Issue 47; Styling the Hollywood Lies

Writing in the world of gentlemen's clothing and lifestyle always brings you into the same boring troupes.  Of course the Negroni, even though I am a drinker of this, it is not because of the Gram, it is because I have drunk it for years. Secondly, the love and admiration of the style of Steven McQueen, Daniel Craig (as Bond) and the film The Talented Mr Ripley (Messrs Damon and Law). But why are so many looking up to the lies of a made up world of movie stardom, do you actually like their style, if so, maybe you should follow the stylist.

So many admire and repeat the Steve McQueen look, his rugged style, but just like his name it was created for Hollywood.  I didn’t know Terence Stephen McQueen, I also didn’t know Steve either, but now his image from various films is blazed across our devices.  Note, he didn’t dress himself, figuratively.  Someone made the Steve McQueen brand.  It would be like looking at Sean Connery, the man who auditioned as Bond in badly fitting jeans and a t-shirt and had come straight from his day job.  He was then tucked and tailored so he fit the look of being James Bond.  Even when not at work Hollywood stylists make sure their person knows what they need to make the look they want and in the past, that look was what the studio wanted.

I had to watch The Talented Mr Ripley again (only the 2nd time) to actually work out the fuss about the film.  It could be classed as a classic, one to keep and admire, but no one really goes on about the plot.  The most I hear about it is the Italian tailoring and the way they live their lives, many looking at it for inspiration.  Now this is a film about a guy taking over someone's life, to become them and then disposing of them and they are all dressed by the wardrobe department of the film.  They are fictional people.  I get some inspiration may appear from here, but there are better and more Italian films that style could be taken from. This takes me on to Bond, James Bond and since Connery donned the famous spy's name and through to Daniel Craig, so many have looked up to the man.  Now in recent times, it has been more Craig than Bond getting the outside of the silver screen attention.  He dresses well.  But do check out the year he was launched as the new Bond, it was a time for bigger suits, but he does look like a teenager who has just turned up for a job interview.  Craig is now dressed by companies he reps for, and stylists, from his day to day to his red carpet.  He didn’t stumble upon it, but so many praise them for their style.

In this misguided media world we live in, I know why these come up, we follow the crowd we are part of.  It is like the Patagonia wearing hiking crowd, when many just hike to the local bar on a Friday night, but they all have the same inspirations and all follow the same accounts on Instagram (other Social Media exists, but I am too old for TikTok) admiring the influencers who are living their lives.  Those style communicators who dress so well and get so many types of clothes, sadly many fast fashion options, for little to no money.  But to look like them you need to spend the cash. I get it, the crowds of style have always been followed, Hipsters to Medieval Courts the crowd always followed suit to the way of life and the same is said for our times. But to admire and follow a Hollywood star who doesn’t make the choice, it is made for them, is what I find the worst thing about online style thoughts when mentioned by name.

I dream of the day when someone asks what inspires their style and they respond with “Bob in my local pub always pulls off a good hat in a solid denim jean”.