Men on the red carpet are all now living in a post-Pharrell-wore-shorts-to-the-Oscars universe, a situation that, on the one hand, proves just how far things have shifted in the loosening up of event dress codes for men, but on the other, leaves everything teetering on the brink of gimmick. This year’s Cannes film festival certainly had its fair share of men trying things out – not always successfully. But undoubtably, and hold on to your undergarments folks, the lead sartorial plotline pour homme in Cannes 2015 was the ongoing death of the tie. I know, imagine.
Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farrell, Harvey Keitel and Michael Caine, among others, all chose to ditch neck attire with daytime suits. This is a sign of the menswear times: in recent seasons, ties have been seen less and less on the runway. It also proves that men can still look done and sharp without being trussed up at the neck, which is great news for anyone wanting to rebel at a summer wedding/garden party/jazzy event that demands tailoring – “well, if it’s good enough for Matthew McConaughey”, etc. McConaughey wore a silk scarf tucked inside his open jacket – this replaces the colour/texture/pattern interest that a tie has often provided to a plain suit, though I think we’re all agreed that the beard is now officially in Mr Twit territory.
Meanwhile Canadian director Xavier Dolan, on this year’s Cannes jury, is definitely your high-fashion hero if you’re planning on something more experimental this summer. Now, I’m a huge fan of Dolan’s work and I love that his wardrobe is not afraid of a bit of spunk (his floral Valentino and black ripped jeans outing gets my vote) but some of his looks require tweaking. Specifically, this double-breasted suit in glorious blue. Yes, it worked without socks, but with a printed T-shirt? Not so much. The jacket buttons are fighting with the pattern, the whole thing is swallowing up the torso. He did, however, look supremely dashing tieless in a light grey suit. As I said, it’s all about tieless.
However, if you’re going to do the T-shirt with a suit – a perfectly acceptable and modern thing – then Ben Whishaw is your pin-up. OK, an outfit all in black is hardly a mind-blowing fashion exercise, but it is supremely chic. And when you get down to the nitty gritty of dressing up, pared-back, well-cut and minimal is not to be sniffed at. Whishaw’s excellent mop does of course provide a suitable air of French insouciance to all the outfit quietness.
On a similar note, I’d like to draw your attentions to the Coen brothers. They do a fine line in a sort of tonal, crumpled cool, often worn with denim. In fashion parlance, it’s all very Tomas Maier – the designer behind Bottega Veneta – whose own label is all about luxury that doesn’t shout. Joel Coen favours navy, a relaxed blazer with the collar flipped up and a matching unbuttoned shirt, while Ethan prefers a similar set-up in khaki. It’s all done with effortlessness, which all outfits should aspire to.
To John C Reilly, perhaps his Cannes outfits are effortless and breezy. To him. To everyone else, a white three-piece suit, jazzy tie, snappy shoes, panama hat AND a walking cane looks a) a bit comedy and b) a bit like a costume. True, Reilly has panama form, so it’s an accessory that clearly works for him, but there’s nothing here any man should be plugging into their summer wardrobe. Sorry, John. Note: if you’re looking for a sort of car crash comedic look, Bill Murray’s Cannes 2012 wardrobe was so haplessly mad it sort of worked.
And last, but certainly not least: Jake Gyllenahaal. If you want to look hot in a tuxedo, grow a beard, slick your hair back and crack a wide grin. Lewis Hamilton, who Gyllenahaal posed with during a party this week, could learn a lot from his new pal’s determinedly simple approach. The white blazer with black lapel, black shirt with black tie and double earring sparkle that Hamilton had on? This might work on Pharrell, just, but on anyone else? Really no. Just no.
