https://twitter.com/dieworkwear/status/1823500588262572343
Not true; it was not always like this. There was a time when a male celebrity’s style was a reflection of their taste (formed in collaboration with their tailors and clothiers, but still more organic than brand deals).
For instance, Cary Grant famously wore a mixture of his clothes along with what the costume department provided him in films. The famous glen plaid suit in North by Northwest was made for him by his tailor, Kilgour, French & Stanbury, and pulled from his closet.
Hitchcock then had copies made by Quintino, a bespoke tailor in Bev Hills, so they’d have extras that could be dirtied. But this silhouette, combined with the fine glen check pattern in blue-grey worsted, was a reflection of Grant’s sense of taste, as he choose it for himself
Similarly, Gregory Peck’s suit in the film The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit was made for him by Huntsman (again, with copies made by the studio). Here you see him walking out of Huntsman in his new grey flannel suit, to be worn later in the film.
When you see photos of these people in their private life, they dressed mostly the same. The cuts, fabrics, and details were mostly the same because, again, their on-screen wardrobes were partly pulled from their wardrobe. Here’s Grant and Peck, respectively:
Over time, celeb style has morphed into brand deals and freebies. Every public event is a marketing opportunity. When Tiffany announced a collab with Nike, Lebron wore the outfit head-to-toe the next day. Sleeves are often cut short to show off a watch for a brand deal.
To be sure, some celebs wear things that I think are a genuine reflection of them, even if they work with stylists and have brand deals (e.g., Rihanna and Rocky). But for me, this “seeding” and brand deal culture has largely ruined any interest in how celebs dress.
When when you see James Baldwin wear a vintage Georg Jensen watch, you know he choose it for himself. But is Barry Keoghan actually enthusiastic about Omega? Who knows!? Still, the fashion press writes about this stuff like it’s organic. “So and so wore this at the event!”
The worst are Instagram influencers who will wear something out of obligation (because they got it for free), even if they don’t believe in the product. Or say X company makes the best jeans one week, and then Y company the next week bc of a freebie or brand deal.
This seeding and brand deal culture makes it difficult to know which recommendations are genuine, and whose personal style is real. I get more inspiration nowadays from non-fashion figures like Monty Don because you know their clothes are a reflection of them.
