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George Clooney is a leading man’s leading man, an Oscar-winning tequila mogul with the good sense to poke fun at the absurdity of his persona. That same “who, me?” charisma informs his approach to getting dressed: his polos are anti-chic piqué, his jeans are unironically dad-adjacent, and when he wears a classic steel watch on the red carpet it makes news. (A natural avatar for menswear’s wild-style moment he’s not.) But over the course of two decades anchoring box-office dingers and slogging through the promotional rigmarole they involve, Clooney’s picked up a few tricks of the trade. Take a quick gander at his public appearances and a pattern emerges: the guy’s been wearing a version of the same outfit for nearly as long as he’s been famous.
When the time comes to hit the press junket, Clooney has his sartorial MO locked in. Gray suit, dark shirt, black shoes—it’s not exactly a radical proposition by Hollywood standards, but it yields consistently solid results. And consistency is the name of the game here: since Clooney broke onto the scene in the early ‘90s, tailoring proportions have come full circle, from baggy to skinny to baggy again, but the sweet-spot cut he favors has barely budged. If it weren’t for the shock of gray steadily creeping up and down his temples—and Julia Roberts’ extremely 2022 Gucci x Adidas suit—you’d be hard-pressed to pin down the exact year these pictures were taken.
We’re not really recommending you bite Clooney’s look wholesale, though if that’s your takeaway more power to you. All we’re saying is that we admire the guy’s commitment to the bit (and think it’s kind of a shame no one slipped him an invite to the Gray Man premiere). Death, taxes, Clooney in discreet Armani suiting: we tend take these things for granted, but maybe we shouldn't. Trends come and go, lapels widen and shrink, pants flare then taper, but an expertly-fitted suit, dark shirt, and black lace-ups are always wise jumping-off points. And if you’re peering into your closet trying to piece together an outfit with a jolt of movie star energy, you could do a whole lot worse than taking your cues from a man whose very name is stand-in for megawatt stardom.
Two Ways to Get the Look
When movie stars want to look their movie star best, they call up Tom Ford. But you don't have to be en route to a big premiere to pull off a suit with this much swagger (though a fat Netflix check will help you stomach the sticker price)—all you need is a good pair of boots, a subtle box chain, and an iota of Clooney's charm.
Sharkskin feel a little too “lesser-known member of the Roy family” for you? Swap the button-up for a knit polo and the dress shoes for derbies and no one will mistake you for a wannabe C-suiter.
