Tagged: Brown Suit
J.J. Gittes’ Sandy 3-Piece Suit in Chinatown
Jack Nicholson as J.J. Gittes in Chinatown (1974)
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Jack Nicholson as J.J. Gittes, private investigator and ex-policeman
Los Angeles, September 1937
Film: Chinatown
Release Date: June 20, 1974
Director: Roman Polanski
Costume Designer: Anthea Sylbert
Background
While many people – myself included – criticize the ’70s for being tacky with lows such as glam rock, disco, and leisure suits, it was also a renaissance in art, with guys such as Cassavetes, Peckinpah, and Scorsese honing their craft while the Stones put out Exile on Main St. and Led Zeppelin stuck together. Sideburns may have been battling mustaches for facial hair supremacy, but on the artistic front, the ’70s will hardly be duplicated again. The Godfather, The Sting, Network, Annie Hall, All the President’s Men, Dog Day Afternoon, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Three Days of the Condor, Paper Moon, Serpico, MASH, Patton, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, and – of course – Chinatown round out the list of some of my personal favorites that were churned out during the decade. Continue reading
Don Draper at the end of Season 5
Jon Hamm as Don Draper on Mad Men, episode 5.13 “The Phantom”.
This Sunday marks the return of Mad Men with the sixth season premiere on AMC. When we last saw Don Draper at the end of the fifth season, he was on a Manhattan bar stool, being propositioned by a couple of young barflies.
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Jon Hamm as Don Draper, twice-married Madison Avenue ad man
New York City, Spring 1967
Series: Mad Men
Episode: “The Phantom” (Episode 5.13)
Air Date: June 10, 2012
Director: Matthew Weiner
Costume Designer: Janie Bryant
Background
In the final episode of Mad Men‘s fifth season, “The Phantom”, the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce office is trying overcome their grief in the wake of a major death. Don Draper is hit hard, feeling responsible for the second suicide of someone he had rejected. Additionally, our protagonist is dealing with a throbbing toothache and his young wife’s desire to revisit acting. By the end of the episode, his tooth is healed, the company is buying additional office space, and Megan has had a successful audition.
Don, however, is at a crossroads: Does he move forward? If so, how? Continue reading
Paul Newman’s Brown Glen Plaid Suit in The Sting
January 26 would have been the 88th birthday of award-winning actor, director, race car driver, salad dressing mogul, and all-around great guy Paul Newman. To pay tribute to one of the greatest American entertainers, BAMF Style presents Newman from one of his greatest scenes ever in one of the greatest movies ever.
Paul Newman as Henry Gondorff in The Sting (1973).
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Paul Newman as Henry Gondorff, alias “Shaw”, ex-grifter getting back into the “big con”
Chicago, September 1936
Film: The Sting
Release Date: December 25, 1973
Director: George Roy Hill
Costume Designer: Edith Head
Background
The Sting, directed by George Roy Hill, has long been one of my favorite films and likely began my interest in the sartorial arts, as discussed in an earlier post focusing on Robert Redford’s character, Johnny Hooker. The characters run the gamut of 1930s fashion, from skid row to black tie, assisted with the expert eye and hands of costumer Edith Head, who won an Academy Award for her work on the film.
This sequence contains one of my favorite scenes in movie history, greatly due to Newman’s performance as con man Henry Gondorff showing up “drunk” at a poker game where he meets and subsequently out-cheats his mark. Continue reading
Dillinger’s Brown Suit in “Public Enemies”
Johnny Depp behind the scenes as John Dillinger in Public Enemies (2009).
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Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, Depression-era bank robber
Tucson, January 1934
Film: Public Enemies
Release Date: July 1, 2009
Director: Michael Mann
Costume Designer: Colleen Atwood
Background
Seventy nine years ago today, on January 25, 1934, noted Midwest bank robber John Dillinger was arrested by a group of small-town cops in Tucson, Arizona. The arrest was notable as the Chicago police had been leading police efforts against the bandit for several months, to the point of assigning an elite team of detectives – dubbed the “Dillinger Squad” – the single task of finding Dillinger.
Public Enemies used photos of Dillinger during his arrest and subsequent interviews to recreate the dark three-piece suit he wore throughout the ordeal. Unfortunately, he ditches his coat and tie early on in the scenes, leaving only a few glimpses in the film and behind-the-scenes photos to get an idea of the full picture of the suit. Continue reading
The Sting: Robert Redford’s Russet Striped Suit
Robert Redford as Johnny Hooker in The Sting (1973).
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Robert Redford as Johnny Hooker, small-time Depression-era grifter
Joliet to Chicago, September 1936
Film: The Sting
Release Date: December 25, 1973
Director: George Roy Hill
Costume Designer: Edith Head
Background
Four years after their successful pairing in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Paul Newman and Robert Redford met up once again for The Sting, a 1973 crime-comedy about two con men (“grifters”, in the film’s and Jim Thompson’s parlance) who team up to take down a brutal syndicate big shot against the backdrop of the corruption of 1930s Chicago.
But before all of that, Redford finds himself flush with money after conning a mob numbers runner. He struts into a store armed with his $4,000 and leaves with a bold striped suit. Continue reading
Rusty Ryan’s trip to Florida
As the weather continues to cool down, some people may choose to head south for their holiday celebrations. If this applies to you, take an example from Brad Pitt’s Florida suit in the Ocean’s Eleven remake. Happy 49th birthday, Mr. Pitt.
Brad Pitt as “Rusty” Ryan in Ocean’s Eleven (2001).
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Brad Pitt as Robert “Rusty” Ryan, hustler and casino heister
St. Petersburg, FL, Spring 2001
Film: Ocean’s Eleven
Release Date: December 7, 2001
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Costume Designer: Jeffrey Kurland
Background
Disclaimer: Reading the tips on this article will not make you look like Brad Pitt, nor will women treat you like you are Brad Pitt. However, it may give you a few steps in the right direction when emulating the great style that defined Ocean’s Eleven. Continue reading
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