How to wear all white like Steve McQueen
From the perfect plain T-shirts to a wardrobe full of bright, light trousers…
- Texto de: Jonathan Wells
Usually, when we discuss the ‘shades’ of Steve McQueen, we’re talking about his iconic Persol sunglasses. But there was more to the famed actor’s signature style than a pair of frames. From three-piece suits to denim jeans (or ‘Steve McQueens’, as they’re rightfully known as in rhyming slang), the King of Cool blazed a trail for hard-wearing, no-frills fashion.
And, whether he was wearing swim shorts or racing suits, showing off the cuffs of his sweatshirts or the soles of his sneakers, he did so a lot of the time in one simple shade: white. Why McQueen felt such an affinity for the light, bright tone we’ll never know, especially as it’s a tricky look to pull off. But, if you’re aiming to change up your threads and emulate this one-colour ensemble, who better to educate us than the man himself?
Begin by mastering the notoriously tricky white trousers
Few men can pull off bright-white trousers. And yet McQueen — someone seemingly slathered in motor oil half the time — managed to maintain several pristine pairs by having a few on rotate.
First up were his jeans, something slim and durable, like Loro Piana’s hard-wearing, fresh-looking option. You can also recreate the look with Hackett, whose piece is the ideal off-duty item in which to skim through your own copy of Motor Racing at the weekend. And, finally, for a touch of formality (we’ve all got film premieres to attend now and then), you won’t find a trimmer pair than MR MARVIS’s The Longs.
Usa una camiseta blanca básica como base para cualquier look
Like James Dean and Marlon Brando, McQueen mastered the insouciant cool of the plain white T-shirt. In fact, the actor went one step further, by managing to make logo tees, from motoring manufacturers, look inexplicably elegant. You likely don’t race at Sebring during your downtime, so we’d suggest steering clear of items like McQueen’s Triumph design, as seen above.
En su lugar, apuesta por lo básico. Loro Piana ofrece una opción de punto de lino ligera y de tacto sedoso. La propuesta de Pal Zileri es más entallada y estilizada. Igual de deseable resulta este otro diseño sin adornos, cortesía de Uniform Standard, cuyo corte ligeramente más holgado es perfecto para disfrutar de largas tardes soleadas con los brazos extendidos hacia el manillar.
Inspírate en el estilo desenfadado del actor para combinar tu sudadera
Al ser una prenda esencial para estar cómodo en casa, no sorprende que muchos de los looks informales favoritos de McQueen incluyeran una sudadera. Y, al igual que en el resto del vestuario del actor, dominado por el blanco, prefería estas prácticas prendas en tonos claros.
Though a popular move among the masses, wearing a sweatshirt doesn’t mean sacrificing on luxury, as Sunspel’s loopback creation and Charles Tyrwhitt’s merino option can attest to (and both come in a slightly creamier look). For those days when the weather takes a turn for the worse, look to this fisherman’s jumper, by Brunello Cucinelli.
Ponte unas zapatillas básicas
La elección de calzado de McQueen sigue influyendo en la moda masculina a día de hoy. Sus botas chukka de Sanders, en particular, han sido copiadas y reproducidas por infinidad de marcas, muchas de las cuales intentan apropiarse de parte de ese carisma tan característico de galán. Pero lo que más nos cautiva son las zapatillas del actor, en todo su esplendor intacto.
Sencillas, minimalistas y con un práctico diseño de caña baja, las zapatillas de McQueen iban directas al grano. Es un enfoque eficaz que ha dado resultados similares en el clásico contemporáneo de Allbirds. North 89 ha añadido un toque de textura con detalles perforados, mientras que las Bassos de Paul Smithincorporan una suela gruesa que les aporta un aire moderno.
¿Buscas más inspiración para tus looks? Desde el Sr. Rubio hasta Rick Dalton, estos son los personajes de Quentin Tarantino que mejor visten…
