In honor of today being my sister’s wedding day, I’m wrapping up the first season of Californication posts with…

Hank Moody at a wedding.

Vitals

David Duchovny as Hank Moody, substance-abusing novelist and family man

Venice Beach, Fall 2007

Series: Californication
Episode: “The Last Waltz” (Episode 1.12)
Air Date: October 29, 2007
Director: Scott Winant
Costume Designer: Peggy A. Schnitzer

Background

A guy like Hank Moody doesn’t really need more than one suit. And when a guy like Hank Moody is looking for a suit, he’ll look no further than imitating the same look that worked for Steve McQueen, Samuel L. Jackson, and the cast of Reservoir Dogs.

It also helps that Hank dresses like a hitman to a wedding that he sincerely does not support. 

What’d He Wear?

As Hank himself says, this black lightweight lambswool suit is his “one and only suit”, only pulling it back out of the closet in seasons 4 and 6. However, this suit has some subtle differences that makes me think that it is different than the one he later wears.

The jacket is single-breasted with a 2-button front, standard notch lapels, and a long single vent in the rear. There is a welted breast pocket and slim-flapped straight hip pockets.

The fit isn’t perfect, looking somewhat large on Duchovny’s frame with the sleeves draping over his hands while he walks, hiding the shirt cuffs. Despite the ill fit, the 4-button cuffs are indeed functioning buttons, as Hank rakishly wears only two buttons fastened on each sleeve. While the suit was probably purchased off-the-rack and never altered, we are led to assume that it was probably a very nice rack. Like an unfortunately increasing number of men these days, Hank has just one suit, justifying the absence of others by making his one suit a very nice one.

The suit trousers are nothing special – typical flat fronts with a low rise, belt loops, side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms. The belt is black leather with stitching along the top and bottom and a squared steel single-claw buckle.

Hank’s dress shirt is white, as appropriate for a wedding, with a spread collar, buttoned barrel cuffs, and a front placket for the seven white buttons down the front. There is no breast pocket.

Hank’s black necktie is much wider than the one he wears when the suit makes its return in season 4. As the later episode was filmed in 2010, Hank’s tie becomes very narrow as part of the Mad Men-influenced style for men’s suits. Evidently, Hank does keep up with some trends.

We don’t see much of his feet, but Hank’s shoes look like black leather cap toe bluchers with black laces and black dress socks.

Hank wears his same accessories as usual, the Izod 725 sunglasses – folded into an inner pocket when not on his face, his silver spinner ring on his right index finger, and the two black leather bracelets – one with studs and the other a plain braid – rather than a wristwatch. While many men would choose this occasion to “dress up” their accessories, a) Hank doesn’t seem to own a watch anymore and b) Hank doesn’t really care.

Update!

Hank’s suit from this episode was auctioned off through ScreenBid in the summer of 2014 as part of a massive Californication props and costumes auction after the show’s finale aired. This suit was lot 242 and was described as:

It’s black lambswool, size 50 (40 U.S.) from Costume National… There’s also this custom-made white Anto button-down dress shirt with no size (and some makeup on the collar) and this black Costume National tie.

Go Big or Go Home

This is not a day Hank has been looking forward to. His ex Karen is marrying Bill (or the “dial tone”), a boring doofus who prefers a string quartet to allowing Hank and Karen’s precocious daughter Becca to play with her band. Bill eventually concedes as Becca plays a cover of Alice Cooper’s “Only Women Bleed” at the reception, very fitting for the classic rock theme of the nuptials, which also includes Elton John’s great “High Flying Bird” from his 1973 album Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player.

Of course, Hank’s appropriate theme for the day is “Reconsider Me”, a Warren Zevon ballad covered in this episode by Steve Earle.

For Hank, the music was probably the best part of the day. He fortifies himself constantly, from the mini-bottles of Dewar’s while getting ready to the endless rocks glasses full of Scotch, neat of course, throughout the reception and ceremony!

How to Get the Look

We don’t see Hank in a suit very often, so it’s curious – and not surprising – to see what he goes with.

• Black lightweight lambswool suit by Costume National, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted jacket with notch lapels, 2-button front, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, single rear vent, and 4-button functioning cuffs
  • Flat front trousers with belt loops, straight side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• White custom-made long-sleeve Anto dress shirt with spread collar, front placket, and button cuffs
• Black ribbed silk necktie, made by Costume National
• Black leather cap-toe derby shoes
• Black dress socks
• Black leather belt with a squared steel single-claw buckle
• Izod 725 black-framed sunglasses with dark gray lenses
• Silver ring with two ridged bands, worn on the right index finger
• Black leather bracelet with silver hexagonal and round studs, worn on the left wrist
• Thin black braided leather bracelet, also worn on the left wrist

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the first season.

The Quote

All those things that weren’t supposed to happen… they happened. What happens next is up to you.

Footnotes

Hank’s bracelets are available at Urban Wrist, as usual.