Vitals

Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble, fugitive and former doctor trying to clear his name

Chicago, Spring 1993

Film: The Fugitive
Release Date: August 6, 1993
Director: Andrew Davis
Costume Designer: Aggie Guerard Rodgers

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

In addition to being one of the best modern thrillers, The Fugitive is also one of the best TV-to-movie adaptations, seamlessly updating the characters and story to transform four seasons of a 1960s TV show into a compelling and suspenseful 1990s action flick.

After being wrongly convicted for the murder of his wife, Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) gets a lucky break when his prison transport crashes after fellow prisoners launch an escape attempt… making him the primary target of Deputy U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones). Unlike lesser films that would try to paint Gerard as a lawman using this case for his own redemption or personally entangled with his mark, this is simply another job for the marshal.

Dr. Kimble evades Gerard and his team during a St. Patrick’s Day parade, but the close shave encourages him to continue his journey of putting the pieces together to clear his name and bring justice to his wife’s killers.

What’d He Wear?

This segment of The Fugitive is clearly set in the late winter and early spring, but Dr. Kimble’s “on-the-run” look would be just as comfortable and practical for a fall day. His outfit of a tweed jacket, chambray shirt, knit tie, and blue jeans certainly evokes Robert Redford in Three Days of the Condor, a similar story about an innocent man that finds himself on the run in the big city. He looks respectable but still rooted in workwear; when we see a tweed-and-chambray arm clawing out of an elevator, we can cheer knowing that it’s our resourceful, unstoppable hero and not his corrupt, business-suited foe.

Dr. Kimble’s outer layer is a tweed sport jacket made up of brown yarns mixed with beige and blue. The notch lapels have swelled edges, a buttonhole stitched through the left lapel, and a tan woolen strip beneath the collar that is clearly seen when Richard turns up his lapels against Chicago’s windy night air.

The single-breasted tweed jacket has two brown leather buttons on the front and three slightly smaller buttons on each cuff. The front is darted, the back is split with a single vent, and the natural shoulders have softly roped sleeveheads.

There is a welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, and a pocket on each inside panel; directly under the jetted right inside pocket, a black Benjamin label can be spotted.

Dr. Kimble wears a large-fitting and lightweight blue chambray cotton work shirt, likely made by Anto Beverly Hills. The shirt has a slim collar with white stitching about a half-inch from the edge. It has white plastic buttons down the plain front, each buttoning through a white-stitched buttonhole. The cuffs each close with a button. There are no darts or pleats on the back.

There are two patch pockets on the shirt chest, with a single-button flap over each one to close. The pocket flaps have rounded corners and closer white edge-stitching than the collar, about a millimeter from the edge of the flaps and pockets. The left pocket has a short open pen slot on the inside.

Kimble’s slim knit tie is black with sets of three thin red horizontal stripes. The tie has a pointed blade and no rear keeper loop so the slimmer, flat-bottomed tail flies free during the sequence’s many action scenes.

Part of the genius of Dr. Kimble’s attire is that it nicely walks the line between professional and casual, because—let’s face it—in America these days, most people will still think you look “fancy” just because you’re wearing a tie, whether you’re sporting it with a tailored suit and well-shined oxfords or clean jeans and sneakers.

Of course, it helps that Kimble is wearing a pair of clean, rich-colored medium blue denim jeans with a straight leg. They have a standard five-pocket layout and no visible manufacturer’s tag. Some are suggesting that they are Ford’s preferred Wrangler Cowboy Cut® Original Fit (13MWZ) jeans with the distinctive back patch removed.  Although they have belt loops—as jeans usually do—Richard wears them with no belt.

Dr. Kimble wears a pair of all-black leather side-striped K-Swiss Classic sneakers with black laces and black soles, a smartly unobtrusive choice if one must wear sneakers with a dressier outfit. (Given Kimble’s predicament, sneakers rather than dress shoes was probably a good idea!) His socks are basic white cotton tube socks.

Dr. Kimble wears no undershirt, but the elastic waistband of his white cotton boxer shorts can be glimpsed when takes a crowbar to Charles’ legs during the film’s climax.

What to Imbibe

Why, of course our all-American everyman hero drinks a bottle of Budweiser beer!

(Although, as this was set in Chicago, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see Richard downing a bottle of Old Style.)

How to Get the Look

Dr. Kimble’s ensemble in the city is perfect for blending in: rugged and durable but still fashionable enough that he can fit in anywhere from a banquet to a backyard.

• Brown mixed tweed single-breasted 2-button sportcoat with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and single vent
• Blue chambray work shirt with button-down flapped chest pockets and button cuffs
• Black slim knit tie with sets of triple red stripes
• Blue denim jeans with belt loops, five pockets, and boot cut (Wrangler Cowboy Cut® Original Fit (13MWZ))
• Black leather K-Swiss Classic sneakers
• White cotton tube socks
• White cotton boxer shorts

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Check out the movie.

The Quote

I thought you didn’t care?