Vitals

Paul Shenar as Alejandro Sosa, Bolivian cartel kingpin

Cochabamba, Bolivia, Fall 1981

Film: Scarface
Release Date: December 9, 1983
Director: Brian De Palma
Costume Designer: Patricia Norris

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

In response to a paid request from a BAMF Style reader (thanks for the tip, Alexander!), today’s post follows Tony Montana (Al Pacino) and Omar Suarez (F. Murray Abraham) deep into the Andes for their meeting with the urbane Bolivian cartel kingpin Alejandro Sosa (Paul Shenar), who welcomes them to work out a cocaine distribution deal—though Omar receives a less warm welcome than he may have anticipated.

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What’d He Wear?

For as long as gangster movies have been made, costume designers have used clothing to visually communicate the difference between the flashier crooks—those who dress as loud as they act, often attracting law enforcement or a rival’s bullet—and their more subdued counterparts, who may be just as brutal but carry themselves with quieter menace that extends to their wardrobes. This dynamic is clearly illustrated through Patricia Norris’ costume design in Scarface, a movie in which few make it out alive—and those who do are rarely the ones drawing attention.

Tony and Omar arrive in Cochabamba dressed in the de facto uniform of 1980s mid-level Miami coke dealers: low-slung, double-breasted suits in offbeat colors; non-white shirts unbuttoned to mid-chest with matching pocket squares; and plenty of gold flashing from their necks and fingers. In contrast, Alejandro Sosa presents a more refined image with his head-to-toe neutrals anchored by a silky windbreaker. Though some pieces mirror his visitors—like a low-buttoned shirt or pinky ring—Sosa’s look is ultimately more restrained, closer to smart, timeless sportswear than flashy criminal couture.

The most casually dressed man at the table—and also the one with the most power—Sosa sets himself apart in a creamy beige windbreaker likely made from silk or a silk-like synthetic fiber, soft and lightweight with a subtle luster that catches the South American sun. White inset stripes run down each sleeve from the shoulder seam to the elastic cuffs, adding a touch of sporty contrast.

A tonal plastic zipper runs up the front, offset by about an inch from the edge with a narrow storm flap tucked behind it, to a short standing collar—squared at the edges and fastened with a single beige button. Slanted hand pockets keep the design simple, while an inverted box pleat across the back adds mobility and contributes to the jacket’s fashionably loose, sporty drape—gently cinched at the waist by the elasticized blouson-style hem that sharpens the silhouette without sacrificing ease.

Matt Spaiser wrote for Bond Suits that “it takes both a bold and elegant man to wear a shirt made of voile.” While his description naturally applied to James Bond (the subject of his excellent blog), Alejandro Sosa also applies as such a bold and elegant man, who makes his first appearance wearing a white voile long-sleeved shirt layered under his windbreaker.

Voile is a lightweight, breathable fabric made from high-twist cotton or silk yarns, giving it a signature semi-sheer quality that sets it apart from similar weaves like poplin. Paired with its soft hand and wrinkle resistance, this subtle translucence makes it ideal for refined warm-weather attire. While most of the a voile shirt’s structure is sheer, reinforced pieces like the collar and placket are often more opaque due to the extra layer of fabric required.

Sosa maintains this softly neutral tonality with his cream-colored slacks, styled with double sets of narrow reverse-facing pleats, side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms. The trousers have a medium rise to just below Paul Shenar’s waist, where he wears a tan leather belt that closes through a gold-toned rectangular single-prong buckle.

While loafers would be appropriate for the context and the outfit, Sosa maintains some smart decorum with his well-shined brown leather cap-toe lace-up shoes. Based on the angles seen on screen and in production stills, these appear to have the open-laced design characteristic of derby shoes.

Sosa’s jewelry may be more restrained than Tony and Omar, but he’s not opposed to some subtle affectations of success. A gold ring set with a single diamond shines from his right pinky, while he dresses his left wrist with a gold tank watch featuring a squared white dial and tan herringbone-woven strap.

This sequence in Bolivia is the longest time that we spent with Sosa, though he briefly reappears during the “Push It to the Limit” sequence and again when he travels to the United States and offers Tony the exchange of assassinating a crusading journalist in exchange for staying out of prison. For this latter meeting, he maintains his neutral palette in a slubby cream double-breasted jacket and striped gray open-neck shirt—not quite as professional as the G-men in the room but still not reading

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What to Imbibe

During the “Push It to the Limit” montage, we check back in on Sosa—again in neutrals, but now consisting of a tan V-neck sweater layered over a tan open-neck shirt—laughing on the phone with Tony while enjoying a Martini, garnished with a lemon peel.

Martinis are typically made with gin and a negligible amount of dry vermouth, then garnished with a lemon twist or olive—or, in the case of the Gibson, a pickled cocktail onion. By the early ’80s, James Bond had also established the “shaken, not stirred” Vodka Martini as a fashionable alternative to the original gin-based cocktail.

Of course, there’s no way to know which variety Sosa is meant to be drinking; despite rumors about the substances consumed on screen, the prop team almost certainly just served Paul Shenar a martini glass filled with water! Given the glass of gin that Tony earlier accepted from Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia), a classic gin martini feels like the perfect Sosa-informed accompaniment to your next viewing night.

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How to Get the Look

Unlike many of his criminal contemporaries, Alejandro Sosa favors elegance over opulence, dressing in sun-washed neutrals that blend into his surroundings while signaling quiet authority. His look is refined but understated: a silky beige windbreaker, sheer white voile shirt, and cream trousers, with subtle gold touches like his pinky ring and tank watch completing a wardrobe that add polish—but not flash.

• Beige silky windbreaker with single-button short standing collar, straight-zip front, slanted side pockets, white inset-striped sleeves with elasticized cuffs, inverted box-pleated back, and elasticized waist hem
• White cotton voile shirt with front placket and button cuffs
• Cream double reverse-pleated trousers with belt loops, side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Tan leather belt with gold-toned rectangular single-prong buckle
• Brown leather cap-toe derby shoes
• Gold pinky ring with diamond
• Gold tank watch with white squared dial on tan herringbone strap

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Do Yourself a Favor and…

Check out the movie.

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The Quote

Just remember, I only tell you one time—don’t fuck me, Tony. Don’t you ever try to fuck me.