by Alya Omran
Alya is a freelance copywriter, blogger and dentist! She has a passion for writing and enjoys writing on her personal blog in her free time. She is a travel enthusiast and enjoys visiting places with gothic architecture and exotic scenery.
Disclaimer: images courtesy of imdb.com
When it comes to the fashion category, nothing makes a stronger statement than leather. Leather pants, skirts, dresses, and most commonly, leather jackets. From the beginning of cinematography, movie stylists have been using leather jackets to display strong and charismatic characters ranging from the cool guy in a cheesy teen movie to the mysterious biker, to powerful mafia bosses and many, many more.
Some of the most iconic leather jackets movie star looks of through the decades are:
- Johnny Strabler in The Wild One (1953)
- Wyatt in Easy Rider (1969)
- Danny Zuck in Grease (1978)
- Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing (1987)
- Morpheus in The Matrix (1999)
- Wolverine in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
- Arthur in Inception (2010)
Until this day, leather jackets are still alive and thriving in Hollywood and a great example is Fletcher in The Gentlemen (2020). His classic tinted glasses and brown leather jacket combo sure is a look to remember!
The Gentlemen (2020): Overview
The Gentlemen is a British-American comedy action film released in January 2020, it was shot at West London Film Studio in Hillingdon, London. The shots at the bar were actually taken at Princess Victoria located on 217 Uxbridge road, Shepherd’s Bush, London.
The movie revolves around “Mickey Pearson'' played by Matthew McConaughey who escaped poverty in the US by winning a scholarship to oxford university where his life took a turn as he began dealing marijuana between his elite university mates. Soon he grows to build his own cannabis empire in London through violence and blackmail, all hidden under the estates of aristocratic landlords. Upon reaching a certain age, Pearson decides to sell his business and live a peaceful life with his wife “Rosalind Pearson” played by Michelle Dockery. He decides to sell it to the American billionaire “Matthew Berger” played by Jeremy Strong. However, Chinese gangster “Dry Eye” played by Henry Golding underboss of “Lord George” played by Tom Wu gets in the way of their deal, wanting the business to himself. The storyline of the movie is portrayed as a story or a movie plot told by investigator “Fletcher” played by Hugh Grant to Mickey’s right-hand man “Raymond Smith” played by Charlie Hunnam.
The styling of the characters in this movie was definitely remarkable, displaying a chic yet sharp image. The suits worn by McCounaughey were very unique as they were actually tailor-made specially for the character to perfectly portray his calculated yet risk-loving personality. His costumes are a mix between high-quality classic style and modern creative vibe.
Charlie Hunnam’s costumes weren’t any less impressive as they showed a more casual side of English fashion but still kept that flashy, expensive vibe. Raymond’s character rocked stylish outfits throughout the whole movie even while having a casual conversation at his house.
Henry Golding’s character “Dry Eye” shows a completely different kind of high-end fashion, the styling of this character shows how a young, rich and well-dressed gangster would style his clothes today in England. The high-neck wool sweaters and tailor pin-striped wool trousers topped by a pricey leather jacket with a fur-lined collar sure do give us an idea about how to style a modern-day gangster. Simple details like the gold chain and designer loafers shows the effort that the young criminal makes in order to be respected by rivals and older mafia bosses, which I'm sure worked quite well!
Another interesting set of outfits in The Gentlemen is definitely the coach and his toddlers! Colin Farell and “The Toddlers” display the streetwear and casual fashion of England through colorful tracksuits topped with vibrant caps and beanies showing a free, youthful image that perfectly describes the wild crew.
The unique styling of Hugh Grant for Fletcher’s character was truly the cherry on top! The outfits chosen for him are perfect for the fun, slightly creepy vibes of the character. For most of the movie he wore a classic pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers except they had exceptional reddish-brown tinted lenses. The main point of his look has to be the brown leather jacket custom made to best reflect Fletcher’s mischievous personality.
The Gentlemen (2020): Movie Fashion
While the fashion of The Gentlemen suits the “smooth criminal” concept of the movie perfectly, how well could it actually work in real life? The classic suits worn by McCounaughey and Hunnam are definitely a challenge to corporate into your daily look as they portray a bit of a posh image. However, on formal occasions nothing would be more flattering than one of those luxurious cashmere beauties!
Plaid suits are already a huge trend in today's fashion for men, Mickey Pearson’s suave style adds an elegant touch by the combination of wool, cashmere, and silks in colors like burgundy or striking blue to show a modern side of classic English fashion. So, if you’re looking for a smart, less-constrictive look, Pearson’s fits would make a great inspiration!
While Pearson’s suits would better suit important events, Raymond Smith displays a more subtle chic image that could easily be modified into a daily work outfit especially in the cold winter days, the layering of wool overcoats and scarves on a well fitted monochrome suit gives off a classy and contemporary vibe.
The question is how can you buy replicas of those custom-made suits without the fortune of a drug lord?
Fortunately, today you can customize your own clothes online and for reasonable prices! Here are a few online stores where you can get your own custom suit:
Along with the formal styles displayed in the movie, there’s an equally impactful look that is certainly easier to involve in your everyday life. You’re right! It’s the iconic “Fletcher” leather jacket.
The great thing about leather jackets is that they can portray a million different images depending on the complementary items they’re accompanied with. In Fletcher’s character, the Brown leather jacket is worn over a maroon turtleneck, dark blue denim trousers and topped off with classic Ray-Ban’s with brown tinted lenses. This combination was carefully picked to show the fun and unusual personality of the character. However, if you style it differently it can suit anyone’s preferred style. For example, you can wear it over a light-colored shirt and fitted khakis paired with a leather belt of the same brown color for a cool semi-formal look. Or you can wear it over a plain white or black T-shirt and black ripped skinny jeans for a more laid-back look.
There are a few stores where you can get high-quality leather jackets for great prices. However, how difficult would it be to find an exact replica of your favorite movie star’s jacket when most of them are custom designed specifically for those characters?
Contrary to what you may think, it isn’t that hard! Some online stores are solely dedicated to leather jackets and they allow you to pick any of these iconic looks and make the exact same design and for affordable prices! What in the world is cooler than twinning with a movie star?
You can browse leather jacket selections from companies like Leather Jacket Master, that has a whole category just for iconic celebrity leather jackets and even cosplay; The Jacket Maker that provides you with a design consultant to help you through customizing the best leather jacket for you.
Should You Go Custom?
Is it really necessary to go custom when buying a simple leather jacket?
The answer is why on earth not? Leather Jackets are long living, and if they’re of high quality, they can last for your entire life if well stored. So, what’s the problem with wanting to have a perfect one made only for you? In addition to that you may not be able to always find the right jacket for you in the available models, whether it’s regarding the style, color, size or fabric. And the customizing process is just a very fun experience to remember! Here at Independence Brothers, we take care of our clients, we provide personal customer care to create the jacket of your dreams! Choose the style, the color, all the different features, and, what’s more important, this jacket will fit you like a glove!
Overall, leather jackets are one of those clothing articles that you never grow out of, if you maintain it well you can still rock it in your 70’s! Here are a few tips on how to take care of your leather jacket:
- Keep it away from direct sunlight, leaving your jacket exposed to sunlight for a long period of time, ts color can start fading.
- Store in a climate controlled area. Don’t store your jacket in a hot or humid area! This may cause your jacket to develop mildew.
- Keep it unfolded. Leather jackets are prone to gaining wrinkles and some of them can be very difficult if not impossible to get rid of. Better safe than sorry!
In conclusion fashion is a way of expressing yourself, and you can do that by taking inspiration from others, most commonly, TV characters. So, being able to design and get your clothes custom made by professionals to best suit your style is a great chance that shouldn’t be missed.
