Vitals

Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens, old-fashioned Deputy U.S. Marshal

Harlan County, Kentucky, Fall 2014

Series: Justified
Episode: “Cash Game” (Episode 6.02)
Air Date: January 27, 2015
Director: Dean Parisot
Creator: Graham Yost
Costume Designer:  Patia Prouty

Background

The second episode of Justified‘s sixth and final season introduced a few new characters that would be help drive the series toward its action-packed endgame, including a shockingly mustache-less Sam Elliott as ruthless yet refined gangster Avery Markham.

This early in the season, however, Raylan has yet to meet Mr. Markham, instead forced to converse with the likes of his low-level henchmen like the oversized dimwit Choo-Choo (Duke Davis Roberts).

What’d He Wear?

After some uneven experimentation in early episodes, Raylan Givens had established his usual look over the six seasons of Justified. In addition to the cowboy hat and boots from which he never deviated, one could expect to see the taciturn lawman strutting into the office in a black suit jacket, jeans, and skinny tie or the “denim sandwich” of a trucker jacket and jeans when off-duty. Sure there had been variations, with different suits and sport jackets in shades of gray and brown entering the mix but rarely anything more colorful than that.

Winona: Brown suit, black suit. 1, 2, 3, 4 shirts. Two pairs of jeans.
Raylan: What the hell’s that supposed to mean?
Winona: Oh, just by looking at your closet one would think you were a simple man.

— Justified, “The Life Inside” (Episode 2.02)

It’s thus a surprising single-episode departure when Raylan spends the entirety of the sixth season’s “Cash Game” episode in an all blue ensemble anchored by a navy single-breasted peak-lapel suit jacket.

This solid navy jacket is softly napped like doeskin flannel. With a standard welted breast pocket and straight flapped pockets, the style of the jacket implies that it is orphaned from a lounge suit, though Raylan only wears it with jeans for its sole onscreen appearance. There are long side vents, allowing a little more room for the bulge created by Raylan’s holstered full-size Glock on his right hip.

The jacket has roped sleeveheads and is loosely shaped with darts, though Raylan somewhat negates the fitted effect by wearing it open. The peak lapels are pick stitched at the edges, rolling to the top of a two-button front with four smaller matching buttons on the ends of each sleeve.

Rather than opting for contrast with a lighter shirt or tie, Raylan sticks with a generally monochromatic scheme by wearing a navy shirt and tie. This lack of contrast keeps the look informal, harmonizing with his jeans better than a dressier and lighter blue shirt would.

The mini-checked cotton shirt has a slim spread collar and narrow front placket that reminds me of the standard offerings at places like Banana Republic, J. Crew, and Macy’s during the “slim fit” craze of the mid-2010s. This connection makes sense as much of Raylan’s clothing was known to be sourced from these retailers, though this may be the navy-and-black checked A.P.C. shirt that made an appearance during the show’s final episode and would be auctioned following the production.

Raylan often wore vintage ties sourced by the show’s costume team, and this satin-finished navy tie is likely no exception. Two off-kilter gray-stitched rectangles in the center of the tie break up the solid navy ground.

Raylan wears his standard Levi’s 501 jeans, recognizable by the back arcuate stitching and the familiar red tab sewn along on the inside of the back right pocket. These “Original Fit” jeans have a button fly and standard five-pocket layout, sitting low on his waist.

Like Raylan himself, his trusty tooled leather belt has seen plenty of wear and tear with the dark brown leather slightly worn on the top and bottom edges. There is tan contrast stitching along the edges and a steel single-prong buckle. On the right side of the belt, Raylan carries his Glock 17 in a tan-finished full-grain leather paddle holster, custom-made by Alfonso Gun Leather of Hollywood to resemble the Bianchi Model 59 Special Agent® that he’d worn in the first season.

In the early episodes of Justified, Raylan stood tall in a pair of anteater cowboy boots from Justin, though he switched to the custom-made ostrich leg boots from Lucchese following the show’s third season.

By now, you know that Raylan Givens completes his cowboy image with a hat to supplement the boots. Baron Hats custom made this sahara tan 200XXX beaver hat with a 4.25″ cattleman’s crown, 3.25″ brim, and slim ranger-buckled tooled leather band for Timothy Olyphant to wear on the show, and it continues to market “The RG” hat on their site.

After the Rolex Submariner that was sporadically seen in the pilot episode, Raylan briefly wore a practical and stylish TAG Heuer Series 6000 Chronometer sports watch before ultimately demoting his timepiece to a cheap Versales quartz watch. Strapped to a black leather band, this Japanese watch has a round stainless steel case with an extra pusher in the 2 o’clock position to illuminate the round white dial.

One last cowboy touch: Raylan always wears a textured sterling silver ring with a horseshoe shape on the third finger of his right hand.

How to Get the Look

Though unique for Raylan Givens – whose tailored jacket palette tends to fall more in the black, brown, and gray camp – all blue makes a delightful ensemble for spring. Whether or not you can pull off the tricky navy-on-navy-on-navy trifecta, Raylan’s cowboy hat and boots, or wearing a tie with jeans is yet to be seen…

• Navy flannel single-breasted 2-button suit jacket with peak lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and long side vents
• Navy mini-checked cotton shirt with slim spread collar, narrow front placket, and squared button cuffs
• Navy satin silk vintage skinny tie with two center askew gray-stitched rectangles
• Dark blue denim Levi’s 501 Original Fit jeans
• Dark brown tooled leather belt with a dulled steel single-prong buckle
• Tan full grain leather thumb-break paddle holster for a full-size Glock pistol
• Lucchese “cigar”-colored brown ostrich leg Western-style boots with decorative stitched calf leather shafts
• Baron Hats “The RG” sahara tan 200XXX beaver cattleman’s hat with a thin tooled leather band
• Stainless steel wristwatch with luminous white dial and black leather strap
• Sterling silver horseshoe ring with braided side detail
• White ribbed cotton sleeveless undershirt

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Check out the entire series, though this episode makes its sole appearance in the sixth and final season.

The Quote

Son, are you real smart or real stupid?