For menswear fans and film buffs alike, The Talented Mr. Ripley from 1999 is one to watch for its unique and beguiling plot, impeccable cast, and interesting take on 1950s style. Today, we’ll take a fine-toothed comb to the outfits, see how historically accurate they are, and share our takeaways from this wonderful movie!
The Talented Mr. Ripley: An Overview
The Talented Mr. Ripley made it into our list of 17 Movies Menswear Enthusiasts Must Watch from the 1970s to 2010s, and for good reason! It stars Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, among others. The movie is based on the 1955 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith. Interestingly, Highsmith wrote four other books following the exploits of the main character Tom Ripley. Therefore, they’re also known as the “Ripliad.”
Ripley’s character has been portrayed numerous times in film, radio, and TV, but in our opinion, the best version is this 1999 film, directed by Anthony Minghella.
The story follows a young aspiring pianist, Tom Ripley, who works as a piano tuner on the side and is, through coincidence, brought into position to retrieve Dickie Greenleaf, the son of an American shipping magnate hiding out in Italy. The story evolves into a very intelligent, stylish psycho-thriller.
The film would go on to gain many nominations for important awards including an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design. Costume designers Anne Roth and Gary Jones really did a good job in this movie.
They took their job very seriously and so, they went through two trunkloads of reference materials. Just think about magazine clippings, photographs, actual clothes. Through all of that, they were able to put together prototypes for the characters in the movie. Of course, they also had fabric swatches because fabrics back then were a lot heavier than what we’re used to today.
Once the clothing prototypes were set, they spent more time with each actor to get everything just right. You can really see it in the movie as the clothing underlines the characteristics of people and is much more important, in my opinion, than what you see in other movies.
Even though there’s no specific time given of the movie, we know it’s after 1956 because the blazer jacket that Ripley is wearing in the opening scenes, which is borrowed, has a “Class of ’56” emblem on it.
While there’s lots of sartorial eye candy in this movie, today we’re going to focus on the main characters Tom Ripley, Dickie Greenleaf, and Peter Smith-Kingsley.
A Style Breakdown of the Main Characters: Tom Ripley (Matt Damon)
Class of 1956 Blazer
So, let’s dive right in with our namesake, Tom Ripley. The movie starts out with him telling us a story that it all started because of a jacket he borrowed, which is this blazer with a Class of 1956. And it’s interesting because there’s a recurring theme throughout the movie that he’s borrowing clothes.
Obviously, it’s not made to his size but, if you look at it, it’s a much fuller cut than what you see today, which is stylistically in line with the 50s, where, after the war, people weren’t rationed with fabric and could splurge a little more and just have more fabric in their clothes again.
White Uniform Jacket
Next, we can see Tom brushing off the dust or hair of men in the restroom. He’s wearing this white uniform jacket, but that’s what it is – a uniform. It doesn’t represent his style or anything else. It’s just work clothing.
Today, probably, it would be a polyester polo with a big emblem. Back then, that’s what they wore. The contrasting color of this bathroom attendant uniform is a pretty cool feature.
Single-breasted, Two-button Corduroy Jacket
We first see Tom wearing his own clothes at the shipping yard with Herbert Greenleaf. His jacket has a single-breasted, two-button corduroy jacket in a fawn or sand collar with his flaps tucked in. Throughout the movie, it will become somewhat of a signature piece of Tom Ripley.
The lapels are neither too slim nor too wide. The jacket is ventless, which was typical for back then, and it’s overall not a very exciting jacket. The fit is quite loose and, probably, he also got that second-hand.
If you’re a regular follower of the Gentleman’s Gazette, you know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying second-hand. In fact, you can get great deals at a bargain price. But, just because you have a high-quality jacket doesn’t mean it fits you well. So, Tom should probably have checked out our alterations guide to get the fit just right.
So, how accurate is the jacket? Actually, pretty accurate. Corduroy was a popular casual material. It’s was hard-wearing, and the style is in line with the 1950s.
Oxford Cloth Shirt and Trousers
Other than the jacket, he wears a white Oxford cloth button-down shirt. It was a staple of the American Ivy look. His tie is simple and understated with a small dot or Macclesfield pattern tied in a four-in-hand knot. You can see the tie is relatively slim. I’d guess seven or eight-centimeter width, which is about two and a half to three inches.
Ripley’s trousers are navy and cut quite wide, which was a style that was popular in the 30s. By the 50s, pants had slimmed down a bit. So, I wonder if it was used to highlight that he wasn’t up to the latest fashion trends and was going with older styles because he could get them more inexpensively.
Iconic Eyeglasses
In the same scene, it’s also the first time we get a good look at Tom’s glasses. A lot of people think it’s the Sheldrake model from Oliver Peoples. But, if you look at the details, you can tell that isn’t quite right. Instead, in our opinion, the glasses are more likely to be a Moscot Original in the model Lemtosh or Gelt.
Regardless of the brand, these spectacles very well represent the 50s because the Clubmasters and cat-eye styles were popular with men back then. To learn more about the intricacies of gentleman’s eyeglasses, our guide has you covered.
As Tom is tasked by Herbert Greenleaf to bring back his son to the US from Italy, he prepares for his trip in his basement apartment, which looks quite shabby. Here we get a glimpse at his very limited wardrobe, which all fits on one simple rack.
The scene emphasizes that he can’t afford a nice apartment and it reminds me of my early days when I stayed on the third floor of a much smaller place and I had to shower in the basement with a coin-operated machine. At least I had a shower.
Pebble-grain, Split-toe Derby Shoes
For parts of his preparations for the Italy trip, we can see him polishing a pair of pebble-grain, split-toe derby shoes in dark brown. It’s very accurate for the period and it also makes sense that he would spend time polishing them. Because if you just have one good pair of shoes, you want to take care of them.
Later on, we will continue to see that very pair of shoes. He also takes good care of the rest of his clothes–maybe Tom watched our guide on clothes maintenance! At the end of the day, Tom is very aware of his limited means, but also the power that his clothes can give him in the eyes of others. In his mind, “it’s better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody.”
Charcoal Grey Wool Suit
When Tom arrives in Italy, we can see how he stays somewhat buttoned up and respectable around the people with money. However, once he gets to the less affluent area of Mongibello, he becomes a little more casual and relaxed and you see the tie knot coming loose and the shirt getting unbuttoned.
Nevertheless, what we see here is probably one of his best suits. It’s in a finer wool and so, probably, it would wear it more quickly so you wouldn’t wear it as often.
It’s a single-breasted style, two buttoned with a slim notched lapel and a short center vent. Color-wise, it’s charcoal gray with a small brown over pattern. So, depending on the light, it looks more gray or brown.
The jacket has two buttons and trousers are pleated and, overall, this suit fits him better than what we’ve seen so far. Of course, to top off the Ivy League look, he adds a knit tie to the Oxford cloth button-down shirt.
Hamilton Ardmore Watch
As Tom recovers from a night out with Dickie, we get a better glimpse at his watch, which is a tank style. More specifically, it’s the Hamilton Ardmore, a model that has been around since 1937. From the movie, we don’t know if it’s quartz or automatic. My guess would be it’s automatic as quartz became more popular later, but who knows?
In our opinion, that’s a good choice for him to wear. It’s not a Cartier Tank watch or a JLC Reverso. It’s a Hamilton, which is much more affordable even for everyday men such as Tom Ripley.
Pork Pie Hat with Black Tie Outfit
When Dickie tells Tom to borrow one of his jackets, Tom actually finds a lot of pleasure in trying things on, plays around, and even wears Dickie’s shoes. As he’s listening to music, he’s also donning a pork pie hat with his Black Tie outfit. Not a look we recommend, but maybe that’s how Preston gets ready for Black Tie events, because he also likes to wear pork pie hats!
50s “Riviera” Look
By far the biggest departure from Tom’s usual wardrobe can be seen when he’s in San Remo on the boat with Dickie. Here, he’s wearing a navy knitted polo shirt with sand-colored trousers and a beige jacket. This look is distinctly laid back and inspired by the 50s “Riviera” look; you can see Cary Grant sporting the style below.
It’s interesting to see Tom wearing something as luxurious as a silk polo shirt, and it speaks to how how the style of Dickie is rubbing off distinctly onto Tom.
Raglan Overcoat
Back in Mongibello, Tom dons a raglan overcoat, which was very typical of the era. Typically, they were cut longer and fuller than modern overcoats, at least covering the knee. As you may know, “raglan” describes the style of the way the sleeves are set in, with a seam in the front rather than a sleevehead.
Considering that it was raining in the scene, it was a sensible choice that was period-accurate.
As Ripley travels to Rome, we can see him fully impersonating Dickie Greenleaf. That doesn’t mean that their styles are identical. But, much rather, Ripley takes a style and adds elements of his own.
One more subtle thing is also the way Ripley combs his hair. When he’s Ripley, he has the part on his right. When he’s Greenleaf, he has it on his left. That’s a trick you also have seen in other movies. For example, Christopher Reeves’ Superman did the exact same thing.
Greenleaf Outfit
The most notable features though are Dickie’s watch and pinky ring, which signaled to Ripley that he’s now in “Greenleaf mode.” The suit Tom is wearing here is of a distinctly finer fabric than what he was wearing before.
The shoulders are somewhat broad and cut more fully, but the sleeves are much too short. To learn more about the proper sleeve length with your shirt and your jacket, we’ve made a separate guide on sleeve length, too.
Because this is something we’ve seen earlier when Tom borrowed a jacket from Dickie, it’s safe to say this is probably one of Dickie’s suits. Trust me, your shirt cuffs should never stick out that far!
Dark Suit with White Shirt and Dark Tie
Later in the movie, we see Ripley ordering luggage at a store in Rome with, of course, Greenleaf’s initials. This scene was shot at the Gucci store in Rome, and we see Tom in a dark suit with a white shirt and a dark tie.
While that may seem similar to before, if you take a closer look, the shirt is now a semi-spread collar, no longer an Oxford cloth, button-down collar. He’s changing and paying attention to the details.
Corduroy Jacket with Peak Lapels
Later, Ripley has a fitting with a tailor, making good on the promise of Dickie to take him to the tailors. Dickie, of course, knows about the clothing situation of Tom and, once, he makes a remark about him washing the same shirt every night because he doesn’t have any others.
At the tailors, the jacket looks somewhat similar to his corduroy jacket, but he has interesting peak lapels. Maybe he just wanted to do something special, but it’s not something you saw regularly in the 1950s.
Evening Wear
Later that evening, we can see Tom wearing evening wear again. He has a shawl collar jacket, pleated shirt, shirt studs, and black bow tie – classic 50s evening ensemble. Of course, he also wears a cummerbund and not a vest. If you’re interested in anything related to Black Tie, check out our in-depth Black Tie guide.
The fact that there’s a significant collar gap in his jacket makes me believe it wasn’t his jacket. It was certainly not tailored for him, but it was likely borrowed.
Navy Jack with Beige Trousers
The next morning, Tom meets Peter and Marge again, now wearing a navy jacket with some beige-colored trousers. But, his signature pieces – the eyeglasses, the Oxford cloth button-down shirt, as well as the knit tie – are back. Overall, the look is slightly elevated because of his trousers, which represent his elevated financial status now.
Other Outfits
As the film develops, we see Tom wearing more and more knitted polo shirts, which is a cross between his own style and Dickie’s style. We can also see him wearing a dark turtleneck sweater for the first time. And it almost seems like Tom is taking on many different personas without ever being himself and reflecting his true style.
An interesting addition is a pair of Gucci Horsebit loafers, which are staples for the brand. In terms of accuracy, the Gucci Horsebit loafer is 100% 50s period-accurate.
As Tom is back to being himself, he now travels more lightly with less luggage again and, of course, the corduroy jacket and eyeglasses come back, as well as the very same navy, full-cut trousers we saw at the very beginning of the movie, and his split-toe derbies. So, all these subtle hints underline the roles and the personas he plays in the movie.
Later on, we can see him wearing a glen check suit with a white shirt and a striped tie, and a dark overcoat. There’s another navy suit that we don’t see much of. It has smaller peak lapels and, again, a striped tie.
Overall, you can see influences of Peter Smith Kingsley’s style, which, at this point, he’s growing quite fond of. In the very last scene, the film ends with Tom wearing Peter’s duffle coat, contemplating the events of the movie.
So, in a nutshell, Tom Ripley’s style is an interesting one. It’s strongly influenced by secondhand and what he can afford. But, he wants to look like someone from the Ivy League. As he gets his hands on more money, he somewhat stays true to these stylistic roots but adds an item here or there.
When he impersonates others, his style sometimes changes quite dramatically on a detailed level. You can clearly see how both Dickie and Peter influence his style throughout the movie and he’s, overall, a very adaptable man. So, how accurately does he emulate those other two characters? Well, let’s have a closer look at them, too!
Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law)
Casual Outfit
We first see Dickie as played by Jude Law in a very casual outfit. It’s a black knitted short sleeve shirt that’s untucked, worn with a stone-colored pleated pair of trousers and white loafers.
While Tom doesn’t exude confidence at first and he’s quite buttoned-up, Dickie is much more casual and relaxed. He has an air of not taking himself too seriously, which is quite pleasant.
As far as accuracy goes, the 50s had a large range of casual clothes that were acceptable at the time. So, if compared to fashion illustrations and photos, this was a quite period-accurate outfit.
Tan Two-piece Suit
In one of Dickie’s happiest places, the jazz club, we can see him bring another period-accurate outfit. It’s a light tan two-piece suit with a shirt and tie. You see two sleeve buttons, and pleated trousers that are worn with a belt, and the shoulders are a little wider.
While the white shirt plays nicely with it, the striped tie is way too similar to the suit. But, he tops it off with a darker pork pie hat, which is his favorite.
We can’t help to see the parallels to Frank Sinatra, who also liked to don the pork pie hat in a kind of angled casual way with a somewhat loose tie knot. And, as a musician, I think that’s what Dickie was aspiring to.
Dressing Gown
In a moment of downtime here, we can see Dickie wear this beautiful gold-green-brownish dressing gown, which is made out of silk with a paisley pattern. Later on, Tom wears it, too, of course. Dressing gowns here are also very period-accurate.
Menswear Accessories
If you pay close attention, you also get a good look at Dickie’s menswear accessories, which is quite fascinating.
Sticking with jewelry, in this close-up espresso shot, we can see his pinky ring with a green stone. But, also, we get a good look at his watch. It’s a Swanson 30-meter water-resistant quartz watch that is simply too new to be in the mid-50s. So, they paid close attention to all the clothing, but there was a slight lapse here!
Keep in mind, though, this was 1999, and research on the internet wasn’t as easy as it is today. They tried to make up for it by adding a Milanese mesh strap to it, which fits into that period. But, again, kind of a mishmash.
Dickie has a few other signature accessories including his pen, which is a Montblanc pen. Montblanc, even though it sounds very French, is a German brand from Hamburg. Today, it’s owned by the Richemont group. Back then, it wasn’t.
It was a status symbol, and so, Dickie, as a son of a rich magnate, would naturally have a pen of status. Curious if Montblanc pens are worth it? Check out our in-depth review!
Persol PO3260S Sunglasses
Dickie’s signature sunglasses are a pair of Persols, specifically the style PO3260S. We reviewed Steve McQueen’s Persols, which are quite cool. At the time, however, Persol wasn’t owned by Luxottica yet, and made very high-end eyeglasses and sunglasses, of course.
The style is very fashion-forward for the 50s and, maybe, has aviator-inspired styles. If you look at most 50s sunglasses, think of North by Northwest with Cary Grant, you have more of that wayfarer style.
One-piece Knitted Shirt and Flowery Shorts
Back to clothing and you can see him wearing a one-piece collar yellow and white knitted shirt paired with peachy flowery shorts. He also uses sunglasses that are now black and more period-accurate than the previous ones.
As mentioned earlier, the knitted short-sleeved shirt that is buttoned and untucked is something Dickie wears a lot throughout the movie. Particularly, the striped ones with the big collars are very accurate of the 1950s.
Moving on to tailored garments now, we learn that Dickie’s favorite tailor is Battistoni in Rome, which is, in fact, a real tailor that has been around since 1946. This is when Dickie offers Tom to buy him a jacket to replace his corduroy one because Dickie is probably tired of seeing it.
Navy Blazer Outfit
In this scene, we can see the two ends of wealth displayed. On the one hand, Tom Ripley wears his trusted workhorse clothes in corduroy that are boxy and just wider. On the other hand, you see Dickie Greenleaf with a navy blazer with three cuff buttons, a fine pale blue shirt with a fine striped tie, and off-white slacks, cufflinks, and a belt.
Two-toned Shoes
Overall, everything Dickie wears is a lot more refined and elegant, especially in contrast to Tom Ripley. He tops it off with two-tone shoes, which is, of course, quite loud. But, he doesn’t have to conform to anyone’s rules because his father has a lot of money.
Two-toed shoes were, in fact, very popular in the 1950s and men would wear them much more often than they do today, which, in my opinion, is a shame because I love two-tone shoes. They’re bolder and have more character. If you have a chance to wear them, please do so. You have our blessing.
French Navy Suit
You can get a closer look at Dickie’s shoes later when Tom is packing his suitcase or, in this scene, when he wears a very vibrant blue suit with two-tone shoes. Some people call the suit French navy, which is lighter, and here you see Dickie pairing it with a navy blue polo shirt, which, in my mind, is not the best look. But, hey, each to his own.
The material has a lot more textures; presumably, it’s a blend of silk or linen. Of course, he had his pork pie hat and the cut is a little wider again, very accurate for the period.
Dark Blazer Outfit
Later on, you can see him again wearing this bold combination of a dark blazer with white pants. He likes his two-tone looks, which you can also see on the boat. His black polo shirt, white trousers that are rolled up at the hem paired with white tennis shoes for a very casual, relaxed look. As a whole because of his jewelry and the bold contrasts, Dickie has a more confident style than Tom.
At first, it gives a lot of light colors and Tom sees him as the golden boy. As the story progresses, we see more dark and light outfits, more black and white, and we also see behind Dickie’s positive and negative sides. Maybe that was intentional to display the ambivalence of his character.
Peter Smith-Kingsley (Jack Davenport)
As we mentioned earlier, Dickie isn’t the only person that piques Tom’s interest. So, let’s now continue to Peter Smith-Kingsley, played very well by Jack Davenport.
Evening Wear
We first see Peter somewhat mid-movie at the opera with Marge in Rome. Just like Tom, he’s wearing an evening jacket with a shawl collar. But instead of a pleated shirt or a Marcella bib front, it is the studless shirt front with a hidden fly, which is something that became popular at the time.
It definitely looks much better than Tom’s and, overall, for Black Tie and men’s clothing, the 50s, and the 60s, very experimental. So, if they were, somewhat, mid to late-50s that’s pretty accurate.
Brown Raglan Overcoat
The next morning, Peter is wearing a brown raglan overcoat with some lighter flecks, a lighter jacket, and a dark turtleneck sweater.
Business Suit
In the next scene, we can see Peter in a very business-like suit with a white shirt and a somewhat green-grayish striped tie. Peter looks somewhat uncomfortable with his outfit and somewhat like an overgrown schoolboy.
Olive Green Duffle Coat
Even though Peter’s looks aren’t as glamorous as Dickie’s, you can still see Tom emulating his outfits as he grows more fond of him. Here you can see Peter wearing a dark olive green duffle coat with toggles, a navy jacket, and a darker turtleneck sweater (which is a signature piece for Peter).
Again, he’s wearing it with what seems to be a double-breasted jacket because of the wider peak lapels, which is not something you would have seen in a single-breasted jacket at that time, especially not by a British character. He finishes the look with a pair of dark grey trousers and brown suede shoes.
Overall, Peter likes to wear more casual clothes, which, by today’s standard, are actually formal. But, for the 1950s, it was definitely on the less formal end of the spectrum. He seems to have developed a certain signature style with dark turtlenecks, dark trousers, and a darker overcoat, which makes it very easy for him to get dressed.
The only problem with that is it’s also very easy to emulate, especially for an expert like Tom Ripley, and if you look at the scene above, both of them look very much alike!
Conclusion
Overall, The Talented Mr. Ripley is a wonderful movie, for both the storyline and the clothing. It doesn’t have the typical 90s vibe of other films made at that time. It looks very timeless and period-accurate in my mind, even 22 years later. While not everything is 100% accurate, they did a really great job overall of getting things right–pre-internet, I might add!
Personally, what I like the most about The Talented Mr. Ripley is that they use clothes to portray subtleties much more so than other movies do. And as a clotheshorse, I just love it!
Outfit Rundown
In today’s video, I’m wearing an outfit inspired by Tom Ripley. It consists of a corduroy jacket. Mine is olive green. His was more sand-colored. I have a patch pocket with flaps. He just had flat pockets with the flaps tucked in. Mine is a three-roll-two with side vents because it’s more modern. But, it is a second-hand piece just like Tom Ripley that was made for another person. I like this style and it was in great condition, so I got it.
My Oxford cloth button-down shirt is from Mercer & Sons, which makes a typical Ivy-look OCBD shirt. I’m pairing it with a brown silk knit tie by Fort Belvedere and, unlike Tom Ripley, I put in a pocket square because I don’t like an orphaned jacket pocket. This has tones of blue and brown, which pick up the color of my tie as well as my socks, which are also from Fort Belvedere and you can find them in our shop here just like the pocket square.
My navy pants don’t have belt loops. Otherwise, I would have worn a belt with them. They’re pleated, they’re made for me by Oxford. And, for my shoes, I chose a pair of medium brown split-toe derbies because I didn’t have the dark brown ones that Tom was wearing in the movie. Because I love pinky rings and there were a lot of them in the movie, I put on a tiger’s eye ring in 14 karat gold with a Florentine finish and it just picks up these brown tones in my outfit.