The Retail A List Report: fashion and film

FASHION AND FILM

It is inescapable how movies and the film stars have influenced fashion, and those who design the clothes we wear.

When I began wearing tailored clothing, I spent an entire summer worth of Saturday nights in front of the television watching classic movies from the 40s and 50s. Not only did this exercise educate me to the golden age of Hollywood filmmaking, I studied the fine art of personal presentation and how to become a stylish young man.

Gangster movies, musicals, noir, novels recreated, all very well styled and very well dressed. And the movie stars didn’t just wear costume; this was the way they dressed off screen and the way I wanted to dress whenever I had the chance. I became the best dressed 19 year old around which always got me noticed and eventually opened doors of opportunity in the job market and social situations.

As many men and women took style cues from the periods which those films were made, today movies and actors continue to set trends and influence what people buy. The difference is that now TV programs share the stage and reference looks like the “Mad Men” look and Sex in the city fashions are very influential.

I have in my movie library classics such as Casablanca, An American in Paris and the Thin Man Movies. I also have Bugsy, The Great Gatsby and Oceans, 11, 12 and 13.
My DVR is holding The Devil Wears Prada for I do enjoy highly fashionable women.

Now I must share with you some my favorite fashion film moments, characters scenes and even dialogue. Some of these movies are very well known and monumentally popular in our culture while others are obscure, but in my opinion are so damn cool for those who love clothes.

Gigolos may get lonely (song by prince preformed by The Time) but when they wear Giorgio Armani exclusively, drive a drop top Benz and wear Ray Ban Wafers, they look very very stylish. When the movie American Gigolo was in theatres in the late 70s, we were not saying,” what a great work of cinema”, every one who saw the film talked about
how Richard Gere went through his closet and drawers, laid out exquisite silks shirts, knitted wool ties, worsted wool jackets and pants, on his bed while grooving to Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. Choices choices, what to wear what to wear. In this movie two stars were born, Richard and Giorgio. I have to admit, I have preformed this ritual myself because of that scene, only I was probably listening to Prince or The Time or both.

Richard Gere as Julian Kay in " American Gigolo's " classic wadobe scene

Many articles and at least one book, I know of, have been written about an astute clothes horse actor by the name Archibald Leech. A writer for Vanity Fair visited Mr Leech’s storage facility stocked as if it were a clothing store and filled with suits, overcoats, sport coats, hats and even a case for his cufflinks, watches and pocketsquares. As you can imagine, Archibald held on to everything and had to use this space as his warehouse for his extensive wardrobe. This actor had such a sense and instinct of what truly worked for himself as far as the right shirt collar, long point button down always white, shoulder fit on the suit, padded, and shoes, thick welt, and button stance three button closed at the middle. I did notice that in the movie To Catch a Thief, he did button all three buttons on his grey blazer with open patch pockets. So if anyone could break the rules, no button down with a suit and never button the bottom button on a suit sport coat, Cary Grant was that exception.

Whenever I read something about Grant’s notable style, the grey suits he wore are commonly mentioned. But I can’t help but mention the navy pinstripe suits in the movies, Indescrete and An Affair to Remember. Or the glennplaid sport jacket buttoned all the way up the neck with the collar rolled ( The Philedelphia Story). Knowing that Mr, Armani was influenced by Mr Grant, I can see the inspirations for the jackets Armani designed in the mid 90s which were long, lean and buttoned up to the neck. I haven’t worn a button down shirt with a suit in the last twenty years, and I have worn a sport coat buttoned to the neck ( just add a button right side under lapel, cross then button in left lapel buttonhole) but closing all three buttons, never have. I’m not Cary Grant, Archibald Leech is.