffs, long single vent
- Single-breasted 5-button vest/waistcoat with two jetted pockets
- Flat-front trousers with belt loops, quarter-top side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
- Rose-pink shirt with spread collar, front placket, and button cuffs
- Navy tie with magenta dragonfly print
- Brown woven leather belt with silver-toned single-prong buckle and smooth leather end
- Russet-brown leather roper-style cowboy boots with stitched mid-calf shafts
- Cream felt fedora with cream grosgrain band
Do Yourself a Favor and…
Check out the movie.
The post Paris, Texas: Travis Borrows a Cream Suit appeared first on BAMF Style.