13 of the best menswear looks from Oscars history

March 9, 2023

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Written by Oscar Holland, CNN

Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy, Nicole Kidman in Dior, Halle Berry in Elie Saab. Historical past’s nice Oscars outfits are iconic, era-defining — and virtually solely feminine.

That is hardly stunning. Male attendees have lengthy been anticipated to abide by a black-tie gown code, and most appeared comfortable to oblige. Even stars recognized for outlandish style would persist with the go-to tuxedo at this most formal of occasions.

But there have been some superb exceptions.

With a touch of coloration, some light rule-breaking and a bit of assist from musicians (the Grammys pink carpet proves that the music trade is way much less involved with formalities than its silver display screen counterpart), a few of Hollywood’s extra daring males have damaged the mould. And with wardrobe etiquette more and more relaxed in recent times, every ceremony appears to welcome extra exceptions to menswear orthodoxy than the final.

Listed here are 13 of the most effective males’s appears from Oscars pink carpet historical past:

Pharrell Williams’ camo shorts

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Most males are too scared to put on shorts to the workplace, not to mention Hollywood’s most glamorous pink carpet. However Pharrell Williams just isn’t most males.

The musician — and now artistic director at Louis Vuitton — smashed conference with camouflage-print jacket and shorts. Arriving with spouse Helen Lasichanh, he accomplished the look with a pair of Doc Martins, a diamond necklace bearing his personal identify and socks as crisp as his shirt.

We might equally have included the Lanvin shorts he wore to the identical occasion 5 years earlier. However 2019 was the 12 months that Pharrell’s uncovered knees made it onto the rarified Oscar stage, as he offered the award for Finest Animated Characteristic Movie.

Billy Porter’s tuxedo robe

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Velvet jacket? Examine. White tuxedo shirt? Examine. From the waist up, Billy Porter was an image of black-tie formality, his ruffled cuffs and exaggerated bow tie the one refined hints of flamboyancy. From the waist down, nevertheless, his Christian Siriano-designed robe was among the many most radical style statements ever made on the Oscars.

This is not to say that genderfluid menswear was particularly exceptional by 2019 (look no additional than that 12 months’s camp-themed Met Gala). However this was the second that really smashed the gender binary on Hollywood’s most strait-laced pink carpet.

Isaac Hayes’ fur trim

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The fur trims, flared pants and pastel colours of early-Seventies menswear hardly ever discovered their approach onto the period’s Academy Awards’ pink carpets. Issaac Hayes was among the many welcome exceptions.

Taking the stage to say Finest Authentic Track, for his theme from “Shaft,” Hayes regarded each bit the half in a navy go well with with child blue trim and an identical ruffled shirt and bow tie.

His rendition of the successful tune was a distinct story altogether: He ditched the go well with to carry out shirtless (and wrapped in gold chains).

Michael Caine’s traditional reduce

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It will be remiss to not embody a minimum of one typical black-tie outfit on this record. And few stars have achieved it as effortlessly as Michael Caine. The instance above is from 1984, the 12 months he was nominated as greatest actor for his flip in “Educating Rita” (he additionally offered two awards that night time), although we might have chosen virtually any Oscars look.

As ever, the tailor-made reduce, huge butterfly bow tie and wide-rimmed spectacles exemplified why Caine has lengthy been a British fashion icon.

Spike Lee and Mahershala Ali’s hats

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Headwear is a uncommon sight on the Oscar pink carpet. And but, 2019 gave us two of the most effective examples without delay, as director Spike Lee and actor Mahershala Ali posed along with their awards for “BlacKkKlansman” and “Inexperienced E book,” respectively.

Sporting a mandarin-collar shirt below his black jacket, Ali put a proper spin on the beanie in a felt design by milliner Gigi Burris. Lee, in the meantime, paired his purple Ozwald Boateng go well with with an identical captain’s hat and a necklace bearing the image utilized by singer Prince, to whom the outfit appeared to pay homage.

Talking of Prince…

Prince of purple

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The “Purple Rain” singer did not disappoint in 2005, when he offered the award for Finest Track in an immaculate velvet tuxedo jacket — in his signature shade, after all. He accomplished the look with a pair of floor-length, wide-legged pants that would not look misplaced on 2023’s pink carpet.

Though daring by Oscars requirements, it was comparatively formal in comparison with the bedazzled hooded cape he’d worn to the ceremony precisely 20 years earlier.

Simu Liu’s pink carpet pink

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A coloured tuxedo is an easy however efficient technique to stand out from the group — even when, within the case of actor Simu Liu, the colour virtually completely matches the pink carpet itself.

The newest entry on our record, Liu impressed eventually 12 months’s awards on this suave Atelier Versace design. Talking to Canada’s eTalk on his approach into the venue, the “Shang-Chi” star stated Donatella Versace had advised he put on the look shirtless on the after celebration. “If Donatella Versace tells you to do one thing, that is it,” he stated. “It is achieved.”

Corey Feldman channels Michael Jackson

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The 1989 ceremony is taken into account among the many worst Oscars ever — not least as a result of 18 younger actors have been requested to carry out a poorly acquired musical quantity, “I Wanna Be an Oscar Winner.” Amongst them was youngster star Corey Feldman, who had appeared in “The Goonies” 4 years earlier.

Whether or not it was a teenage disregard for gown codes or just the exuberance of youth, the 17-year-old (pictured right here with a 14-year-old Drew Barrymore) tore up the rulebook in a pink shirt, embroidered blazer and sun shades. And if it appears like he is channeling Michael Jackson, that was in all probability the purpose: His on-stage efficiency featured dance strikes impressed by the King of Pop.

Questlove’s golden Crocs

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When you have the audacity to put on Crocs to the Oscars — or any pink carpet, for that matter — then a minimum of make them golden ones.

With 2021’s ceremony delayed and scaled again amid the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been loads of informal, lockdown-friendly appears on the pink carpet that 12 months (see Finest Director winner Chloé Zhao’s white sneakers). Nevertheless it was producer and drummer Questlove, the present’s musical director and in-house DJ, who pulled it off greatest, matching his comfortable footwear with a navy go well with, glasses and patterned facemask.

Val Kilmer’s mullet-plus-tux

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It was enterprise on the entrance and celebration on the again for Val Kilmer, who in 1984 paired a timeless tuxedo jacket with a considerably extra fleeting coiffure: a mullet.

Is a haircut actually an merchandise of menswear? Most likely not. Must you put on a white bow tie to a black-tie occasion? Most likely not. However whereas Kilmer’s then-girlfriend Cher grabbed the limelight on the night time she was nominated for her efficiency in “Silkwood,” her plus-one was, in hindsight, the epitome of boyish ’80s allure.

Robert Downey Jr’s Edwardian stylish

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In an period when the media began paying consideration not solely to what you have been carrying, however who you have been carrying, Robert Downey Jr. turned to clothier Richard Tyler for this dandy look in 1993.

Nominated that 12 months for his efficiency in “Chaplin,” the actor regarded dapper in a velvet go well with accessorized with what the New York Instances described on the time as an “Edwardian foulard.”

Jared Leto’s threat pays off

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White jackets are a threat — and never simply due to stains (although the Oscars does not really serve meals). However Jared Leto’s 2014 effort, designed by Saint Laurent, hit the mark completely.

He wasn’t alone in his determination to put on white that night time (see Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Seacrest), however his completely fitted jacket was the one one to make it onto greatest dressed lists. The important thing to his success? A pink bowtie and the glimpse of a pocket sq. that introduced every part collectively.

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