Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Vitals
Chevy Chase as Clark W. Griswold Jr., food additive executive and “last true family man”
Chicago, Christmas Eve 1989
Film: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Release Date: December 1, 1989
Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Costume Designer: Michael Kaplan
WARNING! Spoilers ahead!
Background
Merry Christmas! Now a perennial holiday classic, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was released 35 years ago this month in December 1989 as the third installment to feature Chevy Chase as the hapless head of the Griswold family.
After zany misadventures on an American road trip and a European vacation, Clark clings to his idealistic hope for a “fun, old-fashioned family Christmas,” which somehow means inviting both his and his wife’s sets of parents to stay with them for more than a week leading up to the actual holiday. In the meantime, Clark is eager to surprise his family with the news that he placed a down payment on a swimming pool… a payment he’ll be able to cover as soon as he receives his company’s usual holiday bonus.
(For modern readers, a “holiday bonus” is a monetary payment that employers used to give to their employees at the end of each year. In the late 1980s when Christmas Vacation was made, this often amounted to several thousand dollars; for most employees today, this may take the form of a branded reusable water bottle, already-obsolete Bluetooth earbuds, or simply not being fired.)
Inspired by producer and co-writer John Hughes’ semi-autobiographical short story “Christmas ’59”, the festivities culminate on Christmas Eve as both sides of Clark and Ellen’s families gather at the over-illuminated Griswold home for an over-cooked turkey dinner, a surprise rodent guest, and the family’s first kidnapping. Happy holidays!
What’d He Wear?
Consistent with his dreams of hosting an old-fashioned family Christmas, Clark W. Griswold Jr. models himself after the Rockwellian image of an all-American patriarch, his Christmas tie pulled tight to the neck and swathed in a cozily oversized cardigan that suggests he’s more concerned with looking fatherly than fashionable. Indeed, his idea of the perfect father at Christmas may have been inspired from his own father, Clark Sr. (John Randolph), the only other man at the gathering to wear a necktie and who also festively festoons his natty sport jacket and cardigan with a plastic holly sprig pinned to his lapel.
Clark’s dark taupe-brown ribbed-knit cardigan sweater is made from an Irish Donegal wool, characterized by the colorful flecks woven into the cloth. The cardigan has a narrow shawl collar that tapers away above the five dark-brown woven leather buttons that Clark wears fully open throughout the night. The collar, cuffs, and hem are all slightly more widely ribbed than the body of the sweater, with the cuffs rolled back once over each wrist. Patch pockets are positioned just above the hem on each side of the front.
Clark’s light-blue high-twist cotton shirt looks like the shirts he wears to the office, conventionally styled with its semi-spread collar, front placket, breast pocket, and button cuffs.
Perhaps heeding his daughter Audrey’s criticism of “those stupid ties with the Santa Clauses on it”, Clark opts for a more subdued neckwear that still showcases festive seasonal colors with its pattern of red squares (with five white lines pulsating out from a corner) against a green tonal geometric-patterned silk ground. At one point, Clark—distracted by the family’s disgusting dinner of dry turkey and cat food-laced jello—accidentally uses it instead of a napkin to wipe his mouth.
Clark doesn’t seem too appreciative to receive the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.
Clark wears dark-gray worsted wool flat-front slacks with a medium rise, held up by a dark-brown leather belt with a gold-toned single-prong buckle. Like his shirt, these flat-front trousers are typical of contemporary ready-to-wear men’s clothing, with belt loops and plain-hemmed bottoms. We can tell the trousers have slightly slanted “quarter top” side pockets, though the cardigan’s back hem covers the seat to the point where we can’t determine if there are back pockets. However, given their standard styling, it’s likely that these trousers are rigged with two jetted back pockets—at least one with a button-through closure.
While I would endorse loafers as a comfortable alternative with his cardigan and tie, Clark opts for the formality of cap-toe oxford shoes—albeit in a dark-brown leather that harmonizes with the homespun tones of the rest of his outfit. Tied through either a four- or five-eyelet closed-lacing system, the shoes are worn with dark taupe-brown socks that continue the leg line from his trousers… and are a shockingly subdued choice for a man who certainly must have at least one pair of garish Christmas socks.
Clark escorts the crass Uncle Louis (William Hickey) and senile Aunt Bethany (Mae Questel) inside at the beginning of the evening, wearing the same trench coat that he earlier wore to keep warm when it was “a bit nipply out” while flirting with a voluptuous saleswoman.
Made from a waterproof cotton/polyester blend in the traditional khaki shade, the garment follows the classic belted trench coat design with its double-breasted 10×5-button front and military-informed details like shoulder epaulets, storm flaps across the back and over the right shoulder, and side pockets with button-closed flaps to keep out rain. In addition to the full-belted waist with its leather-covered single-prong buckle, the raglan sleeves are secured at each wrist with belted cuffs that also each close with a leather-covered single-prong buckle.
Aside from a Walmart trip with cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), Clark typically wears the coat with a tan woolen felt collar attached. In addition to removable liners, outfitters like London Fog often produced trench coats with removable collars that add touches of both formality and functional warmth.
Louis’ unintentional—but unapologetic—act of setting Clark’s Christmas tree aflame with his cheap stogie sends Clark off the deep end. Chainsaw in hand, Clark secures a new tree from outside and then dresses like Santa Claus to decorate it. His St. Nick garb consists of a red felt coat with a shirt-style collar and white faux-fur trim around the cuffs and along the waist hem, continuing up the left side of the front so that it would be centered when buttoned.
Clark also wears Santa’s traditional red felt stocking cap, also detailed with white faux-fur trimming the wide cuff along the brim that matches the pom bobbing off the top. Three silver jingle bells are sewn to the right side of the hat.
As the insanity subsides—at least for the time being—Clark follows his father’s advice to calm down and read “A Visit from St. Nicholas” to his family, pulling on his large tortoiseshell-framed reading glasses to do so.
“When what to my wondering eyes should appear but a miniature sleigh and—and Eddie? With a man in his pajamas with a dog chain tied to his wrists and ankles…?”
Most clearly seen in the earlier scenes as he hangs Christmas lights, Clark wears a stainless steel dive watch with a black bezel, black dial with luminous non-numeric hour indices, and black center-ridged leather strap.
The squared bump at each integer of 10 around the bezel aligns with some contemporary Seiko divers—and indeed a Redditor suggested a specific 1988 quartz Seiko as the possible watch—though I haven’t seen any watches by Seiko, Citizen, or other suggested manufacturers that specifically align with the details of Clark’s screen-worn watch.
What to Imbibe
After discovering his company “rear-ended” him with a severely lacking Christmas bonus, Clark immediately turns to the family’s bowl of egg nog—presumably spiked—though this doesn’t really help him take the edge off as, the next time we see him, he’s wielding a chainsaw.
“‘s good, ‘s good!”
Brandy, rum, and whiskey are all among the most popular spirits for spiking egg nog. Without any suggestion about the Griswold family’s preferred spirit, we can only take some direction from Clark’s father admitting that he only survived their family’s holidays with “a lot of help from Jack Daniel’s!”
While you could just mix some Jack Daniel’s—or any other spirit—with pre-made egg nog, Philip Greene’s excellent calendrical cocktail guide Cheers! paraphrases “father of American mixology” Jerry Thomas’ 1862 recipe for classic 19th century “egg nogg” in its December 24th entry.
Greene cites inspiration from the eggnog riot (also known as the “grog mutiny”) at West Point that began on Christmas Eve 1826 when “cadets smuggled in three or four gallons of whiskey, and all hell broke loose” in response to an academy edict preventing alcohol on campus. In the resulting damage that led to the expulsion of 19 cadets, a number of stair banisters were smashed—which seems considerably appropriate given the Griswold family’s troublesome Newel post.
Thomas’ recipe combines all of the below ingredients have been well-shaken together, then poured into a tumbler with nutmeg grated on top:
- 4 ounces of whole milk
- 2-4 ounces of bourbon or rye whiskey (or, in tribute to Clark Sr., Tennessee whiskey—which is not the same)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of water
Of course, you’ll also want the proper glassware. Though Clark pulls a conventional cut-glass mug during his nog-fueled meltdown, the family’s moose-shaped mugs (perhaps a nod to their love of Walley World and its mascot) have become iconic in the decades since its release.
How to Get the Look
Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Aside from the obvious festivity of his Santa hat and coat, Clark builds upon an unexceptional blue shirt and gray slacks with a cozy cardigan and red-and-green tie that convert his humble casual-wear into holiday garb befitting “the last true family man”.
- Dark taupe-brown ribbed-knit Donegal wool shawl-collar cardigan with five-button front, set-in sleeves, and patch hip pockets
- Light-blue high-twist cotton shirt with semi-spread collar, front placket, breast pocket, and button cuffs
- Green tonal geometric-printed silk tie with red square-and-white pulsating corner print
- Dark-gray wool flat-front trousers with belt loops, “quarter top” side pockets, back pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
- Dark-brown leather belt with gold-toned single-prong buckle
- Dark-brown leather cap-toe oxford shoes
- Dark taupe-brown socks
- Red felt Santa hat
- Tortoiseshell reading glasses
- Stainless steel dive watch with black bezel, black dial, and black center-ridged leather strap
Do Yourself a Favor and…
Check out the movie, and have a very merry Christmas!
The Quote
Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas! No, no, we’re all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We’re gonna press on, and we’re gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye! And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he’s gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse.
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