Despite the fact that I seem to have documented everything about myself and have a compulsion to write about it, there are things from my past that I’m still discovering. Call it an epiphany or uncovering a hidden memory. What’s most interesting is seeing just how important that was for who I am today, like my obsession with Inspector Gadget being one of the earliest menswear-ish things I liked as well its score serving as one of the best examples of Thematic Development. And they just keep giving.
For example, I often say thatThe Great Gatsby (2013)and Gangster Squad (2013) were the impetus for my interest in vintage menswear. This makes sense considering that there is evidence on my old tumblr (I’m not giving you the link) showing just how close those movies were to my first ever vintage purchases and experiences with the vintage scene. But as I look back, it seems that there was one film I saw much earlier in 2009 that may have truly been the progenitor to everything that came after. And upon watching it again on a whim, I’m reminded just how good it was. It probably did create some sort of subconscious baseline that was reactivated four years later in 2013.
I’m referring to Michael Mann’s Public Enemies(2009).
Holy shit is this movie so good. At least I think so.
The film follows bank robber John Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp) and his compatriots (Homer, Red, and…others) as they try to maintain their criminal lifestyle and ultimately survive in an evolving world that includes a Syndicate more focused on betting and a newly formed, overzealous FBI. The FBI is represented by Melvin Purvis, a young g-man with little field experience who is looking to prove his Bureau’s worth by capturing Public Enemy No. 1: Dillenger himself. Michael Mann’s film is essentially a depression era version of Heat, with charismatic leads on both sides, epic firefights, and excellent costuming.
Dillinger in particular is extremely well dressed, which makes sense considering stories about how he was a “neat dresser”. Depp’s version of the character is always dressed to the nines, wearing sharp DB suits (many of which are striped), brocade ties, and big double breasted coats (in windowpane!). It’s never dandy nor boring; it’s also not quite Esquire Man but there are some ideas there through his use of triple pattern mixing. These clothes along with a rather excellent dark fedora (it’s a deep brown-purple in some shots) contribute to Dillinger’s swagger and charisma as he charms women and robs banks. He even gets a few causal looks and makes a strong case for a cool pair of sunnies and the straw boater.
Melvin Purvis (played by Christian Bale) serves as Dillinger’s foil and Javert of sorts. He’s a shiny college boy playing an adult and certainly dresses to be taken seriously. Unlike the criminals and politicians who all wear multiple patterns, Purvis opts for solids in his shirts, fedoras, ties, and suits. He switches between SB and DB and for the most part are all grey and blue; it isn’t until the end that he gets a bit of interest and wears a cream suit.
Both of our main characters are dressed sharp as a tack, but so too are all of the side characters. It’s fun to notice all of the individual style choices made for them. Red wears a deco print spearpoint and a cable knit sweater vest. Homer likes wearing bowties. Alvin Karpis, played by Giovanni Ribisi, goes for the air tie. J. Edgar Hoover gets a few distinct outfits, wearing a few DBs and even gets to wear a tuxedo (with wing collar) for a brief scene.
In watching the film again for the first time in years, it might be clear as to why I prefer the 1930’s over other eras..or at least formed my ideas on what that meant. Colleen Atwood, the film’s costumer, puts everyone in pretty spot-on period costuming, with everything from shirt collars, hat shape, and suit details (lapels and silhouette), looking quite close to true vintage photographs and garments.
Everyone is wearing striped spearpoint shirts with geometric ties that aren’t too wild, something I would later note as a 1930’s detail, namely because the 1940’s had much wilder tie designs (see swing ties). Of course this is in the Midwest, so countless robbers and agents alike get to wear waistcoats, sweaters, and big coats, allowing for fantastic looks that evoke the period while providing multifaceted character cues. And despite being so well done in accuracy and character based dressing, nothing feels too costumey (like Live By Night). In Public Enemies, all of the costuming is well done. It’s also just a good movie.
As such, it is the subject of our latest bonus episode! You can listen to a clip of it below, but you’ll have to subscribe on Patreon to get the full episode.
Dillinger has a penchant for wearing DB suits with white shirts and brocade ties. For a scene at the club, he wears a pinstripe suit, multi patterned tie, and a red pocket square. Very nice!
He sometimes wears 3PC variations of this with different ties; he still likes his white shirts.
Looks like this is is the full look from the above photo: its a 3PC pinstripe! Is this the same suit that he wears at the club with Billie? Also, aren’t those sunglasses killer?
Tripel pattern mixing with a striped suit, striped shirt, and striped tie.
One of the ties he wore in the film. Looks very vintage!
Amazing brocade tie worn on the posters.
The real Dillinger in a spider-web brocade tie. Very rare!
Love this cream striped suit that he wears in Florida.
Different sunglasses but still cool!
We don’t see the pants or shoes fully in the movie, but it looks good in this behind-the-scenes shot!
I love his bank robbing attire, which consists of a 3PC suit, a big double breasted coat, and a fedora.
Love the purplish-brown shade of his fedora as ell as the windowpane cloth for this coat! You can also see that he’s wearing a foulard/geometric tie instead of a striped one.
The shape is so good.
Sunglasses! Also, here’s the pinstripe 3PC suit again, this time worn with a green and red striped tie.
Full look! Also notice the high rise trousers.
He also briefly gets to wear a brown DB suit in a 4×2 configuration!
He wears the vest and trousers on their own during his arrest and pre-trial.
During his jail break out, Dillinger wears a grey workshirt with a stolen fedora and leather jacket.
At some point, he swaps the grey fedora for a brown one and adds in a double breasted overcoat.
When he’s on the lam (again), Dillinger wears a boater, unbuttoned spearpoint (with a fun deco pattern) and his iconic sunglasses.
Its summer, so he swaps a suit for a pair of linen trousers and white suede bucks.
Lots of great details: dropped loops on his button-fly pants, a thin belt with a monogrammed buckle, and a cool ring.
His final outfit is a simple one: boater, whit spearpoint, and a geometric tie.
Octagonal-ish eyeglasses!
Now lets talk about the rest of his gang.
They’re killers and robbers…and they look good!
A green coat on Baby Face Nelson.
Homer likes wearing bow ties. A fun choice for a dangerous looking man!
Geometric bowtie, striped suit, and a diamond weave tweed coat!
Bowtie even in the heat.
Abstract tie at the club.
Red also has some personal style quirks. He wears a DB like the rest of them, but he also enjoys a deco-patterned shirts and cable knit sweater vests.
Such a fun detail!
Such shirts were popular in the 30s!
Slightly dark blue with a horitonzal striped tie on Tommy Carrol (played by Spencer Garrett).
Baby-Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) wearing the Ethan Special: striped shirt and geometric tie.
Great 30s casual look on Herbert Youngblood (played by Michael Bentt): plaid work shirt, big pants, and a slouchy wool cardigan.
The look on the left isn’t too bad either, other than the sleeves being a bit long.
Alvin Karpis (played by Giovanni Ribisci) rocks the air tie. He even mixes patterns with his multistripe shirt and striped suit.
He does it again later. Karpis also gets to wear his own pair of sick sunglasses.
Frank Nitti is the Syndicate’s presence throughout the film. We first see him in a suit…
…but later appearances are him in PJs and a foulard robe.
Phil D’Andrea is Nitti’s right-hand man. He’s also dressed quite well.
Cream suit and a fun tonal tie. Also check out that linen or palm beach suit and abstract tie on the right!
Love this tonal look of a reddish brown spearpoint on a chocolate brown waistcoat.
Dark striped shirt and brown striped vest.
This guy gets a lapeled waistcoat.
Now lets talk about the cops. Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) is first introduced to us in a rather sporting look of a dark workshirt, leather suspenders, and riding pants.
I like that we are specifically shown Purvis’s sleek black dress boots when he gets his promotion.
Very ivy-trad: a navy DB 3PC, white shirt, and repp stripe tie.
The shoulder and sleevehead treatment looks very period accurate.
Really great shirt collar shape.
A grey version of the suit with a blue stripe tie. He’s quite a conservative dresser!
Purvis’s fedora has a shorter and more tapered crown.
A thinly-striped grey DB.
The suit looks quite well proportioned for a period look!
A tonal suit and tie pairing.
The same grey 3PC DB but with a different tie. Like Dillinger, Purvis seems to really like plain shirts.
The thinly-striped grey DB makes an appearance again, worn with a micro-print blue tie.
White spearpoint (with French cuffs) with a red geometric tie and two out of the three pieces of a mid grey suit.
A 30s style tie worn with cream pants. Negative points for suspenders and a belt.
Purvis’s outfit in the climax has him wear his trusty fedora with a slubby linen DB that seems to have a bit of a small micro-stripe.
Ring and watch!
J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) is also conservative being first introduced in a grey DB 3PC.
His cronies are also quite well dressed. The guy on the left has paired a patterned pocket square with a chalkstripe DB!
Great period design and cut on Hoover’s suit.
Watch face on the inside of his wrist!
Hoover looks great in a chalkstripe suit (and light blue pocket square) but these junior G-men are also dressed fantastically: we get a 20s belted suit, some bellied 30s lapels, and a paddock suit with the two buttons fastened. These are probably all true-vintage, as the rarest stuff are often children’s garments.
I like the tan fedora with a grey suit.
I’ve alsways enjoyed the look on the right: a light grey fedora (with cream ribbon), long DB leather jacket, and trousers.
Soft fedora on the left (not much pinch) and a shark gill ribbon the right. Both FBI men are wearing patterned pocket squares. So good!
Random G-Men with cool outfits.
Love a good checked DB.
Sweater vest and suit!
Brown multistripe cloth on the left.
That guy gets to wear a cozy balmacaan.
Various looks here showcasing spearpoint shirts and short ties.
This cop wears a jacket with a crazy cloth as well as a bolo tie.
Checked spearpoint and patterned tie.
A wild tie worn by an asshole agent.
Various looks again.
I’m really digging these soft brown fedoras with tonal ribbons.
Great striped and tie here.
This guy later gets to wear a straw fedora.
Flecked jacket and “deco-stripe” tie on the right. I’ve worn similar looks before!
Really great pattern mixing.
Looks like its a a full suit! Also check out the dark, dotted shirt on the left and the vibrant tie.
Agent Winstead (Stephan Lang) and his Texas law men look great. The angles on their shirts and fedoras look so good!
Winstead in particular has such a dramatic “swoop” to his fedora.
I enjoy his dark green/brown plaid tie worn with a grey 3PC.
It seems that in the final scene, he wears a different fedora. it has the same swoop, but it has a thin, tonal “western” ribbon.
Of course, everyone else in the film looks great. It all seems to be very period accurate, from the coat details to the hats.
Fantastic coat on the left.
They really got the fedoras right.
Guys going sans jacket in the summer heat.
Boater bowtie guy with ice cream.
Cream tie and cream suspenders!
Love the mix of boaters and fedoras.
The prosecutor looks cool…
…but the king of the movie is actually Louis Piquett, Dillingers defense attourney. He’s introduced to us wearing a fucking fur coat.
He’s also one of the only characters who gets to wear a collar bar.
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