This is a particularly strong look from the Italian Job, probably the most memorable Caine film.* Any readers who know the film (and who doesn’t) probably harbours a secret desire to put on this exact outfit anytime anyone has ever mentioned going to Italy on holiday. There is a very interesting assessment here that goes through his look in the film outfit-by-outfit, but for now I'm going to look at one specific look in the pics below.
First of all, the suit is largely on point- light beige (or “stone” as fashion retailers might refer to it now) with THREE buttons (OMG) and a single dark button on the cuff.
I think the pop-theory is that the number of buttons on your cuff is supposed to be some kind of label of social status, ie the more buttons, the higher up the ladder you are. I wouldn’t take this literally of course, but the choice here makes sense for the Italian Job – it gives the suit a slightly more rugged look than the usual 3-button cuff would. Caine’s character is supposed to be a bit of a wheeler dealer. Anyway a “working-class English lads-on-tour” kind of vibe is obviously intended throughout the film.
First of all, the suit is largely on point- light beige (or “stone” as fashion retailers might refer to it now) with THREE buttons (OMG) and a single dark button on the cuff.
I think the pop-theory is that the number of buttons on your cuff is supposed to be some kind of label of social status, ie the more buttons, the higher up the ladder you are. I wouldn’t take this literally of course, but the choice here makes sense for the Italian Job – it gives the suit a slightly more rugged look than the usual 3-button cuff would. Caine’s character is supposed to be a bit of a wheeler dealer. Anyway a “working-class English lads-on-tour” kind of vibe is obviously intended throughout the film.
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In general I’ve never had a light-coloured suit. In my mind it’s the kind of colour and fabric that is reserved for hot, tropical conditions. I suppose Italy in the 1960s must have seemed bloody exotic to most people ... so I guess this makes sense.
I would point out here that although this looks like the same suit, there is a certain amount of detailing missing in one pic compared to the other. I have no explanation for this, so there may be two suits here–- one slightly sharper, one slightly more overalls-esque, but the overall impressions are so alike for the purposes of this post that I will remark as if they were one.
The second point is on the brown leather driving gloves. The leather is always a strong contrast with the fabric of the suit and if you’re looking for excuses to get this look on, winter is now here, so you can get away with it even if you’re not driving Minis in Turin. Again, I suspect the glove-wearing is another nod to this slightly rugged “man of action” vibe Caine is giving off.
The third point is the tortoiseshell-frame sunglasses. The glasses he wore in the Ipcress File were such a staple for Caine in this period that it was almost like they couldn’t resist keeping them in the look in one form or another. These types of glasses do have a retro feel now, but in a good way - they don’t look outdated merely “vintage”.
His shirt is disappointingly not a button-down and a little bit plain for my liking, but then you can’t have it all. It does however have an unusually long collar.
*Of course there are various honourable mentions for this title (including Get Carter or even Zulu) but when people quote the man, The Italian Job is where most of the famous quotes come from.
I would point out here that although this looks like the same suit, there is a certain amount of detailing missing in one pic compared to the other. I have no explanation for this, so there may be two suits here–- one slightly sharper, one slightly more overalls-esque, but the overall impressions are so alike for the purposes of this post that I will remark as if they were one.
The second point is on the brown leather driving gloves. The leather is always a strong contrast with the fabric of the suit and if you’re looking for excuses to get this look on, winter is now here, so you can get away with it even if you’re not driving Minis in Turin. Again, I suspect the glove-wearing is another nod to this slightly rugged “man of action” vibe Caine is giving off.
The third point is the tortoiseshell-frame sunglasses. The glasses he wore in the Ipcress File were such a staple for Caine in this period that it was almost like they couldn’t resist keeping them in the look in one form or another. These types of glasses do have a retro feel now, but in a good way - they don’t look outdated merely “vintage”.
His shirt is disappointingly not a button-down and a little bit plain for my liking, but then you can’t have it all. It does however have an unusually long collar.
*Of course there are various honourable mentions for this title (including Get Carter or even Zulu) but when people quote the man, The Italian Job is where most of the famous quotes come from.
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