Putting the extra in extra-vert ensembles, Jared Leto is a man who knows a thing or two about ramping up the camp on a fantastical fit. His finesse is largely bank-rolled by the kooky creations over at Gucci (with pieces that befittingly outlandish, can any of us really blame him?), but that doesn’t stop Jared being an arbiter of the garish and glorious all in his own right.
Whether fronting 30 Seconds to Mars in a sequin catsuit or donning a floor sweeping garnet-gown (while carrying his own head, naturally) on the Met Gala pink carpet, Jared’s marmite-effect dress sense is at the very least something to marvel at, even if not always to try at home. His larger than life wears may not always be appropriate for poker night at Gary’s, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be drawing a few style-tips from the OG of flamboyance. From attempting to emulate one of his bold print clashes, to introducing a ‘70s Jared special to your tailoring, we’re here to talk you through some of the far-fetched flexes that you can and should add to your own wardrobe. What we can’t do is tell you how he gets that knock-out barnet (but if you discover the secret, please, please tell us).
LOOK 1
Brushed velvet, stud detail, floral applique, ‘70s lapel… there’s a lot to unpack here, and that’s just in the denim-blue duster. The key to Jared’s flawless execution is his use of layering and proportions, which is something you can easily introduce to your own day-to-day style sensibilities with very little effort. Pair a longline beige duster-coat such as this Marni one with a white crew-neck t-shirt and jeans; then roll that denim up as high as you dare and watch your outfit credentials rise to match.
LOOK 2
To pull off a look quite this balls-to-the-wall, you’d better be ready to back it up with a serious dose of ‘don’t give a damn’ attitude. Lucky for the ever-breezy Jared, effortless kind of runs through his veins, and this kaleidoscope of print and texture-clashing madness actually looks kind of… dope. Before you go reaching for your Nan’s floral-print rain poncho, do remember you are not Jared (or A $AP Rocky, for that fine matter) so you’re best of leaving your influence of this look to the print clashing. Try pairing one of Alistair Mackie at Matches shirts with a subtle micro pin-stripe blazer. You’re welcome.
LOOK3
Ah, that age old wardrobe staple, ‘the Cadbury-wrapper hued bell-bottom’. Outlandish? Yes. An influence to be shunned by your fine self? Absolutely not. Moving away from the standard-straight leg offerings your wardrobe probably consists of doesn’t need to flare-up anxiety. Tease the trend by going for a more subtle kick flare (Maison Margiela have some unthreatening options), and keep it simple up-top to let those wide-boys do all the talking.
LOOK 4
When a look that centres on a dusty-pink blazer, with gold-trimmed lapels of proportions that make a Boeing 767’s wingspan look modest can be counted as ‘conservative’, you know you’re dealing with a true counterculture-king. Copy and paste this sensational-swerve into your wardrobe by investing in this double-breasted Givenchy blazer. Life’s looking pretty rosy, huh.
LOOK 5
If you’re more accustomed to copping a hot-pink sateen kimono then you are a traditional penguin suit, navigating your fit for the White House Correspondents dinner can probably feel like a bit of a daunting exercise. The solution? Stick to what (or who) you know and get a midnight blue, made-to-order Gucci suit tailored. Add one taffy bowtie to one (two? Three? That’s a lot of hair) pot of hair-wax and et voila! A genteel evening look that is in no scarcity of personality. Shop for your own Gucci conversation starter, here.
