Vitals

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

Harlan County, Kentucky, Spring 2010

Series: Justified
Episode: “Hatless” (Episode 1.09)
Air Date: May 11, 2010
Director: Peter Werner
Creator: Graham Yost
Costume Designer: Ane Crabtree

Background

Today marks the return of college football season, so I wanted to look at how a BAMF Style favorite incorporated some team pride into an off-duty look. The ninth episode of Justified begins with Raylan Givens drinking away his suspension from the U.S. Marshals Service, or as he calls it, “a well-earned vacation.”

Unfortunately for an increasingly drunk Raylan, he’s joined at the bar by two obnoxious rednecks yukking it up about one of their recent romantic misadventures…

Raylan: Gentlemen, I’m sorry to interrupt… could you just keep it down a bit?
Drunk Man: Why would we do that?
Raylan: Because I didn’t order assholes with my whiskey…

Correctly diagnosed with “harborin’ a bit of hostility there”, Raylan follows the two men outside to work out their issues with their fists… but the two men get the better of the whiskey-soaked marshal, who ends the pre-credits sequence bruised, bloodied, and—worse yet—rid of his signature hat, resulting in the episode’s title.

What’d He Wear?

Before spending most of the episode without it, Raylan wears his famous wide-brimmed hat, crafted properly to accommodate one of Elmore Leonard’s conditions before allowing the series itself to be made. Timothy Olyphant once again featured the wares of L.A.-based milliner Baron Hats, who had supplied his headgear on Deadwood, to create Raylan’s sahara tan cattleman-style hat, detailed with a narrow brown tooled leather band with its curved single-prong buckle on the left side.

More than a decade after the series premiered, Baron Hats continues to market “The RG”, with its 4.25″-tall cattleman’s crown, 3.25″-wide brim, and available in the same 200XXX beaver felt as worn on the show.

Off duty due to his suspension, Raylan foregoes his suit jackets and skinny ties, instead wearing a plaid shirt open over his Florida Gators T-shirt. The excellent Facebook page “It was Justified” has identified the plaid shirt as made by Mossimo Supply Co. and the T-shirt as an Adidas product.

The brushed cotton flannel long-sleeved shirt is patterned in a red and black plaid with a pale-gray overcheck, with a spread collar, button cuffs, and two chest pockets, each with a flap that closes through a smoke-gray plastic sew-through button matching those up the front placket.

Does Raylan’s Gators shirt imply that the college he attended on his Aunt Helen’s savings was the University of Florida? Or did he just become a fan during his years in Florida with USMS? Either way, he celebrates the Gainesville-based college when he peels off the plaid shirt to reveal a heathered gray cotton short-sleeved T-shirt emblazoned with a faded, vintage-inspired logo of a green alligator sporting an orange T-shirt with a blue “F” on it, flanked above and below with the words “FLORIDA” and “GATORS”.

After an early advantage in the fight, our drunken hero ends up spending more time than we’d like to see crawling on the dirty pavement behind the bar, scuffing his dark blue Levi’s jeans, identifiable by the signature red tab sewn along in the inside of the back-right patch pocket. These jeans are likely the 501 Original Fit button-fly jeans, held up with his usual brown tooled leather belt. As he’s both suspended and drinking, Raylan wisely leaves his Glock and holster at home.

Raylan began the series wearing brown anteater cowboy boots by Justin, though these would be swapped out for ostrich-leg Lucchese boots beginning in the third season, following the new direction of costume designer Patia Prouty, who replaced Ane Crabtree for the second season onward. After Winona (Natalie Zea) takes an injured Raylan back to his motel room, she pulls off his boots to show that he’s wearing a pair of dark brown boot socks.

After prominently wearing a Rolex Submariner for much of the pilot episode, Raylan straps on a brushed steel TAG Heuer Series 6000 Chronometer as his watch of choice for the early seasons of Justified, the leather bracelet alternating between a black strap or—as seen here—a textured brown strap. Consistent with dive watches, Raylan’s timepiece has a rotating bezel that surrounds the round white dial with its 3:00 date window.

For an additional cowboy-influenced touch, Raylan regularly wears a sterling silver statement ring with a horseshoe and braided sides that taper toward the back of the band.

What to Imbibe

“I’m assuming you’re not gonna stop,” the bartender suggests as he brings forth the bottle to pour Raylan yet another shot of bourbon. “Can’t see one good reason why I should,” Raylan responds, quickly downing the shot of what appears to be a fictional “Old Kentucky” label that’s poured before him.

Several drinks—and kicks and punches—later, a battered Raylan is returned to his motel room, where he keeps a fifth of Jim Beam within reach on the bedside table.

Justified did much to bring exposure to fine bourbons like Blanton’s, Buffalo Trace, Elmer T. Lee, and Pappy Van Winkle, though there must be very few even in the non-bourbon drinking world who are unfamiliar with Jim Beam, whose standard 80-proof “White Label” variety was deemed the world’s most popular bourbon in Brad Japhe’s reporting for Forbes last year, citing the IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.

Beam family bourbon traces its origins back to 1795. Production was interrupted by Prohibition, after which the distillery was rebuilt by then-manager James B. Beam, for whom the modern iteration of the company is named. The brand followed suit in 1943 when its signature product was renamed “Jim Beam” rather than “Old Tub”, under which it had been marketed since 1880.

The recent bourbon renaissance encouraged Jim Beam to expand its lineup, which now includes nearly a dozen whiskies (including a rye), flavored whiskey liqueurs, and even pre-mixed cocktails.

How to Get the Look

Even when not on duty, Raylan Givens wears his everyday cowboy hat, boots, belt, and jeans, though he layers more informally in a plaid shirt unbuttoned over a T-shirt celebrating his favorite team, in this case the Florida Gators. Of course, not all teams coordinate with a cowboy hat so you may want to consider being “Hatless” from the get-go.

• Red, black, and pale-gray plaid cotton flannel long-sleeve shirt with spread collar, two button-down flapped chest pockets, and button cuffs
• Gray heathered “Florida Gators” short-sleeve T-shirt
• Dark blue denim Levi’s 501 Original Fit button-fly jeans
• Brown tooled leather belt with silver-toned single-prong buckle
• Brown anteater Justin cowboy boots
• Dark brown boot socks
• Baron Hats “The RG” sahara tan 200XXX beaver felt cattleman’s hat with a thin tooled leather band
• TAG Heuer Series 6000 Chronometer wristwatch with brushed steel case, 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 series. I also recommend that fans of the show who are on Facebook follow the great page @EverythingJustified which features many great photos, videos, and moments from the series as well as shots of screen-worn gear.