Vintage male: This is how every man over 50 should aim to look
If Brad Pitt were a woman, his recent style transformation would have been on the front page of every supermarket tabloid.
When he emerged from the rubble of the Brangelina split in November to promote his movie Allied, he was tainted by grubby divorce rumours and still carrying the scent of an FBI investigation into child abuse claims (which subsequently proved unfounded).
But Brad had a movie to sell, so he got out there and employed an age-old PR diversion tactic to keep the media on point: distract them with your hotness.
A noted style chameleon, Pitt is known for morphing into his partners.
In his later years as one half of the world’s most famous couple, his go-to look was lank, greasy hair and artfully-crumpled clothes that looked like they hadn’t seen a washing machine for several wears.
But a sharper, smarter, more stylish Brad took to the red carpet for Allied, in beautifully-tailored suits layered under luxurious, thick wool overcoats, with natty scarves and tightly cropped hair —the kind of clothes that scream distinction.
When he took to the stage at last month’s Golden Globes looking dapper and chiseled in a Tom Ford tuxedo, it was clear he had somehow Benjamin Buttoned himself back to Fight Club levels of hotness.
Given his love of architecture, it’s no surprise that, even at 53, Brad would have a flair for fashion.
The tone-on-tone look of the boxy navy Ferragamo suit he wore to his Paris premiere (overcoat, suit, sweater, scarf and shoes all in shades of navy) was a master class in quiet sophistication, and the quirky proportions of the suit showed there’s no reason a man over 50 can’t be directional with his fashion choices.
This is how every design-literate, fashion-conscious man over 50 should aim to look.
Turning 50 is a tricky point in your fashion evolution, but it doesn’t have to be.
Society deems older men to be ‘distinguished’, so play into that and release your inner James Bond.
Aim to look less hipster, more slickster; less ‘mid-life crisis’, more ‘aging like a fine wine’.
With a few key pointers you can seriously up your style game.
First, say goodbye to fleeting trends, they can look a little a desperate.
Think classic or directional styles only, in colours like camel and grey.
Black can be draining, but navy is your friend.
Shop less but spend more on better fabrics, and then look after them — get on a first-name basis with a dry cleaner, a tailor and a cobbler.
And by all means up your accessory game with beautiful watches and great shoes, but please — no earrings.
If Harrison Ford can’t make that look good, trust me, neither can you.
