Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina (1954)
Vitals
Humphrey Bogart as Linus Larrabee, industrious businessman
Long Island, New York, Summer 1954
Film: Sabrina
Release Date: September 3, 1954
Director: Billy Wilder
Costume Supervisor: Edith Head
WARNING! Spoilers ahead!
Background
The talent-laden Sabrina was released in the United States 70 years ago today on September 23, 1954, debuting in New York and Los Angeles twenty days after its Toronto premiere on September 3rd. Directed by the prolific Billy Wilder, the romantic comedy stars Audrey Hepburn as the titular Sabrina Fairchild who finds herself romanced by the opposing Larrabee brothers: playboy David (William Holden) and workaholic Linus (Humphrey Bogart).
The incorrigible David began his seduction after initially failing to recognize the newly sophisticated Sabrina as the daughter of his family’s chauffeur. Realizing that David’s romance with Sabrina could jeopardize a potentially profitable merger dependent on David’s engagement to a fellow tycoon’s daughter, Linus sabotages his younger brother into sitting on champagne glasses he had tucked into his pockets in anticipation of a tryst with Sabrina.
Setting the incapacitated David up on a plastic hammock to ease his pain, Linus agrees to “keep an eye on” Sabrina, beginning with a sailing expedition that day in David’s boat.
“No man walks alone from choice.”
What’d He Wear?
Edith Head received one of her eight Academy Awards for her costume design in Sabrina, which included Audrey Hepburn’s iconic wardrobe largely crafted by French designer Hubert de Givenchy. Following the standard practice for male stars of the era, Humphrey Bogart likely wore much of his own wardrobe as Linus Larrabee, though Head likely directed it to align with Linus’ businesslike persona.
Thus, we never see Linus dressed down any more casually than a dark blazer and slacks, even for sailing. Though navy-blue is a conventional blazer color, contemporary photography from the production suggests black. The cloth is likely doeskin, a tightly woven and densely napped woolen flannel. Appropriately sporty details include swelled edges along the notch lapels and the patch pockets over the breast and hips—the two hip pockets are covered with flaps. This ventless jacket has two flat silver-toned shank buttons on the front, echoed by the two smaller silver buttons adorning each cuff.
Consistent with his other films of the 1950s like In a Lonely Place (1950), The Enforcer (1951), Sirocco (1951), Deadline — U.S.A. (1952), The Barefoot Contessa (1954), and The Harder They Fall (1956), Bogie brought his preference for bow ties to the screen as Linus Larrabee, briefly wearing a dark polka-dotted bow tie with this blazer before he unties it to affect a more sporting look at sea with Sabrina. The bow tie has diamond-pointed ends.
Linus wears either a plain white or pale-ecru cotton shirt, styled with a spread collar, plain button-up front, and surprisingly formal single cuffs—rather than double (French) cuffs—which he fastens with dark links. He tucks the shirt into gray woolen flannel forward-pleated trousers that have side pockets, a jetted back-left pocket, and turn-ups (cuffs). He holds them up with a dark leather belt.
At the beginning of the sequence, Linus wears dark—likely black—polished leather cap-toe oxfords that harmonize with wearing a tailored jacket and tie.
When preparing to go sailing, Linus takes off his oxfords for more contextually appropriate shoes. He pulls on a pair of CVO-style deck sneakers with worn-in gray canvas uppers, oxford-laced through five sets of white-finished eyelets, and white rubber outsoles that are likely siped on the bottoms for greater traction on wet decks. He continues wearing the same dark-gray ribbed socks.
Linus attempts to dress down in his old Yale cardigan and sailing cap until he regards in the mirror how cartoonish he looks in the now-undersized clothing, illustrating just how long it’s been since Linus has likely worn anything but a tailored jacket and tie.
“Look at me. Joe College with a touch of arthritis.”
Humphrey Bogart wears his own jewelry on screen, notably the gold ring with its pair of rubies flanking a diamond, shining from the ring finger of his right hand. On his left wrist, he wears a simple yellow-gold dress watch with a light-colored round dial, secured to a dark leather strap.
How to Get the Look
Humphrey Bogart in Sabrina (1954)
After removing the bow tie that was one of Humphrey Bogart’s style signatures through the 1950s, Linus Larrabee maintains a sporty yet sophisticated outfit to take Sabrina sailing in his dark doeskin blazer, open-neck white shirt, flannel slacks, and deck sneakers… wisely leaving his undersized college apparel buried in his closet.
- Black doeskin woolen flannel single-breasted blazer with swelled-edge notch lapels, two silver-toned shank buttons, patch breast pocket, flapped patch hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and ventless back
- White cotton shirt with spread collar, plain front, and single cuffs
- Dark polka-dotted diamond-ended bow tie
- Gray woolen flannel forward-pleated trousers with belt loops, side pockets, jetted back-left pocket, and turn-ups/cuffs
- Dark leather belt
- Gray canvas CVO-style 5-eyelet oxford-laced deck sneakers with white rubber outsoles
- Dark-gray ribbed socks
- Gold ring with two rubies and a diamond
- Gold dress watch with round gold dial on dark leather strap
Do Yourself a Favor and…
Check out the movie.
The Quote
Paris is for lovers. That’s why I stayed only 35 minutes.
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