One of the most
venerated filmmakers of our time and a veritable cultural
phenomenon (albeit a somewhat controversial one), Quentin Tarantino
is an auteur in the truest sense of the word. His films are
characterised by depictions of bloody violence, smatterings of pop
culture references, profanity-saturated dialogue, eclectic
soundtracks and atypical plot structures that keep audiences on
their toes. And that isn’t even to mention one of the most
pervasive common threads tying his filmography together:
style.
In fact, it could be argued that
what makes Tarantino’s characters just so memorable is their
costuming - bold, often unconventional and effortlessly cool. From
Mia Wallace’s cropped trousers, white shirt and slick bob in Pulp
Fiction to Ordell Robbie’s Kangol beret in Jackie Brown, there’s no
shortage of iconic looks permeating Tarantino’s body of
work.
Ahead of the release of
Tarantino’s ninth film, the fashion-saturated
Once Upon a Time in…
Hollywood, we unpack
five of his most stylish films…
Reservoir Dogs
Tarantino was right on the money
when he mused, "You can't put a guy in a black suit without making
him look a little cooler than he already looks”. Testament to this
statement is Reservoir Dogs, his 1992 debut film that
unintentionally generated a style legacy, thanks to its iconic
depiction of its six anti-heroes - a group of murderous gangsters -
in slim-fit black suits with skinny black ties, white shirts and
dark sunglasses. The opening credit sequence in which the
identically-attired group stroll in slow-motion down the street is
one of the most memorable cinematic scenes of the nineties. Cool
doesn’t even begin to cut it.
Pulp Fiction
A true treasure of 90s pop
culture, the 1994 cult classic Pulp Fiction is responsible for
inspiring many a Halloween costume and fifteen years on, its style
still resonates. Costume designer Betsey Heimann scoured vintage
stores for pieces that would inject the film with a certain
grunge-meets-glamour aesthetic. Having also worked on Reservoir
Dogs, she reinstated the black suit for hit-men Vincent and Jules,
and made mob-wife Mia Wallace a “female Reservoir Dog” in her own
iteration of the uniform - the iconic cropped trousers and white
shirt. One of our favourite - and certainly one of the more
wearable - looks of the film is that sported by Bruce Willis’
Butch, who dons a Schott suede bomber jacket with white t-shirt,
classic stonewash Levi’s jeans and a well-worn pair of Converse
Chuck Taylors. Totally timeless.
Inglourious Basterds
Tarantino’s Inglourious
Basterds (2009) is an epic piece of revisionist war cinema
with style of corresponding proportions. As per most war films,
military uniforms feature heavily, but Inglourious
Basterds elevates the garb to new heights, imbuing panache
through its characters’ signature garments and the raffish nature
with which they wear them. Hans Landa’s power-evoking wide-collared
leather coat is a highlight, but it’s the anti-Bond Aldo Raine’s
off-duty style we most covet. His belted pea coat, brown corduroy
trousers and tall leather riding boots were chosen for their
practicality in wartime conditions, but they remain stylish cold
weather staples by today’s standards. Later on, at a sophisticated
evening soirée, he sports a satin-lapelled Giorgio Armani off-white
dinner jacket that unfortunately does little to conceal his weak
cover, but looks mighty suave nonetheless, worn with black bow-tie
and white wing-collar dress shirt.
Django Unchained
There’s a reason costume
designer Sharen Davis scored an Oscar nomination for her work on
Tarantino’s 2012 spaghetti western-inspired Django
Unchained. Faithfulness to historical dress aside, the film’s
styling is utterly unique: Davis described it as
“Colonel Sanders meets
Miami Vice”. An eclectic combination of colour,
fabrics and textures
comprises each characters’ costuming, in particular that of Jamie
Foxx’s Django, whose style is flamboyant, verging on preposterous -
recall the electric blue valet suit, replete with
lace cravat and
knickerbockers - not exactly
the sort of attire one would expect from a former slave in
America’s Deep South. Somewhat more understated yet a statement in
itself is his uniform of olive green corduroy jacket and brown
studded wide-brimmed hat. Accompanied with a hefty dose of
attitude, it makes for one seriously memorable
ensemble.
True Romance
With its fast-paced, frenetic
energy, True Romance (1994) - for which Tarantino
wrote the script - is a riotous watch that we can’t help
returning to time
and again. A large part of its
enduring appeal lies in the fabulously lurid, over-the-top
aesthetic, which infiltrates the kitschy costuming of Patricia
Arquette’s Alabama and Christian Slater’s Clarence. Bright colours,
bold prints and the championing of ‘trash culture’ define their wardrobes, from
Alabama’s blue bra and pony print mini skirt to Clarence’s Elvis
Presley inspired style - Hawaiian shirt, cheap Aviator sunglasses
and blue jeans, or boxy bowling shirt and slouchy jacket. “You’re
so cool, you’re so cool, you’re so cool”...
