Get to know Cary Grant and his style: gentl.mn/cary-grant
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1. Shadow Stripe Ribbed Socks Light Grey and Light Blue - gentl.mn/2BCGVhq
To put it simply, Cary Grant didn't attempt to reinvent the wheel with the way he dressed, rather with his simple and timeless attire he formed the archetype for the modern gentleman in terms of both outfit and demeanor. Grant modeled himself after those in Hollywood whom he met, worked with, and idolized personally. For his sophisticated looks and manners, his primary inspirations were director Leo McCarey and playwright and composer Noel Coward. For his more athletic and adventurous side, he modeled himself after the matinee idol of his own youth, Douglas Fairbanks Sr. In the broad strokes, while Cary Grant's clothing was immaculate, it never overshadowed him. Phrased another way, he wore the clothes, not the other way around.
With that said, let's go into a bit more detail with some of Grant's personal style choices and hallmarks.
Many of the custom pieces in Grant's wardrobe were made by tailors from the famed Savile Row in London. He spared no expense as long as he could be assured of the quality buying garments that would last. In fact, when some of his shirts would start to show wear around the collar or the cuffs, as all shirts inevitably do, he would sometimes have them sent back to have the worn portions remade. Why do this when he could easily have afforded a new shirt? Well, he knew that the existing shirt already looked good on him and he wanted to maximize its usefulness and its value. This is a lesson we could take from him and we'll get into that later. His suits and shirts, typically tailored in a British style but at the same time, not necessarily meant to look explicitly regional were often custom tailored at places such as Cifonelli in Rome or Dunhill and Aquascutum in London.
Although he was sometimes seen in alternative and more rustic suiting fabrics such as tweed, Grant was most often seen wearing dark wool suits with either simple accessories or none at all and his shoes were always impeccably polished.
As he wrote in a 1962 magazine article, “some of my suits are 10 to 20 years old, many of them ready-made and reasonably priced.” Again, though he had the money and the taste to have suits made for him bespoke, he wasn't above buying garments off the rack from time to time if he happened to spot something that suited his own personal style well.
He stuck with what he called the middle of fashion, for example, his trousers were never cut to be too baggy or too tight and the widths of his lapels were never too wide or too thin. Everything was fairly centered and proportional on the whole. His philosophy is well encapsulated in this quote “simplicity to me has always been the essence of good taste”
So how can one emulate Cary Grant's famous style?
Number one, fit should always come first. A well-tailored suit will always look better than something bought off the rack but at the same time, an off-the-rack suit made of inexpensive materials that does fit well will still look better than something made of luxurious materials that is baggy or otherwise improperly sized.
Number two, stick with well-made clothing and avoid the super sales. As Cary Grant's father once said “it is better to buy one good pair of shoes than four cheap ones”
Number three, keep it simple. Another piece of his father's wisdom came to him when as a young man he happened to be wearing an outfit with some loud socks. His father said to him “remember, it is you walking down the street, not your socks”.
Tip number four is something we've alluded to a little bit already, avoid unnecessary accessories. It was unusual to find him with anything more than a simple pocket square and a well-made wristwatch and sometimes, he would even forego these elements too.
Finally, number five, sweaters, specifically cardigans, are a versatile staple for any man's wardrobe. Grant had a fondness for multiple types of sweaters and being almost as well known for his perfect head of hair as he was for his outfits, he appreciated that cardigans could be put on without being pulled over the head or mussing the hair.
Over 30 years after his passing, Cary Grant remains one of the true icons of old Hollywood.
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