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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Brad Pitt’s Aloha Shirt and Champion Tee

Nick (luckystrike721)
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Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

Vitals

Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth, Hollywood stunt performer and war veteran

Los Angeles, February 1969

Film: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Release Date: July 26, 2019
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Costume Designer: Arianne Phillips

How to Get the Look

Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt’s stylish late-sixties outfits in Tarantino’s ninth film, released in American theaters today, will receive fuller BAMF Style coverage once the movie has been released to home media and streaming services, but I wanted to take an early look at Cliff Booth’s scrappy summer attire that has gotten plenty of exposure in the film’s promotional posters, photos, and trailers.

The Aloha Shirt

Brad Pitt’s stuntman character wears a somewhat undersized yellow printed Aloha shirt emblazoned with volcanic surf scenes and detailed with a non-matched pocket and five brown faux-coconut buttons down the plain front.

Your humble blogger channels Cliff Booth while in respite earlier this summer, dressed in King Kameha printed Aloha shirt, Champion T-shirt from Amazon, Ray-Ban RB3025 aviator sunglasses, Invicta Speedway watch, Goodfellow & Co. jeans, and brown Timberland Chelsea boots. (Should anyone be curious, the contents of the rocks glass are Templeton rye.)

The Champion T-shirt

Ever since the release of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood‘s promotional artwork, the internet (and Amazon alone) has been increasingly populated with retailers and shirt printers across all levels of reputation seeking to offer their own take on Cliff Booth’s well-worn white T-shirt with a fading version of the iconic black-and-red logo for Champion spark plugs, detailed with the registered trademark icon under the “N” that establishes the shirt as an official product of the company.

“You’re Rick fuckin’ Dalton,” Cliff Booth assures our protagonist in the film’s red-band trailer.

The Jeans

Brad Pitt confers with Quentin Tarantino on set.

Cliff Booth’s jeans are almost definitely classic Levi’s with straight or bootcut legs. Levi Strauss & Co. had actually introduced its 517 “Bootcut” style in 1969, the year the film was set, though the modernized 501 and the “Regular Fit” 505—introduced in 1947 and 1967, respectively—would also suit Cliff’s needs.

The Belt

The most specific detail of Cliff’s outfit is the large brass oval belt buckle announcing him as a “STUNTMEN’S ASSOCIATION MEMBER”, flanking an embossed old-fashioned movie camera in the center, worn on a thick tan leather belt.

To avoid the suspicions of actual stunt performers who may not appreciate copycats stealing their valor via a decorative belt buckle, you could echo the spirit of Cliff Booth’s profession with a Western-style belt complete with ornate four-piece engraved silver Ranger-style buckle like this piece available from Amazon for $29.95.

Another option may be a simple belt made from worn brown leather like “The Bootlegger” belt by Main Street Forge, available on Amazon for $39.95.

If you have a belt buckle you’d like to wear with this ensemble—be it claiming membership in the Stuntmen’s Association or not—you can wear it with a belt like this made for interchanging buckles. If you’re going full into costume mode and/or really are a member, you can pick up the Stuntmen’s Association buckle for $50 from Amazon.

Still in need of a buckle? Consider this copper oval piece with the patriotic motif of an eagle grasping the American flag from Western wear experts Nocona, available from Amazon for only $20.

The Boots

A pre-release GQ article by Yang-Yi Goh confirms that Cliff Booth wears a pair of unique tobacco brown soft fringed suede Minnetonka boots. This unique style of footwear is now almost exclusively marketed to women, though they’re hardly an exclusively feminine style and a gent could likely size accordingly to find something that fits whether they’re detailed with large metal conchos or laced up the front.

Note: Prices in this section as of August 6, 2019, and updated on January 21, 2020.

Update! Minnetonka has proudly re-released the two-button men’s boots as worn by Pitt for a limited time only! Pitt wore the softsole two-button boots, but the brand also offers a pair with hard rubber soles that seemingly trade a small degree of comfort for warmth.

Cliff Booth’s Minnetonka boots in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

The Sunglasses

Cliff wears large gold-framed aviator sunglasses with brown lenses and a reinforced bridge. Given Brad Pitt’s longstanding preferences for Oliver Peoples sunglasses, it’s possible that these on-screen aviators are an OP product, though they may also be a true vintage pair.

The Bracelet

A detail of Cliff’s attire consistent with the laidback aesthetic of his Aloha shirt is his dark brown leather bracelet detailed with blue and brown beads, flat white shell, and tan leather cord.

Such a specific piece would be difficult to pin down with 100% accuracy, but this is also a character piece that gives its wearer a chance to establish their own unique identity so you can scour the booths of handmade jewelry crafters at an art show or select something that speaks to you from an assortment of more mass-produced jewelry like this.

Cliff Booth’s bracelet and sunglasses in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

The Watch

Per the daredevil nature of his work, Cliff Booth’s watch resembles the Rolex Daytona chronograph that was eventually popularized by Paul Newman, whose interests of race car driving and acting mirror the fictional Cliff Booth’s role at the intersection of stuntwork and Hollywood.

Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in promotional artwork for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

In fact, Cliff’s watch has been identified as a vintage Citizen 8110 Bullhead, so named for the unique top placement of its dual buttons at the top of the case, and still available to find from some sellers on eBay or Etsy. Cliff’s particular gold Citizen watch has three black sub-dials on a round gold dial.

Cliff wears this gold watch on a light brown leather “bund” strap that weaves in and out of the wider cuff, replacing the 18mm gold link bracelet. The screen-worn band was made by Red Monkey Designs, a company that also provided the watch straps that Brad Pitt had previously worn in The Mexican and Ocean’s Thirteen. You can find the exact tan leather band here for $280 as well as some alternatives below:

Just want the general look of a bund-strapped watch without having to fuss with fitting your favorite watch onto a different band?

Note: All prices above are as of January 21, 2020 June 30, 2019.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Check out the movie, which Variety calls “a heady and engrossing nostalgia piece and love letter to 1960s L.A.”, now on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD!

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