Oscar-nominated at the age of 21 and courted by directors and designers alike, Timothée Chalamet is the most talked-about young actor in Hollywood at the moment. Standout performances in Call Me by Your Name, Lady Bird and Beautiful Boy marked his arrival and he’s versatile enough to have Shakespeare and sci-fi epics on his to-do list.
On screen, he’s an enigmatic mix of brooding and boyish, and off it, he backs up the natural charisma with a wardrobe that most men would do unspeakable things to a peach for. A mix of daring tailoring and easy-wearing casualwear makes him a very modern style icon.
Maybe it helped that he starred, alongside Armie Hammer, in Call Me By Your Name, one of the best-dressed films in recent memory. It also helps that he is impeccably groomed: there are multiple Instagram accounts dedicated solely to Timothée Chalamet’s hair.
In any case, there’s something everyone can learn from his daring-but-wearable approach to getting dressed.
The Look
Summing up Timothée Chalamet’s style is easier than copying it. He’s a risk-taker who looks like he’s spent almost no time at all thinking about his carefully put-together looks. Somebody clearly has, though.
He does block colour, embroidery, big prints, oversized knitwear, wearable luggage. You’ll often see him in a suit but very rarely paired with a traditional collared shirt. Yes, he’s a young, slim, handsome man, and that always helps but he’s clever enough to manipulate his silhouette and plays with proportions in a way that doesn’t swamp his slight frame.
It’s advanced menswear, and it’s not just about the formalwear. He’s partial to a statement jacket or elements of grunge fashion when the dress code calls for it. Teen spirit, we guess you’d call it.
Inspiration: Harry Styles, Jared Leto, Frank Ocean, Kurt Cobain
Go-To Brands: Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, Raf Simons
Follow Him: @tchalamet
Let Your Jacket Do The Talking
Chalamet is an expert at selecting one key fashion piece and letting it be the focal point of his outfit. Here he’s mixing a classic suede button down jacket with what every guy has in the wardrobe – a well-fitting black T-shirt and smart black trousers. By Chalamet’s standards, it’s not bold or brave, but there’s something about the way the collar is popped to show the black details, and the sleeves are rolled that gives the look an edge.
Feel Out Bold Fabrics
The full suit has been getting a bad rep of late: too stuffy, not modern enough, no longer appropriate for work, too formal for even the most formal occasions. Once, the thought of mixing just a simple black tee with a suit would have been met with skepticism, however now it’s the perfect way to enjoy a formal look, without the London banker comparisons.
Velvet, however, is a big look by anyone’s standards. Chalamet presents a compelling case here for taking the risk, in a fantastic colour, and grounding it with a dark, neutral tee. The result is a polished head-turner that somehow doesn’t feel try-hard.
Don’t Always Go For The Obvious Choice
A black biker jacket is a bona fide style classic, but they’re also a little overdone. If you want to stand out in a leather jacket these days, follow Chalamet’s lead and pick a different style and a different colour.
This look mixes colours, textures and proportions for something truly different. On paper, it shouldn’t even work. The sleeves are too long and the trousers are shiny, but it’s so intentional and so confidently done, that you let those things go. Plus, we’re a fan of cropped trousers and work boots.
Go Green With Your Tailoring
Chalamet is a torchbearer for modern tailoring, taking traditional suits in new directions. Here, the twist is a fairly simple one. The forest green colour is not one that many men will have hanging up on the formal end of their rails and, worn without a tie, it’s an easy masterclass in youthful smart dress.
Take A Day Off In Grunge Fashion
He may have been born a year after Kurt Cobain died but off-duty, Chalamet looks like a true child of 90s grunge. Matching that oversized sweater with slim jeans, rolled up just right, makes this look casual in a precisely planned kind of way.
Shed Some Light On Dark Outfits
Even when he’s doing all-black, Chalamet gives it a streak of something different. The black jeans, bomber and contrast white sneakers are all easy-wearing classics, but he turns it into an occasion outfit with the colourful trim on the jacket. Proof that you don’t have to make people’s pupils dilate to catch their eye.
Experiment With Bold Tonal Tailoring
A bright red suit is a brave choice in itself, but who’d have thought the way to make it more wearable was even more red? The tonal red tee is counter-intuitive, but makes this showstopper of a suit easier on the eye than a simple white shirt would have. It’s still a big statement of course, but one that works.
Press ‘Print’ With Your Tee
Another red carpet, another chance to modernise tailoring. Chalamet proves that the days of bow ties and cummerbunds are truly over with a ‘boring’ but well-cut black suit brought to life with a colourful printed T-shirt. Note the streak of black on the tee, which helps it work with the jacket.
Don’t Write-Off The Classics
This is about as traditional as Chalamet gets. The double breasted suit has made a comeback in recent seasons, and Chalamet’s nod to the old-school comes in the form of the smart white shirt and a sneak-peek pocket square. Bringing it right up to the modern day, he’s binned the tie and added some serious lace up boots. Good work.
Take Risks With Your Accessories
This look, quite rightly, caused a fashion storm. Chamelet rocked up to the 2019 Golden Globes wearing …what? A diamond encrusted holster? A bib? A harness? The wearable luggage trend won’t be for everyone but Chalamet’s on the front line of men’s fashion here, taking a risky fashion choice and making it look easy.
The muted colour palette helps but this fully reinvents what black tie is all about.
