Vitals

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort, swaggering stockbroker

London, Summer 1995*

* In reality, this was August 1993. All you really need to know is that it’s the summer.

Film: The Wolf of Wall Street
Release Date: December 25, 2013
Director: Martin Scorsese
Costume Designer: Sandy Powell
Tailor: Leonard Logsdail

Background

You all heard (or read) me bitching about how poorly pink was incorporated into Sean Connery’s cream linen suit in Diamonds are Forever, so now let’s see a more subtle way that a gent can wear that most tender of colors.

After illegally making $22 million in three hours thanks to the Steve Madden IPO, boastful stock magnate Jordan Belfort heads for Europe to hide his ill-gotten gains in a Swiss bank account. An unexpected hiccup pops up when Jordy needs a European citizen’s name for the account. Luckily for our protagonist, his wife has a classy English aunt (played by the super awesome Joanna Lumley) that’s willing to help out.

What’d He Wear?

Jordan dresses for context, donning a Glen plaid suit for his English setting (as it was popularized by the Prince of Wales) and appealing to the “old lady” vote with a pink shirt and floral printed tie. Of course, Aunt Emma is no regular “old lady” so the sartorial gestures were unnecessary.

The lightweight wool suit is black and light gray Glen plaid with a light red overcheck that is brought out by the pink and red in his shirt and tie. Other than the padded shoulders, the jacket is very similar to the currently fashionable single-breasted suit coats with peak lapels, a medium 2-button front stance, and long double rear vents..

Jordan’s suit jacket has a welted breast pocket and flapped hip pockets that sit straight along his waist. The four black plastic buttons on each cuff are smaller versions of the two buttons on the front, and the cuffs are likely functioning “surgeon’s cuffs”. The peak lapels have high, slanted gorges and a buttonhole is stitched through the left lapel. The sleeves are long with heavily roped heads at the shoulders

The trousers are more dated to the ’90s with their double forward pleats that emphasize their already generous fit. They rise nicely to his waist with a seamless transition from buttoned jacket to trousers without the shirt or tie peeking out. In keeping with the ’90s fashion, the full-break trouser bottoms are cuffed with turn-ups.

Jordan’s shirt is a refreshing pale shade of pink with a large point collar and double cuffs that are fastened with a pair of unseen links.

His tie falls victim to the “frantic” printed tie fad that even claimed James Bond during the ’90s with a red floral and green leaf pattern on a dark navy silk ground. It’s subtle enough from a distance, but up close it can evoke an Italian grandmother’s couch.

Jordan makes the sartorial gods happy by matching a black leather belt to his black leather cap-toe oxfords, likely worn with a pair of black dress socks.

As he had given his black-dialed TAG Heuer Series 1000 away to inspire the masses on “IPO day”, he wears here a fittingly named TAG Heuer 2000 Exclusive with a white dial. Both are yellow gold with gold link bracelets.

Jordan wears his plain gold wedding band on his left ring finger, which becomes funny when you realize he’s wearing it as he briefly attempts to romance his wife’s 66-year-old aunt.

How to Get the Look

Jordan’s London attire is a great example of a man dressing for context. England? Pay respects to the former Prince of Wales with a glen plaid suit. Visiting an older female relative? Charm her with a pink shirt and floral tie. Is it the ’90s? Cuff those trousers, pad those shoulders, and slip a Tamagotchi in your pocket.

• Gray-and-black glen plaid (with light red overcheck) lightweight wool suit:
  • Single-breasted jacket with peak lapels, 2-button front, welted breast pocket, flapped straight hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and double rear vents
  • Double forward-pleated trousers with belt loops, side pockets, and cuffed bottoms/turn-ups
• Pale pink dress shirt with large point collar and double/French cuffs
• Dark navy silk ground necktie with red floral and green leaf pattern
• Black leather belt with squared steel buckle
• Black leather cap toe oxford shoes
• Black dress socks
• Gold TAG Heuer 2000 Exclusive wristwatch with white dial on link bracelet, worn on left wrist
• Plain gold wedding band, worn on left ring finger

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Check out the movie.

The Quote

Is she fucking hitting on me?

Footnotes

Jordan may have been a jet-setter, but the already expensive production cut costs when it could. The “London park” scenes were actually filmed in Brooklyn on November 20, 2012. According to movie-locations.com:

Although there are brief shots of the South Bank Lion by the South Bank’s County Hall and of Westminster Bridge in London, the meeting with Emma was filmed in the US with Kensington Gardens and the extravagant gilt Albert Memorial added digitally. Even the brief shot of Emma’s London house is CGI.