Blow: A Colorful New Year’s Eve Sport Jacket
Johnny Depp as George Jung in Blow (2001)
Vitals
Johnny Depp as George Jung, successful cocaine smuggler
Miami, New Year’s Eve 1979
Film: Blow
Release Date: April 6, 2001
Director: Ted Demme
Costume Designer: Mark Bridges
Background
I’ll be the first to admit my hypocritical cowardice. I’ve written many posts celebrating turtlenecks, but it wasn’t until this year that I truly started embracing them in my personal style, the result of a New Year’s resolution to myself. “What kind of resolution is that?” you might ask. “Didn’t you become a father this year? Why are you worried about turtlenecks?” you may also ask. And I’ll ignore all those questions.
I always had a soft spot for Blow, Ted Demme’s Scorsese-inspired movie following the rise and fall of the late drug dealer “Boston George” Jung, played to trichological perfection by Johnny Depp. Even at the height of George’s success, Depp convincingly sells George as the kind of himbo whose right connections at the right place at the right time converged for him to make millions smuggling cocaine for the Medellín Cartel through the 1970s and ’80s.
During a New Year’s Eve party (scored by KC and the Sunshine Band’s disco hit “Keep It Comin’, Love”), George learns from one of his partners that his old partner Diego Delgado—a thinly veiled stand-in for the real-life Carlos Lehder—has double-crossed him, cutting George out to conduct his own smuggling operations from Norman’s Cay… though it takes George a few beats to comprehend that “Norman Cay” isn’t a person but a place.
What’d He Wear?
George dresses for the New Year in a colorful sports coat layered over a plain white turtleneck. The single-breasted jacket appears to be cut from a woven synthetic fabric like polyester, using slubbed yarns to create horizontal bands of burgundy, tan, and gray for a pink-forward tweed-like texture that mimics the visual warmth of wool without its softness. This two-button jacket has notch lapels, patch pockets over the breast and hips, and single-button cuffs, with dramatic swelled edges along the lapels and pockets.
George balances the chaotic colors in his jacket by layering it over a plain cream-colored turtleneck, plain-woven from a soft, lightweight cloth—likely cotton.
The turtleneck fabric is light enough—and Depp was lean enough—to tuck it into his brown flat-front trousers, which are styled with belt loops to accommodate George’s brown leather belt with its large stamped silver-toned plate buckle. The belt leather coordinates to his brown leather ankle boots.
Currently at the height of his wealth, George wears it on both hands in the form of gold jewelry and accessories: a thin gold bracelet on his right wrist, a gold diamond-studded horseshoe-shaped ring on his right ring finger, and a gold dive watch on his left wrist.
This watch has a black bezel insert and round black date window with a date window at the 3 o’clock position, all fastened to a gold three-piece link bracelet like the Rolex “Presidential” bracelet introduced alongside the Day-Date in the 1950s. The watch may be a Rolex Submariner ref. 1680/8, which was the first Submariner encased in yellow-gold upon its 1973 introduction—marking Rolex’s transition from purely upscale tool watches to prestigious status symbols.
What to Imbibe
In a deleted scene where his wife Mirtha’s family helps him conspire his revenge on Diego, George merely numbs himself with cocaine—including mixing some into a dram of whisky. I’d, uh, stick with champagne for your New Year celebration.
How to Get the Look
Johnny Depp as George Jung in Blow (2001)
George Jung’s approach for New Year’s Eve lets a bold, textured sports coat do the heavy sartorial lifting, anchored with calm basics like a cream turtleneck and brown trousers but letting some shiny gold jewelry add an appropriately celebratory flash.
- Pink, burgundy, tan, and gray mixed-yarn polyester single-breasted 2-button sport jacket with notch lapels, patch breast and hip pockets, and single-button cuffs
- Cream plain-woven cotton turtleneck
- Brown flat-front trousers with belt loops and plain-hemmed bottoms
- Brown leather belt with stamped silver plate-style buckle
- Brown leather ankle boots
- Gold bracelet
- Diamond-studded gold horseshoe ring
- Gold dive watch with black bezel insert and round black dial (with 3:00 date window) on gold semi-circular three-piece link bracelet
Do Yourself a Favor and…
Check out the movie and read the book too!
The Quote
Hey, am I wearin’ lipstick?
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Oh wow, another of my favorite films!! Most amazing is Depp nails the Boston accent perfectly. It’s nearly impossible to do, most actors do the “pahk the cah” cheat but Depp captures Jung’s nuance and dialect right on target. And yes to the hair, thanks for the word “trichological.” I did not know that.