Johnny Depp Style: Puttin’ On The Ritz

Known for his ever-evolving and singular style, Johnny Depp stole the show with the blue tuxedo and two-tone Twenties-style shoes he wore to this year’s Academy Awards.� Complementing the look with tortoise-shell frames and several large rings, he projected an air of sophistication and whimsy. Depp has always created his own look. According to Maria Divaris, fashion editor of Marie Claire magazine, “It’s one of the things that kind of makes him sexy. He doesn’t seem to really care what people expect of him or want him to be. He’s going to wear what he wants to wear, he’s going to cut or not cut his hair, shave or not shave when he sees fit, and he’s going to chose the movie roles he believes in.”

To cultivate your own sense of fashion experimentation, look to other time periods.� Depp rarely limits his clothing choices to those of this decade, often favoring instead the shaped silk ties, tail coats, and two-tone shoes of the Twenties, vertical striped suits, wide, pointed lapels, and gangster style brown fedoras of the Thirties, and wide trouser hems with cuffs, pocket handkerchiefs, and suspenders of the Forties. Just one of these vintage touches can add a heap of style to an otherwise run-of-the-mill get-up.

Light-colored stripes on a crisp, dark suit or shirt are always hot, and hats, though so undervalued by the modern man, lend tremendous character and panache. Work in ritzy touches, such as velvet trim or vintage buttons. Consider a monochrome look of various shades of brown or blue. A chocolate suit, tie, and hat, preferably a fedora with sheeny silk band, work particularly well on dark-haired fellows like Depp.

Depp tends to grow out his hair and facial hair, perhaps to offset the innocence of his baby face, and he often has a few strands in his eyes or skewed out of place. To emulate this style, let your hair grow. Try a palmful of gel mousse pulled through the strands or styling spray pomade focused at the ends. Finger comb for a casual look.

For dressing down, add a few strands of wooden, ethnic beads or chains to faded jeans and a fitted white button-down shirt or t-shirt. Add unique accessories, such as a heavy leather worn-in watch or bookish spectacles. Whatever clothing you choose; don’t be afraid to stand out. The attention you garner will almost certainly be positive.