Vitals

Brad Pitt as Robert “Rusty” Ryan, hotel owner and international thief

En route Amsterdam, November 2004

Film: Ocean’s Twelve
Release Date: December 10, 2004
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Costume Designer: Milena Canonero
Pitt’s Costumer: Bruno de Santa

Background

Bomb cyclone. Polar vortex. Whatever you call it, the frigid cold is here in the north, and you’d be well-advised to prep for it by bundling up and/or getting out of town. (Readers in the Southern Hemisphere, my frosty self envies you!)

Bundling up and getting out of town is exactly what Brad Pitt’s Rusty Ryan seems to have in mind in the second act of Ocean’s Twelve, the less regarded sequel to the 2001 remake of the classic Rat Pack heist film. Having been tracked down by the ruthless Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) after the multi-million dollar robbery of his casino in Ocean’s Eleven, Rusty and his criminal partner Danny Ocean (George Clooney) are forced to get the gang back together for one last* job. The crew determines that it would be too dangerous to try another heist in the U.S., so Rusty announces that he’s booked them all on a 5:00 flight to Amsterdam.

* It’s not their last. Spoiler alert: There’s an Ocean’s Thirteen out there.

What’d He Wear?

My first post of 2018 revisits the unconventional style of Brad Pitt’s Rusty Ryan in Ocean’s Twelve. Rusty is certainly one of the flashier dressers of the robbery crew throughout the series, but this second film seems to take his wardrobe to a whole new level, guided by costume designer Milena Canonero’s interpretation of the character being seen at his vainest here.

At the unceremonious first reunion of “Ocean’s Eleven”, Rusty lounges in the corner, draped in a voluminous soft brown moleskin coat. The coat has broad lapels; the straight left lapel has two loops that would ostensibly connect to buttons underneath the widely notched right lapel. My friend Ken has explained at his excellent @oceansographer Instagram account that the coat was made by London-based tailor John Pearse.

The double-breasted coat has a four-on-two (4×2) button front in a high square formation. It has set-in shoulders and plain cuffs with no buttons, tabs, or zips, and there is a straight flapped pocket on each hip.

Although the coat looks expansive due to the huge collar, which Rusty accentuates by wearing it slightly turned up, it extends no longer than Brad Pitt’s knees and is thus a little more practical for air travel than a full-length overcoat. It makes its last appearance as the gang heads for the airport, as Rusty’s European adventure finds him exclusively wearing a rotating series of three (count ’em, three!) trench coats in classic taupe khaki, fashionable lightweight cream, and Gestapo-esque black leather.

Rusty seems to wear the most ties of the series in Ocean’s Twelve, typically worn with a trench coat or overcoat rather than with a suit. Rusty wears a dark burgundy silk shirt unbuttoned at the neck with a loosened silk tie of pink interlocked circles on a burgundy ground.

The shirt has a large point collar and squared double (French) cuffs that Rusty wears with a set of ridged silver disc links.

Rusty’s black striped trousers have plain-hemmed bottoms and are worn beltless. His shoes appear to be the same tan alligator bicycle-toe full strap penny loafers that he wears with his light gray silk suit.

Then again, I shouldn’t be so quick to call any part of Rusty’s outfit “practical”. His Rolex Day-Date “President” is certainly an attractive watch, though the eagle-eyed experts at the Rolex forums have suggested that Rusty is actually wearing a platinum ref. 118366 Day-Date with a “glacier” ice blue dial, 36mm case, and 24 baguette diamonds… in other words, a $58,000 watch.

Practicality can be further thrown out the window when you consider just how much time Rusty might need to get his bounty of metal accessories through security, from his cuff links to his thin silver necklace with its down-scaled replica of Brad Pitt’s real-life wedding ring from his marriage to Jennifer Aniston.

These scenes also feature Rusty wearing two different silver rings, one a plain silver wedding band-like ring on his left index finger. On his right pinky, he wears a thicker ring consisting of an interlocking grid like a fence built around his finger. (He later wears this ring on his left pinky with a matching bracelet on his right wrist as well as his usual silver pinky ring with its flush, square-cut diamond on his right pinky… as seen here.)

How to Get the Look

Rusty Ryan hardly provides a template for practical and accessible air travel attire, but his distinctive layered look could be just the inspiration you need to add some Hollywood-influenced pizzazz to your winter wardrobe.

• Brown moleskin knee-length coat with broad lapels, 4×2-button double-breasted front, set-in sleeves, plain cuffs, and straight flapped hip pockets
• Dark burgundy silk shirt with large point collar and double/French cuffs
• Burgundy silk tie with pink interlocked circles
• Black striped trousers with plain-hemmed bottoms
• Tan alligator bicycle-toe full-strap penny loafers
• Silver thin-chain necklace with wedding ring replica pendant
• Rolex Day-Date 118366 platinum wristwatch with 36mm case, ice blue dial, diamond-studded bezel, and President link bracelet
• Silver interlocking-grid pinky ring, worn on right pinky
• Plain silver ring, worn on left index finger

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Check out the movie or the whole trilogy.

The Quote

Hotels, man…