Movies have always been a great source of inspiration in men’s fashion and it’s also where we find some of the biggest style icons. Here, we’ve listed our favourites among the style classics on the silver screen from the 1930s through to the 1970s.
Below you’ll find our favourites.
Classic films of the 1930s
We start from the 1930s, which is all the rage in classic menswear right now. It was also during this decade that Hollywood would emerge as one of the major fashion influencers.
When we look at the range of films available from the 1930s, it’s the sheer number of Alfred Hitchcock films that stand out the most. A style classic that’s a must-see if you haven’t already seen it is Gone with the Wind, starring 1930s style icon Clark Gable in the lead role.
Classic films of the 1940s
Moving on to the 1940s, there are already far more classics to choose from. These include two of the films voted the best films in history, Casablanca and Citizen Kane (1941). Two films that are also inspiring from a fashion point of view, not least thanks to two of the greatest style icons of the 1940s, Orson Welles and Humphrey Bogart.
James Stewart was another great actor of the 1940s and It’s a Wonderful Life from 1946 is also considered one of the greatest films in cinema history.
Classics films of the 1950s
From the 1950s there are two actors above others that we often cite as two of our greatest role models in terms of men’s style, Cary Grant and Gregory Peck. Roman Holiday from 1953 is a classic not least for the classic scenes of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck on a Vespa in Rome.
Style classics from the 1950s also include How to Catch a Thief from 1955, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Here you’ll see a display of classic menswear by Cary Grant, along with magnificent views of the French Riviera.
Rebel without a Cause from 1955 is often cited as one of the films that cemented James Dean’s iconic status and is also often referred to as one of the great film classics of menswear.
Film classics of the 1960s
There is often an overlap when mentioning style icons from the 1960s and 1970s. Here we’re looking at style classics on the silver screen, and there are some obvious choices.
Goldfinger from 1964, starring Sean Connery, was the first Bond film to win an Oscar. It’s also one of the most stylish, featuring 007’s Aston Martin for the first time and beachwear that still inspires today.
Steve McQueen is another style icon from the 1960s and The Great Escape (1969) is the best of the films he appeared in.
The third and final style classic we choose from the 1960s is Dr. Strangelove from 1964, starring Peter Sellers.
Film classics of the 1970s
The last decade from which we draw inspiration is the 1970s. Alongside Steve McQueen, there were two great style icons of this decade, Paul Newman and Robert Redford. In The Sting from 1973, you’ll find both of these actors as con artists in 1930s Chicago. For anyone interested in 1930s menswear, this film is a real hit.
Jack Nicholson is rarely mentioned as a style icon, despite having a solid career in the industry. Yet he starred in one of the greatest style classics of the 1970s, Chinatown. This is also one of the best films of the decade and is set in the golden decade of men’s fashion, the 1930s.
Of course, any list of classic films from the 1970s includes The Godfather from 1972. This is widely ranked as one of the world’s best films and stars both Al Pacino and Marlon Brando. The film’s action takes place between 1945 and 1955, which is also of great interest to anyone who loves classic menswear.
