Vitals

Michael Caine as Alfie Elkins, caddish Cockney car service driver

London, Spring 1962

Film: Alfie
Release Date: March 24, 1966
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Wardrobe Supervisor: Jean Fairlie
Tailor: Douglas Hayward

Background

April showers in the spring are a fine reason to invest in a new raincoat, and – for all his faults – Alfie Elkins shows off a stylish example as he heads over to Emilio Scala Maternity Hospital to greet the product of his association with Gilda. Alfie is none too pleased with her choice of names:

Malcolm bleeding Alfred? He’ll never forgive you if you give him a name like that!

…but given his lack of involvement in either the child’s life or hers, I wouldn’t exactly believe that he deserves a say in the matter.

What’d He Wear?

Although it’s not raining when Alfie goes to visit his newborn son, it’s certainly a rainy day in the life of a previously unattached bachelor so he struts down Tite Street to the hospital in a distinctive khaki raincoat with brown leather accents.

Alfie wears the bottom two buttons of his waterproof cotton raincoat fastened, leaving the top button undone. The buttonhole through the left lapel indicates that there may possibly be a fourth button at the top under the collar. The coat has two patch pockets, each with a square-ended flap to close. Each pocket has a smaller square patch pocket overlaid with two brass grommets.

A pleat runs down the center of the back from the leather yoke down to the half-belted back, where the coat’s long single vent splits. Edge-stitching is present throughout the jacket with reinforced stitching around the bottom hem and on the pockets.

The beaver-brown leather accents include a long rectangular yoke that runs across the back of both shoulders and round elbow patches on each sleeve.

Underneath, Alfie appears to be wearing the same navy blue mohair blend suit that he had previously bragged about (“a new Terylene and mohair”), tailored for Caine by Douglas Hayward. The single-breasted jacket has slim notch lapels that roll over the top button for a 3-roll-2 effect. The flat front trousers taper through the leg down to the plain-hemmed bottoms.

Alfie wears a pale pink poplin shirt and dark blue slim knit necktie. The long point collar buttons down on the shirt, and the squared cuffs close with a button. A product of the “swinging sixties”, Alfie wears black leather ankle boots that match his slim leather belt.

Alfie’s accessories include a gold pinky ring with a brown oval stone and a stainless watch on his left wrist with a black dial and steel rice-grain bracelet. (I previously guessed the watch to be an Omega Seamaster Automatic.)

How to Get the Look

Already got Alfie’s beloved blue mohair suit? Protect it from the elements with a leather-accented raincoat and you’ve got Michael Caine’s hip, swinging, Cockney style down!

• Khaki waterproof cotton single-breasted 3-button raincoat with brown leather shoulder/elbow accents, flapped patch pockets, half-belted back, and long single vent
• Navy blue mohair blend suit, tailored by Douglas Hayward, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with slim notch lapels, 3-roll-2 button front, welted breast pocket, rear-slanted flapped hip pockets, 4-button functioning cuffs, and single rear vent
  • Flat front tapered-leg trousers with slim belt loops, on-seam side pockets, jetted rear pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Pale pink cotton poplin shirt with long button-down collar, plain front, and squared button cuffs
• Dark blue slim knit necktie with flat bottom
• Black narrow leather belt with small gold metal single-claw buckle
• Black leather ankle boots
• Black dress socks
• Stainless wristwatch with a black dial on steel deployable-clasp bracelet
• Gold pinky ring with a brown oval setting

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Mind you, she came over quite beautified for a time, especially in the early months. I told her, I says, “Blimey, girl, you ain’t as ugly as I thought.”