Vitals

Jamie Foxx as Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs, Miami-Dade PD detective

Miami, Summer 2005

Film: Miami Vice
Release Date: July 28, 2006
Director: Michael Mann
Costume Design: Michael Kaplan & Janty Yates
Jamie Foxx’s Costumer: Yaa Boaa Aning

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

Michael Mann’s frequently memed update of Miami Vice was widely released 20 years ago today on July 28, 2006, reintroducing cooler-than-ice detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs as Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, respectively.

As portrayed by EGOT hopeful Philip Michael Thomas, Tubbs may have lived within Crockett’s [five o’clock] shadow in the series, but the 2006 movie gives the character more room to breathe with Jamie Foxx—fresh off his Oscar win for Ray—in the role. In fact, it was reportedly Foxx who suggested the idea of a Miami Vice film to Mann, who had executive-produced the 1980s TV series.

Despite his increased degree of characterization, the 2006 film still leaves some questions about Tubbs’ character unanswered; for example, how does he feel about mojitos? Is he fiendish or ambivalent?

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What’d He Wear?

The 2006 movie updated Crockett and Tubbs’ style from the decade-defining white linens and pastels worn by Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas to more contemporary costumes designed by Michael Kaplan and Janty Yates. Among the more than two dozen members of Miami Vice‘s wardrobe department, Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx each had their own costumers and designers. This was the first of three films with Yaa Boaa Aning credited as costumer for Foxx, whose on-screen suits were designed by British-Ghanaian fashion designer Ozwald Boateng.

Foxx’s most prominently and frequently worn suit is a cool, mottled shade of taupe-brown silk with a sheen reflecting the illumination of Miami nightlife during the opening scene. Considerably more structured than the intentionally slouchy tailoring of the ’80s series, the defined silhouette of Foxx’s suit jacket has pagoda-style shoulders that naturally follow his concave shoulders, curving out to the roped sleeveheads. (Read more about pagoda shoulders at Bond Suits.)

The full three-button front of Tubbs’s single-breasted suit jacket reflects contemporary 1990s/2000s fashions while also contrasting the lower two-button stance of Crockett’s gray suit jacket in the same sequence. Tubbs’ jacket has a welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets that slant rearward, double vents, and four-button cuffs.

Though less clear due to the digital cinematography and on-screen angles, Tubbs’ trousers appear to be styled with front darts, which Matt Spaiser describes for Bond Suits as “essentially a pleat that is sewn shut,” curving the trousers over the hips without the extra cloth of traditional pleats or the plainer profile of a classic flat-front. They also have side pockets, back pockets (most likely), and plain-hemmed bottoms. He holds them up with a brown leather belt that closes through a gold-finished single-prong buckle.

Tubbs maintains the color scheme with his dark-brown leather loafers, styled with squared toes that haven’t aged well but reflect a more common style of the mid-2000s. He wears them with lightweight dark-brown ribbed socks that effectively continue his trouser leg-line into these shoes.

Both Crockett and Tubbs maintain a monochromatic uniformity during the nightclub-set opening sequence. Tubbs wears a rust-colored shirt with a point collar, a plain button-up front with the top few undone, and button cuffs.

Later, Crockett and Tubbs’ deep undercover operation brings them to meet with cartel security chief José Yero (John Ortiz) and the kingpin’s advisor Isabella (Gong Li). The daytime meeting brings out the cooler iridesence in Tubbs’ brown silk tailoring, coordinating to the soft light-blue lightweight cotton shirt he wears with it. This less-structured shirt has a soft spread collar, a front placket again worn with the top few buttons undone, and single-button rounded cuffs.

Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen gets some clear screen-time as Tubbs’ wristwatches of choice, cycling between at least two over the course of the film:

• An IWC Portuguese Chrono-Automatic ref. 371404 is Tubbs’ typical watch, easily spotted by its glossy black leather strap. The stainless steel 41mm case has a large, clean black dial with silver sub-registers at the 12 and 6 o’clock positions, overlapping their respective Arabic numeral hour indices. According to Watch ID, a limited run of 50 “included an engraved IWC caseback with Miami Vice logo and number.”
• Tubbs wears an IWC Aquatimer Split Minute Chronograph is worn for more specialized scenes, visually distinguished as the one that Tubbs wears on a metal three-piece link bracelet. This heftier multi-function chronograph expanded the titanium case to 42 or 45mm (depending on the specific reference), designed for diving with a rotating bezel with a black insert that contrasts with a yellow section across the first 15 minutes of the hour. It echoes the Portugese’s black dial and two silver sub-registers, swapping in luminous non-numeric hour indices and adding a black second-counting sub-register at the 9 o’clock position.

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How to Get the Look

Jamie Foxx’s characterization of Rico Tubbs eschews his partner Crockett’s more insoucient flare while maintaining a sleek degree of cool in his custom-tailored silk suit with open-necked shirts.

• Brown silk tailored suit:
  • Single-breasted 3-button jacket with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, slanted flapped hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and double vents
  • Darted-front trousers with belt loops, side pockets, back pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Rust or light-blue shirt with button-up front and button cuffs
• Brown leather belt with gold-finished single-prong buckle
• Dark-brown leather loafers
• Dark-brown ribbed dress socks
• IWC Portuguese Chrono-Automatic ref. 371404 watch with steel 41mm case, black dial with two silver sub-registers, and black leather strap

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Do Yourself a Favor and…

Check out the movie.

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The Quote

Them two should ease up on the merchandise.