Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette! In today's video, we'll discuss the
legendary style of actor Steve McQueen and how you can emulate it for yourself.
Today's video is another installment of our how to dress like series where profile
icons in the history of menswear. Now you can view our playlist here and see other
articles of Gentleman of Style on our website here. Now, before we dive into the
classic style of Mr. McQueen, let's take a moment and look at what helped shape
him in his early years before the Hollywood success. Now, many people
remember Steve McQueen as the epitome of classic cool in the 60s and 70s and his
time in Hollywood, however, his life prior to gracing the silver screen did not
always reflect what he would later become. Steve McQueen was actually born
Terrence Stephen McQueen in 1930, just around the time of the Great Depression.
Sadly, young Steve was actually abandoned by his mother to be raised by his
grandparents and an uncle on a farm in rural Missouri. Now, Steve's uncle was one
of the few people in his life of whom he had a fond memory during his childhood.
Steve later began living with his mother and two different stepfathers,
unfortunately, these men were also very abusive to him in his youth. Steve also
faced additional challenges while growing up, a little-known fact is that
he also battled dyslexia and deafness in one ear. It's fascinating to see how much
he accomplished in his life in spite of what he could have seen as a roadblock.
Now, once Steve reached his teen years, he found himself dabbling in petty crime
and rebelliousness. His living situation continued to bounce around from his
mother's home to his uncle's farm even onto the streets. McQueen was eventually
sent to a boy's home in California called the Junior Boy Republic until
the age of 16. Now, the boy's home left a very lasting and positive impression on
Steve, so much so that he continues to support the Junior Boys Republic the
rest of his life. Steve went on to serve in the Marines for four years and
similar to his upbringing, his time under authority was met with much resistance.
Steve faced demotions within the Marines and even spent one whole month in the
brig. In spite of this, Steve was honorably discharged and left with very
fond memories of his time with the marines. Now in 1952, Steve decided to use his GI
Bill funds to pursue acting. Steve found extra income by finding success in
racing motorcycles. McQueen eventually moved to Hollywood in 1955, he found
consistent work in television in the 1950s. The successful TV show Wanted: Dead
or Alive featured Steve as a bounty hunter.
Steve's big break actually came when he was discovered by Frank Sinatra in the
1960s and placed in a film, Never So Few. Steve was cast in the Magnificent Seven
and in 1963, The Great Escape, and for nearly two decades
Steve maintained a very rich career in Hollywood that spanned multiple genres.
True to his youth, Steve maintained a rebellious and competitive nature throughout
his life. Steve became known as an antagonist with his co-stars and
directors. Steve actually considered Paul Newman to be a rival within the world of
Hollywood. In 1974, Steve was the highest-paid actor in the world, quite a
shift from humble beginnings. Steve was nominated for a series of Awards
throughout his career including an Academy Award and numerous Golden Globes.
Did you know that in spite of how talented Steve was, he actually missed
out on some great films like Breakfast at Tiffany's and Ocean's Eleven and part
due to scheduling conflicts but also because of his personal whims. It's
interesting to think about how adding his dynamic presence to those films
would have changed the way we remember them. He also missed out on Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid because he and Paul Newman couldn't agree on who
would receive top billing. Steve's relational problems didn't just
end with his peers in the entertainment industry, Steve was involved with
domestic abuse with his second wife, Ali MacGraw. After all the success
Steve found throughout his time in Hollywood, there are a few films that
he's known for quite well. The first film being at The Great Escape filmed in 1963.
This film being about several prisoners of war assisting 250 people escape from
a German camp in World War 2. The second being The Sand Pebbles filmed in 1966, a
U.S. naval engineer is assigned to a gunboat in 1962 on a rescue mission in
China. The third film being the Thomas Crown Affair filmed in 1968 where Steve
plays a suave bank executive who believes he has pulled off the
the bank heist only to run into a female insurance investigator who will stop at
nothing to find her man. Now, the fourth film being Bullitt filmed in 1968 where
Steve plays a San Fransisco cop who was determined to find the kingpin who
killed the witness in his protection. A fun fact, Steve tried desperately to
purchase the 1968 390 v8 Ford Mustang GT Fastback he drove in the Bullitt film
but did not succeed. Also, in January of 2020, that car sold at auction for nearly
four million dollars. He was married three different times;
his second wife, Ella McGrath, was who people thought Steve actually was truly
in love with in life. McQueen had two children with his first wife but was
known to be connected with many other women and actresses throughout his
career. Smoking, drinking, and drug use were not foreign to Steve.
Steve's passion for racing never ceased and he always welcomed the opportunity
to film his own stunts. Steve eventually amassed a collection of
130 motorcycles. McQueen followed a two-hour daily workout
regimen that included weightlifting, at one point, also running five miles every
day. Steve also practiced Tang Soo Do, a
type of martial arts and in 1980, Steve McQueen passed away at the age of 50
years old from pleural mesothelioma. This is a type of cancer associated with
exposure to asbestos. Steve believed that his time with the Marines was where this
exposure took place. Now that we've gotten his biography out of the way, now,
let's take a look at how you can dress like Steve McQueen. Now the first thing
Steve was often known for was his choice of jackets. Three styles Steve was often
seen wearing was the Harrington, the Bomber, and the Motorcycle jacket. The
Harrington, which is also known as a G9 or Baracuta jacket, is usually made from
cotton, wool, suede, or even polyester and often has a fraser tartan lining and
for more information on the Harrington jacket, you can take a look at our video
here. The next jacket Steve would often wear being the bomber originates from
military clothing that kept soldiers warm, it's lightweight and quite
functional. Now, we've also done an article on the bomber jacket which you
can read here. Steve also would wear motorcycle jackets, these are made from
durable leather that will cover the upper body down to the waist. These are
often worn as fashion statements with a variety of more casual styles. An example
being the Belstaff Trialmaster leather jacket
which you can find in our video here. The second thing Steve would often be
wearing was khakis. The khakis were quite the go to for Steve because they were
casual yet very functional, as well. Now in terms of accessories,
Steve could often be seen wearing his Rolex explorer 2 Reference 1655. Also,
the Submariner Reference 551. Now, it's important to invest on a good classic
watch. Steve enjoyed Rolex and also Tag Heuer. Finding a good classic watch that
is timeless and fits well into your style is always worth the investment. He
also wore a signet ring, investing in a subtle but distinctive piece of jewelry
like this is a great choice if it fits your aesthetic. Steve clearly operated
with the less is more mindset. He also found that he really
enjoyed tear shaped sunglasses like Persols and Aviators. Now, it may not be
Persols but don't be afraid to find a classic style that works for you
and stick with it. Now, the fifth really important component to being able to
dress like Steve McQueen is paying attention to fit. Steve truly mastered
the importance of fit when dressing himself.
Steve's shirts fit properly without being too tight and his pants were trim
without being too tight and he always had them tailored with little to no
break and once you find what fit looks best on you, then you know what to
purchase and where to purchase from. Now, the sixth major component to being able
to dress like Mr. McQueen is paying attention to layers. Looking at photos of
Mr. McQueen, we see that he was a big fan of jackets and he would wear them as
layers as well. Steve would often wear jackets over slim fitted sweaters and
this would soon become one of his most identifiable styles. Fortunately, this
combination is able to look great on many men. Be sure to stock up on various
types of sweaters and also khakis and chinos as that kind of combination can
be the backbone of a great timeless wardrobe. Now that we've gone over some
different components on how you can best dress like Steve McQueen, now, let's
evaluate why Steve's style works. Now, remember, Steve was given the nickname of
the King of Cool. Steve was known as the person who could competently and
effortlessly pull off a Western wear, a three-piece suit, casual work wear, and
have it always look authentic. The best part of Steve's style is that it's timeless.
Nearly any of his outfits could be seen as in style today. Steve kept his style
classic and simple. We don't ever really see him wearing more than one accessory
or pattern. McQueen would wear classic cuts and did
not chase trends. Although popular styles of the 60s and 70s
are bell-bottom pants and bull printed tops, Steve did not follow these trends.
It was also important to realize that Steve was aware and confident with what
looked best on him. Perhaps, his rebellious nature of his youth played a
role in him projecting current trends of the times.
Steve certainly had many moments that were not of great gentleman like
character, but his notable film credits and legendary style gives us a lot to
remember. Now today, I'm wearing a light pair of beige Chino pants and a pair of
sand colored suede chukka boots which happen to both be from J.Crew. I'm also
wearing a navy crewneck lightweight cotton sweater which I picked out from
Banana Republic. I'm also wearing a green military inspired jacket which I also
picked up from J.Crew which has a really unique hidden hood which kind of forms
into a nice stand-up collar as well. Now this is me
utilizing the aspects of Steve McQueen of having something that's both timeless,
a little bit rugged but also quite comfortable and casual as well. Now
outside the studio, if it happens to be quite sunny, I would love to pair this
entire outfit with a pair of my classic aviators that I picked up from Ray Ban.
In terms of accessories, there's some great socks that I would love to be able
to pair with my chukka boots found on the Fort Belvedere shop. In addition to
this, I love the different pocket squares, collar pins, gloves, and a host of other
great accessory options. You can also find all of those here.