The Menswear in Marty Supreme (2025)

This is a blog post that goes along with the most recent bonus pod! You can listen to the first 15 minutes of the bonus pod below, but you’ll have to subscribe on Patreon to get the RSS feed of the full episode (as well as access to our Discord).

Try as I might, it seems that I just can’t escape period pieces where Timmy Chal plays a well-dressed asshole. The lanky bastard is how I ended both 2024 and 2025– and how I started 2025 and 2026. I am indeed a fan of his movies, but honestly, I wasn’t exactly hyped for Marty Supreme.

To be clear, I’m definitely a film bro who thinks Uncut Gems is a fantastic piece of kino. But if I’m being honest, I didn’t enjoy the experience watching the film: it incredibly frustrating and anxiety-inducing experience (which was entirely the point of the film). That’s why I’ve only seen it once, which was in the theater when it came out. Granted, it’s a spectacular character study and commentary on greed that is still a period film, as it’s set in 2012, of all years. Being another Safdie entry, I knew that Marty Supreme was going to be more of the same, just changing the setting to the early 50s and having the interesting spin of having the plot center around a table tennis champ. I was certainly intrigued about seeing it play out, but it wasn’t hyped.

It didn’t help that the marketing was intentionally obnoxious, blending a streetwear/hypebeast approach with Zilennial irony, a quality of the internet, pop culture, and the average A24 enjyoyer. It’s honestly genius (and was quite effective in getting people excited for the film), but it actually tempered my sentiment, especially as it reminded me of how a local table tennis night got transformed into a semi-niche and hype lifestyle brand (to be clear, the people are good, it’s just the hype focused, online attitude that icks me a bit). The fact that the movie had athletic wear merch drops was a bit of the icing on the meh cake for me.

Of course, I did watch the damn film– twice.

The first was near the end of 2025 on a random Tuesday because I had an errand to do that made me missmy weekly trivia game; Marty was my way of making up for it. The other time was on New Year’s Day, when, during our rainy NYE festivities, a sizeable group of my pals decided to book tickets. We ended up taking up an entire row at our local AMC. Both times, I wore an outfit inspired by the film: a brown suit to evoke one of Marty’s meetings with Kevin O’ Leary’s Milton Rockwell and a black sportshirt and slacks to send up his competition attire (though I added a sweater vest because it’s cold in LA).

And you know what? I did indeed enjoy the film. In fact, I’d be down to watch it at home, which again is something I could not say for Gems.

It’s an interesting take on the sports film genre, which, like a musician biopic, is usually too straightforward and can be too trite and saccharine. Marty indeed still follows a prodigy’s journey to achieve the title and fame, but the titular character is incredibly smarmy and pathetic, contrasting his very obvious talents. He’s constantly hustling and manipulating people, burning bridges, and digging deeper and deeper holes as he goes along, all thanks to his arrogant optimism. The movie also has some commentary on capitalism through O’ Leary’s Rockwell, whom Marty constantly “loses” to, no matter how hard he tries. Oh yeah, and the cinematography and score, which had an inspired 80s/90s, pop-synth approach, were all fantastic.

I don’t think it quite reached the heights of Uncut Gems for me, mainly because it lacked that punch, the sauce, if you will. Maybe that’s because Marty, with all of its frustrating and tense moments, isn’t as stressful a watch, being considerably more lighthearted and a bit “happier”. Maybe I just find Adam Sandler’s Ratner to be a bit more compelling as a character simply because he’s the worst (and also is much more involved with actual crime).

It’s not a masterpiece, but I do consider Marty Supreme a good movie. That wasn’t surprising. What was surprising was just how great the costuming ended up being– even if I don’t find myself wanting to dress exactly like Mr. Marty Mauser.

*A spearpoint shirt and a 30s brocade but tied in a Windsor style which gained popularity in the mid 40s? Wow! Its exactly what a regular dude who kept his clothes would wear in the early 50s.*

*Like damn, this looks like a period photo.*

I’ll be honest when I say that I wasn’t expecting much from the clothing in the film, despite the obvious immersive detail that goes into the production of a Safdie film (Uncut Gems feels like its 2012 and a big part of that was the clothes). Again, the fact that much of the fashion talk around the film (before its release) was centered on the hypebeast-friendly merch didn’t really do anything to pique my interest in the costuming. But when I saw the film, I was floored by how good it all was. From the main characters and bit parts to the extras in the background, everyone looked incredible and authentic to the setting, which only added to the immersion. It was all impressively spot on: the proportions of the clothes, the patterns on the cloth, and the styling of the outfits. It wasn’t an approximation of vintage clothing– it felt like we were dropped into Lower Manhattan in 1952.

I had a feeling that every single person on screen was wearing true vintage— or at least custom pieces that looked incredibly accurate. As I’ve discussed before, most period films made today prefer an “editorialized take” on period attire for the main characters, usually to prevent the film from being too costumey, which, to me, backfires or at least dates the film. Interestingly, filmmakers reserve the true vintage for the stars’ accessories or to simply dress side characters and extras. But for Marty Supreme, it was clear to me that going period-accurate was a priority for every character. And according to multiple interviews (Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar) with costume designer Miyako Bellizzi, as well as her Instagram, that’s exactly what she and her team did.

Each entry reveals just how much care Bellizzi and her team put into crafting every outfit worn in the movie. Indeed, there was the use of true vintage garments, but when there was a need for custom, she made sure to reference true vintage design aesthetics (lapel shape, buttoning points) as well as use period-style fabrics, which include multistriped cloth for suits, rayon gabardine for sport shirts, and, in the case of Dion, novelty cartoon print for pajamas. There’s even the use of pink satin to create a matching sport shirt-trouser set when Marty has a brief stint as a halftime performer for the Harlem Globetrotters. Stage costume pieces like that certainly existed, and it’s very cool and commendable that Bellizzi was able to feature it in this movie!

I did notice quite immediately that the garments, and the outfits thereof, all lean more 40s than 50s, but that’s entirely intentional. Outside of Kevin O’ Leary’s Milton Rockwell (and his wife Kay Stone, played by Gwyneth Paltrow), the characters of the film are not rich people, or at least people who would be seen wearing the latest fashions. No, these are working people in Lower Manhattan or teens in a random New Jersey bowling alley. They wouldnt immediately be wearing the most recent Bold Look suit or have every tie be a swing tie with a vertical-abstract design. No, they would wear their spearpoint shirts and brocade ties until they fell apart– though I did notice that some people would wear their “older” ties in the more “current” Windsor style, instead of the 30s/40s friendly four-in-hand. It’s this amount of detail that makes the film’s costuming so delightful for a vintage menswear enthusiast like myself.

*If this is a custom made piece (likely, as it seems to be in pristine condition), then its spot on for a late 40s design aesthetic.*

*Just compare Marty’s brown suit to this true vintage one!*

*Love those rakish red gloves. Note that he is also wearing the trousers from his suit. Consistency!*

*A regular, casual look that almost feels quite 80s/90s in its vibe. This is probably due to the pastel knit polo (which is definitely 50s, calling to mind SFC)*.

Wally dresses in a similar vibe, but you’ll notice the use of suspenders as well as the more “workstyle” short jacket— complete with taxi driver badge. It communicates character and is certainly accurate/authentic. Very cool!

The more I think about my enjoyment of the menswear in Marty Supreme, the more I realize that it’s not about the style of a particular character. In most movies I cover, the protagonist has such a distinct style, either through specific sartorial cues or the fact that he’s sartorial to begin with. No, with this film, my affection is for the holistic vibe— the entire sartorial aesthetic on screen.

Overall, Marty Mauser’s style is normal and quite static. His clothing choices aren’t chic or bold, which contrasts with the other stylish film characters I’ve covered on the blog this past year, like Smoke and Stack’s prohibition suiting in Sinners, or even when Timmy wore chic 60s clothes as Bob Dylan. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of good and cool clothing in this film, but there isn’t anything too dandy. Marty Mauser isn’t a style icon, at least not to me. I’m not him.

That’s because he simply wears the same clothes and outfits that you would see on any young man in the early 1950s (or late 1940s): sport shirts and Ricky jackets made of gabardine; full-cut, Hollywood-waist trousers cinched by a thin belt (complete with an engine-turned buckle); and on the occasions when he wants to look a bit more professional or mature, he dons an appropriate double-breasted suit complete with the era’s telltale broad shoulders, wide lapels, and low buttoning point. It’s nothing special, simply because everyone else wears the same thing, whether its youth that Marty hustles or the handful of adults (at least the ones older than him) that he interacts with. No one’s style is above the rest, certainly not enough for me to consider a source of inspo, but the film is still a great case study in how broadly well-dressed and stylish an era can be.

But even though the well-done vintage malaise, I did notice the personal cues the designers employed to distinguish each of the characters. While Marty isn’t a dandy, he can be seen sporting a pair of red gloves, whose rakish pop seems to only add to his narcissistic attitude. His hair styling (the slightly messy three-quarters part, the pencil-thin mustache, and his unibrow), in combination with his iconic octagonal-ish wire frames, only increases his inherent smarminess. Wally, played by Tyler, the Creator, also wears Hollywood waist trousers and sport shirts, but he gets to rock suspenders and a flatcap, which I find a bit on the nose for a cabbie, but is certainly period accurate and adds to his own personal expression. Dion also wears suspenders, but he’s almost always in a spearpoint dress shirt, pointing toward his potential aspirations to be a businessman like his father. And then there is the aforementioned Milton Rockwell, as well as the criminal Ezra, who are both perpetually in suits and bold swing ties; their constant formality only adds to the power they have over our table tennis prodigy protagonist.

It’s these nuanced moves that make a difference in the costuming, since again, people are broadly dressed quite similarly. It’s this consistency of aesthetics that is a bit of a tenet of this era of fashion, which is largely before designer clothing or subculture/counterculture moves really increased in popularity, which ultimately added to the tapestry of menswear.

*While the other outfits are largely “regular”, the real **sauce** in the costuming is found in the table tennis attire. Check out that damn polo!*

*Here’s the real guy wearing the “same” thing. Good on Bellizzi and her team for resurrecting this look! Vintage sportswear is something we don’t see often, if at all.*

*I absolutely adore the “USA” sweat, especially since it also features wide ribbing on the cuffs and hem, which are accurate to garments of this era.*

*All of the table tennis fits go so incredibly hard. This is the best part about the costuming.*

There actually was one element of the menswear in Marty Supreme that did get me to verbally say “damn, that’s good”. I’m talking about the sportswear, or the fits he and his fellow table tennis competitors wear during the London championships.

The look is quite simple: trousers (from his grey suit). a sneaker (a deck shoe/Keds style), and, most importantly, a wide sport collar polo shirt done in black and featuring a USA crest on the pocket. It’s quite a contrast to sweatpants and nylon shorts, which feel a bit too casual and unserious, outside of, say, a montage sequence in Rocky or Creed. This is the charm of vintage sportswear– it’s performance and casual wear done through the themes of classic tailoring. It’s different than exercise clothes.

It’s certainly a leisurely look that calls to mind actual tennis attire (or regular casual looks of the era), but ultimately goes hard due to the intentionally dark color palette– a move to help the players keep their eyes on the white ball. Table tennis is a serious thing, and the competitors’ attire only serves to emphasize the drama of the sport. It also just ends up looking cool as hell.

Bellizzi even took care to dress Marty’s competitors in their own variations: you can see quarter-zip pullovers (with point collars), sweatshirts, and knit blousons, all in dark colors with a national signifier. I was pointing and smiling during the entire competition sequence! Marty himself even gets to wear a navy sweatshirt with “USA” emblazoned on the front. It would look like something you could get at Old Navy, if it wasn’t for the visibly heavy weight– and the period-accurate wide ribbing on the hem and cuffs. I may need to find one of these (somehow) so that I can wear it to the gym– or to show up at my local table tennis club. The fact that this type of look is also a far cry from the vibrant Y2K aesthetic of most sports-fashion probably helps add to my enjoyment.

I’m sure that my affection for these table tennis looks simply comes from the fact that I seldom see this facet of casual attire in period films— or in menswear in general. Most of the time, a casual vibe is accomplished in the movies with typical gabardine sportshirts (like what Wally wears) or is played up to 11 with vacation/beach attire (think Benoit Blanc on the beach), where true leisure is the name of the game. And when it comes to the IRL menswear world, casual attire is done well, extremely casually. Vintage sweatshirts are worn plenty, but are mostly paired with jeans or with fatigues, for a rugged hiker/vintage gorp/granola look.

Not many people are doing the “charming, in-between attitude” of vintage sportswear styling by putting a sweatshirt over a polo (or button-up) and wearing proper trousers with white sneakers or derbies/loafers. For most, this can feel a little too “dressy”, but that’s why I love it so much and why it’s filled me with so much inspiration-compulsion to rock my sweatshirts with my trousers and sportshirts.

Those damn table tennis fits were the icing on the cake that showed just how much Miyako Bellizii and her team really knocked it out of the park— or off the table.

More people need to wear deck shoes with trousers, myself included. Also, I love the contrast in colors here between Marty and his rival Endo, A bit on the nose, but certainly effective— and features two really great blousons!

In short, the costuming in Marty Supreme is one of the best I’ve seen lately, not because it makes bold choices (outside of the truly epic tennis attire), but because it gets to showcase how effortlessly cool vintage clothing and styling can be, even when it’s played straight and “normal”. It really isn’t about having every character wear suits, collar bars, and a foulard tie and look like a fashion illustration. No, good costuming to me is about using clothing to express an attitude that is accurate, nuanced, and to borrow a phrase from my good friend Serhan, just has sauce. It’s similar to what I consider to be a good outfit.

You can immediately see how effective the costuming is when you look at the incredible production/BTS photos taken by Bellizzi as well as photographer Atsushi “Jima” Nishijima. Each photo is just dripping with attitude, which is no small part due to the clothes (though good documentary photography has that effect). To me, none of them feels fake or as if it were from a costume party. Every shot looks like it could be from the period. That’s how you know they did it right.

Honestly, these photos were such a boon in making this blog post. For newly released movies (that aren’t immediately available to stream), I have to resort to screenshotting trailers, clips, and ads to get glimpses of the menswear. BTS photos and paparazzi shots taken on set leave a lot to be desired. I guess the filmmakers and the marketing team knew that Marty Supreme (or at least its costuming) was going to be a hit, or they wouldn’t have cared to document it so extensively. Or maybe they’re just like me and can’t help but take pictures of everything.

Honestly, I’m surprised that a film that took its marketing cues from hypebeast and streetwear culture has such great period costuming and styling. As I said before, I was firmly expecting something like Gastby, where it was more about approximating a retro attitude through a contemporary lens. After all, so much of mainstream clothing now is 40s/50s coded, though you could argue that its expression has a distinct 80s/90s lean. That fact hits hard when you consider Marty Supreme’s score and soundtrack…as well as the general vibe of sports dramas and corporate/rich guy antagonists.

If only the officially released merch were as cool as the clothing worn in the film. It is a shame that the Marty Supreme clothing that has captured the fashion world zeitgeist is not the USA sweatshirt or the epic black tennis polo with the embroidered crest. Instead, it’s the 80s-esque nylon warm-up jacket, which sold out when it was released and is now apparently going for $2K+ on the the second hand market. As much as I love merch and absolute cinema (I’m sipping from my Jaws 50th anniversary cup while I write this), I think I’ll be skipping out on it.

I’m honestly glad that Bellizzi shares that same sentiment.

– end of blog post –