The Ten Most Stylish Films Of All Time
Style is something that should be apart of every man’s life, from how he dresses to how he carries himself, style is everything. After all, a well-dressed man can conquer the world, whether you are the head of a fortune 500 company, a lawyer, a stockbroker, or a just a working stiff while you are dressed well you will feel like you can take on the world. Few things in life can capture this feeling of entering a room well dressed like a stylish film can, whether it is the cut of the suit, or a plain black turtleneck these films showcase style like no others in cinematic history. We based our decision on purely style, and not on the content of the films.
10. Drive
Most will remember Ryan Gosling’s soon-to-be-iconic white satin, gold scorpion-emblazoned jacket, spattered throughout much of the movie with crony blood. But from the opening credits, which creep through the lonely L.A. darkness with Kavinsky’s Knight Rider-inspired music and pink text oozing eighties neon grime, you know this is going to be a movie about the details.
Gosling, who has only a handful of lines in the whole movie, puts on a clinic in wearing denim-on-denim and making unlikely accessories like toothpicks look vital and menacing. And how to recede into the shadows, with your face covered in blood—like Martin Sheen’s Badlands sociopath, gone ultraviolent neo-noir hero.
9. The Wolf Of Wall Street
A film based on the drug-fueled debauchery of wall street power broker, Jordan Belfort, The Wolf Of Wall Street has made a few of our lists since its release, but it’s the film style that placed it on this list. Leonard DiCaprio and longtime friend Martin Scorsese created a dark comedy that won both critical, audience acclaim, and few Oscar nominations.
Unfortunately what seems to be overlooked in this film is the style that adds to the great story. This period piece takes it’s style cues from the late 80’s and early 90’s fashion sense. Throughout the film, you can see the success on Belfort’s shoulders in the form of his beautifully tailored suits, polo shirts, and Rolex timepieces.
His style sense is not lost on just him it seems that Belfort’s stylish taste reached everyone in the company from his partner in crime (literally) Donnie from awful brightly colored shirts to tailored suits, and even brings a bit of class with suspenders.
Belfort’s take on the “Prep Look” in the film is worth mentioning, as in real life he was a self-made man he had a taste for finer things in life.
8. Skyfall
Though initially, we did not enjoy this film, there is no denying the style of Bond. Tom Ford outdid himself in this film. The “reboot” of the Bond franchise started with the “Casino Royal” in 2006, and with this started the partnership with Tom Ford. The beautiful new midnight blue tuxedo started a revolution in tuxedo making, for centuries the standard has always been that a proper tuxedo was black, but the genius of Tom Ford is more than wide lapels. Skyfall’s Tom Ford collection is amazing from the now legendary midnight blue tuxedo to the stylish grey suit.
7. Get Carter
Not to be confused with the Sylvester Stallone 2000 remake, in the original 1971 version had a style that still stands up today. The films costume designer, Evangeline Harrison, relayed on the legendary 1960’s tailor Dougie Hayward. Hayward helped with the contrasting of Michael Caine’s sophisticated gangster style and the local fashion of Newcastle, the town in the film where he arrives to avenge the murder of his brother. The suits were almost like the suits of the 1930s with their fine tailored cuts, and high-waisted pants that flared over the hips a little. The suits created a look that was both sophisticated and menacing. It was perfect for a film that’s stark display of sex, and violence led to critical acclaim.
6. Bullitt
Bullitt the cop classic, Steve McQueen wears a cold, hard stare with his hard-finish worsted pants and thick wool turtlenecks, which costume designer Theadora Van Runkle admits were from “someplace like Sears.” McQueen’s character, after all, was a hard-driving San Francisco cop probably not much of a shopper. “Trying to keep the identity of the character intact was the most important thing,” says Van Runkle. Another important consideration for McQueen (pictured here on-set with his first wife, Neile Adams) was his backside. “Mainly, he liked his fanny to look good,” says Van Runkle. “We had to fit many pairs of trousers to get just the right look.”
5. Ocean’s 11
Though the earl 2000’s remakes have become fan favorites it’s the original 1960’s version of the film that has all the style. This is in part to , When Sy Devore, the Rat Pack’s preferred tailor. Devore was hired to stitch together a film wardrobe based on mohair and sharkskin, that wasn’t much of a difference from the custom clothes he’d long produced for the Chairman and his board. Their narrow lapels, high-banded shirts, one-inch ties, and low-button stances on the suits, were all intended to make the cast look a little bit taller.
5. Inception
“The Dark Knight” director, Christopher Nolan, truly outdid himself with one of our “Must See Films”Inception. The films visual effects are only matched by the impeccable style this is due to costume designer Jeffrey Kurland, and along with the vision of Nolan made this film’s style unique. From the cut of DiCaprio’s suit the waistcoats of Joseph Gordon Levitt.
3. Thomas Crown Affair
Thomas Crown Affair not to be confused with the remake the original film starring Steve McQueen had by far the most style of all the films he ever made. From the beautifully tailored grey, and dark blue suits, coupled with the ever stylish McQueen makes this film place high on our list.
2. North By Northwest
Often considered to be the first great spy film, North By Northwest, featured Cary Grant in a beautifully cut world-beater of a gray suit and is arguably the most legendary in the history of American cinema. This has been seen again and again in various incarnations, like (Tom Cruise in Collateral). Kilgour, the estimable 124-year-old Savile Row haberdashery, crafted it, but not entirely without some major input from the Cary Grant himself. The three-button suit (with a roll-over lapel and no vents in the back) is worn nearly the entirety of the frenetically paced film, and its impact is unparalleled.
1. The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby made history here on TheLifeStyleElite.com as the first and only film to be released, and make it on our exclusive “Must See Films” list in only seven days. When wardrobe producer Catherine Martin was tasked with designing an entire 1920s-inspired wardrobe for the film she had quite the task on her hands. While doing her extensive research she found that the actual suit tailoring layout used to make author F. Scott Fitzgerald suits still existed.
Thanks to the original America fashion house, Brooks Brothers, who personally designed all his suits for him, and still had them in their archives. Martin, along with this knowledge, and the direction of Baz created one of the most stylish wardrobes in cinematic history. Bringing the roaring 20’s back to life with an incredible attention to detail from something as subtle as a headscarf, to the cut, and texture of a knit sweater.
Daisy’s attire throughout the