I like to think of myself as pretty in-the-know when it comes to movies. This doesn’t come from living near Hollyweird, but simply because I’m chronically online and usually find myself scrolling r/movies when I’m at the gym. However, all of that didn’t stop The Phoenician Scheme from sneaking up on me. I had no idea that it this movie was being made, let alone the fact that it was set to come out rather quickly. think the first trailer came out in April with the limited release at the end of May. What a surprise!
The trailer didn’t give much away, outside of hinting at assassinations, estranged children (par for the course for Wes Anderson), classical music (Stravinsky’s Firebird scores the trailer), and a lot of suiting. All of this was intriguing (as if I’d ever miss a Wes Anderson release), but it was the latter that got me.
While Wes Anderson’s movies are exceptionally costumed, with intricate character-based styling choices, most of the attire leans toward prep or a quirky uniform. That’s not to say that there aren’t suits and ties in his films, but they’re usually only worn by specific characters or are relegated to the background by extras (who are often rich or old). The suits (and their styling) also lean into the 60s/70s, which I do enjoy, but always made me wonder about how he would do a classic look. He’s flirted with more traditional and older stylings thanks to his recent obsession with period settings, but The Phoenician Scheme seemed to promise the exact things I was looking for: long collars, fuller trousers (not the typical shrunken leg), and double-breasted suits. I even spied a white 30s style suit in the poster! I was so ready!
Thankfully, those eight weeks from trailer to movie went by quickly; such is life when you’re a working adult. It also helps that when you’re in LA, you have easy access to the limited, early-release theaters (like the Burbank AMC), which I obviously took advantage of! I wrangled a few of my friends, got dressed up in a Phoenician Scheme-esque fit (combining what I saw of Benicio Del Toro and Riz Ahmed), and sat down for our showing.
I thought the film was okay. The Phoenician Scheme, like Anderson’s films, is about dads trying to connect with their kids, but I feel like it just falls short. It’s certainly dripping with the Anderson’s trademarked aesthetic, which I do like, but I felt like the story and dialogue lacked the heart that makes his other movies that much better. It’s not bad, it just feels a little flat– the deadpan delivery (another Anderson trope) certainly doesn’t help. It is, however, his funniest film, containing quite a bit of slapstick and absurd dialogue, which did grow on me and helped me enjoy the movie more the second time around. I even watched it a third time in preparation for this blog post and bonus pod— I guess I liked this film more than I originally thought!
And as you could expect, I loved the costuming. Wes and Milena Canonero, his trusted costume designer since The Life Aquatic (she also did Dick Tracy), hit it out of the park with this one, dressing everyone in immaculate suits and rather conventional vintage styling; this film is set in the 1950s after all. It’s certainly proof that he can make a film without cropped pants and earth-toned, corduroy jackets. Kinda.
The Phoenician Scheme really should be called “Pinstripe Suits: The Movie”, simply because nearly every major male character in this damn film wears such a suit.
Pinstripe and Chalkstripe suits are expected attire, as these guys are all tycoons and crimelords– it plays into the cliche of what this type of guy would be wearing, especially in the early 50s. Wes Anderson certainly loves playing into these “obvious” clothing choices when costuming his films. As we know, striped suits emphasize the wearer’s status, wealth, and power to the audience, showing that they’re more or less cut from the same cloth, serving as investors in the titular scheme, even if they spend most of their time on screen squabbling renegotiating the business deal.
I had this feeling during my second viewing of the film, and to my delight, it was confirmed by Anderson himself in a CNN interview. The article even likens the stripe-uniform to the other quirks of shared outfits, like “The Grand Budapest Hotel’s” concierges to “Bottle Rocket’s” boiler-suited robbers and Steve Zissou’s red beanie-sporting explorers. I’d even add that big parts of Scheme’s uniform include plain shirts (which all seem to be white/cream, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some were blue or ecru) and micro-geometric ties in dark colors. When you put all of these items together (can’t forget a double-triangle fold pocket square), it makes for a classic business-formal look that still has plenty of interest (thanks to double pattern mixing) without being too flashy or sporty (like Apparel Arts).
To be clear, this business-look is just a general uniform– none of the stakeholders in the Phoenican Scheme wear the same exact look. Even the Zissou boys wore different specific garments, with only their color scheme and red beanie to link them. And like them, the Phoenician Scheme compatriots style the theme in their own way.
Korda, our protagonist, wears mid-grey and navy chalkstripe, done up in the classic 6×2 closure. The grey one seems to be his favorite, with its austere color matching his cold, pragmatic personality. Korda has a penchant for rolling his jacket lapel to the bottom button, which creates a rakish look that deepens the visual length of his torso; it also has the benefit of making a DB feel a little less “trussed up” without simply unbuttoning the jacket. This was a move done by other well-to-do men during this period, and you can also see it recommended in Apparel Arts illustrations. In the meta sense, rolling to the one also tends to call to mind the 6×1 DBs favored by yuppies (and general business wear) in the 80s and 90s. Korda is simply just a businessman through and through, even to the end: when Korda is reduced to running a bistro (but saving his soul in the process), he still wears his beloved stripes, though now it’s a navy chalkstripe on a cream canvas apron.
Joining Korda in wearing striped 6×2 DBs are Leland (Tom Hanks) of the Sacramento Consortium and Marty (Jeffrey Wright) of the Newark Syndicate, though neither of them rolls their DBs to the one. In addition, Leland’s cloth features a dark stripe instead of the white/cream stripe you normally see, which creates a more serious and unyielding attitude thanks to its more tonal appearance. Marty opts for a striking Navy pinstripe (compared to Korda’s softer chalkstripe) as well as a slightly more pronounced navy geometric tie, which serves to echo his bolder and friendlier demeanor (“Hiya!”). He also wears spectator shoes (everyone else seems to wear dark oxfords) and a yacht cap, which plays up his American approach but also just makes sense for his nautical environment– Marty holds the meeting with Korda and Co. on his ship. [Edit 7/31/25] Apparently, Marty’s outfit was going to be more nautical through the use of a navy blazer with striped pants and boat shoes. I like that they decided to make him more classic in the final version!
The treacherous Uncle Nublar, portrayed to perfection by Benedict Cumberbatch, also wears a 6×2 DB suit as well as a dark geometric tie. However, this suit contrasts with the others (as well as the other Schemers to come) thanks to the use of saddle stitch stripes (reminds me of rope stripes), where the stripes themselves are broken up into segments. This type of stripe isn’t commonly seen outside of true vintage or a few specialty tweeds, but as cool as it is, rope stripe almost always reminds me of the incredibly preposterous “fuck you” stripe suit worn by Conor McGregor. Maybe Anderson had this in mind when dressing our designated villain, who apparently “has everyone’s blood”.
Reagan (Bryan Cranston), the other half of the Sacramento Consortium, and Marseille Bob (Mathieu Almaric), a gangster who runs a joint in Phoenicia, similar to Rick’s Cafe American in Phoenicia, also wear striped suits, but they differ from the previous ones as they are three-piece, single-breasted suits. This closure lacks the same “oomph” that a DB does (notch lapels will do that to you), but the suits still retain a business-formal temperament, thanks to their waistcoats, which keeps their appearance “buttoned up”; Marseille Bob’s suit even appears to be a proper three button, which means the top two buttons are closed. The two SB suits are both navy, still differ slightly, as Reagan’s stripes seem to be more widely spaced.
The real difference comes in how they are styled. Reagan’s outfit plays up his American heritage thanks to the inclusion of a straw boater. This, along with his use of a bow tie (the only Scheme member to do so), makes for a jaunty look, contrasting against his serious and curt attitude. It also feels a bit too old, being more of a 20s/30s look rather than a 1950s one, though perhaps his character has simply stuck with this styling for a few decades. Marseille Bob also gets to be a little dandy thanks to his vibrant red boutonniere; he also feels a bit more “formal” thanks to the silver (rather than grey or navy as the other Schemers) neck tie.
Despite all of these styling differences, the suits are largely cut similarly. The jackets have as slightly padded and broad shoulder, draped chest, and good waist suppression, while the trousers are pleated and thankfully feature a high-rise trouser and straight-wide leg. These are classic proportions that I certainly enjoy, but they are par for the course for conservative 1950s suits, particularly European ones; they are not excessively padded, have low buttoning points, or have a pegged leg closure.
I noticed that all of the DBs in particular are designed similarly as well, showing a decently wide (but not too wide) horizontal peak lapel, in a semi-fishmouth/Tautz style). It’s interesting to note that the nipple buttons are not splayed out too far, which, along with the bellied lapel, makes for a tight, yet soft look not dissimilar from the DBs made by Anderson & Sheppard; it’s certainly different than the overly sharp look favored by Ralph Lauren (or Cifonelli). [Edited 7/31/25) Fred Niddeu of Taillour made Reagan and Leland’s suits, but it seems the master tailor was Thomas Von Nordheim. His instagram shows that none of the suits are true vintage, but instead are fully bespoke with a bit of 50s styling. Nordheim and his team did an excellent job. I implore you to look at his instagram, as each post has great details and anecdotes about how the tailoring was done!
As someone who has moved away from strictly wearing period clothing and now opts for expressing a generally anachronistic attitude with a mix of modern and vintage, I am a big fan of this approach to the costuming!
The power and uniform effect of the striped suits is certainly apparent when you compare the Schemers’ outfits to the rest of the tailoring in the film, of which there is a surprising amount! Again, Anderson really let his freak flag (love of suits) shine with this one.
The difference is most obviously felt with the outfits worn by Excalibur (Rupert Friend) and the rest of the governmental agents (and their superiors). Instead of a sharp DB, Excalibur wears a single-breasted, three-button suit in a plain colored fabric (usually grey and brown) and is cut in what appears to be a sack style due to the lack of visible darts; his fellow g-men are quite similar. Excalibur himself nods even further toward by wearing a button-down collar shirt and pairs it with a plain brown tie and tie bar. His comrades also follow suit, but there is some variance in shirt collars (some are spearpointy) and ties (some have a bit of an interesting, early 50s pattern). In any case, Excalibur and his agents/bosses are certainly meant to come off a bit more spartan and reserved compared to the ostentatious Schemers.
On the flip side, you have Bjorn, who wears what is perhaps the most stereotypical Wes Anderson outfit in the entire movie: corduroys (in various shades of orange and brown, either as separates or as a suit) with a yellow OCBD, a grey wool bowtie, and white socks with penny loafers. The whole ensemble is decidedly quirky and leans toward Anderson’s infatuation with the 60s/70s due to its earth-tone palette and ivy-trad goodness, which does stick out in a movie that is meant to take place in the ’50s. Granted, he’s supposed to be a bohemian intellectual who loves bugs, so maybe he’s a bit fashion forward. All in all, he’s a very Wes Anderson character, not just in styling but in his charming awkwardness. Thankfully, Bjorn’s trousers are pleated and full cut, making him just a bit atypical of Anderson’s fare.
When Bjorn goes through a bit of a moment near the final act, he switches up his attire to be more “like himself”. At first, this means roughing up the suit and taking off the bowtie, but Bjorn later just wears a corduroy SB suit (it’s no longer separates) and sheds the waistcoat and bow for an airtie. This makes him look incredibly 60s, almost calling to mind Zefferelli from The French Dispatch. At the end of the film, Bjorn looks like nearly like he’s come out of a Drake’s lookbook, as he finally opts for a wool striped neck tie, worn with a full cord suit (in an orange-red). Perhaps this new tie is proof that he’s joined up with Korda and his daughter.
Finally, we have Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed), the future leader of Phoenicia. Despite being Korda’s first contact in the country (at least that we meet), Farouk does not wear a pinstripe DB but instead has a white SB suit (worn with bucks, no less); his father, the current ruler and actual signer of the Phoenician Scheme’s contract is the one who gets to rock the Korda-esque look. However, Farouk does show his allegiance to the Schemers by wearing a striped tie, particularly a well-worn (or vintage?) black and red repp.
The move of putting Prince Farouk in a white suits is quite cool (haha), as there are plenty of examples of people wearing them in warm climates during the mid-century, especially people in non-Western-but-connected-to-the-West countries. White suits are also inherently quite dandy in the meta sense (how many times have you seen white suits in recent movies?), but I think it hints that Farouk is perhaps a bit naive and earnest when compared to the rest of the more experienced Schemers. I also enjoy that the suit appears to be quite vintage (or at least designed as such): the lapels on his suit have quite an interesting shape (the lapel is wider than the collar), and his trousers have dropped loops with a self belt. His shirt is also a spearpoint! Like Bjorn, Farouk’s outfit does feel a bit anachronistic, looking more in line with a 30s/40s mood rather than the 50s setting of the film.
What makes this film even more enjoyable is seeing the alternate costumes that some of the characters wear. This isn’t uncommon with Wes Anderson films, as he certainly loves to provide nuance to a character’s attire while still keeping a thematic throughline. But boy, does The Phoenician Scheme lean into it.
For example, while Marseille Bob is a Schemer in a pinstripe suit, he is first introduced to us wearing a black tie ensemble that features a cream dinner jacket and red fez. Both of the outfits make sense for him– and it certainly is natural that he joins Korda in pinstripes once he’s fully on board with the altered plan…give or a take a few percentage points to cover The Gap.
There’s also the Tunnel Scene, where Reagan and Leland change out of their striped suits and into classic sportswear, donning alumni tops as well as grey sweatpants that are tucked into high-top sneakers. They even accessorize it well: Reagan has sporting glasses while Leland wears a white towel as a bit of a neckscarf. It’s a hilariously appropriate look for two high-strung industrialists who are apparently obsessed with basketball. It seems that every character dresses for the Occasion.
Korda is the epitome of that philosophy in this film; after all, he is the protagonist. When he’s at home, he goes full leisure mode with a pajama set and silk dressing gown, both in bold, abstract zigzag patterns. The robe is black and silver, echoing his favored grey pinstripe suits, while his pjs are a vibrant red. What a look to wear at home, drink a glass of milk, and discuss family secrets with your estranged daughter!
When Korda meets with Prince Farouk in the Phoenician desert, Korda swaps his chalkstripe suit for a khaki safari suit which features a jacket with epaulets, pleated and pocket-flapped quad patch pockets, and trousers with double forward pleats. He even wears Alden Indy boots (seemingly made of shell cordovan due to their dark color)! The effect is quite British or at least “colonizer-esque”, which makes sense as he’s only developing Phoenicia to his financial benefit. Korda does soften the militaristic vibe by wearing a white dress shirt (the air tie calls to mind Augie Steenbeck from Anderson’s previous film) and with chic, bug-eyed sunglasses that are directly lifted from Lermontov in The Red Shoes. Knowing that Liesl’s green tights are just a shout-out to Irma la Douce, it’s likely that Anderson is just throwing in garments from movies that he likes.
Even though I felt like The Phoenician Scheme doesn’t reach the level of The French Dispatch and Asteroid City (which I both enjoyed immensely), I will say that I really enjoyed the costuming.
It might be his best one, at least from a classic/vintage menswear perspective. Wes Anderson is indeed known for preferring a 60s/70s sartorial aesthetic, with semi-flared and short hem suits peppered throughout the film. That could just be his preferred look for “modern-set” films (Royal Tenenbaums, Life Aquatic), but it’s nice to see him embrace the right proportions for his period films. Hell, it’s also great to see Anderson start to include a fair bit of suits and ties (and suspenders and high-rise pants, etc) into his canon!
The style in The Phoenician Scheme certainly feels more mature but without sacrificing the trademarked whimsy that Wes Anderson brings to each of his films. I think it’s important to show that suits (particularly good ones) still have a place in modern movies and still be fun and full of personality.
Only time will tell if Castleberry will follow Wes Anderson and alter his house cut to move away from slim-and-shrunken legs!
– end of blog post –
Spencer, MJ, and I discuss the film on the latest episode of the bonus pod! You can listen to the first 15 minutes in the player above, but you’ll have to subscribe on Patreon to get the RSS feed of the full episode (as well as access to our Discord).
https://soundcloud.com/styleanddirection/b61-preview-the-phoenician-scheme-2025
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