Tony Stark can keep his Iron Man rig, and Captain America his star-spangled outfit and matching shield. The hands-down superhero costume of the year so far belongs not to them — or any of their caped and cowled brethren — but to Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold in the “Entourage” movie, which hits theaters June 3.
Any fan of the 2004-11 HBO series will tell you that the suited-up look is nothing new for Gold. What is new this time around is Gold’s place on the Hollywood food chain — he’s ascended from agent to studio head — and his wardrobe clearly reflects that power shift. (In case you’re wondering, costume designer Olivia Miles keeps the rest of the posse — Vincent, Eric, Turtle and Johnny Drama — in a sea of hoodies, cargo shorts, screened T-shirts, jeans and leather jackets until almost the very end of the film.)
Gold still favors the Italian flair of bespoke Domenico Vacca suits, wearing the label exclusively throughout the film, but the ones made for this film take things to a whole new level. Served up in a color palette that ranges from bold blues to muted browns and grays, the look consists almost entirely of three-piece suits, many of which have double-breasted vests. The extra fabric from that look, as well as the occasional full-on double-breasted suit, creates an impression of impenetrable luxury armor that allows Piven’s character to unravel on the inside while still looking buttoned-up and in control on the outside.
Thanks to the big-screen format, the details that distinguish high-end menswear are clearly on display: the hand-stitching on jacket lapels, the crisp cutaway collars of the dress shirts, the slivers of pocket squares, crest-emblazoned neckties and flash of polka-dotted dress socks. Even in a conference room full of suits, Gold stands head and shoulders above.
What makes Gold’s garb in “Entourage” all the more enjoyable is that as over-the-top as it is, it’s ultimately relatable to real life. Even if a guy isn’t ready to go full Vacca, any well-tailored three-piece suit worn with a similar dash of panache makes a good starting point. (And, let’s face it, whatever today’s version of “dressing to impress” is, it certainly doesn’t include turning up at the next staff meeting dressed like one of the Fantastic Four.)
Does Piven’s on-screen wardrobe in “Entourage” have the potential to influence menswear for the masses the way Michael Douglas’ “Wall Street” look famously did? Only time will tell.
But of all the movies released so far this year, it’s certainly the best-suited.
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