Men’s fashion finds its flavour at Oscars
The best-dressed actors at the 2023 Oscars let their individuality shine through.
Even just a few years ago, it’d be difficult to have imagined an Academy Awards where wearing an open shirt would’ve been socially acceptable. For men, the strictly black tie affair has long warranted the likes of crisp bowties and sharp, patent leather loafers, with (mostly black) suiting being a unifier for those in attendance.
At the 2023 Oscars, several outfits were welcome aberrations to the rules. Exhibit one: Riz Ahmed. The actor and past Oscar winner wore a look from Prada’s autumn/winter ’23/’24 menswear range: a pink undershirt with an oversized brown collar, baring the chest underneath. In line with the more outré dressing of the past few years’ Oscars, Ahmed was one of several men who eschewed traditional suiting this year, going for cuts and colourways that expressed individuality over conformity.
The Banshees of Inisherin actor Barry Keoghan was another. The Irish star and Best Supporting Actor nominee donned a lavender suit by Louis Vuitton with a white bowtie and star-shaped buttons for an idiosyncratic touch. Meanwhile, actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. sported a sheer top by Dior under a grey blazer which also featured buttons in unexpected, unmatching shapes. All would have been once considered taboo, but are now making best dressed lists.
For those who didn‘t want to break the internet, stars opted for iterations of the classic tux and updated them with an edge. Paul Mescal, the Aftersun star and Best Actor nominee, donned a white-tie blazer with wide-leg trousers that added a ’70s edge, complete with a subtle rosette affixed on his lapel. After establishing himself as a leading man for a new generation in his role in Binge’s The Last Of Us, actor Pedro Pascal eschewed a tie entirely, instead wearing a high-collar white shirt with his slick Zegna number. Ludwig Göransson, the Swedish composer nominated for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack this year, kept it cool in a suit by New York brand Bode, known for their artisanal embroidery and hand-made, high-value pieces favoured by the likes of Harry Styles.
However, the history attached to the Oscars – especially the nominated stars, for which it’ll define many of their careers – encouraged some stars to stick to the classics. After wearing an array of retro-inspired looks on the Elvis press tour and subsequent award season, Best Actor nominee Austin Butler wore sharp-shouldered Saint Laurent, adhering to the classic tailoring the French maison is known for. Brendan Fraser, the winner of this year’s Best Actor gong, marked his moment with a deep navy Giorgio Armani suit, as did stars Andrew Garfield and Michael B. Jordan, in Fendi and Louis Vuitton respectively.
Whichever mode of dressing works best for today’s stars, it’s clear an outfit can be formal just as much as it can be fun.