Menswear in the Movies and Television

[Patrick Murtha]

I was thinking that, although I've posted a few times in "What Was the Last Movie You Watched?", I'd personally like to take a new approach to the discussion of movies and television at The Lounge. I belong to a number of movie forums online and I post my general film comments in those forums. So here it seems to me to make more sense to concentrate on blending two of my passions and talk about menswear in the movies and television. (I encourage the ladies to start a separate thread for women's wear in the same media; I have no eye for that subject myself.)

That said, a couple of caveats: I haven't a clothier's vocabulary, and I'm a bit color-blind (I confuse green and brown sometimes, also blue and purple), so I might sometimes be guilty of mis-description. I can also be guilty of mis-remembering unless I take notes during my film viewings, which I won't always do.

I'd love to see many Loungers contribute their comments to this vast subject. I've recently noted threads here and in other menswear groups about seersucker and three-piece suits in the new National Treasure movie; that's along the lines of what I'm thinking of. I'm sure there have been many scattered threads on this subject in the past; moving forward, it might be efficient to aggregate such comments in one thread like this.

 

[Patrick Murtha]

Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz

No one would argue that the 1969 Cold War spy thriller Topaz is one of Alfred Hitchcock's great movies, but it has its moments, and some of the menswear is cool and stylish. John Forsythe is a non-descript "man in a gray flannel suit" type (although he does sport a hat in some scenes); but Frederick Stafford, the sort-of-sub-Sean-Connery lead (Hitchcock wanted Connery for the role) is a tall handsome guy who looks very sharp in his slim-cut suits, of which he wears at least five in the movie. Most of the suits are single-vent with high-waisted trousers, although there is a lightweight tan suit in the Cuba sequence that's a double-vent. The shirts are all white and French cuff (appropriately enough, since Stafford is playing a Frenchman); tab collar in most scenes, although there's a point collar toward the end. The ties are usually solid, dotted in one instance, narrow, held in place by a tie tack in a low position. Here's a poster for Topaz that shows Stafford in the point collar shirt. You can see the French cuff and the tie tack:

And here's another shot in a tab collar shirt, with the tie tack again visible:

 

[Marty M.]

I like it.

Hi PM, I'm glad you started this thread. I can't tell you how many movies that I've rented "only" for the clothing in it. I'll go through a movie and not realize what it was about because I was studying the clothing.
I pay attention to what certin stars are wearing. Stars like Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Adolph Menjou, Steve McQueen, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and William Powell wore a lot of their own clothing. Their clothes and how they fit meant a great deal to these Men.
A couple of wardobes that stick out in my head are Cary Grant in "To Catch a Thief", Peirce Brosnan in "The Thomas Crown Affair" and the opening scene of "Strangers on a Train" with the best looking pair of Spectator wingers that you've ever seen.
Marty Mathis

 

[Marty M.]

Lord Peter Wimsey

The "Lord Peter Wimsey" BBC series staring Ian Carmichael. Lord Peter's clothing is outstanding. This mini series was filmed in the '70's, but set in the Thirties. Check out Wimsey's English Country Gentlemen's clothing.
Marty Mathis

 

[Patrick Murtha]

Nightmare Alley

I just spent an hour trying to figure out how to do screen captures of images off DVDs in my laptop, and discovered it is insanely complicated, involving either the download of iffy software, the expensive and potentially injurious upgrading of my laptop's built-in DVD-playing software, or fiddling with the laptop's default controls in a way that my gut tells me will wreak havoc....Oh well, some other time.

I was exploring this technology because I really wanted to share a screenshot from the great 1947 film noir Nightmare Alley, the story of the rise and fall of a carny huckster played (very well) by Tyrone Power. At the apex of his swiftly ruined career, Power wears a dark (probably black or navy) chalkstripe double-breasted suit that is to die for, along with a white point collar shirt, a solid-color perfectly dimpled tie, collar bar, flamboyant points-up pocket square, and a large white carnation. Power somehow pulls off wearing the carnation and pocket square on the same side (I never do that myself, I put the flower in the opposite lapel). I notice in classic movies that the guys wear their pocket squares way out of the pockets, for maximum effect; I don't see even religious pocket square wearers doing that so much these days.

Since I couldn't arrange the screen capture, let's see how this image from an Internet search looks:

Well, small. But you can see the pocket square and the carnation together.

 

[pgoat]

I definitely love looking at clothes in films. As I've mentioned in the main movies recently watched thread, I am doing an informal chronological viewing of all my VHS and DVD films and looking for trends and evolution of hats, suits, casual wear, etc. Interesting to see hat brims and lapels shrink and then rebound in the early 70s, along with wide ties, synthetics and leather cuff watch bands.

My favorite clothing flicks (If I had to pick a couple) would be The Big Sleep, North by Northwest, Bullitt and Fistful of Dollars.

 

[Tomasso]

The most famous suit in cinema history.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

The "Lord Peter Wimsey" BBC series staring Ian Carmichael. Lord Peter's clothing is outstanding. This mini series was filmed in the '70's, but set in the Thirties. Check out Wimsey's English Country Gentlemen's clothing.
Marty Mathis

If I may - a couple more TV series to check out - Jeeves & Wooster, another BBC series from 1990. Hugh Laurie, now starring unshaven and blah in the clothing department in House, M.D., wears a lot of great suits and hats as Bertie Wooster. I just got the DVD set (it arrived on Christmas Eve!) - a present to myself. Doubley-so, considering it was mispriced on Amazon at $29.95 for the complete series just one day (huge thanks to an unnamed Lounger for the tip-off) instead of the usual $79.95. I'm limiting myself to 2 episodes a week to savor the fun.

Another is 2001's oft-mentioned Nero Wolfe from A&E. Archie's wardrobe is just phenomenal and lots of great hats. In fact, the hats are mentioned in the 'Making of' feature in the set. There's an episode where he has a great midnight blue overcoat worn with a deep, deep maroon fedora. It sounds a little odd, but just amazing to see. I think it's the tie that pulls it all together if I remember correctly.

But I do the same thing - watch the show and my brain's ticking away on the suits and hats and coats and ties and such, and someone asks me a question about something that just happened and I'm having to respond, "Sorry - I'll watch it later for the plot - I was too busy watching the wardrobe."

 

[Patrick Murtha]

Another is 2001's oft-mentioned Nero Wolfe from A&E. Archie's wardrobe is just phenomenal and lots of great hats. In fact, the hats are mentioned in the 'Making of' feature in the set. There's an episode where he has a great midnight blue overcoat worn with a deep, deep maroon fedora. It sounds a little odd, but just amazing to see. I think it's the tie that pulls it all together if I remember correctly.

But I do the same thing - watch the show and my brain's ticking away on the suits and hats and coats and ties and such, and someone asks me a question about something that just happened and I'm having to respond, "Sorry - I'll watch it later for the plot - I was too busy watching the wardrobe."

I just finished watching a Nero Wolfe episode -- "Poison a la Carte" -- so I know just what you mean. Archie is my hero -- not just in his wardrobe, but in the way he enjoys the life he has chosen. Would that we all could do that. Timothy Hutton is really terrific in the role and wears the clothes superbly.

The Archie of the Rex Stout novels is just as much of a clotheshorse. He's the narrator and he talks about his clothing often.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

does Jimmy count?

 

[pgoat]

Indeed! There have been many misrepresentations of the suit in the press. For one, in Cary Grant: A Celebration of Style, Richard Torragrossa makes several remarks about how Grant perfected his 'stance' (looking great just standing there), and how suit jacket vents played a big part in this by allowing him to put his hands in his pockets without great disruption of his suit's natural drape. He then illustrates this with images from NbNW. Of course, we who have coveted that suit know it , like many of Cary's suits (and indeed, many of Hollywood's better dressed men of the day), was ventless.

The Torragrossa book is a wonderful must-have for Grant/film/clothing fans nevertheless, with great illustrations, including the aforementioned close up of Cary and Eva Marie Saint, which reveals 'the' suit to be not a solid blue grey or a nail head pattern, but a very subtle window pane/glen plaid! (Hard to tell which - this is in the Chicago hotel room, after he's been crop dusted)

 

[Patrick Murtha]

Dennis O'Keefe

Last night I watched one of the celebrated Val Lewton horror/noir films of the 1940s, The Leopard Man. Great little film. Leading man Dennis O'Keefe is a tall, handsome guy who favors double-breasted suits in the movie, wearing two, a grey chalkstripe and a dark (navy?) solid. The grey suit is ventless (as many suits in Forties films are). With the grey suit, O'Keefe wears dark brown or cordovan wingtips, argyle socks (very visible in one scene where he buffs his shoes), and -- interestingly -- a button-down shirt (which is supposed to be a no-no with a double-breasted suit, but I now feel I have an authority to justify the practice). With the solid suit, O'Keefe wears a point collar in some scenes, button-down in others, and black shoes; that suit appears in fewer scenes. There is also a trenchcoat in some scenes, and at one point O'Keefe carries a hat, although you never actually see the chapeau atop his noggin.

I looked in vain foir a good photo of O'Keefe wearing one of these suits. The best I could come up with is this:

But I lucked out in another way. In one scene O'Keefe wears his grey suit trousers with an open-collar white shirt and a striking sportcoat that would pose a challenge to describe adequately. Fortunately, I found a great shot of it on a Spanish-language poster. The shot (from a lobby card?) is in color even though the movie is in black-and-white:

 

[imoldfashioned]

I'd nominate William Powell in any of his films, but particularly Libeled Lady (1936). When I re-watched this a couple of months ago I found myself pausing the DVD just to look at one of his fabulous jackets. I'll post pictures and more detailed thoughts when I get home

 

[MK]

.

Have you given much thought regarding wardrobe designers for motion pictures and television? We are familiar with the actors because that is what we see...but how they came to look so dashing and well put together is almost always do to these behind the scenes artisians. I especially appreciate designers of period films set in the golden era who really get it right. The top of my list is Judiana Makovsky. She has done more of these films than anyone.

Costume Designer:
Seabiscuit (2003)
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
Pleasantville (1998)

She also worked on:
Dick Tracy (1990)
Tucker (1988)
Radio Days (1987)
The Cotton Club (1984)

 

[Marty M.]

Have you given much thought regarding wardrobe designers for motion pictures and television? We are familiar with the actors because that is what we see...but how they came to look so dashing and well put together is almost always do to these behind the scenes artisians. I especially appreciate designers of period films set in the golden era who really get it right. The top of my list is Judiana Makovsky. She has done more of these films than anyone.

Costume Designer:
Seabiscuit (2003)
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
Pleasantville (1998)

She also worked on:
Dick Tracy (1990)
Tucker (1988)
Radio Days (1987)
The Cotton Club (1984)

Wow, you are the "Inside Guy". I haven't seen a couple of those movies. I will now however. Thanks MK.
Marty

 

[pgoat]

I'm not sure who holds the record for 'most film credits', but Edith Head has gotta be up there - she's got an IMDB webpage a mile long. (Ward Bond's is like that - instant carpal tunnel scrolling through that thing.) She must have made as many costumes for movies as anyone.....

 

[Tomasso]

I'm not sure who holds the record for 'most film credits', but Edith Head has gotta be up there ......She must have made as many costumes for movies as anyone.....

EH's credit count is a bit misleading as it was common during the studio system days for the wardrobe department head to take credit for most of the films made under their tenure, even if the work was done entirely by subordinates or outside designers. She infamously accepted the Oscar for Sabrina even though Givenchy had desighned all of Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe.

 

[pgoat]

I'm sure that happened with a lot of her films, good point. Still, she musta had a very secure position to last that long with so much clout, so that's nothing to sneeze at, even it was unfair to others....

I wish clothes in films were more thoroughly credited. I'd LOVE to have Shaft's brown leather coat, or Robert Redford's watch in the Hot Rock, or Cary Grant's suit in - well, every movie he ever made!

 

[Marty M.]

He' the man.

I'd nominate William Powell in any of his films, but particularly Libeled Lady (1936). When I re-watched this a couple of months ago I found myself pausing the DVD just to look at one of his fabulous jackets. I'll post pictures and more detailed thoughts when I get home

Powell is one of my hero's. Though I've seen him in a couple of suits that needed to be let out a little. Ah well, maybe he's human like the rest of us after all [huh] .
Marty Mathis

 

[Patrick Murtha]

The House on 92nd Street

Just watched this exciting anti-Nazi semi-documentary noir melodrama (how's that for a mouthful?) with the unsung leading man William Eythe (who died young and whose career tanked because he was indiscreet about his homosexuality). Lots of great menswear in this one. William Post as FBI agent Walker is a particular standout in his striped and patterned double-breasted suits. In one scene Eythe is clearly wearing light-colored socks with dark suit trousers and dark shoes, just as Dana Andrews does in Laura (I intend to take this style up). A crucial plot point hinges on snazzy spectator ankle boots in what looks like black leather and gray suede, which are worn by the leading Nazi agent!